Spanish Yellow Rice
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Spanish Yellow Rice is a simple side dish that works with loads of main courses! Packed with flavor from the saffron, it isn’t too spicy so it’s great for kids who don’t like spicy foods.
You can make Spanish yellow rice in place of any Mexican rice dish and it works perfectly with Mexican-inspired recipes. But don’t limit yourself to Mexican night – it works with any meat. Our favorite is to serve it with grilled chicken.
Ingredients
- Chicken broth
- Olive oil
- Onion, diced
- Bell pepper, diced
- Sazón Goya con Azafran (Sazón with Saffron)
- Tomato, fresh, diced
- Extra-long grain rice
If you don’t have chicken broth in stock, you can use a bouillon cube and mix it with two cups of boiling water instead.
How to Make Spanish Yellow Rice
- Heat the chicken broth in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until bubbling.
- In a second, larger saucepan, heat the oil then add the diced onions and bell peppers. Stir frequently until they soften, usually 3-4 minutes.
- Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Cook until some of the rice turns bright while, usually 3-4 minutes.
- Add the Sazon seasoning and stir to coat the rice then add tomatoes and stir again.
- Add the hot chicken broth and bring the rice to the boil.
- Cover and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Simmer for 18-20 until the rice is tender.
- Remove from the heat and serve.
Don’t skip the step of pre-heating the chicken broth as I’ve found the rice doesn’t cook quite as well if the broth goes into the mixture cold.
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Once you cover the rice with the pan lid, avoid lifting it until the cooking time is finished to let the heat build-up and steam the rice inside.
What makes Spanish rice yellow?
Sazon con azafran contains saffron and this is what gives Spanish yellow rice dishes their distinctive color. The Sazón Goya con Azafran is a seasoning mix that contains a mix of herbs and spices with saffron and is a brilliant item to have for Mexican and Spanish dishes. It comes in 20 little foil packets so a box will last a long time and not spoil.
What’s the difference with Arroz Amarillo?
Not much! It simply means ‘yellow rice’ in Spanish. Sometimes you will find traditional Spanish yellow rice is made with turmeric rather than saffron. Or you might find this dish called saffron yellow rice. But they are very much the same dish, just with different spices.
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Spanish Yellow Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1/4 cup bell pepper diced
- 1 packet Sazón Goya con Azafran Sazón with Saffron
- 1/2 cup tomato fresh, diced
- 1 cup extra-long grain rice
Instructions
- Heat the chicken broth in a separate smaller saucepan over medium-high heat.
- In a second larger saucepan add the oil and heat over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onions and bell peppers and cook, stir frequently, until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the rice and stir to coat all the rice pieces with oil and continue cooking until some of the rice pieces start to turn bright white. About 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the Sazon seasoning and stir to coat the rice pieces.
- Add the tomato and stir to combine.
- Add the hot chicken broth and bring the rice to a boil.
- Cover the rice and reduce the heat to the lowest setting on the stove and allow to simmer for 18 to 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Remove from the heat and serve.
Notes
Chicken broth can be substituted with 2 cups of boiling water plus a bouillon cube.
Sazon con azafran contains saffron and that is what gives the rice a yellow color.
This works best when the chicken broth has been preheated.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may vary based on exact ingredients used. For accuracy, consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
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Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller
Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller is a food journalist, CEO of Pear Tree Kitchen, and co-creator of Food Blogger Help. She also has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a registered nurse licensed in the State of Oklahoma. When she has free time between writing, blogging, and cooking, she can be found volunteering as an RN with the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps.