Small Batch Spanish Rice
This easy small batch Spanish rice cooks up tender and fluffy in 30 minutes, with diced tomatoes and smoked paprika cooked through every grain. Serves one or two.
Servings: 2 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup long grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons chopped onions
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt - divided
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ cup canned diced tomatoes - with some of the juices from the can.
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir constantly for about 2 minutes, until the grains turn lightly golden.
- Stir in the chopped onions and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook for 1 minute, until the onions soften.
- Add the garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, and black pepper. Stir constantly for 30 seconds so the garlic does not burn.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes with some of their juices, the chicken broth, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer for 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Leave the lid on and let the rice rest for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Taste and add a little more salt if needed.
Notes
Do not rinse the rice. The starch on the surface of the grains helps the rice toast and build flavor. Wet rice will not toast properly and the dish will lose depth.
Use a 10-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid. The pan size and a snug lid are what give the rice the right amount of steam to cook evenly. A larger pan lets too much liquid evaporate, and a loose lid lets steam escape during the simmer.
Do not lift the lid while the rice simmers. Steam escaping changes the cooking environment and can leave the rice undercooked.
Let the rice rest for 5 minutes off the heat before fluffing. Resting gives the steam time to redistribute through the grains, which is what makes the rice fluffy and separate instead of clumpy.
Use low-sodium chicken broth. The salt level builds during cooking. Starting with low-sodium broth means you can taste at the end and add more salt only if needed.
To double the recipe, double the ingredients and use a 12-inch pan.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 768mg | Potassium: 341mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
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