Houston food lovers know that Guadalajara restaurant serves some of the city’s most beloved Mexican cuisine, and their Spanish rice is the perfect example of authentic comfort food. This isn’t your typical boxed Spanish rice mix. This is the real deal, a recipe that transforms simple long-grain rice into a flavorful, restaurant-quality side dish that pairs beautifully with any Mexican meal. The secret lies in the traditional technique of browning the rice in lard before adding the aromatics, creating a depth of flavor that keeps customers coming back.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
Guadalajara’s Spanish rice achieves its signature flavor through a two-step cooking process that many home cooks skip. First, the rice is toasted in lard until golden, developing a nutty complexity that forms the dish’s foundation. Then, adding fresh tomato puree, aromatic vegetables, and carefully balanced spices creates layers of flavor that penetrate every grain during the oven-finishing process.
Cultural Background
Despite its name, Spanish rice is actually a Mexican-American creation that became a staple in Tex-Mex cuisine. Houston’s large Mexican-American community has perfected this dish over generations, with restaurants like Guadalajara as keepers of authentic preparation methods. Using lard instead of oil reflects traditional Mexican cooking techniques prioritizing flavor over modern dietary trends.
Ingredients
- Paprika – Contributes color and mild pepper flavor without overwhelming heat
- Lard – Provides authentic flavor and helps achieve the perfect golden color when toasting rice
- Long-grain rice – Creates the ideal texture with separate, fluffy grains rather than sticky clumps
- Warm tap water – The specific temperature helps with even cooking and prevents temperature shock
- Green bell pepper – Adds fresh vegetable flavor and appealing color contrast
- White onion – Contributes aromatic base notes that complement the other vegetables
- Fresh tomato puree – Creates the characteristic color and adds natural umami depth
- Chicken stock base – Intensifies savory flavors and adds richness to every grain
- Ground cumin – Provides the earthy, warm spice that defines Mexican rice dishes
- Black pepper – Adds gentle heat and enhances other spice flavors
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare your workspace – Preheat oven to 350°F. Gather all ingredients and have them measured and ready, as the cooking process moves quickly once started.
- Toast the rice – Melt lard in a large, wide pot over high heat. Add rice and stir frequently, cooking until golden brown, about 10 minutes. The rice should have a nutty aroma and light golden color.
- Strain the excess fat – Remove the pot from heat and carefully strain off the excess lard using a fine-mesh strainer. This step prevents greasiness while preserving the toasted flavor.
- Return rice and add liquids – Put the toasted rice back into the same large pot. Add warm water, sliced bell pepper, chopped onion, and tomato puree.
- Season the mixture – Stir in chicken stock base, cumin, black pepper, and paprika until evenly distributed throughout the rice mixture.
- Initial stovetop cooking – Cook over high heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice begins to expand and absorb the liquid.
- Finish in oven – Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated 350°F oven for 15 minutes.
- Final mixing – Remove from oven and carefully mix the rice to evenly distribute vegetables and ensure uniform texture throughout.
Chef’s Notes
The key to restaurant-quality Spanish rice lies in patience during the browning process. Don’t rush the initial toasting step, as this develops the complex flavor that sets this recipe apart from shortcuts. The oven-finishing technique ensures even cooking without burning the bottom layer.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Leftover Spanish rice can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave with a splash of water to restore moisture, or warm gently on the stovetop with additional liquid as needed. The rice freezes well for up to 3 months, though the texture may be slightly softer after thawing.
Scaling the recipe: This generous recipe serves 12, perfect for large gatherings. For smaller families, halve all ingredients and use a smaller pot, reducing cooking times by about 5 minutes for each phase.
More copycat Mexican recipes to try
- Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken
- Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice
- El Chico Cheese Enchiladas
- El Torito’s Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Taco Bell Steak Quesadilla
- Taco Villa Mexican Pizza
- TGI Friday’s Pico de Gallo
Check out more of my Mexican food recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes on CopyKat!
Guadalajara Spanish Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/8 cups lard
- 1 quart uncooked long-grain rice
- 5 cups warm tap water
- 1 1/2 cups sliced green bell pepper
- 1 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1 cup pureed fresh tomato
- 1 tablespoon chicken stock base
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1-1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Melt lard into a large, wide pot over high heat. Add rice and bring to a boil in the lard; stir frequently. Cook rice over high heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Strain off lard. Return rice to large, wide 3-quart pot.
- Add water, bell pepper, onion, tomato, chicken base, cumin, pepper and paprika. Cook over high heat 20 minutes until rice begins to expand. Cover with foil and transfer to the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and mix rice to evenly distribute vegetables.
I have an electric stove, which if you didn’t know is infamous for not cooking rice correctly. Any advice for those using electricity rather than gas?
What is the 1 quart of rice in cups
4 cups
Go to your butcher shop or supermarket meat department and ask for pork fat trimmings.
Cut scraps of meat off. Put fat in a crock pot and melt it down. Strain and pour in mason jars. It will solidify. Voila…lard.
Can do the same with beef fat…that’s called tallow.
This was so good, and easy to make! I will be making this again.
WTH do you buy lard from?
You buy it at the grocery store. It is sold near the shortening.
Exclusivly Mexican grocers or at a “Carniceria”, such as “Nortgate”.