The best Spanish rice is an easy to cook, perfectly paired side dish that goes with any kind of chicken, fish, pork, or beef. In many cultures, rice is the staple of the dish and it’s gotten many civilizations through hard times.
Our process for cooking and eating rice has changed over time, and while it is still nice to cook up a large batch of rice all at once, more and more families are turning to quick-cooking rice in a box. These fast side dish options usually come in an assortment of flavors so you can find the perfect one to pair with your main dish.
During our research, we scoured through many different styles of Spanish rice until we found our top five favorite options. If your stomach is rumbling, it’s okay mine is too! Let’s take a look at the top five Spanish rice choices available for purchase on Amazon.
I chose La Preferida Spanish Rice in a Box for a few different reasons. First of all, I prefer to eat authentic when I want something good. Rather than choose from the many varieties of “watered down” Spanish rice made by companies that make everything, I wanted to go directly to the source. The rice in a box allows you to make a delicious Spanish rice any night of the week.
[toc]
The 5 Top-Rated Spanish Rices
| Editor’s Picks | Brand | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Spanish Rice Overall | La Preferida Spanish Rice in a Box | 4.8 |
| Best Microwaveable Spanish Rice | UNCLE BEN’S Ready Rice: Spanish Style 12pk | 4.5 |
| Best Budget Spanish Rice | Gourmanity Rey del Arroz 2.2lb Sack | 4.5 |
| Best Gluten Free Spanish Rice | RightRice – Spanish | 4.2 |
| Best Spanish Yellow Rice | Goya Rice Mix Yellow 7 Oz Pack of 6 | 4.8 |
*Ratings are from Amazon at the time of publication and can change
Best Spanish Rice Overall: La Preferida Spanish Rice in a Box
My first pick is the La Preferida Spanish Rice in a Box and for good reason. If you’re looking to get the authentic flavor you can only get at Mexican restaurants, it’s hard to mimic. No matter what kind of rice you buy at the store, you always have the same outcome. It’s bland, tasteless, and starchy. Most of the rice you buy from the box can never live up to the expectations.
This Spanish rice does a great job of bringing that authentic flavor into a dinner or side dish that you can make after working a long day on a weeknight. You don’t need to go through the long process of steaming rice because this will cook in as little as 15 minutes and be as light and fluffy as the rice you get in the restaurants.
The purchase comes with nine packs of 5.25-ounce boxes. It has zero trans fat, and all you need to do is boil it in a saucepan for around 10 minutes, and you’re good to go.
La Preferida Spanish Rice in a Box Key Features:
- Authentic flavor
- Company with 70 years of experience
- Comes with nine packs of 5.25 ounce boxes
Best Microwaveable Spanish Rice: UNCLE BEN’S Ready Rice: Spanish Style 12pk
My runner-up choice is something so simple it couldn’t not make the list. UNCLE BEN’S Ready Rice: Spanish Style 12pk is so easy to make. All you need to do is peel the top part of the package off, put it in the microwave for 90 seconds, pull it out, and you’re ready to eat. They have a wide assortment of different flavors but some of the best Spanish rice you can make with such ease.
Whether you’re looking for a quick side dish or an easy to make lunch at the office, this Spanish rice is a simple but great choice!
UNCLE BEN’S Ready Rice: Spanish Style 12pk Key Features:
- Microwaves in 90 seconds
- Assortment of flavors
- Versatile dish
Best Budget Spanish Rice: Gourmanity Rey del Arroz 2.2lb Sack
For some of you, you might not be interested in all the manufactured and produced rice and you might want something simple. The Gourmanity Rey del Arroz 2.2lb Sack is exactly what you want then. This paella rice is the original spanish cooking rice grown by a family-run business in Spain since 1962. You can’t get this authenticity in any of the rice boxes you pick up on the grocery store shelf.
The rice is from the Bahia-Senia variety, which means it’s a short-grain rice that absorbs a lot of liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. It’s soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and non-GMO. Best of all, for half the cost of what you get in the box, you’re getting a 2.2lb sack of rice. You’ll have enough rice to last you for years.
Gourmanity Rey del Arroz 2.2lb Sack Key Features:
- 2.2lb sack of Spanish rice
- Authentic Paella rice from Spain
- Highly affordable
Best Gluten Free Spanish Rice: RightRice – Spanish
If you’re thinking about all the carbs that Spanish rice has you’re in luck. RightRice – Spanish makes a rice that has 40% less net carbs than your traditional rice. It’s made from vegetables like lentils, chickpeas, and green peas to provide a healthier alternative to your standard rice. They’re not trying to say that rice is bad for you, they simply want to provide an alternative for those who might not be able to have that many carbs or gluten.
RightRice comes in many different flavors in addition to Spanish rice, and the purchase gets you a six-pack (of rice). In addition to being gluten-free, it’s also non-GMO, vegan, kosher, and has a low glycemic index. If you’re looking for a great alternative to regular Spanish rice, give RightRice a try.
RightRice – Spanish Key Features:
- Made from vegetables
- Gluten-free
- 40% less carbs than white rice
Best Spanish Yellow Rice: Goya Rice Mix Yellow 7 Oz Pack of 6
Everyone knows and loves Goya products. The company has a long standing history of producing amazing quality Spanish and Latin food products. The tradition continues with Goya Rice Mix Yellow 7 Oz Pack of 6. This yellow rice is done Spanish style and it’s very easy to make on the stove top using a saucepan.
Many people use this Goya rice to whip up a quick Paella because the yellow coloring makes the dish pop, and it has a saffron flavor that provides an overall boost to the dish. Some customers say it’s the most delicious boxed rice they’ve ever had. It has the perfect amount of seasoning, and you don’t need to add anything to it.
Goya Rice Mix Yellow 7 Oz Pack of 6 Key Features:
- Goya yellow rice
- Comes with six boxes
- Great for Paella
If you’re anything like me, you’re not afraid to get the behind the stove, grab a pan, and fire up those burners. Whether you love cooking rice, chicken, pork, or seafood, sometimes you just don’t have enough time. Maybe you have a family, stressful job, or too many commitments to honor. Instead of turning to unhealthy fast food and other bad choices, check out the best grocery deliver services. When you can’t get out to the grocery store to buy the healthy ingredients you need to make your dinner, there are plenty of amazing services out there that will bring it to you.
All of the great Spanish rice recommendations above are sure to delight your palate and ignite your taste buds. They’re all affordable, and each of them provides their own unique selling point. Whether you’re looking for simple and easy or bulky and authentic, I’ve got you covered!
