Quick Spanish Rice with Ground Beef Recipe

For people who are new to living on their own, or who are simply not fans of cooking, the time to prepare dinner can be the most annoying thing to do. 

At the end of the day, you can’t always order food or go out to eat, so it’s time to encourage yourself to cook.

Fortunately, there are hundreds of Spanish dinner recipes that are easy to make and can get you out of more than one jam. One of them is the recipe to make Spanish rice with ground beef.

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Here we will tell you everything you need to know about it, from how to make it step by step, to other tips to make the changes that are necessary for the ingredients, or to make the storing or serving process easier for you.

Background of the Dish

What makes this easy Spanish recipe so fascinating is its history. This dish incorporates a great cultural mix.

Rice began to be used when trade with Asian countries increased centuries ago, and the tomato mix began to be made after the encounter with the American continent.

Spanish rice with ground beef arose thanks to this cultural mix, but today it is a staple recipe of Andalusian cuisine. 

If it has tomato and garlic, then you know that the flavors of southern Spain will be well represented in the dish.

It is a delicious dish to eat for lunch, dinner, and at any time of the year.

If you walk through any part of southern Spain, you will likely find hundreds of restaurants that sell it, but you should try and make it yourself.

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Things You’ll Need for Spanish Rice with Ground Beef

To make this easy Spanish rice with ground beef you need rice, ground beef, tomato, onion, and other seasonings, but there are several changes in the ingredients of this authentic Spanish rice recipe.

Other easy Spanish dishes that you can make are the Spanish rice and beans recipe or the Spanish rice with beans and pork.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (175 g) cooked rice
• 250 grams of ground beef
• 5 tomatoes (crushed)
• 1 can (200 gr) precooked beans
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 red bell pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 sprig of parsley
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

How to Make Spanish Rice with Ground Beef – Step by Step Guide

1. To start making this easy Spanish rice recipe, chop the onion into small pieces and do the same with the red bell pepper and garlic.

2. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste. Put olive oil in a pan and, when it is hot, add the onion, garlic, and red bell pepper, let it fry for about 5 minutes.

3. The next step in this ground beef Spanish rice recipe is to add the ground beef to the pan and let it cook for about 5 more minutes.

4. For this Spanish rice with beef, you also have to add crushed tomato, beans, and parsley to get the right flavor. It’s better if you crush the tomato yourself (in a blender or food processor), but you can buy it canned.

5. For the final step, you have to season the easy Spanish rice with salt, pepper, and paprika, then mix all the ingredients and cook for another 20 minutes over medium to low heat.

6. Once it is ready, serve it hot along with cooked rice. You can cook the rice in plenty of water for 20 minutes, washing it before to remove the excess starch.

Substitution of Ingredients

For this Spanish rice with ground beef, there are several changes you can make to the ingredients. 

The first one is in the rice, it is recommended that it be white but it can be whatever you like or have on hand.

For example, there is some Spanish rice with ground beef recipes that are without garlic or red bell pepper. 

As much as you can make that change, we recommend that you include them if you can since they give it the Spanish flavor.

Regarding the meat, it can be beef or a mixture of pork. You can also use chorizo and mix it with ground beef, though it will be more like Spanish chorizo rice.

Tips on Serving Spanish Rice with Ground Beef

If you make this, which is the best Spanish rice recipe, you can eat it for both lunch and dinner. 

We recommend that you serve it with a good piece of bread since the tomato sauce is delicious and sometimes it remains on the plate.

To serve this Spanish rice with ground beef you can put a little grated cheese on top so that it melts with the heat of the meat and rice. It is a dish designed to be served hot.

If you were looking for ideas for other dinners with rice, you can make Paella or a dish of vegan Spanish rice, or if you like chicken, the Spanish chicken and rice recipe.

You can also make some delicious Spanish soups, such as Spanish chicken soup with rice or the easy Spanish rice soup.

And the Spanish recipes with rice don’t stop here. You can try the most iconic rice dessert, the Spanish rice pudding or Arroz con leche as it’s known in Spain.

If you are following a keto diet, rest assured there is a recipe for you as well. Try the healthy keto Spanish rice recipe.

Try a fancier recipe for your next Spanish dinner party, and prepare the best rice with lobster recipe.

How to Store Spanish Rice with Ground Beef

If you make this Spanish rice with meat there are different ways to save it. The easiest is to let everything come to room temperature and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Then you can heat it in the microwave or a pot adding a splash of water so it doesn’t dry out.

Freezing is not recommended. You can freeze the meat preparation without problems, but not the rice as it will take on an ugly texture. 

Anyway, it’s an easy Spanish rice that takes 20 minutes to prepare so it’s not a problem.

To defrost the meat, leave it in the fridge the night before or for a few hours before heating it. Then serve the Spanish rice and ground beef together.

Recipe Card: Spanish Rice with Ground Beef

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