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Vegetarian Recipes

Spanish Rice

We’re particularly lucky in Nashville, having so many international restaurants all over the city. My family’s favorite splurge is going out for Mexican food! My daughter can be a picky toddler, but Spanish Rice (and black beans!) are always a win with her! We live out in the country, so if we’ve got a busy day on the farm and our budget’s particularly tight, we like to put a spin on some of our favorite menu items at home. This super easy and budget-friendly Spanish Rice is so easy to whip up with just 5 ingredients—we never skip it!

Side view of spanish rice in a skillet with a wooden spoon.

What is Spanish Rice?

Spanish rice, also known as ‘arroz rojo’ or Mexican rice, is a popular Mexican side dish. It’s made by sautéing rice with onions, then cooking it with tomatoes, broth, and sometimes spices to give it a delicious flavor. Despite being a Mexican side dish, it’s believed the name ‘Spanish rice’ comes from the fact that rice was introduced to Mexico by Spanish settlers in the 1500’s. There are many variations of this dish, but my recipe is a simple and delicious version that you can make any night of the week!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy Spanish rice recipe:

  • Yellow Onion: I mince half a yellow onion (any variety will work) into small pieces that almost disappear into the rice once cooked. Be sure to sauté it in olive oil until translucent and glossy before adding your rice to the pan!
  • White Rice: This recipe works best with long-grain white rice. Avoid short-grain or sticky rice varieties, as they won’t give you the same fluffy texture. Brown rice could work, but it takes much longer to cook and will likely need more liquid than I’ve specified in the recipe card below.
  • Vegetable Broth: For cooking the rice. I use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth because it’s cost-effective and tastes great. I recommend seasoning to taste with salt if you use a different brand or a homemade broth.
  • Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles: These are canned diced tomatoes with bits of green chiles added in for a little extra flavor. I’ve seen original, mild, and fire-roasted versions available in the grocery store, but any will work for this recipe! I use two 10 oz cans, including the juices.
  • Olive Oil: For softening the onion and toasting the rice.

Spice It Up!

The canned tomatoes with green chiles already add a little kick to this recipe, but not enough that it’s too spicy (my daughter eats this with no problem). But if you like things a little hotter, feel free to add in some spicy taco seasoning, chili powder, or cayenne pepper. You can also top your rice with fresh jalapeños or a drizzle of hot sauce for a serious kick of heat!

Recipe Success Tips

  1. Don’t forget to rinse your rice. Give it a good rinse under cold water before adding it to the pan. This helps remove excess starch and stops your rice from becoming too sticky.
  2. Toast the rice before adding liquid. Once I’ve softened my onions, I add in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes before adding any liquid. This step adds a nutty, delicious flavor to the rice and helps the grains stay separate while cooking.
  3. Let it simmer! Stirring rice too often can break up the grains and make it mushy. I recommend letting your rice cook undisturbed until all the liquid is absorbed. Then, remove it from the heat and fluff it with a fork before serving.
  4. Keep an eye on your rice. While I don’t recommend stirring constantly, it’s important to check on your rice and take it off the heat once all the liquid is absorbed. However, if your rice is still a bit undercooked (different stoves, pans, and even rice brands can affect cooking times), you can add a little extra liquid and continue cooking until the rice is tender.

Serving Suggestions

It doesn’t matter if I’m making homemade sheet pan fajitas or a vegetable tamale pie, this easy Spanish rice is ALWAYS on the menu. It goes so well with practically any Mexican or Tex-Mex dish and even makes a great addition to cheese and bean burritos or as a side to any tacos, such as our tajín shrimp tacos. I sometimes add this rice to my taco salad for an extra filling lunch option for my family, too.

How to Store Spanish Rice

Let your Spanish rice cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Don’t leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours to avoid bacterial growth. Reheat it on the stovetop or microwave until heated though. I’d add a splash of water or broth to the rice before reheating, just to make sure it doesn’t dry out.

For longer storage, you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Just make sure to thaw it before reheating it on the stove or microwave.

Overhead view of Spanish rice on a plate with a taco.
Side view of spanish rice in a skillet with a wooden spoon.

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Spanish Rice Recipe

This recipe for Spanish Rice is made with 5 simple ingredients and is the perfect side dish for any Mexican-inspired meal. Easy & budget-friendly!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican, Spanish
Total Cost $3.37 recipe / $0.42 serving
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 8 cups (1 cup per serving)
Calories 217kcal
Author Jess Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.38
  • ½ yellow onion, minced (about 1 cup) $0.45
  • 2 cups white rice $0.44
  • 2 cups vegetable broth* $0.18
  • 2 10 oz cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles $1.92

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with the minced onion until glossy.
  • Add the rice to the skillet. Toss to coat it and toast.
  • Add the broth and canned diced tomatoes with juices.
  • Simmer lightly covered for 20 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff up the rice with a fork and serve!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*We like to use Better Than Bouillon to keep costs down. The recommended ratio for broth using Better Than Bouillon is 1 tsp bouillon to 1 cup water. As the bouillon is already salty, I didn’t add any extra salt to this recipe. If you aren’t using bouillon, you may want to add 1 tsp of salt when you add your broth to the skillet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 535mg | Fiber: 1g

how to make Spanish Rice – step by step photos

Minced onion in a skillet with oil.

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet with ½ a minced yellow onion until glossy.

Uncooked white rice added to skillet with minced yellow onion.

Add 2 cups uncooked white rice to the skillet. Toss to coat it and toast.

Vegetable broth and canned tomatoes with green chilis added to a skillet with onion and white rice to make spanish rice.

Add 2 cups vegetable broth and 2 10 oz canned diced tomatoes with juices.

A fork fluffing up a skillet of spanish rice.

Simmer lightly covered for 20 min until all of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff up the rice with a fork and serve!

Overhead view of spanish rice in a skillet.

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Vegetarian Recipes

Homemade Pop Tarts

Nothing screams nostalgia more than a Pop Tart. In reality, it’s a dessert disguised as breakfast, but I’m here for it. These easy Homemade Pop Tarts are free of all those mysterious, hard-to-pronounce ingredients (and no high fructose corn syrup!) and utilize pantry staples you probably already have on hand! For me, it required zero trips to the store and resulted in a super cute, budget-friendly treat my family loves. I couldn’t decide on just one flavor, so I made two different fillings, and I’m sharing both here with you today!

Overhead view of homemade pop tarts next to a bowl of sprinkles.

Easy Recipe for Homemade Pop Tarts

I threw this recipe together one weekend morning when I was craving something special but didn’t want to leave the house. I discovered a box of pie crusts left over from the holidays in my freezer. Then, I raided the refrigerator and found blueberry jam at the back…and this copycat homemade Pop Tart recipe was born! Let me tell you, my daughter was thrilled with these! We also ended up making a batch for her babysitter’s family. Huge hit.

Budget Saving Tip

In retrospect, you could easily keep the circular pie shape and cut it into pie-like slices or cut your rectangular dough shapes into smaller squares to get more servings for your money. However, I was going for maximum nostalgia and wanted to make it look as close to the real thing as possible. But, you do you! (And share your favorite flavors and shapes in the comments below!)

A homemade blueberry pop tart on a plate.

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Homemade Pop Tarts

These easy Homemade Pop Tarts are made with pie crust and simple pantry ingredients (no corn syrup or preservatives). Includes two nostalgic filling flavors!
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Total Cost $5.98 recipe / $1.49 serving
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 tarts
Calories 837kcal
Author Jess Rice

Equipment

  • Rolling Pin
  • Baking Sheet
  • Parchment Paper

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Filling:

  • ¼ cup brown sugar $0.13
  • 1 tsp flour $0.01
  • 1 tsp cinnamon $0.08
  • 1 Tbsp salted butter, melted $0.12
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract $0.16

Blueberry Jam Filling:

  • ¼ cup blueberry jam* $0.44
  • 1 tsp corn starch $0.02

Homemade Pop Tarts:

  • 1 package of pre-made pie crusts** $2.77
  • 1 egg, beaten (optional)*** $0.49

Cinnamon Frosting:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar $0.55
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream $0.20
  • 1 tsp cinnamon $0.08

Berry Frosting:

  • remnants of juice from the jam-filling process $0.00
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream $0.20
  • 1 cup powdered sugar $0.55
  • ½ Tbsp sprinkles $0.18

Instructions

  • Gather ingredients and preheat oven to 400℉.
  • Make cinnamon sugar filling: Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, melted salted butter, and vanilla extract in a small bowl and mix with a fork. Set aside.
  • Make berry jam filling: Combine blueberry jam and corn starch. Set aside.
  • Flour a large work surface and roll out pie crusts, one at a time, to be even thickness. I like to make my pie crusts fairly thin so I get another serving out of this recipe, but the trick is to cut one rectangle in whatever size you prefer and then use that one as your guide to cut the rest, making them all the same size.
  • Add 1-2 Tbsp of prepared filling to one prepared rectangular crust at a time, reserving a rectangle of crust for each to place over the top. Do not overfill your tarts.
  • Place reserved rectangle crusts over the top of each filled side and prick once or twice with a fork or toothpick (to help some air escape during baking), then seal each tart by gently pressing the crusts together with a fork.
  • Optional: Beat one egg and brush each tart to give it a nice shine.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes on parchment-lined baking sheets until top crusts are golden brown. If you experience a blow out, don’t worry! Once they cool and it comes time to frost them, it won’t be an issue.
  • While they’re cooling, make the brown sugar frosting and the berry frosting. To make the brown sugar frosting, simply combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp heavy cream, and cinnamon in a bowl, whisking until smooth. To make the berry frosting, I like to use up any leftover juice from the jam that’s still in my mixing bowl (for color!) along with the remaining 2 Tbsp cream and the remaining cup of powdered sugar.
  • Once they’re completely cooled, frost each Pop Tart generously. Top the berry tarts with sprinkles. Decorate the berry tarts with sprinkles before serving. Enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*You can use any flavor of berry jam that you already have on hand. You can even combine jars of jam if you’re short on one flavor.

**I used a package of two 9-inch pie crusts. You can also try making a homemade double pie crust if you have the time!

***This price is based on Walmart prices on March 17th, 2025. This is optional…with the price of eggs these days, you may want to skip this step. I do find it helps with frosting them nicely and smoothly, but you can totally skip it, and they’ll still come out perfect.😊

Nutrition

Serving: 1tart | Calories: 837kcal | Carbohydrates: 133g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 32g | Sodium: 402mg | Fiber: 3g

how to make Homemade Pop Tarts step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make homemade pop tarts.

Make the fillings: Gather all your ingredients and preheat the oven to 400℉. Now, make the cinnamon sugar filling by combining ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 Tbsp melted salted butter, and ¼ tsp vanilla extract in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, bake the berry jam filling by combining ¼ cup blueberry jam and 1 tsp corn starch. Set both fillings aside for now.

Hands using a rolling pin to roll out a pie crust.

Shape the pie dough: Sprinkle a little all-purpose flour onto your work surface and roll out each pie crust (one at a time) to an even thickness. To get the most out of the pie dough, I like to make them fairly thin.

A pie crust cut into 8 rectangles.

Now cut out one rectangle from your rolled-out dough in whatever size you prefer, and use that one as your guide to cut the rest. You need eight rectangles total to make 4 homemade Pop Tarts.

Brown sugar filling added to two pie crust rectangles and blueberry jam filling added to 2 pie crust rectangles.

Fill the tarts: Spoon 1-2 Tbsp of prepared filling into one prepared rectangular crust at a time, reserving a rectangle of crust for each to place over the top. Be careful not to overfill your tarts.

Hands adding the top crust to a homemade pop tart.

Seal the tarts: Place the reserved rectangle crusts over the top of each filled side. Now, carefully prick the top of each tart once or twice with a fork (or toothpick. This will allow air and steam to escape while baking).

A fork crimping the edges of a homemade pop tart.

Use a fork to seal the edges of each tart by pressing the crusts together, as shown here.

A basting brush topping four unbaked copycat pop tarts with egg wash.

(Optional) Add an egg wash: Brush an egg wash made from one beaten egg over the top of each tart. This will give it a nice shine once baked, but it is entirely optional.

Four freshly baked pop tarts on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake: Place each tart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown. Don’t worry if any of the filling spills out during baking! Let them cool while you make the frosting.

Berry frosting in a bowl and cinnamon sugar frosting in a bowl.

Make the frostings: Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp heavy cream, and 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl until smooth to make the brown sugar frosting. To make the berry frosting, I like to use up any leftover juice from the jam that’s still in my mixing bowl (for color!) along with the remaining 2 Tbsp cream and the remaining cup of powdered sugar.

Two finished homemade pop tarts.

Frost and serve: Once cooled, top your homemade brown sugar Pop Tarts and your homemade blueberry Pop Tarts with the corresponding frosting. Add a few sprinkles to the berry-flavored tarts, and serve!

Overhead view of three blueberry and three brown sugar homemade pop tarts.

Recipe Success Tips & Suggestions

  1. Don’t overfill! I stick to 1-2 tablespoons of filling per homemade Pop Tart. Any more than that, and it gets tricky to close them up properly. Too much filling can also squeeze out the sides during baking or cause the top crust to tear while sealing.
  2. Leave a gap around the edges. Be sure to leave a little border when adding your filling. Then, gently pierce the tops with a fork or toothpick before baking. This helps release steam and keeps the crust from getting soggy.
  3. Crimp the wedges well. Use a fork to seal the edges all the way around. If a little filling spills out during baking, don’t stress! That’s exactly why we line the baking sheet. Once cooled, any overflow will separate easily from the tarts, and the parchment paper will make it simple to clean up!
  4. Use up any pie crust scraps. If you’ve got any little off-cuts from shaping the dough, don’t toss them! Cut them into shapes or strips and bake them into quick pie crust cookies. I’d sprinkle them with some cinnamon and brown sugar before baking or drizzle over leftover frosting once they’ve cooled for an easy bonus treat.

Flavor Variations to Try!

You can use just about any flavored jam to fill these easy homemade Pop Tarts! Use ¼ cup of jam as listed in the recipe card above. I’d also add 1 teaspoon of corn starch if the jam is quite runny, just to thicken it up some. Here are some other ideas I think would work well (you want about ¼ cup of filling per flavor variation):

Storage & Reheating

You can keep unfrosted homemade Pop Tarts covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. If your kitchen runs warm or you’re storing frosted pies, it’s best to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2–3 months. I recommend freezing them unfrosted for the best results since the frosting can get a little sticky or runny when thawed. Let them thaw in the fridge, then reheat in the toaster oven, air fryer, oven at 350°F, or microwave if desired.

More Easy Copycat Recipes

The post Homemade Pop Tarts appeared first on Budget Bytes.

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