This Slow Cooker Spanish Rice is an easy and delicious side dish that's perfect for both the dog days of summer and the cold nights of winter!

This Slow Cooker Spanish Rice is an easy and delicious side dish that's perfect for both the dog days of summer and the cold nights of winter!We're smack in the middle of the dog days of summer.  Have you ever wondered why they're called the dog days of summer?  As a kid, I thought it was because our dogs just laid around in the sun during the summer.  These late summer days are usually insanely hot, and all you want to do is lay around.  I get it.  Turns out the dog days get their name from astrology, though.  The Greeks and Romans called this period the dog days because this is when Sirius (the dog star) appeared to rise before the sun each morning.

This Slow Cooker Spanish Rice is an easy and delicious side dish that's perfect for both the dog days of summer and the cold nights of winter!Thanks to science, we now know that the dog days are completely unrelated to the spike in temperatures during the same time.  It's purely a coincidence.  In fact, Sirius' position related to the sun slowly changes each year.  That means in, oh, about 10,000 years, Sirius will appear to rise before the sun in December instead of August.  So will that be the dog days of winter?

Now you can impress your friends at the next summer picnic or pool party!  (Either you'll impress them with your dog days knowledge, or you'll suddenly realize that you're standing all by yourself…)

This Slow Cooker Spanish Rice is an easy and delicious side dish that's perfect for both the dog days of summer and the cold nights of winter!Slow Cooker Spanish Rice

No matter whether it's summer or winter, there are just some recipes that are household staples.  For us, this Slow Cooker Spanish Rice is one of them.  We've made it the middle of the summer and served it alongside grilled sausages or chicken.  We've made it in the middle of winter and served it with a piece of baked salmon.  Heck, we've even added some cooked ground beef to this recipe and turned it into a main dish all by itself.

This Slow Cooker Spanish Rice is versatile.  Versatile and easy.  You more or less just toss everything into a slow cooker and let it cook for several hours.  That's several hours you can be outside mowing the lawn, cleaning the deck or contemplating the meaning of dog days of summer.

This Slow Cooker Spanish Rice is an easy and delicious side dish that's perfect for both the dog days of summer and the cold nights of winter!I do highly recommend squeezing a fresh lime into this Slow Cooker Spanish Rice once it's cooked.  The brightness and acidity from the lime juice pairs so well with the other flavors in here.  I also love adding a handful of chopped cilantro, but I know some folks have different opinions about cilantro.  I get it.  Just pass me your cilantro, and I'll toss it into my Slow Cooker Spanish Rice instead!  Seriously, though, this is a super easy recipe that's helpful to keep in mind for busy summer days or lazy winter days.  Enjoy!

This Slow Cooker Spanish Rice is an easy and delicious side dish that's perfect for both the dog days of summer and the cold nights of winter!Did you make this Slow Cooker Spanish Rice at home?  Leave a comment below.  Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!

Looking for more tasty side dishes?  Check out these other favorites:

New England Potato Salad with Horseradish Cheddar
Parmesan Truffle Fries
Tuscan White Beans
Prosciutto and Pea Pasta Salad
Bacon Wrapped Corn with Honey BBQ Sauce

This Slow Cooker Spanish Rice is an easy and delicious side dish that's perfect for both the dog days of summer and the cold nights of winter!

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups white rice
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1½ tsp minced garlic
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper diced
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1½ tsp kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • {for garnish} lime wedges

  • Using a large skillet, add olive oil and place over medium heat. Once hot, add rice and diced onions; stir. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, or until rice has turned light brown in color.

  • Spray a standard slow cooker with non-stick baking spray.

  • Transfer the rice into the slow cooker and add broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, garlic, bell peppers, chili powder, cumin and salt; stir until well combined.

  • Cover and cook on high for 2½-3 hours, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

  • Stir fresh cilantro into rice.

  • Garnish with fresh lime wedges before serving.

This Slow Cooker Spanish Rice is an easy and delicious side dish that's perfect for both the dog days of summer and the cold nights of winter!