Trader Joe’s Spanish Style Rice Review

Trader Joe's Spanish Style Rice

We’ve been really impressed with Trader Joe’s rice selection. We fell completely in love with their Japanese Style Fried Rice, for example, and their Chicken Fried Rice is a true classic. So when we stumbled upon the Trader Joe’s Spanish Style Rice during our most recent TJ’s run, we knew we just had to try it. If it’s even a fraction as good as the Japanese version, then we’ve got another real winner on our hands.

The back of the box gives instructions for both the microwave and a stovetop, but the front of the box proudly proclaims it contains “2 microwavable pouches,” which makes us think this was made for the ol’ nuke box. Besides, we’ve microwaved plenty of TJ’s rice packets in the past, and they seem to turn out just fine. So for this review, we’re using the microwave once again. (If you want to read the full cooking instructions for both methods, check out the package scan at the bottom of this review.)

Trader Joe's Spanish Style Rice

Spanish rice is certainly not a complicated dish. While some fried rice mixes go all out by adding chicken or shrimp or our beloved scrambled eggs, Spanish rice just drops in some tomato-based product and some spices and calls it a day. Simple doesn’t mean bad, though, and this rice is pretty tasty.

The flavor is pretty strong, which was a welcome treat. We’ve had plenty of frozen takes on Spanish rice that end up super weak in the flavor department, but this one leans heavily in the opposite direction. This is loaded with flavor.

We found this rice to be just a little bit spicy, but not enough that it should scare anyone away. It left our tongues with a pleasant tingle feeling, and we did find our sinuses to be clearing out after we finished eating this. We didn’t have to dunk our fiery heads in a barrel of water like a cartoon character, or anything like that.

Now, TJ’s did something a little bit sneaky here. They separated out the rice into two packets, but the nutritional content only accounts for half a packet. That means there are four servings in a box. So the very appealing 220 calories and 700 mg of sodium becomes 440 calories and 1,400 mg of sodium if you end up eating the contents of a pouch. And we think you probably will, unless you have a hefty meal on the side.

The Trader Joe’s Spanish Style Rice is simple but tasty. We definitely think you should eat this as a side dish — or else doctor it up with some melty cheese and some sour cream. But even on its own, it makes for a pleasant side dish. It’s not our favorite rice in the TJ’s line, but we found it to be flavorful and delightful nonetheless.

To learn more about the nutrition content, ingredients, or cooking instructions for this frozen batch of rice, check out our package scan below.

Trader Joe's Spanish Style Rice
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