Arroz con Setas is a simple Spanish mushroom rice recipe that’s comforting and full of woodsy flavor. It’s a perfect side for a roast, or as an easy weeknight dinner topped with an egg.

Mushroom rice in a skillet with a serving spoon. — Photo Credits: Mark Beahm

Foraging for mushrooms could be a national sport in Catalonia, the far northeast corner of Spain. As soon as the fall rain begins in October, people in the know plan a walk through the nature reserves outside of the city to hunt for chanterelles, bloody milk caps, black trumpets, porcini, and more. For the less adventurous, vegetable stalls in the markets and even supermarkets make room for spacious displays of the local bounty.

To take advantage of the season’s pickings, I follow the lead of local home cooks and make the easy, one-pan meal, arroz con setas, or mushroom rice. It’s a comforting rice dish that soaks up the rich flavor of the mushrooms. Caramelized onion, garlic, and herbs enhance the flavor while ensuring the mushrooms remain the center of attention.

Wild mushrooms certainly make this dish extra special, but you don’t need them to enjoy it. I make this recipe year-round, even when wild varieties aren’t in season. While I typically skip mild white button mushrooms, readily available year-round options like savory cremini mushrooms, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms provide more than enough flavor for a satisfying meal.

Table of Contents

Mushroom Rice Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Mushroom Rice
Make It Your Own
What to Serve with Mushroom Rice
More Recipes for Mushroom Lovers
Mushrooms Rice (Arroz con Setas) Recipe

Ingredients for mushroom rice including arborio rice, mixed mushrooms, olive oil, onion, garlic, chicken stock, white wine, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and parsley.

Mushroom Rice Recipe Ingredients

With a simple dish like this, quality ingredients make the difference in creating a flavorful, comforting meal. Here’s what you’ll need:

Mushrooms: Brown cremini mushrooms are savory, flavorful, and always available. You can use cremini mushrooms for all or half of the mushrooms, and use a mix of other varieties that look best at the store for the remaining half. When mushrooms are in season, I like to use a mix of cultivated and wild mushrooms.
Onion: Softened, almost caramelized onion becomes sweet, adding depth of flavor to the rice.
Garlic: Sautéed garlic becomes sweet and savory, adding a great deal of flavor to this mushroom rice recipe.
Rice is the foundation of this dish. For best results, use a short-grain white rice, Spanish bomba rice; or a risotto rice, such as arborio or carnaroli.
Chicken stock is the primary cooking liquid for the rice. Use homemade chicken stock or a low-sodium store-bought chicken stock. To make this dish vegan, substitute vegetable broth or mushroom broth.
White wine: A splash of white wine adds acidity and brightness to the rice. For a richer flavor, substitute it with dry sherry. To make it alcohol-free, omit the wine and replace it with additional stock.
Thyme: A couple of fresh thyme sprigs infuse the rice with a herbaceous flavor that complements the mushrooms without overpowering their taste. Instead of thyme, you could use a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary, a bay leaf, or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary or thyme.
Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil adds richness and helps in caramelizing the onions. Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, such as mild Arbequina or peppery Hojiblanca.
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Kosher salt and black pepper: Both rice and mushrooms need seasoning to taste their best. Season this dish generously with both salt and pepper to suit your taste; it will help bring out the flavors of the mushrooms.

Mushroom rice in a skillet next to a stack of two bowls.

How to Make Mushroom Rice

These one-pan stovetop meal comes together in about an hour. Don’t worry about browning or caramelizing the mushrooms, which is difficult to achieve in a crowded pan. The rice absorbs the juices they release, resulting in a rich, mushroom flavor that infuses the whole pan of rice.

Sauté the onions. Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Add 1 finely chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown on the edges, about 10 minutes.
Cook the mushrooms. Add 1 pound assorted sliced mushrooms. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their juices, about 10 minutes. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Cook the rice. Add 1 1/2 cups Spanish bomba or arborio rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to distribute it evenly among the mushrooms. Pour in 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock and 1/2 cup dry white wine. Season with salt and pepper. Add 3 fresh thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes without stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, covered and without stirring, for an additional 10 minutes, until the rice is tender.
Finish and serve. Remove the pan from the heat. Let the rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with 1 tablespoon minced parsley, and serve.

Make It Your Own

While mushrooms are typically an autumn specialty, you can make this dish year-round by swapping varieties depending on what looks best at the store. For a more filling meal, I like to top the dish with flavorful extras.

Mushroom options: I like to make this year-round with brown cremini mushrooms, which are consistently available and more flavorful than white button mushrooms. You can make this dish with almost any mushroom available at stores, such as portobello, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms. When wild mushrooms are available, I like to mix those in for at least half of the quantity of mushrooms.
Add pork: In Spain, mushrooms are commonly paired with pork. Top each serving with some crispy diced pancetta, Spanish cured ham, or prosciutto.
Add an egg: Serve portions of rice topped with a fried, poached, or soft-boiled egg.

Two servings of mushroom rice in a bowl, one with a spoon. Next to these are pieces of bread, another fork, a glass of water, a bowl of chopped parsley, and the rest of the mushroom rice in a skillet.

What to Serve with Mushroom Rice

This mushroom rice recipe can be a simple meal on its own, or served as an appetizer or side for a larger meal. For a Spanish-inspired weekend lunch or dinner spread, I like to make a Spanish tortilla ahead of time and serve it alongside arroz con setas with some pan con tomate. The leftovers make for an easy work lunch on Monday.

When planning a nice dinner with friends, I like to pair it as a side for comforting roasts like roasted chicken, chicken with grapes and fennel, pork chops, or this tender slow-roasted salmon.