Mi tío siempre añade chorizo al arroz, pero mi abuela prefiere hacer albóndigas con tomate.

They are both in the present simple:

• añade = he adds
• prefiere = she prefers

In Spanish, the present tense is often used to talk about habits or things that usually happen, just like in English:

• My uncle always adds chorizo...
• My grandmother prefers to make...

So this sentence is describing what they typically do, not what they are doing right now.

Because a + el contracts to al in Spanish.

So:

• a el arroz → al arroz

This is a standard rule. The only common exception is when el is part of a proper name, such as a El Escorial.

Here, añadir algo a algo means to add something to something:

• añadir chorizo al arroz = to add chorizo to the rice

Because chorizo is being used here as an ingredient/material noun, not as a specific individual sausage.

Spanish often omits the article in this kind of context:

• añadir chorizo al arroz
• poner azúcar en el café
• hacer sopa con pollo

This is similar to English, where we also often say:

• add chorizo to the rice
• not necessarily add the chorizo

If you said el chorizo, it would usually mean a specific chorizo already known from the context.

Because preferir is followed directly by an infinitive in Spanish.

• prefiere hacer = prefers to make

Spanish does not need a separate word for to in this structure.

Compare:

• Prefiero comer. = I prefer to eat.
• Prefieren quedarse en casa. = They prefer to stay at home.

So prefiere hacer is the normal pattern.

Hacer is very common when talking about making/preparing dishes.

So in Spanish, you often say:

• hacer paella
• hacer tortilla
• hacer albóndigas

Cocinar is also possible in some contexts, but hacer is often more natural when referring to preparing a dish in general.

So:

• prefiere hacer albóndigas con tomate = she prefers to make meatballs with tomato/tomato sauce

Because the sentence is talking about the dish in a general sense, not a specific set of meatballs.

• hacer albóndigas con tomate = to make meatballs with tomato
• hacer las albóndigas would usually mean to make the meatballs already mentioned or understood

This is a very common pattern in Spanish with food and dishes.

In food contexts, especially in Spain, albóndigas con tomate usually means meatballs in tomato sauce or meatballs with tomato sauce, not just meatballs served next to a raw tomato.

So while the literal meaning is with tomato, the natural interpretation is often with a tomato-based sauce.

This is one of those cases where the exact English translation depends on the dish, not just the individual words.

Yes, siempre can sometimes move, but before the verb is very common and natural here:

• Mi tío siempre añade chorizo al arroz.

This is the most neutral order.

You may also hear:

• Mi tío añade siempre chorizo al arroz.

That is possible too, but it can sound slightly more marked or stylistic depending on context. For a learner, putting siempre before the main verb is a very good default.

Yes, they matter for both pronunciation and correct spelling.

• tío: the accent shows that í is stressed, so it is pronounced in two syllables: tí-o
• albóndigas: the accent shows the stress is on bón
• añade: there is no written accent, but the ñ is a different letter from n

A few important points:

• ñ is pronounced like the ny in canyon
• tío without the accent would be misspelled
• accents can sometimes change meaning, so it is good to pay attention to them

Añadir means to add, and it suggests that something is being added to something else.

In cooking, Spanish also often uses:

• poner = to put
• echar = to throw in / add
• agregar = to add (common in many regions, slightly less central in Spain than in some Latin American varieties)

So:

• añadir chorizo al arroz
• poner chorizo al arroz
• echar chorizo al arroz

can all work, but añadir is a very clear and precise choice for add.

Arroz can mean rice in general, and the exact meaning depends on context.

It can refer to:

• the ingredient rice
• a rice dish
• cooked rice served as food

In this sentence, al arroz most naturally suggests to the rice dish or to the rice while cooking it.

This is normal in Spanish; the word does not always distinguish as clearly as English sometimes does between rice as an ingredient and rice as a prepared dish.