Instant Pot Mexican Rice is the perfect side dish to serve with enchiladas, burritos or tacos. It is an easy way to make rice for your Mexican dinner! The rice cooks up perfectly in your electric pressure cooker and infuses will all the spices and seasonings.
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Pair this with 15 Minute Refried Beans, Restaurant Style Salsa and a Tequila Cocktail for a great Mexican dinner!
Ingredients and Supplies
Here are the things you need to make this Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe:
- 6-8 qt Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker
- olive oil
- white or yellow onion
- garlic
- Long grain white rice
- chicken broth
- kosher salt
- cumin, chili powder, onion powder, dried oregano
- tomato sauce
- cilantro and green onion garnish
Using Brown Rice
You can absolutely use brown rice for this recipe. However brown rice has different cooking requirements. You will want to increase the chicken broth to 2 ¼ cups and cook the brown rice for 15 minutes on high pressure.
Rice Setting
If you have a modern Instant Pot then it is likely that your pot has a “rice” setting button. If it does you can use that to cook the Mexican Rice. It will automatically set the pot to cook for 12 minutes, normal heat, low pressure.
If your pot does not have a rice setting button then you will just manually set it. Use the pressure/manual button and set it to cook for 12 minutes, “normal” heat and “low” pressure. To get to low pressure on your Instant Pot just push the “pressure” button a couple times a watch it scroll through pressure settings on the display screen.
How to Make Mexican Rice in the Instant Pot
Start by rinsing you rice in a fine mesh sieve. This will rinse away the extra rice starch that is on the outside of the rice grains. This will help your rice cook more evenly and prevent clumping/mushiness.
Set the Instant Pot to sauté function, add the oil and sauté the chopped onions for about 5 minutes. Add the rice and garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes.
Turn the sauté function off and add in the chicken broth, salt, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and oregano. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and make sure that all the rice is in the liquid.
Gently pour the tomato sauce on top of the rice, but do not stir.
Pop the lid on the pot and set the pressure valve to seal. Set the pot to cook on rice mode for 12 minutes (or manual low pressure 12 minutes).
Do a quick release after cooking. Fluff the rice with a fork, incorporating the tomato sauce on top.
Pro Tip: If you like your rice cooked even more just pop the lid back on the pot for another 5 minutes and let the residual heat of the pot cook the rice further.
Serving
Serve the rice topped with a little chopped green onion and or cilantro as desired. It is great with your favorite Mexican dinner or as the base of a delicious rice bowl.
Storing
Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You may need to add a little water when reheating.
Freezing
You can absolutely freeze rice! Make this dish once and eat it twice. Make the Mexican Rice and let it cool, spread it out on a sheet pan that will fit in the freezer and freeze for about 2 hours. Then pop the rice in a freezer safe baggie. It will stay good in the freezer for about 3 months.
To reheat pour the frozen rice in a skillet over medium-low heat with a couple tablespoons of water. Stir until it is warmed through.
FAQ
Rinse your rice in cool water before cooking. This will wash away the extra rice starch that is on the outside of each grain.
Do not overcook your rice. I recommend using the rice button on your Instant Pot, which is normal heat, low pressure for 12 minutes.
I recommend 12 minutes on normal heat, low pressure (which is the same as the preset rice setting). After pressure cooking if you want it cooked a little more you can pop the lid back on and let the heat of the pot cook the rice for a couple more minutes.
This recipe is specifically for Mexican rice, which is seasoned with tomato and chili powder/cumin. Spanish rice is usually seasoned with saffron threads and has more of a yellow color.
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Instant Pot Mexican Rice Recipe
Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion - yellow or white
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- 2 cups long grain white rice - (can use brown rice, see notes)
- 14.5 oz can chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- green onions and cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Start by rinsing you rice in a fine mesh sieve. This will rinse away the extra rice starch that is on the outside of the rice grains. This will help your rice cook more evenly and prevent clumping/mushiness.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté function, add the oil and once it reads hot sauté the chopped onions for about 5 minutes. Add the rice and garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes. The rice will turn translucent and a little brown. Yum!
- Turn the sauté function off and add in the chicken broth, salt, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and oregano. Give it a good stir and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Make sure that all the rice is in the liquid.
- Gently pour the tomato sauce on top of the rice, but do not stir.
- Pop the lid on the pot and set the pressure valve to seal. Set the pot to cook on rice mode for 12 minutes (or manual low pressure 12 minutes).
- Do a quick release after cooking. Fluff the rice with a fork, incorporating the tomato sauce on top.
- Pro Tip: If you like your rice cooked even more just pop the lid back on the pot for another 5 minutes and let the residual heat of the pot cook the rice further.
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TAS
This will be my go to recipe anytime I make enchiladas, tacos, burritos etc! Very easy and tasty!