This instant pot Mexican rice is a festive side dish. The instant pot is the case because you cook completely fluffy rice. On the other hand, onion, garlic and tomato paste taste this simple recipe.
From cheesy oven-baked chicken enchiladas to pork carnitas, we love this instant pot rice recipe as our favorite Mexican dinner side (and it’s also quick and easy to make in the instant pot!). Enjoy a simple Stovetop Recipe.
Why this instant pot recipe works
Cooking Mexican meals in my instant pot is a weekday life hack I can’t live without! This recipe levels up the typical white rice into a festive side dish. It’s packed with enthusiastic, tomato flavor and vegetables. Needless to say, it pairs in a great pair with my favorite Mexican recipes. Here’s why this instant pot recipe makes it easy:
It’s very fast. Pressure cooking locks into many flavors in a short time. This rice is cooked in just a few minutes! While the pot is under pressure, I wait a little, but it allows my hands to freely whip the octopus monkey bread for the starter. Cook the rice perfectly. The Instant Pot removes guesswork from fully cooked rice. Follow the recipe as directed, this simple Mexican rice is almost guaranteed to be soft, fluffy and full of flavor. Minimal materials are required. Just a few pantry ingredients can go a long way in the instant pot. The tender rice absorbs onions, carrots and garlic in addition to the delicious, tangy flavor of chicken soup and tomato paste. There’s very little need to lift your fingers!
Mexican rice ingredients
Mexican rice is a little different to its cousin, Spanish rice. Spanish rice is bright yellow and cooked in saffron, while Mexican rice gets its distinctive red tint from tomato paste.
I make this instant pot Mexican rice with just a handful of ingredients. Find my notes below and make sure to scroll to recipe cards for a printable list of amounts.
Olive oil – or other cooking oils such as canola or avocado oil. Rice – You’ll want to use long grain white rice instead of instant rice for this recipe. Onion – Yellow or white onion, diced. Carrots – If necessary, change the carrots for another vegetable with similar cooking time, such as broccoli. Garlic – You can replace each clove with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic flour freshly chopped. Tomato paste – or tomato sauce. Soup – This is a chicken soup (store-buyed chicken or homemade chicken stock) or vegetable soup.
How to make Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Cooking the perfect Mexican rice with a pressure cooker is very simple. The procedure is outlined below. Scroll to recipe cards for printable instructions.
Rinse the rice. First, rinse the rice under cold water to remove any excess starch. In this way, the grains are more independent and become less sticky when cooked.
Cheers for the meal. Next, set the instant pot to saute and add some rice and a bit of oil. Stir and let the rice toast for about 10 minutes (similar to the way toast rice for risotto). Add vegetables. Stir in the onion, carrots and garlic and saute until the vegetables are soft and fragrant.
combine. Finally, stir in the tomato paste and pour into the soup. Cook. Cook the instant pot at high pressure for 3 minutes and set with a sealed spontaneous release for 10 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure, fluff the rice and serve.
Tips and Variations
What if I receive a burn notification: It happens! If the IP throws a burn notification, turn off cook mode to release pressure before opening the lid. Next, use a (non-metal) spatula to rub the stuck bit from the bottom of the pot. Then seal the pot and restart. Rinse the rice. If you do not rinse in advance, the rice will become sticky. It’s not separate, it’s chunky and chewy. Enjoy immediately. When this Mexican rice is fresh! If you are not serving rice immediately, we do not recommend keeping the rice warm in the instant pot. It’s overcooked and becomes muddy. For more information about Make-Ahead and storage, see the post details. Add vegetables. You can add frozen peas and peppers as well as add soups and stocks.
Storage and reheat leftovers
Refrigerated. Store the remaining Mexican rice airtight and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. It lasts in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat. Heat rice in a part of the shed or in microwaves. Freeze. You can freeze the remaining rice for up to a month. Freeze the airtightness of the cooled rice and thaw in the fridge before reheating.
More Mexican-style recipes
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explanation
This fully proof instant pot Mexican rice is a flavourful side dish made with pantry staples, including fluffy rice, onion, garlic and tomato paste.
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups Long grain white rice
1/2 cup Yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup Carrots, diced
2 Garlic, chopped
6 tbsp Tomato paste
3 cups Taste chicken or vegetable soup kosher salt
Rinse the rice well with cold water. Fry the instant pot mode. Add the oil and rice to the pan. Stir constantly until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, carrots and garlic and continue cooking, stirring for another 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape off any bits that stick to the bottom of the instant pot. Turn off the instant pot. Add the tomato paste and stir. Pour the soup. Place the lid in the pot and place it in a sealed position. Cook manually at high pressure for 3 minutes. Once cooking time has passed, release pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure. It’s the season to taste. Enjoy the rice with a fuzz.
Note
If you receive a burn notification while cooking, turn off cook mode. Release the pressure valve and open the lid. Using a spatula, rub the bottom of the pan and reseal to resume cooking. If you don’t rinse thoroughly, the rice will be sticky. Cooked rice will become mushy, so do not leave it in warm mode. Feel free to add other vegetables like frozen peas as the soup is added to the pot.
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