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This super easy instant pot Mexican rice recipe is about to be your favourite Mexican food of all time. An easy side dish that would bring the whole family ’round the table. Not only would you make this pressure cooker Mexican rice in half the fraction of time it would take on the stovetop. It is bursting with tomato flavour, delicious and made with a handful of pantry staple ingredients.
Add this instant pot Spanish rice recipe (Arroz Rojo) to the list of side dishes your family would love! You are guaranteed separate grains of rice at all times, no sticky mess here!
Instant Pot Rice Recipe
I have said it so many times here that the easiest thing to cook in your instant pot pressure cooker is rice and that includes this instant pot Mexican rice. I haven’t made rice on the stove stop ever since I bought my pressure king pro and instant pot.
Cooking rice in a pressure cooker takes so many guesses out of all the 101 questions you may have about the gadget. Just press that one button and do your own thing for another 15 minutes or so.
I am slowly building my pressure cooker rice collection for the blog which I promise to share with all in due course.
This pressure cooker rice and chicken and instant pot coconut rice recipes are becoming popular and all for good reasons too. These recipes are foolproof, they have been tried and tested with other rice variations too from pure basmati rice to brown rice to long grain rice.
Now is the time to stop your instant pot pressure cooker from gathering dust and start cooking some delicious and easy recipes you and your family would love.
Guess what, electric pressure cookers are really easy and simple to use, and I have some super simple recipes to ease you in.
Now let’s get back to today’s post, instant pot Mexican rice. Let me show you how to make a restaurant-quality Mexican side dish in your pressure cooker. It is quick, simple and requires minimal prep.
What Is The Difference Between Mexican Rice And Spanish Rice
Mexican and Spanish rice share so many similarities, both are Latin American cuisine and they are both cooked with common ingredients like easy cook long grain rice, tomatoes, chicken or vegetable broth and onions.
Mexican rice/Spanish rice can be used interchangeably but should not be mistaken for Spanish Paella which uses Saffron as part of its ingredient. In American Latin (Tex-Mex) concept and for the purpose of today’s recipes, both words are the same. It is also called red rice or Arroz Rojo.
Ingredients
A detailed list of ingredients used is in the recipe card at the bottom of the page!
Long grain rice substitute with white basmati or brown rice. Avoid using short grain rice for this recipe except you are making paella. Otherwise, you would be left with sticky rice.
Fresh Roma tomatoes, substitute with passata (tomato sauce) or canned chopped tomatoes
Tomato paste
Chopped onions
Chicken stock: I used a combination of water and chicken bouillon cube, you may also use a vegetable bouillon cube to make this dish completely vegan or vegetarian. Not a fan of the aforementioned, use tomato bouillon instead for colour and depth of flavour.
Salt to taste: I didn’t use salt in this recipe because I use salted chicken bouillon cube, taste the rice and adjust accordingly, start with about 1 teaspoon of salt.
Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic, I used garlic granules but you can substitute with fresh garlic cloves.
How To Make Easy Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Authentic Mexican rice requires that you toast/sauté the rice for a few minutes or until it starts to brown before adding the rest of the ingredients. Thanks to the sauté function or browning of an electric pressure cooker, it means you can make a restaurant tasting Spanish rice in the comfort of your home.
Step 1: Rinse rice under cool water until no longer cloudy and water runs clear. Drain in a sieve and set aside. Chop the onions and tomatoes and prep the rest of the ingredients
Step 2: turn on the saute function of your instant pot, add vegetable oil and heat until hot. Add the rinsed rice and stir continuously for another 3 minutes ensuring it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan until rice is slightly browned.
Step 3: add chopped jalapeno and tomatoes and stir to combine, followed by the chicken stock, stir to combine and deglaze the pan at the same time. Don’t omit this step to avoid getting BURN notice during the pressure cooking process.
Step 4: Add tomato paste then cumin and chilli powder on top of the rice, do not stir.
Step 5: Lock the IP securely and turn the valve to the sealing position. Select manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
When the cooking cycle has completed, leave to naturally pressure release for 5 minutes and carefully quick release to depressurise the pressure cooker. Remove the lid
Step 5: Fluff rice with a fork or stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Important Note For This Recipe:
The sautéing process makes the instant pot Mexican rice recipe prone to burning when cooking, to avoid this, make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
Other ways to circumvent this is by taking this extra step, after sautéing the rice, transfer it to another bowl and wash the instant pot and return the cooking process. Depending on your confidence level when using an electric pressure cooker, BURN notice doesn’t mean the end for the food you are cooking, there is always a way around it.
Also the newer version of the instant pot like mine, instant pot DUO V2 6Qt is known for this issue. You shouldn’t have this problem with pressure king pro.
Rice cooking time variations
Brown rice: cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, 10 minutes natural pressure release, reduce water/stock ratio to 1:1¼
Pure Basmati rice: Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, 5 minutes natural pressure release, water/ stock ratio is 1:1¼. No pre-soaking required for this rice
Golden Sella Basmati rice: high pressure for 6 minutes, 5 minutes natural pressure release, water/ stock ratio is 1:1½
Stove Top Method
Following the same method as the instant pot, sauté the rice in a large skillet until rice becomes slightly brown.
Add the chopped tomatoes, jalapeno, tomato paste, cumin, chilli powder then cover with the chicken stock. Stir to combine and bring rice to boil over medium heat. When rice is done, fluff with a fork and serve.
Note: Double the amount of liquid for this method.
Tips
- Add vegetables like chopped carrots, green beans or frozen peas to the recipe to bulk it up
- Double recipe to suit your need
Mexican Rice Accompaniment
Arroz Rojo is a great accompaniment to most Mexican dish, I would serve this pressure cooker Mexican/Spanish rice with IP taco meat with sautéed peppers and onions for a complete meal.
Refried beans
Make some burrito with this Spanish rice
Tacos
Fajitas
Chili
Guacamole
How to make Mexican Rice without Tomato Sauce
You can make Mexican rice without tomato sauce if you do not have it at hand. You can simply replace the tomato sauce with tomato bouillon cubes or add paprika to the list of ingredients and this would give the rice the orange hue like the traditional Spanish rice.
How to Store
In the fridge: Leave to cook completely, add to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This rice makes a great meal prep too
In the freezer: Spanish rice can be stored for up to 3 months in a portioned airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag. Don’t forget to label accordingly.
To reheat on the stovetop: sprinkle some water on the rice, mix to combine and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Alternatively, heat in the microwave.
Other IP Recipes You’ll Love
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Easy Instant Pot Mexican rice- Arroz Rojo
Equipment
- Instant pot pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups easy cook long-grain rice see note for other substitutes
- 2 medium fresh Roma tomatoes chopped substitute with passata (tomato sauce) or canned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 3 cups chicken stock
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 jalapeno
Instructions
- Rinse rice under cool water until no longer cloudy and water runs clear. Drain in a sieve and set aside. Chop the onions and tomatoes and prep the rest of the ingredients
- Turn on the saute function of your instant pot, add vegetable oil and heat until hot. Add the rinsed rice and stir continuously for another 3 minutes ensuring it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan until rice is slightly browned.
- Add chopped jalapeno and tomatoes and stir to combine, followed by the chicken stock, stir to combine and deglaze the pan at the same time. Don’t omit this step to avoid getting BURN notice during the pressure cooking process.
- Add tomato paste then cumin, garlic granules and chilli powder on top of the rice do not stir.
- Lock the IP securely and turn the valve to the sealing position. Select manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- When the cooking cycle has completed, leave to naturally pressure release for 5 minutes and carefully quick release to depressurise the pressure cooker. Remove the lid
- Fluff rice with a fork or stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Other ways to circumvent this is by taking this extra step, after sautéing the rice, transfer it to another bowl and wash the instant pot and return the cooking process. Depending on your confidence level when using an electric pressure cooker, BURN notice doesn’t mean the end for the food you are cooking, there is always a way around it.
Also, the newer version of the instant pot like mine, instant pot DUO V2 6Qt is known for this issue. You shouldn’t have this problem with pressure king pro. Rice cooking time variations Brown rice: cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, 10 minutes natural pressure release, reduce water/stock ratio to 1:1¼ Pure Basmati rice: Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes, 5 minutes natural pressure release, water/ stock ratio is 1:1¼. No soaking required Golden Sella Basmati rice: high pressure for 6 minutes, 5 minutes natural pressure release, water/ stock ratio is 1:1½ Stove Top Method Following the same method as the instant pot, sauté the rice in a large skillet until rice becomes slightly brown.
Add the chopped tomatoes, jalapeno, tomato paste, cumin, chilli powder then cover with the chicken stock. Stir to combine and bring rice to boil over medium heat. When rice is done, fluff with a fork and serve.
Note: Double the amount of liquid for this method. Tips
Add vegetables like chopped carrots, green beans or frozen peas to the recipe to bulk it up
Nutrition
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE RATE IT AND LEAVE ME A COMMENT. USE #THEDINNERBITE OR TAG @THEDINNERBITE ON INSTAGRAM SO I CAN SEE YOUR PHOTOS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS. THANK YOU!
Do you sauté the onions before the rice or throw them in raw before the pressure cook?
Hi Josh, I saute the chopped onions then add the rice. thanks
Is this the same as paella? Or can paella be made in Instant pot rather? Curious to know. Thanks
Hi, I’ve just read through the post and I am kicking myself already. My question has already been answered. Thank you for this comprehensive post. I’ll give it a try.