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This Instant Pot Mexican Rice is fluffy, flavorful, and so easy to make when I want a restaurant-style Mexican rice without watching a pan on the stove. The rice is toasted with onion, garlic, and spices, then pressure cooked with tomato sauce and chicken broth for a simple side dish that goes with tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and just about any Mexican-inspired meal.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I made this version over the week. It went over very well and I found it to be extremely easy to make with only slight variations in the spice level. Great recipe and shared it with family who also loved it!” – Zoe
Why I Love This Instant Pot Rice
I absolutely love our Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice, and it has been a family favorite for years. But there are nights when I need something a little more hands-off, and that is where this Instant Pot Mexican Rice comes in.
I can toast the rice, add everything to the Instant Pot, and then let it do the rest of the work while I finish tacos, enchiladas, beans, or whatever else we are having for dinner. It also frees up a burner on the stove, which is always helpful when I have several things cooking at once.
The thing that really makes this recipe work is toasting the rice before pressure cooking it. It gives the rice more flavor and helps the grains stay separate instead of turning into one big sticky clump. The short pressure cook followed by a natural release gives the rice time to finish cooking without getting mushy.
🩷 Erica
Table of Contents
- 5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Why I Love This Instant Pot Rice
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- How to Make Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- Recipe Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- No Instant Pot? No Problem!
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Pairing Ideas
- More Easy Rice Recipes
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegetable oil: This coats and toasts the rice, adding flavor while helping the individual grains stay separate.
- Long-grain white rice: Long-grain rice works best for a fluffy texture, and jasmine rice is another good option.
- Onion and garlic: These are sautéed with the rice to build flavor before pressure cooking.
- Seasonings: Salt, cumin, and chili powder give the rice its warm, savory Mexican-inspired flavor.
- Tomato sauce: An 8-ounce can gives the rice its tomato flavor and reddish-orange color.
- Chicken broth: Using broth instead of water adds quite a bit more flavor to the finished rice.
- Fresh cilantro: Stir this in after cooking so it stays fresh and bright.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
This recipe is easy to adjust depending on what you have on hand.
- Jasmine rice: Jasmine rice can be used in place of regular long-grain white rice with the same cooking time.
- Vegetable broth: Substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth to make the rice vegetarian.
- Beef broth: Beef broth can also be used if you want a slightly richer flavor.
- Peas and carrots: Add frozen peas after pressure cooking and let them warm in the hot rice. Small diced carrots can be added before cooking.
- Corn: Frozen corn can be stirred in after cooking or added before pressure cooking.
- Jalapeño: Sauté finely diced jalapeño with the onion if you want more heat.
- Cayenne: Add a small pinch with the other seasonings for spicier Mexican rice.
- Lime: A squeeze of fresh lime juice just before serving adds a fresh pop of flavor.
- Cilantro: If you don’t care for cilantro, simply leave it out.
How to Make Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- Toast the rice. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add the vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the grains begin turning light golden brown.
- Add the seasonings. Stir in the diced onion, garlic, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Cook for another minute or two, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Add the broth and tomato sauce. Turn off Sauté and pour in the chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot well with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato sauce until everything is evenly combined. Secure the lid and make sure the pressure valve is set to Sealing.
- Pressure cook. Cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes. When the cooking time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully release any remaining pressure. Open the lid and gently fluff the rice with a fork instead of vigorously stirring it. Fold in the chopped cilantro and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Toast the rice until light golden. This is one of my favorite tricks for Mexican rice. It adds flavor and helps keep the grains from sticking together.
- Use long-grain rice. Regular long-grain white rice or jasmine rice will give you the best texture with this cooking time.
- Rinsing is optional. If you prefer to rinse your rice, drain it extremely well before adding it to the hot oil. Wet rice can splatter in the oil and adds extra moisture to the recipe.
- Measure the liquid carefully. Rice is one recipe where small changes in the rice-to-liquid ratio can make a noticeable difference.
- Deglaze before pressure cooking. Scrape every browned bit from the bottom of the pot after sautéing. Bits stuck to the bottom can trigger the Instant Pot Burn warning.
- Don’t skip the natural release. The rice continues to absorb moisture and finish cooking during those 10 to 12 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork. Gently fluffing separates the grains without crushing them or making the rice gummy.
- Don’t leave it on Keep Warm for hours. Once the pressure has released, fluff the rice and serve or transfer it to a storage container. Leaving rice against the hot bottom of the pot can cause it to dry out or stick.
- Taste before adding extra salt. Different brands of chicken broth vary quite a bit in saltiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Rinsing is optional for this recipe because the rice is toasted in oil before cooking. If you do rinse it, drain it very well and let as much water as possible drip off before toasting.
The most common reason is browned rice, onion, garlic, or seasonings stuck to the bottom after sautéing. After adding the broth, scrape the entire bottom of the inner pot clean before pressure cooking. Also make sure you measure the broth and tomato sauce accurately.
Yes. Jasmine rice works well in this recipe and can be cooked using the same 4-minute high-pressure cooking time.
Yes, but brown rice needs considerably more time. For long-grain brown rice, pressure cook on High for about 20 to 22 minutes and allow approximately 15 minutes of natural pressure release. The finished texture will be a little different from white rice.
Yes, as long as the ingredients stay below your Instant Pot’s fill limit for expanding foods such as rice. Double the ingredients but do not double the pressure cooking time. It will take longer for the Instant Pot to come to pressure because there is more food inside.
Absolutely. Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and keep everything else the same.
I don’t recommend it. Instant rice has already been partially cooked and cooks much faster than regular long-grain rice, so the pressure cooking time and liquid measurements in this recipe won’t work properly.
In the United States, you’ll sometimes hear the terms used interchangeably. This recipe is Mexican-style rice made with tomato sauce, cumin, onion, and garlic. It has the reddish-orange color and fluffy texture commonly served alongside Mexican dishes.
No Instant Pot? No Problem!
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, make our Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice on the stovetop. It’s one of the most popular recipes on our site and has that fluffy, slightly dry texture you get at a Mexican restaurant.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make ahead: You can make Instant Pot Mexican Rice a day or two ahead of time. Let it cool, then refrigerate it in an airtight container.
Refrigerator: Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Don’t leave cooked rice sitting at room temperature for an extended period before refrigerating.
Freezer: Mexican rice also freezes well. Cool it completely, portion it into freezer-safe bags or containers, and freeze for up to 3 months for the best texture.
Reheating: Add a tablespoon or two of water or broth to the rice before reheating. Cover and microwave until hot, fluffing once or twice as it heats. You can also warm it in a covered saucepan over low heat with a small splash of broth.
Pairing Ideas
Instant Pot Mexican Rice goes with just about any Mexican-inspired dinner. I love serving it with Easy Chicken Tacos, Crisp Bean Burritos, Grilled Steak Quesadillas, or Spinach Enchiladas. For a full restaurant-style meal, add Refried Beans or Mexican Black Beans, then put out some chips with our Best Guacamole.
More Easy Rice Recipes
This Instant Pot Mexican Rice has become one of my favorite shortcuts when we’re making Mexican food at home. You still get that toasted rice flavor and fluffy texture, but the Instant Pot takes over most of the cooking so I can work on the rest of dinner. If you make it, please leave a comment and a rating below. I would love to hear how it turned out! 💛
Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Video
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups long grain white rice, (Jasmine rice works great)
- 1/3 cup diced onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic, (about 2 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, (chopped)
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the rice and cook, stirring often, until lightly golden.
- Add the onion, garlic, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Turn off Sauté. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly to remove any browned bits. Stir in the tomato sauce. Secure the lid and turn the pressure valve to the Sealing position.
- Pressure cook on High for 4 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 to 12 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid and gently fluff the rice with a fork. Fold in the chopped cilantro and serve.
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (or any pressure cooker)
Notes
- Long-grain white rice gives this recipe the fluffiest texture. Jasmine rice also works well.
- Rinsing the rice is optional. If rinsing, drain it very well before toasting.
- Toast the rice until lightly golden for better flavor and texture.
- After sautéing, scrape the bottom of the pot completely clean when adding the broth to help prevent a Burn notice.
- Measure the rice, tomato sauce, and broth carefully. The liquid ratio is important when pressure cooking rice.
- Pressure cook for 4 minutes on High, followed by a 10 to 12-minute natural pressure release.
- For long-grain brown rice, pressure cook for approximately 20 to 22 minutes and allow a 15-minute natural pressure release.
- To make it vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth.
- When doubling the recipe, keep the pressure cooking time the same and do not fill the Instant Pot above the recommended fill line for rice.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Add a small splash of water or broth when reheating to help restore moisture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this version over the week. It went over very well and I found it to be extremely easy to make with only slight variations in the spice level. Great recipe and shared it with family who also loved it!
I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I make it this way all the time – it’s nice to free up the stove top and still get a delicious Mexican rice. Thank you for your comment!