Fluffy Instant Pot Mexican Rice

This post shows you how to make fluffy Instant Pot Mexican rice - Tender, fluffy grains infused with a smoky tomato broth!

Over the years, I've partook of nearly every good (and not so good) Mexican restaurant north of the national border.

While I've not had the privilege of being taught an age-old recipe, I have a decent idea of what Mexican rice should be, and this recipe comes pretty darn close!

This recipe is my personal favorite version of Mexican rice, made even easier by using the Instant Pot!

Ingredients needed

• Oil - Olive and grapeseed oils both work well. Grapeseed is more neutral in taste.
• Long-grain white rice - If you use brown rice, the cook time increases from four minutes to 25 minutes.
• Vegetables - Onion, garlic, carrot, green peas
• Spices - Cumin, chili powder, and sea salt
• Tomato sauce
• Water
• Cilantro

Recipe steps

Begin by sauteing the rinsed (and dried!) rice in the oil. Use the saute function on your Instant Pot for this step.

Next, add in the chopped vegetables along with a pinch of salt, and let it all cook for a minute or two.

Then, stir in the water, tomato sauce, and spices and give it a gentle stir just to combine everything.

Cook the rice on high pressure for four minutes.

Rice tips and tricks

1. Rinse the rice. I like my rice fluffy, which is accomplished initially by rinsing the starch off the grains. If you don't wash the grains, the rice will be 'sticky', in a similar vein as risotto.
2. Saute the rice. Allowing the rice to gently cook in the oil a bit brings out its flavor.
3. Don't stir the rice. This step is quite easy, as you're using the Instant Pot, which categorically prevents peeking and stirring.
4. Season the rice. Without enough salt, your rice will be bland. Be sure to taste at the end for your preferred amount.

Recipe notes

To make a complete Mexican meal, serve this rice with my Homemade Tortillas, Refried Beans, Tacos, and/or Tostadas!

If you'd prefer a stove top version, check out this recipe instead.

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5 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Mexican Rice

This post shows you how to make fluffy Mexican rice in the Instant Pot - Tender, fluffy grains infused with a smoky tomato broth!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time4 minutes mins

10 minutes mins

Total Time14 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Lauren Goslin

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil (grapeseed is more neutral in flavor)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice (I like basmati)
• ▢ ⅓ cup yellow onion chopped
• ▢ 1 small carrot chopped
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ ½ cup tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
• ▢ ⅓ cup frozen green peas rinsed and drained
• ▢ ¼ cup cilantro chopped

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• First, rinse your rice well in a fine mesh sieve for about 10-20 seconds.
• Put the rice in a dish towel and pat it dry.
• Hit the 'saute' button on your Instant Pot and add in the two tablespoons of oil.
• Once the oil is heated, add in the rice. Saute the rice for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grains are a bit darker in color and you can smell the rice.
• Stir in the onion, garlic, carrot, and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt; cook for 30-60 seconds.
• Pour in the tomato puree, water, and spices; give the mix 1-2 small stirs, just enough to combine the ingredients.
• Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Set the Pot to cook at high pressure for 4 minutes.
  
• After the 4 minutes, let the pressure naturally release (in other words, don't touch anything!) for 10 minutes. The display will read: LO10.
  
• Manually release any remaining pressure and remove the lid.
  
• Fluff the rice with a fork and add in the peas and cilantro.
• Once cool enough to taste, check for seasoning.

Notes

Nutrition facts based on using olive oil.

Weight Watchers points: 7

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 41.2gProtein: 4.3gFat: 5.6gFiber: 1.8gSugar: 1.9g

If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!