Instant Pot Mexican Rice

by Dana Sandonato // June 15, 2020 (updated March 19, 2023)

Whether you use it as a side dish or devour it as a main, this flavor-filled Instant Pot Mexican Rice is a total hit. It’s ready in less than 30 minutes and it’s perfect for weeknights.

Table of Contents

The Best Mexican Rice in Minutes.

Our local Mexican joint has us hooked on Mexican rice. They serve it as a side, but we’ve started snubbing the tacos and going for the rice first—it’s just that good.

In an effort to make a full-blown meal out of the good stuff, we came up with our own version. It’s quick, effortless, and made in the Instant Pot making it perfect for weeknights.

This was actually the first rice dish we ever made in the Instant Pot and it totally sealed the deal for us; the texture is perfect and the flavors, bold!

We never want to cook rice any other way again—mark our words.

What’s in Mexican Rice?

Think big flavors: juicy tomatoes, garlic, bell peppers, cumin, and smoky paprika.

The beauty of this dish is that it’s super flexible. You can keep it vegetarian, add meat or seafood, serve it as a side, or curl up with a huge bowl of it.

Here’s our ingredient list:

Olive oil
Onion
Garlic cloves
Bell pepper
Long grain rice
Canned diced tomatoes
Cooked black beans
Vegetable broth (you could also use chicken stock)
Kosher salt
Cumin
Garlic powder
Smoked paprika
Chili powder
Ground coriander (optional)

For serving, we’re really into some chopped fresh parsley, sliced avocado, and lime wedges.

How to Make Mexican Rice in an Instant Pot.

The key to Mexican Rice is to sauté the rice in hot oil until it’s lightly toasted. This helps the grains retain some of their texture after being cooked, so you’re going to put the sauté function on your Instant Pot to use with this one.

Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. When your Instant Pot is hot, add the oil. Then, add the garlic, diced onion, and diced bell pepper. Let these veggies sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring often to keep the garlic from burning.
Add the uncooked rice and stir to coat the rice in oil, mixing it well with the onion, garlic, and pepper. Let the rice simmer for about 2-3 minutes, or until it’s lightly toasted.
Add the vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, and spices to the Instant Pot. Stir everything well to combine the ingredients.
Turn off the Sauté function by pressing the Keep Warm/Cancel button. Secure and lock the lid onto your Instant Pot and ensure that the pressure knob is set to the Sealing position.
Click on the Manual button and set the Instant Pot to cook, on High Pressure, for 8 minutes. Once 8 minutes is up and your Instant Pot starts to beep, it will start its natural release process. Let it naturally release for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, carefully move the pressure knob from sealing to venting for a quick release. Steam will spit out of the valve, so be careful. Once the steam has fully released, it’s safe to remove the Instant Pot lid.
Fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in the cooked black beans.
Serve, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley, avocado slices, and lime wedges.

What to Serve With Mexican Rice.

We love to make a meal out of this by eating it on its own or by adding some leftover cooked ham or cooked shredded chicken. (A precooked rotisserie chicken from the supermarket always does the trick!)

This would also act as a great side for the following dishes:

Have You Made This Recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!

You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme