This 30-minute Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice with Tuna will fill you up and make you feel good with its hearty beans, roasted red peppers, and flaky tuna.

Bowl of Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice with Tuna in bright yellow bowl.

This post is sponsored by Genova Premium Tuna | Thank you for supporting the brands I trust.

The weeknight dinner rut is real, no matter how well we try to plan our meals. But this protein-filled Instant Pot rice has come to the rescue several times, easily becoming a family favorite. It’s hearty, healthy, and incredibly flavorful with its medley of white beans, spinach, roasted red peppers, and flaky tuna. The best part? This delicious concoction is a convenient 30-minute meal. 

Make tuna your go-to lean protein.

At the mention of lean protein, our minds typically go straight to chicken or turkey. Fish is easily forgotten about, or worse—snubbed, because people are unsure of how to prepare it. That’s the beauty of Genova’s Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil; you don’t have to do anything but pop the lid. This tuna flakes into large tender pieces that offer big flavor and a substantial bite. And the health benefits are the icing on the proverbial cake: tuna is good for the heart and offers a great source of essential nutrients like Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, and selenium. 

Two large bowls of Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice with two cans of Genova tuna.

Two large bowls of Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice.

Genova changes the game with canned tuna.

Anything canned is meant to be convenient, but quality matters too! Which is why Genova has become a go-to for canned tuna in this house. Their cuts are hand-filleted and give us a rich and clean flavor that will definitely kick recipes up a few notches. Which is exactly what happened with this Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice with Tuna. A lesser quality canned fish would have easily gotten lost in this dish. But with Genova’s large fillets, the tuna is the star.

Further to that, their tuna is sustainable.

Finding sustainable canned tuna is a big deal, so we’re thrilled to report that Genova’s tuna is not just sustainable, but also traceable. Each can of tuna has a unique code that allows consumers to track the origins of their wild-caught tuna.

How to make Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice with Tuna.

As with most Instant Pot recipes, this is dinner made easy. It’s all about dumping in your ingredients and letting the pressure cooker do the cooking.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1 can of Genova Yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil, drained
  • Olive oil
  • Red onion
  • Garlic cloves
  • A jar of roasted red peppers
  • Baby spinach
  • Long grain white rice or basmati rice
  • Kosher salt
  • Italian seasoning
  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Vegetable broth
  • Lemon
  • Cannellini beans
  • Fresh parsley

Two cans of Genova tuna with other bright and fresh ingredients.

Bowl of spinach and roasted red peppers next to a salt crock and two cans of Genova tuna.

Overhead shot of rice, spices, spinach, and roasted red peppers in Instant Pot.

Here’s what you’ll do:

  1. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. When your Instant Pot is hot, add the oil, followed by the garlic and diced onion. Let the garlic and onions sauté for about 2-3 minutes, stirring often to keep the garlic from burning.
  2. Add the uncooked rice and stir to coat the rice in oil, mixing it well with the onion, garlic. Let the rice simmer for about 2-3 minutes, or until it’s lightly toasted.
  3. Once the rice is lightly toasted, add the vegetable broth, roasted red peppers, spinach, and spices to the Instant Pot. Stir everything well to combine, then 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.
  4. Once 8 minutes is up and your Instant Pot starts to beep, it will start its natural release process. Let the pressure 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.
  5. Fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in the lemon juice, cannellini beans, and the tuna, then cover for a few minutes so they can warm up among the other ingredients.

Hand holding up a bowl of Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice with Tuna.

Side shot of bowl full of Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice with Tuna.

More Instant Pot recipes to simplify your weeknights:

Hope you enjoy!

If you plan on making this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag us on Insta! @killing__thyme and @genova_seafood.

Two large bowls of Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice.

Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice with Tuna

This 30-minute Mediterranean Instant Pot Rice with Tuna will fill you up and make you feel good with its hearty beans, roasted red peppers, and flaky tuna.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
30 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Dana Sandonato

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 can of Genova yellowfin Tuna in Olive Oil, drained
  • 1 TBSP olive oil You can use the oil from the can of tuna if you'd like!
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed and thinly sliced
  • 1 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
  • 2 cups roughly chopped baby spinach
  • 1 cup long grain white rice or basmati rice
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1.25 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 15.5 oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

  • Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. When your Instant Pot is hot, add the oil, followed by the garlic and diced onion. Let the garlic and onions sauté for about 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. Let the rice simmer for about 2-3 minutes, or until it’s lightly toasted.
  • Once the rice is lightly toasted, add the vegetable broth, roasted red peppers, spinach, and spices to the Instant Pot. Stir everything well to combine, then 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 the pressure 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 lemon juice, cannellini beans, and the tuna, then cover for a few minutes so they can warm up among the other ingredients.
  • Serve and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges.