Instant Pot Mexican Rice

I’ve made this recipe at least 10-15 times since May with success! Truly delicious go to for us. My husband even says it is one of the best Mex. Rice I’ve ever made and I agree…full of more flavor than I expected using the Instant Pot (IP)! I’ve subbed taco seasoning when out of cumin and have made this exactly as written too. Here are some tips for some who might be new to the IP as I was. #1 Rinse your rice. #2 Do not stir in the tomato sauce—recipe doesn’t say to do so, but you might be tempted out of habit. When I stirred, IP did not come to pressure and some rice was uncooked. I fired up pot for 3 additional minutes, but ended up with a very thin burned layer of rice on bottom of pot. No big deal, just remove the pot and cover it with foil. Cooked rice will lift off fine and some like the crisp part anyway. Barely any rice wasted from my own newbie error. You’ll just have to soak the pot a little to wash out what’s left…easy peasy. #3 Do not try to do natural release because you’re busy with other dishes. Texture change noted…still good though. #4 Chunky/Thick salsas do not seem to work as a sub. #5 If rice done and you think too much moisture, just leave it on keep warm and excess moisture will be absorbed by rice or evaporate lending to perfect fluffy and delicious Mexican Rice. End of story, make exactly as recipe instructs and you won’t be disappointed! Yum! Thanks again, Bren—I’ve been converted to making your rice in the IP! :)

I am the submitter of this recipe and would like to address the issue that Adela had with the recipe. The "Burn" warning seems to be prevalent to the newer models and there are several possible causes. 1. The pot is too hot from sauteing, should this happen in the future simply turn off the unit and wait a few minutes 2. The gasket in improperly inserted 3. There are bits stuck to the bottom of the pot 3. The pressure relief valve is stuck and releasing steam....I am sorry that this recipe didn't work for you, best of luck with future recipes:) I am responding to a question about the pressure on this recipe, there is an error in the instructions that I didn't catch...it should be high pressure, not low. I'm sorry that this didn't work for you.

This is the best Mexican rice recipe I've tried so far...outstanding! I should note, however, that I didn't have the chicken stock on hand. Instead, I replaced the 1 1/2 Cups of chicken broth with 2 Teaspoons of "Better Than Bouillon" dissolved into 1 1/2 Cups warm water. Also added 1 whole diced Serrano pepper. This is my go to Mexican rice recipe from here on out. The ingredient proportions and cook time were spot on, and I did NOT experience any burn issues whatsoever. To clarify one thing, I waited exactly 5 minutes AFTER engaging the pressure release mechanism before opening the lid...flawless rice. Seriously. Release the pressure immediately after the 7 minute cook time, and then wait the 5 minutes.

I think the instructions are unclear. Mine also came out with the burn message. I was able to salvage it and put it on the stove. I mixed in the tomato sauce when I was making it. According to an IP troubleshooting blog I read, and another reviewer noted not to mix the sauce, don't mix the sauce because the liquid at the bottom needs to be thin. What that means is that after you have mixed everything, pour the tomato sauce on top and don't mix it in, just let it float there, so the liquid on the bottom stays thin. Next, I am unclear whether I cook on high pressure or low pressure? I don't know. I think the flavors are great, but the instructions are unclear for those of us who are not used to using an IP. Mine is the newer model.

This is a great recipe! I've made it multiple times now and the whole family loves it. For anyone who wants to use brown rice, the only change is to increase the pressure cook time to 28 minutes. I recommend letting the pot cool a couple of minutes after sauteing the onions and garlic to avoid the dreaded burn warning.

This was perfect! The kids raved about this and asked for seconds. I did double it so we would have leftovers. It's a really mild flavor which is appealing since it didn't overpower what I served it with.

I was so excited to try out this recipe. I followed it to a T in my 6 quart instant pot. A few minutes after I closed the lid, the message “burn“ showed up on my instant pot. #EpicFail

Made this using most of the ingredients in recipe. The only change I made was adding cumin/salt to rice and stirring after adding stock, and I needed this to be vegan so I used veggie stock instead of chicken . I added the tomato sauce but didn't stir it in until after cooking was complete. Was a little concerned that I had put too much liquid because as a rule, with pressure cooking rice, you do a 1:1 ratio of rice to liquid. Was somewhat wet when I opened the lid but I stirred and after standing for a few mins it was fine. Good recipe, thanks for sharing!

While the rice was sauteing, I whisked all the other ingredients in a small bowl. When the rice and onions were golden, I added a half cup of drained canned pinto beans (all I had on hand, will use black next time) before adding the rest of the mixed ingredients. When I took the lid off I added a half cup of frozen corn with the chopped jalapeno in it from Presidents Choice. Stirred it up and put the lid back on and by the time I had my salsa and sour cream out, it was ready. Served with beef fajitas. Family approved and went back for seconds. Will definitely make this again. Thank you!

I followed the recipe and the rice came out delicious. I will use it again. Took it over to the relatives as a side dish to their Mexican dinner they cooked and everyone loved it. As I recall it makes a lot of servings. Possibly if you're not cooking for lots of people, cut it in half. Thank you Bren for such a great Mexican dish!

Thank you Bren for this recipe - it saved my Christmas dinner! While I didn’t follow the recipe to a “T”, I did follow the spirit of it. I made modifications to suit my family’s tastes and traditions. I did follow the suggestion of other reviewers and did NOT stir in the tomato sauce prior to cooking. It did just fine on top and when the cooking was over it stirred in beautifully like it had always been a part of the dish. There were many raves about the rice at dinner. We all marveled at the ingenuity of this and it will become a staple in my house for cooking rice going forward.

Love this recipe!!

I made this recipe according to the instructions the first time around. The base recipe was decent, but it was too wet and didn't have as much flavor as I hoped. My grandmother is from mexico and used to make rice all the time. I took the base recipe and tweaked it a bit. I slightly browned the rice on the saute setting before adding the broth/sauce. I used bullion instead of chicken broth and reduced the amount of water by 1/2 cup. I added a tablespoon of onion powder and followed the rest of the recipe! Came out great!

Awesome recipe - simple - and the whole family loved it. I didn't have avocado oil, so I used my standard no flavor coconut oil. The only other change I made was doubling the recipe.

This is soooo good. I followed the recipe, only rinsed the rice, poured the tomato sauce on top of the rice without stirring, and added a bay leaf. Really, really good. Next time I will double the recipe.

I found that the liquid ratio is off at least for my first run at 8 servings. Typically, I use 1.75:1 ratio for this recipe made on the stovetop. This is closer to 2:1 with the stock and tomato sauce. If you like a dryer/fluffier rice consider cutting back stock a bit. Also, in my opinion cumin would not go into traditional red rice so I omitted it. Next time I would add 1tsp of paprika and a bit more salt.

I didn't have tomato sauce, so added about 1 TBS of tomato paste to existing liquid. No temps for the IP given, so I used Medium level of Pressure cooking.. This rice came out delicious!!

Doubled the recipe and used salsa for the tomato sauce. Everyone ate it up. I doubled the recipe for 6 people .

Sooooo goood. Thank you!

Made it just like the recipe. It's perfect.

This really turned out great. I like it a little hotter and added a serrano which set it off. Looking forward to adding a few more ingredients to the next cook

This was an awesome quick rice dish. Super easy and Super delicious!!

Good flavor! The only thing i changed was to cut the salt in half, subbed chicken broth, subbed olive oil, and I plopped the sauce in without stirring like others suggested. After the seven mins, i did a quick release and set my timer for 5 mins. Opened up and fluffed with a fork. one tip: Immediately out of the pot, it was very soggy. I set out on the counter and allowed some of the wetness to soak in and it was much better after a 20 minute rest.

Good basic recipe. Replaced salsa for the tomato sauce as it was what was on hand. Made as written minus the one change, no issue with sticking or anything.

Made just as recipe called for. Turned out perfect. I spread mine on a sheet pan to quick cool before storing in the refrigerator so it didn’t get gummy and lasted multiple days.

After 1st burn message added more stock. Second burn message - gave up and put it on the stove.

Loved this recipe! I added some fresh cilantro and frozen peas as well as some extra spice, but the instructions were perfect and the rice came out wonderful. I also cook it an extra minute in the pressure cooker on account of frozen peas. That worked just fine 😊

I really like this recipe, easy and quick side dish for tacos and the like. I personally add more cumin/spice to my own taste and just threw in an 8 oz can of tomato sauce, I have no idea if that’s half a cup or not but it turned out great! Will make again!

I just bought an electric pressure cooker and tried this recipe. I followed the recipe almost exactly except for using 1.5 roma tomatoes instead of the tomato paste, and omitting the cummin and pepper. I fluffed the rice after cooking using 2 forks. The flavor and texture were perfect, thanks for the recipe!

Very good, 15 min for the whole process and I was done.

Was I supposed to use cooked rice? I Followed the recipe, but rice was hard and uncooked. Doubled cooking time, which is dicey with an Instapot, and rice was still hard. Hmmmm.....

Followed recipe exactly great and would make again. No need to heat up the whole kitchen .

what a wonderful recipe! i added a can of rotel to mine. it went perfectly with fajitas.

Made this recipe minus they cayenne pepper and it turned out great! Follow the instructions and you will be just fine. I had not made rice other than one time and I made this for a baby shower, got lots of compliments. It’s a keeper!

I liked the flavor but it had a little to much liquid for me. Next time I'll cut the broth back to 1 cup.

This was really good! A great side dish to fajitas, chicken, steak, etc. Would make again.

Disaster! I, too, had the 'burn food' experience on my Instant Pot and the rice did, in fact, burn to the bottom of the Instant Pot.

Made 2 batches for Church, about 1cup was all that was left Will make it again

I quadrupled it for a party and it was a great success. Yummy.

This turned out to be a nice side dish for our Mexican meal. I used 1/2 tsp of Cumin for more flavor and like others suggested didn't stir in the tomato sauce just dumped it on top of the other ingredients. High pressure for 7 min, instant release, then sit for 5 minutes without "keep warm" function on. Stirred it together and finished it off by adding fresh cilantro.

Flavor was good but had to finish it on the stove top due to multiple “burn” notifications on the Instant Pot. Poor texture as well but that may have been from switching it to a pan.

Very easy and tasty! Great for burritos , tacos and chimichangas.

Made this for the first time today to acompany a Mexican meal. It was mild,, pleasantly flavored, and easy to make; however, it was lacking pizzazz! It was fine to add to a burrito, but would choose a recipe with more flavor variety and spice next time.

My liquid didn't evaporate, had to put the pressure cooker on rice setting for additional time.

This is perfect! I made as written. After seven minutes the rice was still very wet and I thought it was going to fail. I put in for two more minutes and it was perfect. Highly recommend!

This recipe is the closest I've ever gotten to restaurant-style Mexican rice. It's fluffy, mildly flavored, and a great side dish. If you want a bolder flavor, use puréed salsa in place of the tomato sauce. To avoid a burn error, just pour the tomato product (sauce or salsa) on top of your rice before cooking, don't stir it in.

It was easy and fast however, I had prepared all the ingredients prior to making it. I did add some leftover taco additives (chopped tomatoes, red and green onion). Next time I will make twice the amount for my big family; they all loved it!

3 out of four family members loved it. That's a keeper! I di wish the texture was not so mushy though. But the flavor was on point! I did add some smoked paprika and oregano, omitted cayenne.

Good Mexican Rice, but came out burnt on bottom. Got the burn warning only a minute or less into the cook portion. I think maybe the other commentators are correct and it has to do with the saute. Will definitely let it cool off before beginning the rice portion next time and report back. l Followed the recipe and only changes I made was to double it, sub EVOO, and add 1/2 tsp chili powder. Instant Pot Ultra 8

I was going to try this recipe but seeing many having issues with the burn notification. I think the problem is not the scraping the bottom of the pot but rather that the recipe calls for the rice to be cooked on high pressure. Rice in a Instant Pot should be low pressure and natural release and a 1:1 ration of rice and liquid as I see others having wet, sticky rice. I think I will try this recipe but change the liquid and cook time based off Instant Pot manual recommendations or use the rice button. I will also add some other seasoning I normally use in my regular version of Mexican rice. Adobo, Sazon, Chicken bullion and a green pepper.

My recipe: 3 tomatoes, 1/3 onion, 1 cube chicken knorr suiza, 1 cup water in a blender. Set instant pot to medium saute & brown 1 cup of rice. Add 1/2 cup water and the sauce to the rice. Press rice button (which is 10 minutes). When it's finished open the quick release valve. Wait 5 minutes before opening.

Don't stir the tomato sauce. Stirring the tomato sauce results in burn notice messages. Just pour it on top of everything before putting the lid on. Just a wonderful recipe and so simple.

Followed recipe exactly. Rice turned out perfect.Very good.

I have tried many Mexican rice recipes. This is the first one my family liked. Made as directed with no changes.

Made as directed. Removed lid and was a little watery, but it thickened as it sat for a few minutes. Easy and a good accompaniment to Instant Pot Salsa Chicken.

Easy and delicious! I made no changes. I will be making this regularly. Thanks for posting!

Delicious and easy. The whole family loved it. Thank you!

Just got an instapot and made this spanish rice. I suck at making spanish rice in general. This recipe along with my instapot has my rice tasting like restaurant quality! I didnt understand the quick release instructions at the end and opened the pot without letting it sit for 5 minutes longer..I can see how that will make the rice softer. This recipe is great alone..could be even better with extra ingredients such as peas,carrots,pepper or cilantro. Thank you Bren!

I had to sub canola oil for avocado oil. Otherwise I stuck pretty much to the recipe. Not sure what browning the rice contributed but maybe I didn't do that long enough. Found that the tomato sauce seemed to overpower the other seasonings. If I make it again I will increase the seasonings.

Easy and didn't disappoint!

Super simple to make Mexican rice with these instructions, thank you!

I scaled this down to 3 servings and used olive oil in place of the avocado oil (as that is what I had on hand). I also rinsed the long grain rice for a bit to remove some of the starch. I only cooked this for 6 minutes, due to scaling the recipe down, I figured that it would need slightly less time to cook. It turned out great, and went well with our leftovers that we brought home from the Mexican restaurant over the weekend. Will make again. Thanks Bren!

first time using a instant pot and it got burnt followed your recipe to the T not sure if my pot is defective or what

It was so good! This was the first recipe I used in my instantpot and I was really worried but it was SO FAST and tasty! I followed the comments and did not mix my tomato sauce and had no issues

This rice was delicious! Even my kids ate it. I accidentally left it in the Instant Pot without venting it when it told me too and rice got a little mushy but it didn’t matter- still tasted great! I’ve been looking for an easy weeknight rice recipe and this is it!

i tried to make this tonight. these are the most confusing directions. Needless to say, this rice was a disaster and now my boyfriend and I are super hangry.

I have made mexican rice from scratch for years this is pretty comparable and much easier and certainly faster I added a cup of peas with diced carrots to it

This was very tasty rice. I used olive oils (no avocado oil) and used enchilada sauce in place of tomato sauce and spices (because I had extra from dinner). The rice was tender and the veggies were soft. Everything blended very well. No overpowering taste of anything. I should have added more spice along with the enchilada sauce to get a kick, overall a good recipe. Makes 4 small servings, great as a side dish.

Came out great, but couldn't keep it from causing the burn notification. Made sure to scrape the bottom and as soon as it came to pressure it gave me the burn notice. I released the pressure, scraped clear the bottom again, and as soon as it came to pressure again, the burn notification came up. At that point I released pressure and then let it sit for a little and it came out good except for the burnt bottom.

I followed this recipe to an *exact tee* and double checked, my IP gave me a ‘BURN’ error every time I tried turning it on, even after it coming on and having water added. Such a waste of ingredients and time.

This is a great recipe! I like that it uses tomato sauce instead of salsa like a lot of recipes I've seen and tried. The flavors mix beautifully and rice is fluffy and perfect. I pair this with chicken marinaded inTraci Meeds' Fajita Seasoning, olive oil and lime/ lemon and serve with fajita veggies, refried beans and all the fixings. The meal is always a hit!

Yummy

So good! Better than what you get at the Mexican restaurants!

I normally dont review recipes but I felt for this one I would make an exception. I am by far a cook and usually result to eating in because my lack of skills and just the frustration of putting time and energy into a dish that doesnt come out good or not everyone likes lol Well this one was a HIT! It was so easy to make and I only made a few minor adjustments like adding Sofrito (my spanish friends swear by it lol) and having to blend canned diced tomatoes into a tomato sauce. But it came out so perfect my picky eater 5 yo even requested that I make it everyday Thanks for this simple and delicious recipe!!

Excellent! I did have to make a quick version, however. In a hurry for supper and this worked great. I used minute rice, cooked stove-top, brought to a boil, and then turned down to low for 5 minutes. Worked out well and my husband loved it! Paired with chicken quesadillas - wonderful!

Thoroughly enjoyed this. I doubled it using brown rice and cooked for 25 minutes.

I doubled the recipe and added black beans, corn, peas and carrots. Delicious!