Instant Pot Mexican Rice
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Say hello to the easiest, most flavorful Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe you’ll ever make! This restaurant-style rice is perfectly fluffy, packed with authentic flavors, and ready in just 30 minutes. Made with pantry staples like long-grain rice, diced tomatoes, and a blend of delicious spices, this one-pot side dish is the perfect addition to taco night, burrito bowls, or any Mexican-inspired meal.
Why you’ll love this recipe
For years, I’ve been making this Mexican rice recipe on the stovetop. Now, I’m excited to introduce an Instant Pot version of the popular recipe!
I’m a big fan of Mexican food. In fact, I’ve shared over 225 Mexican recipes on the blog over the years! Growing up in Oklahoma, I ate a lot of Tex Mex. And since moving to San Diego over 20 years ago, I’ve been heavily influenced by the local Baja Mexican food.
One of the side dishes that pairs well with just about any Mexican meal is this recipe for Instant Pot Mexican Rice. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe and keep coming back to it over and over again!
- It’s so flavorful! Fresh onions, garlic and jalapenos create a flavorful base for the rice, that’s only enhanced further with the addition of a variety of spices and diced tomatoes with green chiles. The dish if finished with fresh cilantro and lime juice adding a bright flavor to the rice!
- It’s easy to make! After just about 10 minutes of hands-on time, you can secure the lid on the Instant Pot, then set-it-and-forget-it. The great thing about the Instant Pot is that you can turn it off after the cook time is complete, but it will keep the rice warm for up to an hour, so you don’t have to worry about the rice getting cold while you complete the rest of the meal!
- It’s quicker than stovetop Mexican rice, but still tastes just like your favorite Mexican restaurant! Get the same flavor as your favorite restaurant in about half the time it takes to make Mexican rice on the stove-top. The Instant Pot is a great time-saver. While the rice cooks in the Instant Pot, you can prepare fajitas, tacos, or any entree that you’d like to pair with it!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Olive oil – or avocado oil
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Jalapenos – if you don’t like spice, feel free to use ½ cup of minced green bell pepper, instead of the jalapenos.
- Long-grain white rice – you can also use brown rice, but you will need to increase the cook time from 3 minutes to 15 minutes.
- Diced tomatoes with green chilies – also known as Rotel, you’ll find this can of tomatoes near the other canned diced tomatoes at the grocery store.
- Chicken broth – while you can use water, I recommend using chicken broth for more flavor. To make this recipe vegetarian (and vegan) use vegetable broth.
- Kosher salt, chili powder and ground cumin – used to season the rice.
- Cilantro
- Lime juice – I recommend fresh-squeezed lime juice for the best flavor.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook the veggies. Press the “saute” button on the Instant Pot and set it to “normal” heat. When it’s hot, add olive oil. Add minced onions, garlic and jalapenos. Saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping an eye on the vegetables to make sure they don’t burn. The Instant Pot gets hotter using the sauté function than most stovetops. Press the keep warm/cancel button.
- Add the rice, spices and broth. Rinse white rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold water for 30 seconds, then add it to the Instant Pot. Add a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, chicken broth, salt, chili powder and cumin to the Instant Pot.
- Stir to combine everything. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the steam valve is in the “sealing” position. Use the “manual” button to set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 3 minutes. Once the Instant Pot finishes and beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, move the steam valve to “venting” and release any remaining pressure.
- Fluff and finish the rice. Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Add fresh chopped cilantro and lime juice and stir to combine everything. Serve immediately, or turn off the Instant Pot and secure the lid back on the Instant Pot to keep the rice warm until you’re ready to serve it.
What to serve it with
The great thing about this Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe is how versatile it is! We make this recipe on repeat at our house because it pairs well with so many different Mexican meals. Try it with any of these delicious main dishes.
- Bowls: pictured above you can see the rice made into a bowl with adobo chicken, pickled red onions and sliced avocado. You can also use it in this carne asada bowl, veggie fajita rice bowl or this vegetarian burrito bowl.
- Tacos: pair it with quesabirria tacos, pork tacos, cauliflower tacos, mushroom tacos, or grilled shrimp tacos.
- Fajitas: serve it with air fryer chicken fajitas, chipotle lime chicken fajita skewers, or grilled chicken fajitas.
- Enchiladas: this recipe makes a great side dish for chicken enchiladas or the best cheesy avocado and corn vegetarian enchiladas.
Storage and reheating
Store Mexican rice leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
To reheat the rice in the microwave, add 1-2 tablespoons of liquid to the rice. Vegetable broth, chicken broth or water will all work. The added moisture will help keep the texture of the dish, so that it doesn’t dry out while reheating. Place the rice in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir, then microwave for an additional minute.
To reheat the rice on the stove, place the rice in a skillet with 1-2 tablespoons liquid. Once again, vegetable broth, chicken broth or water will work. Turn the heat on the stove to medium-low. Cover the skillet and allow the rice to reheat on the stove for 5-10 minutes.
More Mexican side dishes
Want to add another easy side dish to your next Mexican meal? Look no further than these recipes!
Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup onion, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 2 cups chicken broth, or water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Press the “saute” button on the Instant Pot and set it to “normal” heat. When it’s hot, add the olive oil.
- Add the minced onion, garlic and jalapeno, and saute for 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on the vegetables to make sure they don’t burn. The Instant Pot gets hotter using the sauté function than most stovetops. Press the keep warm/cancel button on the Instant Pot.
- Rinse the rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer for 30 seconds, or until the water runs clear. Add the rice to the Instant Pot.
- Add the diced tomatoes with green chilies and chicken broth to the Instant Pot. Season with the salt, chili powder and cumin.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the steam valve is in the “sealing” position. Use the “manual” button to set the Instant Pot pressure to high for 3 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot finishes and beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, move the steam valve to “venting” and release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork, then stir in the fresh chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice.
- Serve immediately, or turn off the Instant Pot and secure the lid back on the Instant Pot to keep the rice warm until you’re ready to serve it.
Notes
- This recipe will make approximately 6 cups of prepared Mexican rice. The nutritional information provided is for one serving, which is one cup of prepared rice.
- If you prefer to use long-grain brown rice, increase the cook time from 3 minutes to 15 minutes.
- If you don’t like spice, replace the jalapenos with ½ cup of minced green bell peppers.
- Store Mexican rice leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove with 1-2 tablespoons of liquid to keep it from drying out.
Nutrition Facts
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