Immediate Pot Mexican Rice | Cookies and Cups

By: Shelly
Posted: Jul 6, 2025

This Immediate Pot Mexican rice is a festive aspect dish made foolproof! The Immediate Pot takes the guesswork out of cooking completely fluffy rice. In the meantime, onion, garlic, and tomato paste pack this simple recipe filled with taste.

I really like this Immediate Pot rice recipe as a aspect to our favourite Mexican dinners, from tacky oven-baked chicken enchiladas to pork carnitas (additionally fast and straightforward to make within the Immediate Pot!). Try my skillet taco rice for a simple stovetop recipe!

A bowl of Instant Pot Mexican rice with a plate of lime wedges, a bowl of refried beans, and flour tortillas in the background.

Why This Immediate Pot Recipe Works

Making Mexican rice in my Immediate Pot is the weeknight life hack I can’t reside with out! This recipe ranges up your typical white rice right into a festive aspect dish. It’s full of zesty, tomato-y taste and veggies. To not point out, it pairs nice with my favourite Mexican recipes. Right here’s why this Immediate Pot recipe makes it simple:

It’s tremendous fast. Strain cooking locks in quite a lot of taste in a brief period of time. This rice cooks in minutes! There’s a little bit of ready in and round that whereas the pot involves strain, however that leaves my arms free to whip up some taco monkey bread for a starter.
It cooks the rice completely. The Immediate Pot takes the guesswork out of completely cooked rice. In the event you observe the recipe as directed, this simple Mexican rice is all however assured to come back out tender, fluffy, and filled with taste.
It wants minimal elements. Just some pantry elements go a good distance within the Immediate Pot. Tender rice soaks up the savory, tangy flavors of rooster broth and tomato paste, plus onion, carrots, and garlic. I barely need to carry a finger!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Mexican rice with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

Mexican Rice Elements

Mexican rice is a bit completely different from its cousin, Spanish rice. Whereas Spanish rice is vibrant yellow, cooked with saffron, Mexican rice will get its signature crimson hue from tomato paste.

I make this Immediate Pot Mexican rice with only a handful of elements. You’ll discover my notes beneath, and make sure to scroll to the recipe card for a printable listing with quantities.

Olive Oil – Or one other cooking oil, like canola or avocado oil.
Rice – You’ll need to use long-grain white rice and never prompt rice for this recipe.
Onion – Yellow or white onion, diced.
Carrots – In the event you’d like, swap out the carrots for an additional veggie with the same cooking time, like broccoli.
Garlic – Freshly minced, or you possibly can substitute every clove with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Tomato Paste – Or tomato sauce.
Broth – This may be rooster broth (store-bought or homemade chicken stock) or vegetable broth.

Find out how to Make Immediate Pot Mexican Rice

Cooking good Mexican rice within the strain cooker is tremendous easy. Right here’s an summary of the steps. Scroll to the recipe card for printable directions.

Rinse the rice. First, rinse the rice underneath chilly water to take away the surplus starch. This manner, the grains are extra separate, and fewer sticky when cooked.

Water added to rice inside the Instant Pot. — Toast the rice.

Toast the rice. Subsequent, with the Immediate Pot set to sauté, add the rice and a little bit of oil. Stir and let the rice toast for about 10 minutes (just like the way you’d toast the rice for risotto).
Add the veggies. Stir within the onion, carrot, and garlic and sauté till the veggies are smooth and aromatic.

Broth poured over Mexican rice inside the Instant Pot. — Add tomato paste and broth.

Mix. Lastly, stir within the tomato paste and pour over the broth.
Prepare dinner. Seal and set the Immediate Pot to cook dinner on Excessive Strain for 3 minutes, adopted by a 10-minute pure launch. Afterward, launch the leftover strain, fluff the rice, and serve.

Close up of a spoonful of Mexican rice held over the Instant Pot.

Ideas and Variations

What to do for those who get a burn discover: It occurs! In case your IP throws a burn discover, swap off the cook dinner mode and launch the strain earlier than opening the lid. Then, simply use a (non-metal) spatula to scrape any stuck-on bits from the underside of the pot. Seal and restart the pot afterward.
Rinse the rice. Cooked rice can turn into sticky if it’s not rinsed beforehand. It’ll be clumpy and chewy as a substitute of separated.
Serve straight away. It’s when this Mexican rice is at its freshest! In the event you’re not serving your rice straight away, I don’t suggest leaving the rice contained in the Immediate Pot on Heat. It’ll overcook and turn into mushy. See additional within the publish for make-ahead and storage particulars.
Add veggies. You possibly can add frozen peas or bell peppers concurrently you add the broth or inventory.

Overhead view of a bowl of Instant Pot Mexican rice.

A spoon resting in a bowl of Instant Pot Mexican rice.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Refrigerate. Retailer any leftover Mexican rice hermetic and refrigerate it inside 2 hours of cooking. It’ll final within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
Reheat. Heat the rice in parts on the stovetop, or within the microwave till it’s good and sizzling all through.
Freeze. You possibly can freeze leftover rice for as much as 1 month. Freeze the cooled rice hermetic and thaw it within the fridge earlier than you reheat it.

Extra Mexican-Impressed Recipes

Description

This foolproof Immediate Pot Mexican rice is a flavorful aspect dish made with pantry staples, together with fluffy rice, onion, garlic, and tomato paste.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups long-grain white rice
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups rooster or vegetable broth
Kosher salt to style

Rinse the rice effectively with cool water.
Flip the moment pot to saute mode. Add the oil and rice to the pot. Stir always till golden, about 10 minutes.
Add the onions, carrots, and garlic and proceed to cook dinner for five extra minutes whereas stirring. Be certain that to scrape off any bits that follow the underside of the moment pot.
Flip off the moment pot. Add the tomato paste and stir.
Pour within the broth. Place the lid on the pot and set to the sealed place.
Prepare dinner on guide excessive strain for 3 minutes. As soon as the cooking time has elapsed, let the strain naturally launch for 10 minutes.
Launch the remaining strain. Season to style. Fluff the rice and serve.

Notes

In the event you get the burn discover whereas cooking, flip off the cook dinner mode. Launch the strain valve and open the lid. Use a spatula to scrape the underside of the pot after which reseal and restart cooking. Typically the rice will get sticky if it isn’t rinsed effectively sufficient.
Don’t depart the cooked rice on heat mode as a result of it can get mushy.
Be happy so as to add different greens, like frozen peas on the similar time the broth is added to the pot.