This Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe is my favorite side-dish for any Mexican food we eat! I perfected this recipe while living in Mexico– it's completely authentic– and I've adapted it to cook perfectly in the Instant Pot! The end result is Mexican rice that is so perfect, easy and delicious I may never go back to the stove-top version!
If you're a follower of TBFS you may already know that I'm a crazy huge fan of Mexican food. I have soooo many delicious Mexican recipes on my site–probably more than any other type of cuisine–because I LOVE it!
My husband and I lived in Puebla, Mexico for a few months when we were first married. I learned to make several authentic recipes while we lived there, but this Authentic Mexican rice is the one I use the very most. (You can check out some photos from our time there, and the story, here).
I've adapted my recipe to make Instant Pot Mexican Rice, and it turns out PERFECT. I love the way the instant pot cooks rice. You don't have to worry about mushy or gloopy rice. It's fluffy and tender, and exactly how rice should be!
Mexican rice is made of long-grain white rice, tomato, onion and garlic. In Mexico it is also often cooked with diced peas and carrots.
The chef who taught me to make Mexican rice used Tomato bullion cubes for extra great flavor, and to get that perfect orange color that you’re looking for. They should be easy to find at your local grocery store, in the Mexican food aisle.
You could even buy the granules instead of cubes (use 2 teaspoons). I buy tomato boullion at Walmart, in the Mexican food aisle or you can find them on Amazon.
How to make Mexican Rice in the Instant Pot:
Rinse the rice under water until the water runs clear. Drain well.
Turn instant pot to the saute setting. Add oil and rice and stir often, until the rice starts to get slightly golden.
Add tomato sauce, minced garlic, onion, tomato boullion and diced carrots.
Stir well. Add water and stir, making sure the boullion cubes are dissolved.
Turn instant pot off. Secure lid and turn valve to sealed position.
Turn on to Manual or High Pressure, and cook for 3-4 minutes (3 minutes for tender to the bite, or 4 minutes for softer rice).
When timer beeps, allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes.
Remove lid and add peas. Gently fluff the rice with a fork (don't stir it).
Place IP lid over the bowl and allow rice to rest for a few more minutes before serving.
Can I substitute brown rice?
Yes! To substitute brown rice, add ¼ cup additional water and cook on high pressure for 22-24 minutes (22 for low elevations, 24 for higher). Once the timer beeps allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before removing the lid and fluffing with a fork.
Don't own an Instant Pot? No Problem!
If you don’t own an instant pot yet, you can make Authentic Mexican Rice on the stovetop with this recipe.
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Recipe
Instant Pot Authentic Mexican Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- 1 teaspoon garlic , minced
- 1/4 medium onion , finely diced
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce , or 2 pureed tomatoes
- 2 tomato bouillon cubes ,finely chopped*, or 2 teaspoons granulated
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 carrot , diced
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/3 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Drain well.
- Turn Instant Pot to saute. Once hot, add oil to the bottom of the pot.
- Add rice and saute, stirring often, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, onion, tomato sauce, salt, tomato bullion and carrots and stir to combine.
- Add water and stir well, making sure the bullion cubes are dissolved.
- Turn instant pot off. Secure lid and turn valve to sealed position.
- Turn on to Manual or High Pressure, and cook for 3-4 minutes (3 minutes for tender to the bite, or 4 minutes for softer rice).
- When timer beeps, allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes.
- Remove lid and add peas. Gently fluff the rice with a fork (don't stir it).
- Place IP lid over the bowl and allow rice to rest for a few more minutes before serving.
Notes
Don't own an Instant Pot? No Problem!
If you don’t own an instant pot yet, you can make Authentic Mexican Rice on the stovetop with this recipe. Find my tips (and step-by-step photos) for cooking perfect mexican rice, above in the post.Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE this recipe and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
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I give this 5 stars! Rice came out perfectly at 4 minutes- followed recipe exactly. Very authentic- oops I had one change I had fresh shelled peas from my farmers market so I added with
all other ingredients texture was perfect!
Thanks so much will be my go to recipe!
If you doubled the recipe, would you recommend doubling the time it cooks for? Or same amount of time in the instant pot? Thanks so much!
The same amount of time 🙂 Enjoy!
Perfect Spanish Rice in the Instant Pot! We loved it. Nice and light, not sticky and tomatoey like most recipes. Very authentic. The only change I made was lard in place of veg oil, and added 1 tsp. Chili powder. Yum!
Spot on with the lard, I’m planning to do the same.
I used the right ratios of all of the ingredients and I got the “Burn” screen on my IP. I then realized that your recipe has equal amounts of water and rice. Usually the ratio is more? I added more water and that seemed to work. Is that a typo? And is there a reason why the Serrano peppers aren’t included in the IP version?
Hi Nina,
The ratio for white rice in the IP is 1:1. I didn’t add the Serrano peppers because they would get pressure cooked. I worry that they would really change the flavor of the rice. In the saucepan version they just steam on top of the rice.
I have been meaning to give this one a try for quite a while… tonight was the night, and wow… amazing! The taste was spot on… this is going right up there with my favorite Instant Pot dishes.
But I do have a couple of critiques…
We followed the recipe to a T, but received several BURN notices while it was cooking…maybe from not enough oil initially?
The end product appears to be a bit ‘wet’ and the rice has a look of a jellied rice as opposed to a fried rice.
Even though the taste was one of the best rice dishes ive ever eaten at home, the visual appeal was not there at all and it definitely didnt look anything like the photos. I am thinking it was because we had to vent pressure multiple times during the cooking phase, but I am not sure… also, several people have told me to ignore ‘wash rice’ instructions… i think i may heed that advice next time too.
As a swim instructor I’m pretty busy during the summer months. My instant pot is my new best friend. Can’t wait to try this one, thanks Lauren.
Thanks to the best swim instructor! My kids miss you already and we can’t wait to work with you again 🙂 Hope you enjoy the IP rice!
Quick and easy recipe. Made with grilled pork roast, delish.
Can tomato paste be used for the bouillon?
That would work, but the flavor would be different. The tomato bullion cubes flavored with chicken boullion.
Where do you find the tomatoes bouillon cubes?
At the grocery store in the Mexican/latino section.
Best Mexican rice I’ve ever made and it was soooooo EASY! Thanks!
I cannot wait to try this. Thanks for posting. Have you tried to double or triple the recipe with similar results? We love to make extras for leftovers.
I haven’t but I’m sure it would work great! Hope you get to try it soon 🙂
I made this recipe doubled, the texture was great, the only thing I’d change is a half teaspoon less of the tomato boullion base as the rice cane out a little to red for my liking, otherwise I’d give it 3 1/2 stars out of 5
Do you think I can add chicken? If so should I add extra water
Definitely! I would add 1/4 cup extra water, and cut the chicken into small pieces so that it cooks faster and will be done with the rice.
This is so exciting… what about the serranos used in the previous traditional recipe?