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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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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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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So glad I bought the 6 qt instapot after reading of the problems with the 8 qt. For those having difficulty, please don’t downgrade the recipe for the fault of the tool. 8 qt will have a problem. 6 qt does not. Thanks for sharing! We love it!
This came out perfect. I’ve been looking for an authentic “sopa de arroz” recipe for the InstantPot since my attempts on the stovetop turn my mom’s recipe into either mushy rice or dry overcooked rice.
This recipe came out perfect just like mom used to make and it was so easy!
I would love to make this but can’t use the tomato bouillon as it as MSG in it….if I use chicken stock how much tomato paste should I substitute?
Unfortunately burned rice is inedible so I had to give this one star. I’ve made many rice dishes in the instant pot and none have ever burned. I was so shocked when it happened then I read the comments and I see it’s happening to everyone who doesn’t adjust the recipe 🙁 Sounds like this recipe needs to be changed so that no more families ruin their dinner following this as written 🙁
I followed the recipe exactly as shown and I got a burn notice 🙁 I was using an 8 qt instant pot. Any idea why?
Because the 8 qt IP is flawed and you can’t cook anything in it without getting the burned msg. The only thing it works for is liquid dishes, like soup, or stock. IP is aware of this but isn’t refunding us. They know the 8 qt does this.
It is not the recipe. The recipe works fine in the qt.
(I have both 6 & 8 qt machines. I use the 8 qt to make chicken stock & that’s about it. Even stews I only use the 6 qt. Sad, cause I bought the 8 qt to make stews etc. As the 6 is a tad small. But no choice now. Waste of $ but I get lots of broth & stock done.)
I get the burn notice every time I make this (6 qt Pro). But it’s so good I wait for the burn notice (maybe some day it will stop happening), put the rice in a dish for pot in pot, wash the inner pot, and proceed to cook as if it’s just lying in the bottom of the pot. This rice is as good as Mexican restaurant rice. Maybe better.
That’s just not right! Let’s all complain till they can’t stand it!!
I follow this recipe all the time and it’s absolutely delicious. My husband is obsessed. I usually double it to make it for company and we love the leftovers. However, do you think it’s possible for me to use less oil or would it burn? I usually use 1/2 cup since I double everything. Thank you!
I would say yes. Way less. Just need to coat the rice in oil so it will toast. The liquid, water or stock,
cooks the rice. This is a very good recipe, however, you can make it your own. I use fresh tomatoes, finely chopped, and grated onion. My preference, tho I make it with tomato paste, even just bijol, if I don’t have tomatoes on hand. Rice is very flexible. It’s the amount of liquid for cooking that matters, not the flavor elements, to prevent burning. You can’t saute then cook in the 8 qt IP. It will inevitably burn. It’s a flaw of the 8 qt. pot, not this recipe. IP is aware of this.
Jean, do you have the 6 or 8 Qt. I hope to double for company, but I have the 6 Qt.
Brown rice substitution instructions came out perfect! This is delicious!
So I made this today, however I added more liquid, 3 cups, so it wouldn’t burn. 4 minutes in instapot.. perfect. And I did the rice part on skillet and put the liquid and bouillon to get hot in instapot. Batch 2 I added diced tomatoes in instapot, just mild burn, but didn’t get burn notice. Batch 3 was doubled and got burn notice, turned off. There was still liquid in and mild burn.
I needed to cook this for our meals on wheels clients for Monday, that’s why so much!
I’ll definitely make again!
I changed the servings on recipe to make 18 servings, so does the time still stay at 3-4 minutes in instapot?
Yes. The IP will just take longer to come to pressure.
I’ve made your other Authentic rice stove top recipe. Now I’m going to try it in the instant pot. I notice you don’t include the Serrano peppers for this one. Do you think I could?
Yes, you could add them!