Easy Instant Pot Mexican Rice Recipe
Fluffy Mexican-style rice made in the Instant Pot with tomato paste, garlic, and simple seasonings. Ready in about 30 minutes including natural release.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoonolive oil
- 1/2 small oniondiced or 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 cupslong grain white rice
- 2 tablespoonstomato paste
- 4 clovesgarlicminced
- 3 cupsvegetable or chicken stock
- 2 teaspoonssalt
- 1/2 teaspoonground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoonblack pepper
- Cilantro & diced tomato for garnish
Instructions
Instructions
- Place the rice in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Stir the rice with your fingers, drain, and repeat until the water runs clear. Drain the rice well and set aside.
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. - If using the 1/2 small diced onion: add it and sauté, stirring often, until the onion is tender (about 2–3 minutes). Then add the 4 minced garlic cloves and sauté about 30 seconds until fragrant. - If using 1/2 tablespoon onion powder instead: do not add fresh onion; add the 4 minced garlic cloves to the oil and sauté about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape and deglaze the bottom of the pot, removing any browned bits.
- Stir in 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. If you chose onion powder, add the 1/2 tablespoon onion powder now. Cancel the Sauté function.
- Add the drained rice to the pot and spread it evenly over the liquid. Dot the top of the rice with the 2 tablespoons tomato paste in several small spoonfuls—do not stir.
- Close the lid, set the steam release valve to Sealing, and program the Instant Pot to Manual/Pressure Cook on High for 7 minutes.
- When the cook time ends, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure, then open the lid.
- Stir and fluff the rice with a fork to fully incorporate the tomato paste and break up any clumps. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro and diced tomato if desired.
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Medium Bowl
- Wooden Spoon
- Fork
Notes
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. This removes extra starch and adds a little extra water to the rinsed rice. Skipping this step might cause the rice to burn or be undercooked.
6 tablespoons of tomato sauce can be used in place to the tomato paste. Add with the broth, step 3.
The traditionalSpanish Ricerecipe requires the rice to be toasted before adding the the broth. That method doesn’t work well when using the Instant Pot.
Do not stir the tomato paste into the rice prior to cooking to avoid getting a burn notice.
If you don’t have vegetable broth or chicken stock on hand, you can use water. However, the stock does add more flavor to the dish.
To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock.
After 10 minutes manually release the remaining pressure, if there is any after the natural pressure release.
Add more flavor with the addition of garlic powder, onion powder or even taco seasoning.
6 tablespoons of tomato sauce can be used in place to the tomato paste. Add with the broth, step 3.
The traditionalSpanish Ricerecipe requires the rice to be toasted before adding the the broth. That method doesn’t work well when using the Instant Pot.
Do not stir the tomato paste into the rice prior to cooking to avoid getting a burn notice.
If you don’t have vegetable broth or chicken stock on hand, you can use water. However, the stock does add more flavor to the dish.
To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock.
After 10 minutes manually release the remaining pressure, if there is any after the natural pressure release.
Add more flavor with the addition of garlic powder, onion powder or even taco seasoning.