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Originally published January 5th, 2018.
Instant Pot Mexican Rice
I’m using my Instant Pot almost on a daily basis; apart from my blender, it is now my most frequently used kitchen gadget.
If you are busy, which most moms are, then having an Instant Pot is a great idea. You can set the Instant Pot and go attend to something else. It even keeps the dish warm for hours!
What a time saver! I multitask while cooking, so therefore I love having one less project to focus on. I have now shared my Instant Pot Lentil Soup, Instant Pot Jamaican Rice, and Peas, and Instant Pot Split Peas Soup on here and I’m so excited to share with you my latest recipe.
Last May, my family and I were so blessed to travel to Cancun, Mexico and we stayed at the lovely Riviera Maya Resort Hotels and had a wonderful and relaxing time there.
We enjoyed the warm and friendly people, seeing the Mayan ruins and the food were so fresh and full of flavor. I can’t wait to visit again.
One of the accompaniments to our many delicious meals during our stay was Mexican rice. Now that I am back, I absolutely had to recreate the amazing taste I experienced.
Health Benefits of Rice
Rice is a staple food for nearly every culture. Everyone can usually think of a particular rice dish that was commonly made by their families to accompany meals or for special occasions, of course with mine being Jamaican Rice and Peas.
The reason why it is a great staple food is that it is high in carbohydrates. Carbs are demonized in our society now, but our ancestors found them to be an essential source of energy.
Our bodies need carbohydrates to function, and they are usually the easiest and cheapest food sources. Entire civilizations would go through famine and many would die because the staple crop failed, and they could not survive off of other foods.
Brown rice is the original grain when it has not been processed by having the bran and germ removed. These parts, combined with the endosperm, are what make brown rice a good energy source. This is because not only does it contain carbohydrates, it also has fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Instant Pot Mexican Rice Recipe
- Long Grain Brown Rice
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Tomato Sauce
- Vegetable Broth
- Salt
How To Cook Mexican Rice?
I don’t like mushy rice, and I rarely make risotto or cook with short-grain rice for that reason.
I love fluffy rice, and I believe that making the perfect rice that isn’t too wet or dry, with each grain fluffy and separate, is quite an art.
So if you struggle with making rice that is fluffy and not sticky and mushy, then using the instant pot is for you and making my Instant Pot Mexican Rice is the solution.
- Plug your Instant Pot into the power outlet and press the Sauté setting to start heating it up. Add the olive oil, and once it is heated after a few seconds, add onion, garlic, and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Stir in the rice, and sauté for about 4 more minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce and stir into the mixture to coat it completely. Add vegetable broth and salt. Switch the Instant Pot to the Keep Warm/Cancel button. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid, make sure the knob is set on the Sealing position. Now, press the Manual button and the display will say ON. Click the + plus button until it is set to 22 minutes on High Pressure. You can walk away, and let the Instant Pot do its work.
- You will hear some whistling, but do not panic, it’s quite normal. At the end of the 22 minutes let the Instant Pot Natural Release its pressure for 5 minutes. Then you will turn the knob to Vent, and allow it to Quick Release the remaining pressure. I usually carefully put a damp dishcloth over the vent as the final steam releases.
- Once the steam fully releases, you can now open the Instant Pot. Fluff your rice with a fork (not a spoon!) and serve.
I used the jasmine brown rice from Trader Joe’s, one of my favorites, to make this recipe. Basmati brown rice or any long-grain brown rice will also do for this simple and flavorful dish.
It is not very complicated or with an overpowering taste, because whatever main dish you serve will be the focus. It is delicious served with my Jackfruit Carnitas and Guacamole.
Other Instant Pot Recipes
- Black-Eyed Peas Curry
- Jackfruit and Potato Curry
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Black Beans
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Categories
- Categories: Gluten-Free, Instant Pot, Vegan
- Course: Side Dish
- Cuisines: Latin, Latin-American, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Nutrition
(Per 100g)- Energy: 219 kcal / 915 kJ
- Fat: 5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Carbs: 388 g
Cook Time
- Preparation: 5 min
- Cooking: 22 min
- Ready in: 27 min
- For: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain brown rice, washed and drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or 1/4 cup vegetable broth for sauteing
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups vegetable broth, or 2 cups water plus 1 vegetable bouillon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Plug your Instant Pot into the power outlet and press the Sauté setting to start heating it up. Add the olive oil, and once it is heated after a few seconds, add onion, garlic, and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring. Stir in the rice, and sauté for about 4 more minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce and stir into the mixture to coat it completely. Add vegetable broth and salt. Switch the Instant Pot to the Keep Warm/Cancel button. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid, make sure the knob is set on the Sealing position. Now, press the Manual button and the display will say ON. Click the + plus button until it is set to 22 minutes on High Pressure. You can walk away, and let the Instant Pot do its work.
- You will hear some whistling, but do not panic, it's quite normal. At the end of the 22 minutes let the Instant Pot Natural Release its pressure for 5 minutes. Then you will turn the knob to Vent, and allow it to Quick Release the remaining pressure. I usually carefully put a damp dishcloth over the vent as the final steam releases.
- Once the steam fully releases, you can now open the Instant Pot. Fluff your rice with a fork (not a spoon!) and serve.
Notes
I’m always leery about brown rice recipes. I was totally shocked that this recipe came out perfect. The texture of the rice wasn’t too hard or too mushy; just right! I used brown basmati. I am so happy to have found this recipe! I think the secret in the texture is sautéing the rice for 4 minutes. Definitely a keeper!
glad to hear u enjoyed.
Thank you for this! I haven’t had any luck with making brown rice in the IP. This came out perfect (texture and all)!
thats great! happy it turned out to your liking.
Made this rice and it was really good! If I wanted to do the batch as 3 cups rice and increased the the ingredients accordingly. How many minutes should I set the instant pot to cook for. Awesome recipe!
Thank you Bobby, you don’t need to increase the timing. Enjoy!
I thought that that would be the case but wanted to double check. What about the liquids? Just a third more of broth and tomato sauce. Again, we really enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for your help and recipes!
Thank you very much Bobby, the ratio of water to rice is 1:1 so technically it would mean adding an extra cup of liquid, however you could try 1/2 cup- 3/4 cup extra.
We absolutely love this recipe!!! I make it almost weekly. I’m just now getting around to make it in a larger batch. I’m going to double the recipe. You said to keep the cook time the same so I’ll do that. I’ll also sautée a little longer to make sure the rice gets toasted. Do you think 4 cups of broth will be too much? It is cooked perfectly with the 2 cups each rice/broth in the original recipe. It freezes really well so if I make a larger batch I can portion it out in the freezer and won’t have to make it as often. Thanks!
Im glad you are enjoying my recipe this much. and yes, if doubling the recipe 4cups broth is fine. it will just give the rice more flavor which isn’t a bad thing
Will it work with short grain brown rice?
Yes it will, hope you enjoy!
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Absolutely perfect! I had heard that rice wasn’t good in the IP, but your Mexican rice was delicious and perfectly flavored. I just found you and this was the first of your recipes that I tried. I will surely be trying others. Thank you
Susan, I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Welcome to my website.
We tried this recipe last night with bean tacos. It was very tasty! Thank you for the yummy and easy recipe!
Stacy, I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us.
Love this! It’s my go to mexican rice now and I love that it’s made with brown rice. Thank you, Michelle!
Thank you Stacy for your feedback, I’m so happy you enjoy it.