For home cooks and chefs alike, rice is a fundamental dish. It’s one of the first dishes you learn how to make, with entry-level rice dishes being so simple that people consider them “no-recipe” recipes. If you’re looking for one of those coveted seamless recipes, we’ve got you covered. Meet Instant Pot Mexican Rice, the simple and flavorful side dish that’s so delicious, you’ll want to make it every other day.
Why We Love Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Part of the reason home cooks keep coming back to Instant Pot Mexican Rice is that most, if not all, the ingredients are already stocked in their kitchens and pantries: rice, chicken stock, tomato sauce, salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic, and onion. If you have to pick anything up at the store, it’s likely the avocado oil, though that can easily be substituted for another oil with a high smoke point, such as sunflower, safflower, or canola oil.
The taste is another factor. Rather than water, this rice recipe utilizes chicken stock and tomato sauce as moisture agents. Pressure cooking is all about using liquid, so you’re essentially infusing your rice with those key ingredients. And yes, it is as delicious as it sounds.
How To Make Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, mince your garlic and halve your onion. This dish only requires half an onion, so chop one half into fine chunks and reserve the other half for another recipe. Turn on your Instant Pot (or other multi-functional pressure cooker), select the sauté function, and adjust to medium heat. Cover the bottom of the inner pot with avocado oil, then add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
Add the rice to the pot and mix until it’s coated with oil and lightly browned. Pour in the chicken stock and stir any brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Then, very importantly, drop your spatula, as you mustn’t stir in the following ingredients. Add the tomato sauce, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper, and close the pot.
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Lock the lid, seal the vent, and select the high-pressure function. Set the timer for 7 minutes. Your Instant Pot will take 10 to 15 minutes for the pressure to build before cooking the rice.
When the timer goes off, carefully toggle the vent (or follow the manufacturer’s instructions) to release the pressure. Wait until it’s fully released, about 5 minutes. Then, unlock and remove the lid, stir the rice, and serve.
Tips and Tricks
If there’s anyone who knows this recipe inside and out, it’s Allrecipes community member SZYQ1, who made it “at least 10 to 15 times” in a single month. SZYQ1 recommends following Bren’s recipe exactly, but offers a few substitutions and best practices.
First, always rinse your rice to increase its fluffiness, and make sure you pour the tomato sauce rather than stirring it. “[The] recipe doesn’t say to do so, but you might be tempted out of habit. When stirred, [Instant Pot] did not come to pressure, and some rice was uncooked,” SZYQ1 wrote in the recipe’s most helpful positive review. Using natural release instead of quick release will also affect your rice’s texture.
SZYQ1 doesn’t recommend using chunky or thick salsa as a substitute for the tomato sauce, but adds that it’s completely fine to use taco seasoning instead of cumin. Lastly, if your rice is done but you think it’s too moist, leave it on “Keep Warm” and the excess moisture will either evaporate or be absorbed by the rice, increasing its fluffiness.