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Instant Pot Mexican Rice is easy to make with a 3 minute cook time! This flavorful rice is the ultimate side to go with tacos, burritos, fajitas, and all your favorite Mexican dishes! Love making this easy rice recipe in an electric pressure cooker to make it foolproof with no guessing on timing!
We’re eating some form of Mexican food at least once a week and this Instant Pot Mexican rice has quickly become a staple!
Mexican Rice in Minutes!
If we’re having Mexican for dinner you can bet there’s going to be some rice involved! We love making Mexican rice and have used our stove top recipe countless times over the years.
Not sure why it took me so long to test out Mexican rice in the Instant Pot. After all, anytime I make white rice that’s the method I use. (See our Instant Pot jasmine rice – so easy!)
This recipe, in all of its glorious simplicity, has been a staple ever since I converted the stove top version to an Instant Pot version. It’s seriously just so easy and the rice turns out fluffy, tender, and perfectly seasoned every time.
We do use a ‘secret’ ingredient that really makes the flavors pop. Keep reading for the deets!
♥ What We Love About This Recipe:
- Versatile: We love that you can serve this Mexican rice as a side dish to just about any Mexican or Tex-Mex food. It can also be the base to your meal – hello, you beautiful burrito bowl made with our carnitas recipe or our Instant Pot barbacoa.
- Easy: The Instant Pot makes quick work of this recipe, and the ingredients are all very simple. Everything pretty much goes right into the Instant Pot so there isn’t a lot to it. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners!
- Meal Prep: This is a great one to make ahead and enjoy with lunch or dinner for the next few days. We often meal prep a batch of taco meat and rice for the week.
Ingredient Notes:
Rice – We’re starting with long grain white rice. Make sure you are not using Minute rice. It’s already parcooked and won’t work well with this recipe.
Chicken Broth – We cook the rice in chicken broth to add flavor, but a nice veggie broth will work as well. You can also use plain water and add additional salt as needed.
Butter – The butter coats the grains of rice adding some richness and extra flavor.
Tomato Bouillon – This is our secret ingredient that really makes the flavors pop! Tomato bouillon can be difficult to find in store, but check your local Walmart or purchase from Amazon. It’s a big flavor bomb, adding loads of bright tomato flavor. It does have MSG so you may choose not to use it if you avoid this ingredient. We’ve done our own research and are very comfortable using MSG, but it’s a personal choice.
Seasoning – In addition to the seasoning that’s in the tomato bouillon you’ll add some onion powder and garlic powder. You could add other seasonings you like here too such as chili powder or paprika, or a bit of cayenne pepper for some spicy heat!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
My Favorite Instant Pot!
I absolutely love my Instant Pot! It’s great for making perfect rice, cooking chicken to shred (the best!), and so much more.
Step by Step Instructions:
Rinse the rice in a strainer until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch from the rice along with any dust or dirt clinging to the grains.
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and give it a good stir. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the vent to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then fluff the Mexican rice with a fork and serve it hot!
Serving Suggestions:
We like to garnish the Mexican rice with a bit of minced cilantro or parsley for a pop of color. It’s perfect as a side dish and we’ve got tons of great recipes for you to try it with! Check out some of our favorites:
- Fried Tacos
- Burrito Casserole
- Instant Pot Pinto Beans
- Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
- Mexican Shredded Beef
- Air Fryer Chimichanga
Helpful Tip!
Storage & Freezing:
You can keep any leftover Mexican rice stored in your refrigerator in an airtight container. Let it cool completely before storing. It should last for about 4 days. It can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of water.
This Mexican rice recipe can also be frozen for up to a few months. Store in a freezer safe bag or container in individual portions if you won’t use it all at once when reheating.
Leftover Hack!
There’s a lot of great ways you can use leftover Mexican rice since it’s so versatile and is used in lots of recipes. Try making stuffed peppers with Mexican rice, or even Mexican rice soup! You can use it in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, casseroles and so much more.
More RICe Recipes!
- Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Rice and Vegetables
- Greek Rice
- Bacon Fried Rice
- Cajun Sausage and Rice
- Cream of Chicken Rice
Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups long grain white rice
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons tomato bouillon
Instructions
- Add the rice to a mesh strainer and rinse with cool running water until the water runs clear.
- Place the rice in the Instant Pot along with the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the vent to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
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