Try this easy Instant Pot Spanish Rice (AKA Mexican Rice) recipe with beans or ground beef on taco night – the seasoning makes it taste so authentic – without Rotel! Serve with homemade tortillas, easy guacamole, fresh salsa, and lime crema!
What do you make when you need to feed 15 people who are Paleo or Vegetarian or still sometimes cooking out of a box? And what do you make when you’re not going to be cooking this meal in your own kitchen?
Those are the questions I ask myself every year when we gather with our extended family for holiday gatherings. I make slow cooker carnitas with ALL the taco fixings (including homemade flour tortillas and lime crema and homemade salsa).
Last year I made tacos again, but I also brought ingredients to make Spanish rice (AKA Mexican rice). Turns out though, that Spanish rice was a HIT and my kids are STILL asking me to make it anytime we have tacos!
Honestly, out of all of the Mexican dishes I can think of making, this Spanish rice recipe is such a simple and easy recipe. It’s basically rice + canned tomatoes + seasoning + frozen veggies.
Use this recipe for weeknight taco night, or for family gatherings in any season. I promise, you will love this Spanish rice in the Instant Pot!
Instant Pot Spanish Rice
I love this recipe because it isn’t complicated, but also because it’s:
- Quick! White rice cooks in just a few minutes, and brown rice within a half hour!
- Easy. Combine the ingredients, set the Instant Pot, and walk away!
- Kid-friendly. This is a perfect meal (or side dish) to feed a group, and kids love it because it’s mild, yet SO flavorful.
- Freezer-friendly. Make ahead for your monthly meal plan, freeze it, and store flat in freezer bags. Just grab, warm and serve!
What are the ingredients in Instant Pot Spanish Rice (AKA Instant Pot Mexican Rice)?
- Rice
- Water (or homemade chicken broth)
- Butter
- Salt
- Onion
- Canned Tomatoes
- Homemade Taco Seasoning (Here is how to make it)
- Frozen Vegetables
What type of rice is best for Instant Pot Spanish Rice?
You can use any rice you want, but I chose to use brown rice in order to eat more whole grains. If you only have long grain white rice, go for it! Whatever rice you use, you need RAW rice to use the Instant Pot. (By the way, I like this Instant Pot here).
Can I use pre-cooked rice for Spanish Rice in Instant Pot?
Yes! You see, anytime I make brown rice I make a double batch in my Instant Pot pressure cooker, I divide it into 4 cup servings and freeze it for later. I HIGHLY recommend doing the same, whether you make rice in the Instant Pot, stove-top or in the oven. It’s so simple to grab one of those packages of rice from the freezer when this Spanish rice is on your meal plan.
Your future self will thank you because JUST LIKE THAT, your rice will already be done.
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How to Make Spanish Rice in the Instant Pot
- Place 2 cups uncooked rice + 2 cups water + 1 Tbsp butter + ½ tsp salt + 1 onion + 15 oz can diced tomatoes + 2-3 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning in the Instant Pot and stir gently.
- Lock the lid, seal the valve and cook on high pressure for 22 minutes for brown rice, 3 minutes for white rice.
- When the timer goes off, use the quick release method.
- Stir in the frozen vegetables and lock the lid. Let the rice sit for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt as desired, and fluff rice with a fork. Spanish rice tastes great the day it’s made, but it’s also delicious as leftovers!
How to Make Spanish Rice on the stove top
- Start with 4 cups of prepared rice in a large stock-pot.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Cook over medium low, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the vegetables are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
Instant Pot Spanish Rice Recipe Tips:
Use any type of canned tomatoes
We’re going old school here with plain Jane canned diced tomatoes!
The variations are endless… you can choose low-sodium, petite-diced, with or without Italian seasonings, or even fire-roasted… it really won’t matter that much in the end, so use whatever you already have OR whatever is on sale. Even if you just have canned tomato sauce, that will work too.
Note: ALDI has the cheapest canned diced tomatoes in my area, but when I compared ALDI to Walmart, the prices weren’t too far off! Here’s another comparison of ALDI vs. Costco too, in case you want to check prices there.
Make your own taco seasoning
You have wiggle room with the rice, canned tomatoes, and veggies… But PLEASE – for the love of Pete – do NOT use store-bought taco seasoning.
Here’s the deal. Store-bought taco seasoning is bland and expensive. Plus there are added fillers so the seasonings don’t stick together. (Apparently McCormick doesn’t think we know how to shake a container.)
It’s SUPER easy to make your own homemade taco seasoning – Not only does it taste a MILLION times better, but it’s CRAZY CHEAP! And I bet you already have everything you need to make it in your pantry!
Here’s my recipe for homemade taco seasoning, but feel free to adjust it to fit your taste buds.
You can use frozen vegetables!
I’ve used a blend of carrots, peas, corn and green beans for my Instant Pot Spanish rice because that’s what the Mexican restaurants served when I was growing up.
You don’t have to use this blend though. So feel free to work with what you have on hand…
- If you want just peas and carrots, awesome.
- If you only have a package of corn in the freezer, great.
- Even if you have Brussels sprouts and okra, no problem!
What is the difference between Mexican and Spanish Rice?
In my book, there is no difference. For the purpose of this recipe, I’ve used the names interchangeably.
Is Instant Pot Mexican Rice Gluten Free?
Yes! This recipe is naturally free of gluten as long as you make your own taco seasoning. Store bought seasoning blends will often have gluten as a filler. You’ll also want to be sure that your rice hasn’t been processed in a facility that processes gluten.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Beans
- Instant Pot Korean Beef
- 5 Minute Instant Pot Oatmeal
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Try this easy Instant Pot Spanish Rice (AKA Mexican Rice) recipe with beans or ground beef on taco night – the seasoning makes it taste so authentic – without Rotel! Serve with homemade tortillas, easy guacamole, fresh salsa, and lime crema!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 3-22 mins
- Total Time: 8-27 mins
- Yield: 6–8 cups cooked 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked rice
- 2 cups water (or homemade chicken stock)
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp salt (plus additional, as needed)
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2–3 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning (Recipe here)
- 1 16 oz bag of frozen vegetable (any variety)
Instructions
- Place 2 cups uncooked rice + 2 cups water + 1 Tbsp butter + ½ tsp salt + 1 onion + 15 oz can diced tomatoes + 2-3 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning in the Instant Pot and stir gently.
- Lock the lid, turn the sealing valve to the sealing position and cook on high pressure for 22 minutes for brown rice, 3 minutes for white rice.
- When the timer goes off, turn the sealing valve to the release position to quickly release the pressure. Be careful as hot steam will come out of the sealing valve.
- When the pressure is fully released, stir in the frozen vegetables and lock the lid. Let the rice sit for 5 minutes. The residual heat from the rice and the pressure cooker with thaw and steam the vegetables within the rice.
- Taste and season with salt as desired. Spanish rice tastes great the day it’s made, but it’s also delicious as leftovers!
For the Stove-top:
- Start with 4 cups of prepared rice in a large stock-pot.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
- Cook over medium low, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the vegetables are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
Keywords: Spanish Rice
Are the amounts for a 6 quart or 8 quart IP?
Jan, Tiffany uses an 8 quart normally but either will work.
Hey there! I haven’t made this recipe yet, but could I point out one problem with it? See the scale button up top where you can double or triple it?
The single version says to use ONE 15-oz can of tomatoes.
But if I double it, the recipe says TWO 30-OZ cans!
So in the 2x version, it suggests QUADRUPLING the recipe.
Looks like it’s just a small glitch. I still look forward to making this! (And making it vegan, obviously!)
P.S. Just noticed now, it says to cook brown rice for 22 minutes, but to cook white rice for only 3 minutes? Is that correct?
Hi Honey!
Thanks so much for bringing this glitch to our attention! We will fix it. Yes, the brown rice takes longer since it’s a whole grain. Thanks again!
Do you adjust the amount of water if you’re using brown rice?
I have an instant Pot but this will be the first time using it. How long does it take from start to finish to make the rice. I know the cook time is 5 minutes but how long does it take to get to the correct pressure before the 5 minute cook time starts?
Hi Maggie! I’d allow 10-15 minutes to come to pressure for recipes similar to this one. 🙂
How do you reheat it when it is leftover? Can you double or triple the recipe and if so, do you need to adjust the cooking time?
Yes, you can double or triple without adjusting the cooking time. That’s the beauty of the IP! I reheat in the microwave, but you can do it in the oven or on the stovetop (you might have to add a tablespoon or two of water).
This is my question too, a post update on white rice timing.
I like 4 minutes on high pressure with quick release. I’ll make sure to do a post on this one!
Help!! Got a burn notice on my instant pot! Scrapped and added more water and tried again. Another burn notice. This was doing 4 minute with white rice.
This happened to me too. I put it on the stove after 2 burn notifications. Curious if this happened to anyone else or if there is a help around this.
Having looked around, it’s the tomatoes that cause the burn notice. Mix everything together except the tomatoes. Just dump the tomatoes on top of the rice without stirring and then turn on the instant pot. You won’t get the burn notice.
Do you mean 3 minutes for white rice or 23 minutes for white rice? Sorry – crazy question… Thanks!
Would it be okay to add cooked ground beef to this in the Instant Pot?
Sure!
Just finished making and taste testing! Couldn’t be easier and very tasty! Unfortunately my rice didn’t cook all the way, but hopefully when I reheat it tomorrow, it will be perfect.
★★★★
When do you put in the butter and 1/2t salt?
If you’re following the IP method and starting with raw rice, you’ll add the butter and salt with the rice. I’ll update the post to clarify!