Instant Pot Spanish Rice

This easy Instant Pot Spanish Rice (AKA Mexican Rice) is packed with authentic flavor that is prepared to perfection in just minutes. Serve with all your favorite Mexican dishes – refried beans, tacos, guacamole, salsa verde, and lime crema – for a better-than-a-restaurant experience!

I have yet to meet a soul who doesn’t love taco night, and I’ve met a lot of souls. My family loves it, our friends love it, and I’ll just bet that taco night is a hit at your house as well. There are two things I personally love about Mexican dinners in general, and taco night especially.

• They are easy to prepare for large crowds (hello, party of 15).
• Taco night (or burrito night, or enchilada night) is basically a vehicle for delicious sides and toppings – something most of my family and guests seem to agree upon.

I serve this rice alongside my slow cooker carnitas and ground beef taco meat with ALL the taco fixings (including homemade flour tortillas, lime crema, and homemade salsa).

When you see how easy and authentically delicious this Instant Pot Spanish Rice is, you will be adding it to your next taco night, too!

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!

Instant Pot Spanish Rice Ingredients

• Rice
• Water (or homemade chicken broth)
• Butter
• Salt
• Onion
• Canned Tomatoes
• Homemade Taco Seasoning (Here is how to make it)
• Frozen Vegetables

Notes on Ingredients

• Any type of rice works, 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).

• Use any type of canned tomatoes. We’re going old school here with plain Jane canned diced tomatoes, but whatever you have on hand, or whatever is on sale, works.

• Frozen vegetables are totally okay to use! I use a blend of carrots, peas, corn and green beans for my Instant Pot Spanish rice because that’s what the Mexican restaurants serve, but feel free to work with what you have on hand.

Tips for the Best Instant Pot Spanish Rice

• You can use pre-cooked rice. If you happen to have rice already cooked and stored in the freezer (which means you’re already following Crumbs tips for batch cooking!), you can absolutely use it for Spanish Rice!

• 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. It’s cheaper, healthier, and tastes way better. Here is the recipe.

• This recipe is entirely gluten-free, as long as you make your own taco seasoning, since 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.

• For a simple meal, use your Spanish Rice as a base and add some protein. Shredded chicken, sausage links, and even hot dogs make great add-ins for a delicious, budget-friendly, well rounded meal.

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Step by Step Instructions

Step 1. 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.

Step 2. Lock the lid, seal the valve and cook on high pressure for 22 minutes for brown rice, 3 minutes for white rice.

Step 3. When the timer goes off, use the quick release method.

Step 4. Next, stir in the frozen vegetables and lock the lid. Let the rice sit for 5 minutes.

Step 5. Finally, 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!

Stove Top Directions

Step 1. Start with 4 cups of prepared rice in a large stock-pot.

Step 2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Step 3. Finally, cook over medium low, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the vegetables are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.

FAQs

Is Spanish rice the same as Mexican rice?
In my book, there is no difference, so for the purpose of this recipe, I’ve used the names interchangeably. If you want to get technical, Spanish rice traditionally contains saffron instead of cumin, which would be a tasty variation to this recipe!

What is the ratio of water to rice in the Instant Pot?
There is a 1:1 ratio of water to rice when cooking in an Instant Pot. If cooking on the stove top, that ratio changes to 1 part rice to 2 parts water.

How long does rice cook in an Instant Pot?
It takes 3 minutes to cook white rice in an Instant Pot, and 22 minutes for brown rice.

More Easy Instant Pot Recipes

• Sweet Potatoes
• Whole Chicken
• Barbecue Chicken
• Korean Beef

Have you tried Instant Pot rice yet? Share in the comments what you think!