Name: Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 2.25 cups (530ml) vegetable stock, divided; 3.5 tbsp tomato puree; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/3 tsp ground cinnamon; 3/4 tsp ground coriander; 0.5 tsp ground smoked paprika; Chilli flakes to taste (optional); 2 Tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil; 1 Tbsp minced garlic; 1 cup sweet corn kernels; 2 scallions (finely chopped); 390 g (2 cups) basmati white rice; Salt

Jump to Recipe

This Instant Pot Mexican Rice is super easy to make, full of flavour and is the perfect side for your favourite Mexican meal (or any meal that requires a tasty side dish). Suitable for Gluten-Free and Vegan diets.

Post includes Weight Watchers points.

image of instant pot mexican rice in a bowl garnished with greens next to an instant pot

Say hello to your new favourite side dish – aka Instant Pot Mexican Rice. This rice is a perfect side dish to serve on:

Taco Tuesday
Mexican night (which is any night because Mexican food is soooo good)
Cinco de Mayo
Girl’s night (with lots of salsa, tortilla crisps and drinks of course)
Any time when you need an amazing side ASAP

Why Make Mexican Rice in the Instant Pot?

Because it is soo easy and fast. You guys know I have proclaimed my love for the Instant Pot (and have made approximately a gazillion recipes in it, like Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, Instant Pot Pot Roast and Instant Pot Pork Chops).

This easy one pot recipe is our kind of language because we could all use another easy dump and start Instant Pot recipe right?

You’ll have Instant Pot Spanish rice on the table in just about 30 mins aka restaurant-quality Mexican rice at home.

Just see the easy video on how to make this Pressure Cooker Mexican Rice at the end of the post.

Instant Pot Mexican Rice Recipe Materials

KITCHEN TOOLS, UTENSILS & APPLIANCES NEEDED

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, check out my disclosure.

Here are some of the items you will need to make this recipe.

8 qt Instant Pot.
- I use and love the 8 qt, extra Instant Pot Insert & sealing ring.
3 qt Instant Pot or 6 qt Instant Pot depending on family size.
Measuring jugs or cups.
Measuring teaspoons.
Bowls with covers.
- For storing your leftover food.

How to Make Instant Pot Mexican Rice – Step-by-Step Tutorial

Set aside half a cup of stock. Mix together remaining stock, tomato puree, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon and chili if using in a jug and set aside
Lightly oil the pressure cooker insert and add the remaining half cup of stock.
Add in the rice, scallions, sweetcorn and tomato mixture without mixing.
Lock the lid, set valve is set to “sealing” position, select manual/pressure cook, high pressure and 5 mins cook time.
When the cook time ends, turn the IP off and let the pressure release naturally.
Stir the rice, let stand for another 5 mins then serve.

Adding to the spicy tomato sauce to the rice. You can skip the sweetcorn and scallions if you prefer.

Important Instant Pot cleaning tip: The rice might stick a bit – decant rice from the inner pot immediately, soak for 5-10 mins and wash clean.

Pressure Cooker Mexican Rice Tips

Feel free to vary the seasoning you add to your rice. See section below for some tips.
This is a kids-friendly version so I have gone easy on the heat but feel free to add chili powder to your taste.
You can add other quick cooking veggies like bell peppers or carrots diced small if you prefer.

Plus more tips…..

Oiling the insert before cooking the rice reduces the risk of the rice sticking to the insert.
You might need to adjust the liquid after washing the rice (see the wash vs unwashed rcie section further below).

How Long To Cook Instant Pot Mexican Rice?

This on one that has got to be to your taste. I say Time under pressure: 4-7 mins. I like it at 5 mins. 4 mins for firmer rice or 6-7 mins for a softer rice.

What Seasonings Can I Add to Instant Pot Mexican Rice?

Instant Pot Spanish Rice (Mexican rice) tastes lovely as-is, or you can vary Mexican spices combinations / amounts to your taste. Some suggestions include

Jalapeno
Cloves
Cocoa
Chipotle
Fresh chopped cilantro
Lime zest
Taco Seasoning

What Can I Serve with Instant Pot Mexican Tomato Rice?

You can serve it with recipes like:

Instant Pot Mexican Rice With Salsa

You can totally make Instant Pot Mexican Rice with salsa if you prefer. You can swap out the tomato paste with some salsa (although I suggest you double the amount).

Alternatively, you can cook the Mexican rice as is and serve it alongside a big heaping of freshly made salsa.

Instant Pot Mexican Rice For A Crowd

This Pressure Cooker Mexican Rice make a simple crowd-pleasing recipe. All you need to do double or triple the recipe and you have enough to feed a whole load of hungry guests. And leftover the next day taste awesome with some guacamole.

How Can I Make Instant Pot Rice and Beans?

It’s easy (yaye for easy). If you want beans with your Instant Pot Mexican Rice to make this a complete meal, add two 425g (15oz) tins of black beans (drained and rinsed) after the Instant Pot Mexican Rice is done cooking.

That’s it, folks – an easy Instant Pot Spanish Rice recipe for you to enjoy the next time you’re craving good Mexican food.

More Mexican Instant Pot Recipes

If you are a fan of Mexican recipes then why not check out some of these Mexican pressure cooker recipes below.

Instant Pot Lentil Soup (Mexican).

Instant Pot Mexican Cauliflower Soup.

More Instant Pot Rice Recipes

Instant Pot Brown Rice.

Instant Pot Jollof Rice.

Instant Pot Rice {White Basmati}.

Weight Watchers Points in Instant Pot Mexican Rice

If you replace the 2 tbsp oil with a calorie-controlled cooking spray and increase the servings to 8 servings, there are:

5 Freestyle points per serving
4 PointsPlus points per serving

INSTANT POT RICE: WASHED VS. UNWASHED RICE

There is a fierce debate on blogs and social media about washed vs. unwashed rice. Should you rinse your rice before adding it to the Instant Pot? Some say ‘yes, always’ but others say ‘don’t bother.’

By washing the rice, you introduce additional moisture (and when you cook in the Instant Pot, no moisture releases). Additional moisture = slightly different results.

So you can wash your rice. But do dry it thoroughly. One way is to wash it and let it sit in the sieve for at least 30 mins before cooking. Another way is to dry fry the rice for a few mins to get rid of the excess moisture.

If you are unsure if your rice is dry enough before adding it to the Instant Pot, I suggest slightly reducing the amount of water (or liquid) you add to your recipe. Reduce the liquid in the recipe by about 1-2 tbsp for every 170g (1 cup) rice.

The Ultimate Guide to the Instant Pot

To learn everything you need to know about the Instant Pot, check my Instant Pot Review – The Ultimate Guide to the Instant Pot post.

And don’t forget to visit The Ultimate List of Easy Instant Pot Recipes!

Instant Pot Mexican Rice Recipe Video

Thank you for reading my Instant Pot Mexican Rice recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you.

Instant Pot Mexican Rice + Video Tutorial {Gluten-Free, Vegan}