This Instant Pot Mexican Rice is my favorite way to make Mexican rice at home! It’s easy, flavorful, and perfect for serving with all of your favorite Mexican dishes!
Our Favorite Instant Pot Mexican Rice
I love cooking rice in the Instant Pot because it’s so easy and it’s hands-off once you get everything in the pot. I have a stovetop Mexican Rice recipe, but I actually love this Instant Pot version even more because I don’t have to watch a pot on the stove as the rice cooks.
This Instant Pot Mexican rice is layered with flavor, fluffy, and perfect for serving in burritos or as a side dish. My family loves it served with Chicken Enchiladas, Tacos or Steak Fajitas! If you love rice and beans, my Instant Pot Black Beans and Instant Pot Pinto Beans both pair well with this Instant Pot Mexican rice recipe.
Ingredient Notes
This Instant Pot Mexican rice is meant to be flavorful but not overly spicy. If you want to add more spice I have some suggestions for you in the tips below. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:
- Long Grain White Rice: For the best fluffy Mexican rice, be sure to use long grain rice. We much prefer this recipe with white rice, but you can also use long grain brown rice. The texture won’t be as fluffy if using brown rice. The recipe card below includes cook times for both white and brown rice.
- Olive Oil: For sautéing the onion.
- Onion & Garlic: These add flavor. White or yellow onion work best in this recipe.
- Water: This is the liquid needed to cook the rice and to allow the Instant Pot to pressurize. I usually use water, but you can substitute low sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth for extra flavor.
- Seasonings: I season this Mexican rice with salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and dried oregano.
- Tomato Sauce: An 8 ounce can of tomato sauce adds a subtle tomato flavor and gives the rice its signature color.
- Fresh Cilantro: I like to serve this Instant Pot Mexican rice with chopped fresh cilantro. The cilantro adds a pop of color and fresh flavor, but you can leave it out if you don’t care for cilantro.
Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts below.
How to Make Mexican Rice in the Instant Pot
I have tested this recipe in both my 6 quart and 8 quart Instant Pot and it works well in both.
Rinse the rice well in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water. Let the water drain off, then set the rinsed rice aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
Sauté onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot using the sauté function. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, until softened. Then stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Turn off the Instant Pot.
Immediately pour in the water and stir, scraping up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. It’s important to measure the water (and rice) carefully, since using too little water could lead to the Instant Pot burn message. I’ve made this recipe about a dozen times, and I’ve found that 2 1/2 cups water is the perfect amount for cooking 2 cups of rice. (Note that this is a greater ratio of water to rice than my basic Instant Pot Rice recipe, but I’ve found the extra water is necessary here, and it all gets absorbed by the rice as it cooks.)
Add seasonings, tomato sauce and rinsed rice. Then pressure cook. Stir in the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, tomato sauce and rinsed rice. Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.
Natural release. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes by leaving the Instant Pot alone. Then quick release any remaining pressure. Fluff the rice, then serve it with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.
Recipe Tips
If you’re new to Instant Pot cooking, many readers have found my guide on How to Use an Instant Pot helpful.
- Don’t toast the rice. Some Mexican rice recipes call for toasting the rice before adding water to the pot. I tried toasting the rice in the Instant Pot on sauté and some of the rice stuck to the bottom of the pot. I don’t recommend toasting the rice in the Instant Pot because it is more likely to cause a burn message during pressure cooking.
- Make it spicy. Mexican rice is traditionally flavorful, but not spicy. If you want to make it spicy, add some cayenne pepper, to taste, along with the other seasonings. I recommend starting with 1/8 teaspoon. You can also add a chopped jalapeño along with the onion for more heat.
- Add peas. My family prefers our rice without peas, but you can stir frozen peas into the rice after cooking, if desired. Then place the lid on the pot and let it rest for about 5 minutes to heat the peas.
Love cooking in your Instant Pot? Also try these easy Instant Pot recipes!
Perfect Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice*
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup chopped white or yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ½ cups water, or low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- chopped fresh cilantro, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse well under cold running water; drain. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot using the Saute function. When hot, add the onion and saute, stirring often, about 3 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Turn off the Saute function.
- Pour the water into the Instant Pot and stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, tomato sauce and rinsed rice. Stir.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes by leaving the Instant Pot alone. Then, carefully move the steam release valve to the venting position to release any remaining steam. Once the pin drops down, open the Instant Pot lid.
- Stir and fluff rice. Serve, with chopped fresh cilantro if desired.
Notes
- You can also use long grain brown rice in this recipe. Increase the pressure cooking time to 25 minutes at high pressure if using long grain brown rice.
- Mexican rice is flavorful, but not spicy. If you want to make it spicy, add some cayenne pepper, to taste, along with the other seasonings. I recommend starting with 1/8 teaspoon. You can also add a chopped jalapeño (remove the ribs and seeds) along with the onion for more heat.
I originally shared this recipe in April 2021. Post updated February 2025.
Hello. Can I make your ip Mexican rice in a slow cooker or on the stove top? Your content is so helpful by the way. I look forward to all of your emails. Thanks!
Hi Julie, Thank you for your kind words! I haven’t tried this recipe on the stove, but you should be able to cook it in a pot on the stove. The only thing that might need adjusting slightly is the liquid – you might need to add more water or broth if you find that the liquid has all been absorbed/evaporated before the rice is cooked. You would follow the same steps: saute, then add the other ingredients and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes (checking to see if more water needs to be added). Let the rice sit covered in the pot for 5-10 minutes after cooking and then fluff and serve. I don’t think the slow cooker would work as well. If you try it, let me know how it goes! 🙂
Update: Since my last reply, I’ve developed a stovetop version of this recipe. You can find it here: Mexican Rice recipe. Enjoy!
Mine didn’t have the signature look of Mexican rice, but I tasted great. The chili pepper give a good kick to it. Thank you!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, you can double all of the ingredients and keep the cook time the same.
Do you change the amount of time if you triple recipe? I am needing to feed about 30-40 people. What would you suggest? Thanks
You would triple the ingredients but keep the cook time the same. Be sure to allow for the rice to expand when judging how full to make your Instant Pot before cooking.
This tastes amazing. Lindsey, Nov 8, 2022, asked about triple recipe. I did that in my 8 qrt. Tastes amazing. Thank you.
However, it was still slightly crunchy. You had mentioned to triple recipe, but keep the 4 minutes. What should I do to eliminate the crunchy?
Thank you so much for this.
If it was crunchy it probably needed a little more liquid. Thanks for sharing how a triple recipe worked out!
Can you add bacon or sausage to this red rice recipe? I would sauté it with the onion.
Thanks, I want to try it Christmas Eve.
That sounds like a great addition!
This is good. I used brown rice, but I think next time I will double the seasonings. They seemed to disappear in the Instant Pot…it became more like a tomato rice. I threw tanjin spice on it.
Quick question…why does this recipe have more liquid than the regular rice recipe? In your plain white rice recipe the ratio is one to one and this one has two cups of rice but a total, including the tomato sauce, of three and a half cups of liquid… I’m very new to insta-pot so was just curious
I’m really excited to try some of the recipes on your site!
When I started testing this recipe I started out with less liquid but found that it needed more to keep the rice from sticking and burning on the bottom of the pot. Tomato sauce can be prone to giving a burn warning, so some extra water or broth helps to prevent that. I hope you find some new favorite recipes!
Hey there, Kristine! I made this tonight and I got the burn warning. I did make this with chicken broth instead of just straight water. Do I need to add more liquid to avoid the burn notice next time? Or do you think the chicken broth is the culprit? Thanks a million!
It tastes amazing!
Hi Shalysse, I’m sorry you experienced that. I don’t think the chicken broth would be the problem. Adding a little more liquid next time should help. I had to keep increasing the liquid amount when I was testing this recipe because both tomato sauce and rice can be prone to giving a burn warning. I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor!
Flavor was on point, but mine came out pretty sticky. I did rinse it beforehand. Any tips on that?
Mine usually comes out a bit sticky too, I find most rice cooked in the Instant Pot does. The stickiness can depend somewhat on the type of rice used. Shorter grain rice will turn out stickier than longer grain rice.
So, I found this recipe and then lost it and tried other recipes that just weren’t as good. I’m so so happy that I found the recipe again. Seriously, the best one I’ve tried after a year of experimenting. Thanks and I will be sure to save it this time 🙂
I’m so happy to hear how much you enjoyed this! Thank you for trying the recipe!
Have you tried freezing this and reheating in the oven? Im making several batches for a grad party and want to make it ahead of time. Love the recipe!!
Hi Kristi,
I have not tried freezing this rice. I’d cover it when reheating in the oven and add a bit of water if the rice seems dry. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. I’m happy to hear you are enjoying the recipe!
If we use long grain brown rice, we cook for 25 minutes and then let it naturally release as well? Just wondering if the time went from 4 to 25 with the different rice. Thanks!
Yes, that is correct. Brown rice takes much longer to cook than white rice. Enjoy!
This was our first attempt at Spanish rice as we have moved to an area without as many restaurants. This was amazing and my kids said it was as good or better than any Mexican restaurant. Thank you for saving us!
Could I make a day ahead, refrigerate and reheat the next day?
Yes, you can. You may want to add just a little bit of water when reheating if the rice seems dry after being in the fridge.
Would this work with instant rice
Hi Amy,
No, you need to use regular long grain white rice. Instant rice cooks too quickly.
Excellent! I doubled the recipe used some petite diced tomato’s. I cut up spaghetti noodles small & sauted it at the end. Oh my… so good
We love this recipe! So flavorful and easy to make. It really does taste like restaurant rice. So grateful for your recipes. I’ve used many of them.
wow. This turned out really well! Thanks for a great recipe — a keeper for sure!
I recently made this for the first time and the recipe is phenomenal! The rice tasted so good and it’s so easy. Definitely saving this one!
I have a 6 qt instant pot. Can I safely double this recipe and have it turn out just as good?
I have not tried doubling this recipe but I believe that a double recipe should work fine in a 6 quart pot.
Four minutes can not be the correct time for white rice.
Four minutes is the correct time. White rice cooks in the Instant Pot in 4 minutes at high pressure, followed by at least 15 minutes of natural pressure release. See this Instant Pot White Rice recipe for reference. If you are using brown rice, you’ll need to increase the pressure cooking time, as explained in the recipe notes.
This rice was flavorful but I found it absolutely impossible to make as directed without multiple food burn errors on my instant pot.
This came out great! Nice flavor. I used a touch more cumin because I love the smokiness but this is definitely a keeper recipe.
My family loves this rice!
Perfect consistency and very easy to make.
Easy to make in our InstaPot! Ease of preparation and use of staple ingredients resulted in this being a “keeper” recipe for in our household.
The first time, I followed the recipe exactly and it came out great. But, I tried adding refried beans with a little more chicken broth (winner!), another time with taco meat (another winner), and another time I added used the saute function and cooked diced peppers, onions, and carrots for about 5 minutes and then followed the recipe.
I couldn’t pressure cook it, kept getting burn notices before pressure built. I keep adding water and scraping. Good flavor though!
Hi Susie,
You can read more about the Instant Pot Burn message here.
Mexican rice is not the same as Spanish rice. The latter always has saffron and a much more aromatic and stronger flavor.
My husband and son both said it was “ very very good!” Thank you for the delicious recipe! Does the rice button function work the same for this recipe?
I have not tried this recipe with the rice function. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Made this Spanish rice just yesterday as we were invited to a friend’s house for Taco Tuesday. She asked if I had a favorite recipe for Spanish Rice and I said sure, will get right on it. So easy to make and so flavorful without being too spicy. My husband says “it’s a keeper”.
Great recipe. I’m making this for a group of friends from high school to serve with carnitas tacos. And mind you, this group graduated in 1967. There are 16 of us and we have a house rented in Santa Cruz that sleeps 20. This will be a hit!
Loved this one !
The flavors were excellent and it was quick and easy.
Mexican rice is the perfect side with tacos! It’s quick, easy to make but looks and tastes so good.
Good flavor! I have tried different Spanish rice recipes but this is my favorite. It tastes just like what you would get in the restaurant. I used tomatoes instead of tomato sauce with out any issues.
I love Spanish rice, but not my family….until now. Easy to make. Cooked up quick and we all loved it. Thank you so much!
I want to make the recipe, much larger (4 x) for a family get together. Any suggestions on how long to cook it.
Hi Amy,
You have to be careful that you don’t exceed the maximum fill amount on your Instant Pot. This recipe can be doubled in a 6 quart Instant Pot, to cook 4 cups of dry rice. I do not recommend cooking more than that in a 6 quart. If you have an 8 quart pot, you may be able to triple the recipe, but I have not tested that myself. If you scale the recipe up, the cook time will stay the same.
I made this tonight with brown rice. It took 8 min to come to pressure in a 6 qt InstantPot. The rice came out perfect! Didn’t stick to the pot at all. We like our food a bit spicy, so I made the recipe as listed and added 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. It was just right. I might try adding come diced bell pepper and some carrots, just to up the fiber and color even more.
Do you think the same time for doubling it?
Yes, keep the cook time the same for a double recipe.
Perfect! I’m not very good with Instapot but this turned out perfect!
Sadly this recipe didn’t work for me. I’ve never gotten a burn message the over 10 years I’ve had my instant pot, but I kept getting one with this recipe. Perhaps it is because I doubled it even though my cooker is plenty big. I ended up dumping it all into a pot and finishing it on stove top , but because I handled it too much it turned out gummy. Flavor was good though. I may try it again with just a single recipe and see if I have better luck sometime. Seems like most people didn’t have an issue
Hi Carie,
I’m sorry to hear that! I hope you have better luck with a single recipe. You could also try adding just a bit of extra water/broth and see if that helps.
Everyone enjoyed the rice! Will definitely make again!
I have made this twice, following the instructions to the letter and have gotten a burn warning both times. I might try again without storing the tomato sauce in… just letting it sit on top. But let me know what I might be doing wrong.
Hi Roxy,
Thank you for trying my recipe! I’ve found that some Instant Pots seem to be more prone to giving the burn message than others. I think adding the tomato sauce on top without stirring it in is a great idea to try. You could also try increasing the liquid slightly, by 1/4 cup or so.
Loving all your instant pot recipes! This one’s exceptionally easy to use the traditional American Mexican store seasonings as well.