Here's an easy Instant Pot recipe for Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice, also known as Spanish Rice. Soft, fluffy, and bursting with earthy and zesty flavors, it's a great accompaniment to tacos, burritos, and other Mexican-style dishes.
Enjoy it with salsa chicken, creamy black beans, and homemade guacamole for a better-than-takeout Mexican meal!
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Mexican rice, also known as Spanish rice, is a staple dish in Mexican cuisine. It is typically made with long-grain rice, diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, and seasonings like cumin powder, chili powder, and paprika.
This recipe is a restaurant-style Tex-Mex variation of the traditional Mexican Red Rice or Arroz Rojo and includes vegetables such as bell peppers and corn.
In this simple recipe, I saute the ingredients for a couple of minutes to build flavor, then pressure-cook the rice in a mixture of salsa and water seasoned with taco seasoning. That easy!
Make this vegan and gluten-free side dish in your Instant Pot, or on the stove, and enjoy it with your favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex entree. Let's get started!
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
Here's what you need for this Mexican Rice recipe:
- Oil: Any clear oil like olive or avocado oil will work great here.
- Rice: I prefer to use Basmati rice for its fluffy texture, but any long-grain rice variety like Jasmine rice will work.
- Garlic & onion: These flavor-builders add a pungent and savory taste.
- Vegetables: Bell pepper and corn provide a colorful vegetable addition and add a sweet and crisp flavor to this rice. Use any color of pepper. Corn can be fresh or frozen.
- Salsa & water: I use fire-roasted tomato salsa which is a versatile condiment made of roasted tomatoes, chili peppers, and spices. Feel free to substitute that with your favorite jar of salsa. In addition to that, we're using water for pressure cooking.
- Seasoning: Taco seasoning, paprika, and salt add flavor and color to this dish. Use your favorite brand of taco seasoning (I like Trader Joe's), along with sweet paprika.
- Cilantro: The perfect finale to this dish. Cilantro adds flavor and vibrant color. Garnish just before serving.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Mexican Rice (Instant Pot)
It's a breeze to make Mexican red rice in the Instant Pot. It's an easy, consistent, and mostly hands-off recipe. Here are the step-by-step directions:
Saute: Saute garlic, onions, peppers, corn, drained rice, and seasoning for about 2 minutes. (Pic 1-6)
Pressure Cook: Add water and give it a stir. Add salsa and gently spread it over the top. Don't stir all the way. This prevents the 'burn' error. Close the lid and pressure cook for 6 mins. (Pic 7-9)
Release Pressure: After cooking, wait 5 minutes and then release the pressure manually. Open the lid after the pin drops. (Pic 10)
Fluff Rice and garnish: Using a fork, gently fluff the rice. Garnish with cilantro and fresh lime juice and enjoy with your favorite entree. (Pic 11-12)
Alternate Method: Stovetop Mexican Rice
No pressure cooker? No worries. This easy-to-follow recipe can be made on the stove too.
- Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat, and follow all the steps for sautéing.
- Then, add water, seasoning, and salsa. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Once done, open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork, and place the lid back. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro and fresh lime juice and enjoy with your favorite entree.
Serving Suggestions
This is such a versatile side that pairs well with anything with Mexican flavors. We love to serve it with Enchiladas, Tacos, Quesadillas, Burrito, Tostada, and even with a side of creamy black beans.
Popular condiments that go along: Guacamole, Restaurant-style Salsa, Pico De Gayo, and Mango Salsa.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Rinse the rice: Rinse the rice 2-3 times, until the water runs clear to remove the extra starch coating the rice kernels. This prevents the rice from being sticky and they turn out fluffy.
- Adding paprika and salsa: Using these two ingredients gives this dish its iconic reddish-orange color. Salsa adds a spiced tomato flavor to the rice, complementing any dish you pair it with.
- Saute the rice: I always saute the rice with aromatics for a couple of minutes before adding water. Sautéing brings out the nutty flavor of rice and when you toast it with aromatics, it blends all the flavors really well. It also makes the end texture fluffy.
Popular Rice Recipes
These recipes are part of the Instant Pot Rice Recipes Series:
📖 Recipe
Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 4 cloves garlic crushed or grated
- ½ cup onion, chopped ½ medium onion
- ½ cup bell peppers, chopped any color
- ½ cup corn frozen or fresh
- 1 cup basmati rice (or Jasmine) Rinsed well and drained
- 2 tablespoon Taco Seasoning (I user Trader Joe's brand- see notes for substitute))
- ½ cup fire-roasted salsa (or crushed tomato, I use Trader Joe's brand)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 cup water
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1-2 teaspoon Lime juice (about ½ a lime)
Instructions
- Rinse Rice: Using a wide sieve, rinse the rice 2-3 times until water runs clear. Let is soak in fresh water till you chop and prep the other ingredients. After that, drain the rice and keep aside.
Instant Pot Method
- Saute: Turn on Instant Pot on Saute high mode. When it displays 'hot', add garlic, onions, peppers, corn, drained rice and seasoning to the pot. Saute everything for 2 minutes.
- Pressure Cook: Add water to the pot and stir well. Now add salsa on top and spread gently without stirring it all the way. This prevents the 'burn' error. Cancel saute and close the lid. Cook on Pressure cook/Manual for 6 mins (high pressure).
- NPR 5, then QR: After cooking, wait 5 minutes and then release the pressure manually. Open the lid after the pin drops.
- Fluff Rice and garnish: Using a fork, gently fluff the rice. Garnish with cilantro and fresh lime juice and enjoy with your favorite entree.
Stove-Top Instructions
- Heat a sauce pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add oil, garlic, onions, peppers, corn, drained rice and seasoning. Saute for around 2 minutes.
- Then, add water and salsa. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Once done, open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork, and place the lid back. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro and fresh lime juice and enjoy with your favorite entree.
Notes
- Rinse the rice: Rinse the rice 2-3 times, until the water runs clear to remove the extra starch coating the rice kernels. This prevents the rice from being sticky and they turn out fluffy.
- Adding paprika and salsa: Using these two ingredients gives this dish its iconic reddish-orange color. Salsa adds a spiced tomato flavor to the rice, complementing any dish you pair it with.
- Saute the rice: I always saute the rice with aromatics for a couple of minutes before adding water. Sautéing brings out the nutty flavor of rice and when you toast it with aromatics, it blends all the flavors really well. It also makes the end texture fluffy.
- Substitute for Taco Seasoning: 1 tablespoon Mexican chili powder + 1 teaspoon ground cumin + 1 teaspoon ground coriander + 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano.
- This recipe has been tested in a 3qt and 6qt Instant Pot. If making this in an 8Qt size, adjust the water quantity to meet the minimum requirement.
Thomas Henry Uhland says
This is the second time I've attempted to make this recipe and once again I got the burn message. I followed the recipe exactly like it was printed and still I got the message. To save the rice, and continue cooking, I added an additional cup of water and scrape the bottom of the pot well. Restarted the Instant Pot and waited. No burn message. However, rice was very wet when done. Switched to saute mode and let it cook for 15 mins. Once completed, the rice was acceptable. I love the flavors but the actual process of cooking needs updating.
Aneesha says
Thanks for the feedback Thomas. I'll test it a few times again and see if it needs to be updated.
Tom Uhland says
I'm giving this 5 stars because the flavor of the rice was fantastic. However, as with other reviews, my IP displayed the burn notification. I was unable to to complete the cooking process and had to transfer the entire pot to another stove top cooking vessel. I added another 1/4 cup of water and let it simmer for 20 mins. As mentioned, the rice turned out fantastic, but not in the Instant Pot.
Aneesha, something in this recipe needs altering. It all comes together so nicely and taste so good. The burn notice signaled before the IP reached full pressure. Please let me know if you come up with any ideas that would allow this to be made in the IP. I used the 6qt model. Thank you.
Aneesha says
Hi Tom, let me test this recipe again and I'll make some modifications to prevent the burn error. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, and I'm glad you enjoyed the flavors. Thanks again!
Esther says
I got a burn notification before it even got to pressure...
I followed the recipe exactly except I doubled it. Because I’m aware of how tomatoes can cause burn notifications, I mixed everything up together except the salsa, and then added that on top, last.
It was indeed beginning to burn when I got the notification, so I transferred it to a heavy bottom pot and am cooking it on low on the stove... it smells good and I’m sure it will be yummy if I can get it to cook right!
Aneesha says
Hi Esther, sorry you got the burn notice. If you doubled the recipe, 2 cups of water was more than enough plus the juices from tomato. I suspect some brown bits got stuck to the bottom while sautéing and that caused the burn notice. I'll add that clarification step in the recipe to scrape the bottom before closing the lid.
Esther says
I actually was very careful to de-glaze and scrape the bottom of the IP after I added the liquid ingredients. And when I got the burn notification, it really was burning on the bottom even before it had gotten to pressure.
Not sure why I’ve had problems with these Mexican rice recipes ????
Thankfully I was able to finish cooking it on the stovetop (where it also burned... but at least cooked thoroughly) and everyone thought it was amazingly delicious.
Aneesha says
Hi Esther, some pots are just more sensitive to the burn sign. Out of the various models I own, I avoid using Ultra for this recipe for that very reason. I would suggest, next time don't mix the salsa in, add it after mixing water and rice and don't stir all the way to the bottom. Hopefully, that should prevent the burn notice. Thanks!
Kathy Soule says
You can p/c canned beans? Why would you want to?
Aneesha says
Hi kathy, yes you can. When I'm making chili or adding them to rice, I like to cook them with other ingredients just so they take on the flavor.
Tammy says
Is it possible to use brown rice instead of white rice for this recipe???
Aneesha says
Hi Tammy, absolutely. You can see details on timing and proportions for Brown Rice in this recipe: https://spicecravings.com/brown-jasmine-rice-in-instant-pot
Dhanya says
Hi Aneesha,
I am looking forward to trying this! I want to try making this as a one-pot meal, with black beans as well as the vegetables you suggested. I have not cooked black beans in the IP before, and was wondering if I could add half or one cup of rinsed, canned black beans in with everything in your recipe. Will the 6 mins pressure cooking overcook the canned beans? Or should I just stir in the canned beans after the rice is cooked in the IP?
Thanks for your help!
Dhanya
Aneesha says
Hi Dhanya, you can add a whole can of rinsed and drained canned black beans along with rice and pressure cook for 6 mins. I'd love to hear how you like it! Enjoy!
Dhanya says
I finally tried it... It was great! Thank you Aneesha.
Aneesha says
Hi Dhanya, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you 🙂
Laverne Kelln says
Love this recipe, will make again many times for sure!!
Aneesha says
Hi Laverne, thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Happy New Year!
Flory says
My go to now 🙂 thank you!
Aneesha says
Hi Flory, Yay! I am so happy you're enjoying this recipe!