Easy Instant Pot Mexican Rice

Name: Easy Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 T canola oil; 2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked; 2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce; 2 1/2 cups warm water; 2 tsp chili powder; 4 tsp Calde de Tomate (tomato bouillon); 3 tsp fresh minced garlic

September 25, 2018 by Emily Hill 51 Comments

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Instant Pot Mexican rice is easier than you think! This recipe starts with simple ingredients and ends with moist, flavorful rice impossible to resist!

The more Instant Pot recipes I try, the more I fall in love with my 6-quart Instant Pot. It started with Instant Pot Cafe Rio sweet pork and moved to loaded Instant Pot mashed potatoes followed by easy Instant Pot pork chops with mushroom gravy.

When I first bought my Instant Pot, I was a little intimidated. It had way more buttons than my slow cooker and "pressure cooking" seemed way beyond my skill set.

But I've found my successful Instant Pot recipes outnumber my fails (only one fail to date!) and there are a bazillion Instant Pot guides to help us newbies.

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Fortunately this easy Instant Pot Mexican rice is a great recipe if you're new to cooking with an electric pressure cooker. Althought it does require you to use your Instant Pot in two different ways, don't be overwhelmed!

If I can do it, you can do it!

I first made this easy Mexican rice on the stovetop, but I'm here to tell you, it was even easier in the pressure cooker. And I swear it was even more moist and flavorful!

My kids LOVED this easy Mexican rice in the Instant Pot, which is saying a lot. They're picky about rice and rarely can I get them to agree on a rice side dish.

But everyone had seconds, and a few of us may have had thirds. Don't judge.

This easy recipe for Mexican rice calls for Calde de Tomate (tomato bouillon), which I found at my local grocery store. (You can also find it on Amazon.com) But if you can't find it or order it, you could use chicken or vegetable bouillon. It won't be quite is rich a tomato flavor but it will still be yummy!

I wasn't sure why you would sauté the rice before cooking no matter the cooking method, so I did a little research.

Why Do You Sauté Rice Before Cooking?

When you sauté rice before boiling or cooking, the rice can absorb flavors from whatever oil or fat your sautéing them with. For example, butter will give it more of a toasted, nutty flavor, sesame oil will give it a bit of Asian flavor, and olive oil will give it... well, an olive oil (fruit) flavor.
If you sauté rice with seasonings like spices or garlic, the rice gets infused with those seasonings. All the more reason to add more garlic!
When you sauté rice or other grains, the rice gets a bit toasted on the outside (yum!). This slightly toasted exterior keeps the rice from becoming too mushy and the grains perfectly sticky!

Once you try this easy Instant Pot Mexican rice, you'll never want to cook rice any other way!

Okay, maybe you'll have to cook it on the stovetop if your Instant Pot is busy cooking that Cafe Rio sweet pork!

If you want more Instant Pot recipes, The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals looks like a good one and has great reviews!