Old el paso cheesy mexican rice instant pot

Q: Why is my Mexican rice not fluffy?

The secret to making fluffy Spanish Rice that doesnt get mushy or sticky is to sauté the rice in oil before adding the liquid. Then youll cook it in chicken broth and tomato sauce for even more flavor, adding cumin, chili powder and garlic salt to give it that authentic taste.

The most amazing Instant Pot Mexican Rice side dish made in 15 minutes! It's so easy and effortless, you'll never want to revert back to the old-fashioned way of making it on the stove top!

Table of Contents Show

Ingredients
Video: How How to Make Mexican Rice In An Instant Pot
Tips & Trick For Making and Serving Instant Pot Mexican Rice
What Other Instant Pot Recipes Can I Make?
How long should you cook rice in an instant pot?
Can you cook rice and meat at the same time in instant pot?
Why is my Mexican rice not fluffy?
Why does my Mexican rice get mushy?

Instant. Pot. Love.

If you're a follower of my recipes here at Recipes Worth Repeating, you know how much I love my Instant Pot! Want to know how much? Check out a post I put together featuring 14 Recipes That Will Convince You to Buy An Instant Pot. And what's funny is I almost didn't buy one.

I read a lot of reviews/experiences from people who tried to use their Instant Pot and just didn't like it at all. But, I have a friend who swore by her Instant Pot so I jumped on the bandwagon and bought one. And I'm SO glad I did! Ya'll, this fast and easy Instant Pot Mexican Rice dish is delicious!

Ingredients

I'm talking fresh garlic, chopped onion, crushed tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, long grained white rice, avocado oil and chicken stock. Pretty SIMPLE ingredients!

Video: How How to Make Mexican Rice In An Instant Pot

Now, I'm going to walk you through this process step-by-step because let's be honest...a lot of Instant Pot recipes are too vague and I get confused! Not this one..nope! I've got you covered on this recipe! Here we go!

Step 1

On your Instant Pot, click the Saute button. The display screen should reflect "On".

Step 2

Once your Instant Pot heats up and is hot (about 3 minutes from putting it on Saute mode), you'll pour in the avocado oil.

Step 3

Next, you'll add in your chopped fresh garlic and onion and saute. I saute for about 3 minutes or until my garlic and onion start to slightly brown.

Step 4

From there, you'll add in your uncooked long grain white rice. You'll want to stir the rice around until it's well coated with the oil, garlic and onion.

Step 5

Next, you'll add in the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, chopped cilantro, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt.

Step 6

You'll now want to turn off your Instant Pot by clicking on the Keep Warm/Cancel button. You're now ready to pressure cook your Mexican Rice! Place the lid on your Instant Pot and twist it so it locks in place. Make sure your knob is set to the sealing position. Now, click on the Manual button. Notice your display screen reflects "On".

Step 7

Using the + button, click until your display screen displays 8 minutes. Note that I'm cooking on High Pressure.

Step 8

During the 8 minute cooking time, your Instant Pot is going to start steaming and whistling a bit. This is normal.

Step 9

You'll also notice that your display has started counting down from 8. Once the Instant Pot counts down to 0, it will beep. From there, your Instant Pot will need to count down for 5 minutes. During this step, the Instant Pot is slowly releasing pressure.

Step 10

Once you hit 5 minutes, you're going to twist the pressure knob to release the pressure. Steam will shoot out once you move the valve to venting mode so be careful!

Step 11

After the steam has fully released, you can remove the Instant Pot lid. Take a fork and lightly fluff through your rice. From there, you are ready to serve! Super easy right?!?

Tips & Trick For Making and Serving Instant Pot Mexican Rice

To Rinse Or Not To Rinse? - When making this recipe, I don't always rinse my rice before I start cooking it. You can if you want. Some rice recipes, like my How To Make The Best Instant Pot Rice, I do because I can actually taste the starch. Not so much with this recipe.
Instant Pot Versions - Did you know there are different Instant Pot versions/generations? I’ve been told that cook times differ based on the version of Instant Pot you own. I have the Instant Pot IP-DUO80 7-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker, 8 Qt.
Burn Notice: Some users have reported they get a "burn notice" with this recipe. I have not experienced this personally but it's important to remember that different models of Instant Pots vary with the cooking process. If your Instant Pot is prone to display the burn notice, be sure to thoroughly scrub the drippings off the bottom of the pot after you saute.
Best Oil To Use - I chose to use avocado oil in this Mexican Rice recipe because it's a good quality oil, it's considered a healthy fat and it does REALLY well with high heat!
Toppings - I top my Mexican Rice with fresh chopped cilantro and sun-dried tomatoes!
Fresh - This recipe is best when made fresh!

What Other Instant Pot Recipes Can I Make?

I’m glad you asked…because you have a lot of options! Check out these favorites:

Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken
14 Recipes That Will Convince You To Buy An Instant Pot
How To Make The Best Instant Pot Rice
Instant Pot Wild Rice with Dried Cranberries and Pecans

Full of traditional Mexican flavors, this Instant Pot Mexican Rice dish pairs perfectly with so many main dishes! By using your Instant Pot, you'll create your Mexican Rice in a matter of minutes and you'll never want to revert back to the old-fashioned way of making it on the stove top! Enjoy this one guys...it's fast, easy and DELISH! And if you don't have an Instant Pot yet and want to jump on the bandwagon with the rest of us, you can buy it on Amazon here: Instant Pot. Enjoy!

FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest because I’m CONSTANTLY posting recipes that I know you will love! Oh, and share the love by sharing this recipe to your favorite social media channels! If you’ve tried my recipe for Instant Pot Mexican Rice, rate the recipe and leave me a comment!

▢ 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil
▢ ¼ cup onion, chopped
▢ 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
▢ 2 cups long grain white rice
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ ¾ cups crushed tomatoes, canned
▢ 2 ½ cup chicken stock
▢ ½ teaspoon cumin
▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
▢ ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
▢ 2 Tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

Plug in the Instant Pot and set to Saute mode. When your Instant Pot is hot (about 3 minutes later), add in the avocado oil.
Next, add in the chopped garlic and onion. Saute for about 3 minutes, or until the garlic and onion start to turn brown.
Then, add in your uncooked long grain white rice. Stir the rice around until it's well coated with the oil, garlic and onion.
Add in the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, chopped cilantro, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt.
You'll now want to turn off your Instant Pot by clicking on the Keep Warm/Cancel button.
Place the lid on your Instant Pot and twist it so it locks in place. Make sure your knob is set to the sealing position.
Click on the Manual button. Notice your display screen reflects "On".
Using the + button, click until your display screen displays 8 minutes. Ensure you are cooking on High Pressure.
During the 8 minute cooking time, your Instant Pot is going to start steaming and whistling a bit. This is normal.
You'll also notice that your display has started counting down from 8. Once the Instant Pot counts down to 0, it will beep.
From there, your Instant Pot will need to count down for 5 minutes. During this step, the Instant Pot is slowly releasing pressure.
Once you hit 5 minutes, you're going to twist the pressure knob to release the pressure. Steam will shoot out once you move the valve to venting mode so be careful!
After the steam has fully released, you can remove the Instant Pot lid. Take a fork and lightly fluff through your rice.
Top with fresh chopped cilantro and sun-dried tomatoes!

To Rinse Or Not To Rinse? - When making this recipe, I don't always rinse my rice before I start cooking it. You can if you want. Some rice recipes, like my How To Make The Best Instant Pot Rice, I do because I can actually taste the starch. Not so much with this recipe.
Instant Pot Versions - Did you know there are different Instant Pot versions/generations? I’ve been told that cook times differ based on the version of Instant Pot you own. I have the Instant Pot IP-DUO80 7-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker, 8 Qt.
Burn Notice: Some users have reported they get a "burn notice" with this recipe. I have not experienced this personally but it's important to remember that different models of Instant Pots vary with the cooking process. If your Instant Pot is prone to display the burn notice, be sure to thoroughly scrub the drippings off the bottom of the pot after you saute.
Best Oil To Use - I chose to use avocado oil in this Mexican Rice recipe because it's a good quality oil, it's considered a healthy fat and it does REALLY well with high heat!
Toppings - I top my Mexican Rice with fresh chopped cilantro and sun-dried tomatoes!
Fresh - This recipe is best when made fresh!

Update Notes: This post was originally published in August of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions and tips in April of 2018.

NOTE: You will find affiliate links on this page.

How long should you cook rice in an instant pot?

The Instant Pot Rice is done in 15 minutes, ~30 minutes faster than our rice cooker. If you're going to use an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker, you'll love how you don't need to wait for the water to boil, tend the pot, or stir the rice like you would cooking it in a regular pot.

Can you cook rice and meat at the same time in instant pot?

All you do is set a trivet right over the beef, then fill one Insert Pan with rice and water, set it on top of the trivet and cook both the beef and rice together.

Why is my Mexican rice not fluffy?

The secret to making fluffy Spanish Rice that doesn't get mushy or sticky is to sauté the rice in oil before adding the liquid. Then you'll cook it in chicken broth and tomato sauce for even more flavor, adding cumin, chili powder and garlic salt to give it that authentic taste.

Why does my Mexican rice get mushy?

Mushy or soggy rice is simply overcooked rice that has absorbed too much water. Water over-absorption causes the rice grains to split open, ruining the texture and creating a starchy, gummy result.

el paso cheesy mexican rice instant pot