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If you need a quick and easy side dish for weeknight meals or potlucks, look no further than this healthy and delicious Instant Pot Spanish Rice!
Spanish Rice or American Rice?
Spanish Rice is not Spanish at all. I think of it as one of those dishes that came about in the 1950s when busy women wanted to gussy up plain rice to make it seem fancy. At least, that’s how I imagine that it came about based on stories I’ve heard. My husband said his mom used to use ketchup to make it.
For this version, I’ve used tomato paste, chili powder, and sliced olives to give it some flavor and kick. It’s one of those dishes you can serve with just about anything, including beans, baked chicken, steak, or hamburgers.
This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Recipe Ingredients
To make this easy Instant Pot dish, you just need:
- 6-quart Instant Pot
- organic white rice (long-grain, basmati, or jasmine is great)
- reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (I used veggie broth in this one)
- red onion
- chili powder
- tomato paste
- sliced black olives
I have a very similar recipe for Instant Pot Spanish Rice in my new cookbook, the Healthy Meal Prep Instant Pot Cookbook. In that version, I doubled the recipe and also used red bell pepper.
I think you’re going to love how easy and tasty this healthy side dish is. It’s not too spicy, but it has great flavor. Don’t miss my Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes round-up.
FAQs
Can I use brown rice for this recipe?
Yes, you can! But, you need to increase the cooking time to 22 minutes. Brown rice takes longer than white rice to cook.
What if I don’t like olives?
Just leave them out.
How long does this store in the fridge?
Cooked rice will last up to 5 days in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator.
Be sure to check out my other easy Instant Pot side dishes, including:
- Instant Pot Whole Red Potatoes
- Instant Pot Cooked Cabbage
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Florets
- Instant Pot Carrots
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash
- Instant Pot Artichokes
- Instant Pot Sweet Potato Mash
Here’s the recipe for this easy rice dish:
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Instant Pot Spanish Rice
Prep Time: 15 minutes- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 41 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Instant Pot pressure cooker
- Cuisine: Vegan, vegetarian, healthy, gluten free
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Pin RecipeDescription
If you need a quick and easy side dish for weeknight meals or potlucks, look no further than this healthy and delicious Instant Pot Spanish Rice!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 small red onion, chopped, about 3/4 cup
- 1 1/4 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder*
- 1 cup white rice, rinsed
- ¼ cup pitted black olives
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Turn on the Sauté function on your 6-quart Instant Pot. Add the avocado or olive oil and let it heat up for about 2 minutes.
- Add the chopped onion and let it sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cancel the Sauté function and add the broth, tomato paste, chili powder, and rice, and stir to combine.
- Lock on the lid and set the time to 6 minutes on high pressure.
- When the cooking time is up, let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the olives and salt.
- Serve hot or store in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
If you don’t like spice, just leave out the chili powder.
And, save this pin to Pinterest to share with your friends!
READ NEXT: VEGAN INSTANT POT RECIPES
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Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition says
I love how easy this dish is, and it’s husband-approved!
★★★★★
Kylie | Midwest Foodie says
Spanish rice is my FAVORITE but I’m so guilty of buying those boxed mixes loaded with preservatives and artificial ingredients. I love all the real ingredients in this recipe and can’t wait to try it!
★★★★★
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy says
I love rice. This would be a great side to our Mexican themed dinner nights. Always a must alongside tacos and burritos.
★★★★★
Sharon says
I always make sure to have a side of rice when making Mexican dishes. This Spanish Rice looks so easy to make and the perfect side dish.
★★★★★
Anna says
Easy and delicious recipes like this one are my favourite! This would be a perfect side dish but I would also happily eat it as a main, perhaps top it with fried egg!
★★★★★
Denise says
This looks incredible! I always loved Spanish rice, and have bought the packaged kind in the past. I will have to try this, I bet it would be good with cauliflower rice too.
★★★★★
Vanessa says
I love how this spices up regular old rice! I’ll have to try this asap.
★★★★★
Marisa F. Stewart says
Yummy!! What a delicious side to serve when we have our Mexican inspired meals. This would be great with tacos or our super spicy Mexican chicken. I’m also sharing this with our daughter since she also has an Instant Pot.
★★★★★
Kathryn says
Great easy side dish. I’m a big Instant Pot fan for things like this!!
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says
I love a good spanish rice recipe and I love even more that this one can be made in an instant pot. I’ll have to save this for our next taco or burrito night!
Amanda says
I love making rice in the Instant Pot, and this is such a great recipe! The recipe is perfectly tender, and I love the zip of flavor from the chili powder. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Jo says
I love my instant pot and I have been trying many variations of rice recipes in instant pot. I’ve tried Mexican rice, this Spanish rice is next on my list. How delicious does the rice look.
★★★★★
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
I wish I saw this earlier!! I had half a jar of black olives that I had no idea what to do with so they went bad 🙁 Although I STILL don’t have an instant pot. Definitely buying one when I move to my next place!!
★★★★★