Instant Pot Spanish Rice
If you need a quick and easy side dish that is ready in less than 30 minutes, try these Instant Pot Spanish Rice. It’s a vegan and gluten-free recipe that is full of flavor and perfect to go with almost any main dish.
Spanish Rice is not Spanish at all. It is also called Mexican rice, and it’s probably an Americanized version of a traditional dish. My husband remembers his mom making it back in the 1950s. In fact, this recipe is inspired by her!
For this version, I’ve used tomato sauce, green chiles, and cilantro to garnish. You can also add onions and chili powder if you like (see the full recipe card at the end of this post for all the specific measurements and variations).
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.
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.
Recipe Steps
There are just a few quick steps to making Instant Pot Spanish Rice. One reason this recipe should become part of your weekly meal plan is because of how simple and easy it is to throw together.
Step One
Rinse two cups of white rice and put it in the bowl of a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot. If you want to use brown rice, please see the recipe card below that discusses how you need to alter the cook time for brown rice.
Step Two
Place the rinsed rice in the bowl of your Instant Pot, along with the vegetable broth, tomato paste, and green chiles.
Step Three
Lock on the lid and set the time to 6 minutes for white rice (brown rice will need 22 minutes). When the cooking time is complete, let the pressure come down naturally for about 10 minutes, and then carefully release any remaining pressure.
Remove the lid and use a fork to fluff the rice.
Step Four
Sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top, and serve your vegan Instant Pot Spanish Rice hot.
FAQs
Yes, you can! But, you need to increase the cooking time to 22 minutes. Brown rice takes longer than white rice to cook.
Yes, just cut the recipe in half.
This recipe will last up to 5 days in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator.
Yes! I left it out to make the recipe super simple. Just add 1/2 of a chopped onion to cook with the rice.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes You Might Like
- Instant Pot Cooked Cabbage
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Florets
- Instant Pot Carrots
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash
- Instant Pot Artichokes
- Instant Pot Sweet Potato Mash
I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.
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PrintInstant Pot Spanish Rice
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
If you need a quick and easy side dish that is ready in less than 30 minutes, try these Instant Pot Spanish Rice. It’s a vegan and gluten-free recipe that is full of flavor and perfect to go with almost any main dish.
Ingredients
- 2 cups white rice, rinsed well in a fine-mesh colander
- 1 3/4 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 4-ounce can green chiles, with the liquid
- Chopped fresh cilantro (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- In the base of a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot, pour in the rinsed rice and vegetable broth.
- Add the tomato paste and green chiles and stir gently to combine.
- Lock on the lid and set the time to 6 minutes.
- When the cooking time is complete, let the pressure come down naturally for about 10 minutes.
- Then, use the quick release to get rid of any remaining pressure. Carefully remove the lid and use a fork to fluff the rice.
- Sprinkle the rice with the chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Notes
- If you want to use brown rice for this recipe, increase the cooking time to 22 minutes.
- If you want to add a chopped onion to this recipe, just add it with the rice and the other ingredients.
- If you want this recipe to be spicy, add 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder to the rice before you cook it.
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Instant Pot pressure cooker
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: instant pot mexican rice, pressure cooker spanish rice, vegan instant pot recipes
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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!
★★★★★
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.
★★★★★
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!!
★★★★★
I will try this. I have made your other instant pot recipe, the one with the black olives & we love it.
This was the best Spanish Rice recipe I have ever made!
I did not use the cilantro (not my favorite ingredient) and I did not rinse the rice, because I did not have a fine mesh colander on hand.
But you know what? It turned out fantastic!
It is easy and everyone raved about it!
And, it tasted even better the next day!
Thank you Carrie for this excellent recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Mike, thanks for the review! I’m glad the rice turned out okay even without rinsing.