Instant Pot Spanish Rice (Mexican Rice)

Name: Instant Pot Spanish Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups white rice (rinsed); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 jalapeno (diced); ½ medium onion (chopped); 1 clove garlic (minced); 2 cups chicken stock/broth; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ½ cup canned tomato sauce

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Simple, flavorful, and fragrant, this is one of our favorite side dishes! This Instant Pot Spanish Rice comes together so easily in one pot with pantry staples.

If you're looking to recreate that restaurant style Spanish rice, this is the recipe for you! It takes less than 20 minutes to cook, the rice comes out perfectly fluffy, and the flavor is amazing!

A bowl of Spanish rice with a spoon inserted.

If you’re looking for a new side dish to make then you’re in luck. This Instant Pot Spanish Rice is such a fun and delicious way to change things up, and goes perfect with dishes like these Instant Pot chicken fajitas, pulled pork enchiladas, sous vide carnitas, Instant Pot carne asada or tamale pie!

It’s flavorful enough to stand on its own but isn’t too strong that it overshadows your main dish, kinda like this Instant Pot cilantro lime rice.

While you can make this on the stovetop, this Spanish rice comes together perfectly in the Instant Pot. Each and every grain is cooked to perfection and you get to free up a burner on the stovetop for another dish (like for this instant pot red beans and rice or Instant Pot black beans and rice).

Thanks to the size of our Instant Pot, this Spanish rice can be easily doubled or tripled to feed a crowd or to make enough for leftovers. Make it tonight to go with your dinner!

Check out the Instant Pot Spanish rice story!

What is Spanish Rice?

Spanish Rice, also known as Mexican rice or arroz rojo/red rice is a Mexican tomato-based rice dish. It’s a savory, sometimes spicy, rice that’s popular in the US and doesn’t actually have roots in Spain despite its name!

It’s thought that its name is due to the Spanish introducing rice to Mexico in the 1500s.

Overhead view of a bowl of Instant Pot Spanish rice.

Why This Recipe Works

It’s easy to make rice in the Instant Pot. Rice comes out soft and fluffy every time without having to keep an eye on it on the stovetop.
You can make this Spanish rice with pantry staples, making it a super budget friendly but flavorful dish!
It’s a versatile dish as it can be served with a variety of meals like slow cooker carnitas or pork belly tacos.

The Ingredients

For this pressure cooker Spanish rice, you only need a handful of simple ingredients to make it flavorful.

Overhead image of ingredients needed to Instant Pot Spanish Rice.

White rice — It’s important to rinse your rice to start. This helps wash off any excessive starches so your rice can be nice and fluffy.

Aromatics — On top of the traditional onions and garlic, we add in jalapeno to make the rice aromatic.

Chicken stock/broth — While you can cook your rice in water, using chicken stock adds another layer of flavor to your Mexican rice. For the best flavor, I always recommend using homemade chicken broth.

Seasoning — I season the rice with cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. You can always play around with the amounts I use after your first cook as everyone has a different pallet. I highly recommend using freshly toasted and ground cumin seeds for amazing flavor!

Canned tomato sauce — I use canned tomato sauce as the Spanish rice’s tomato-base.

The full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step By Step Instructions

Sautéing onion, garlic and jalapeno in a pressure cooker liner.

Using the sauté function on the Instant Pot, heat the olive oil.

Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno and sauté until soft, about 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the broth and use a spoon to scrape off any caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot.

Rice and seasoning added to a Instant Pot liner.

Add the rice and the seasonings. Stir to combine.

Pour the tomato sauce over the top and place the lid on. Don't stir the tomato sauce in - tomatoes tend to give the Instant Pot a burn notice.

Turn on the pressure cook function on the Instant Pot and cook for 3 minutes.

Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then use the quick release to release any remaining pressure.

Fluff with a fork and serve garnished with fresh cilantro (optional).

A close up of a spoonful of Spanish rice.

Expert Tips

Substitute brown rice for white. Increase cooking time to 22 minutes if using brown rice.
For extra spice, add an additional jalapeno or ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
When handling jalapenos, be sure to wash your hands afterwards as you don’t want to accidentally rub your eyes or nose with jalapeno residue on your hands.
For the best flavor, use fresh cumin seeds, toast them until fragrant in a skillet, then grind them.
Using a good quality olive oil for sautéing will always provide better results.
Substitute any kind of paprika for the smoked paprika if desired. Sweet paprika gives your rice a sweeter note to it compared to the smoky flavor from smoked paprika. Other types of paprika you could try include Hungarian paprika or Spanish paprika.
Don’t stir in the tomato sauce – tomatoes tend to cause the Instant Pot to give a burn notice.
Adjust salt to taste at the end if necessary.
To rinse the rice, run the rice in a fine mesh sieve under cold water or in a large bowl, swirl the rice, submerged in cold water, around with your hands, drain, and repeat until the water runs clear.

Close up of rice cooked in the pressure cooker.

Common Questions

What does it mean to release pressure naturally?

To release pressure naturally, you just don't do anything to it! Quick releasing is when you turn the knob on the lid to quickly release the built up steam and doing is naturally is to let the steam decrease on it's own without turning the knob.

What type of white rice do I use?

I suggest using long grain white rice. The rice comes out fluffier and less sticky than a short grain white rice.

How can I make this into a whole meal?

You can easily turn this Spanish rice from a side dish to a whole meal. You can stir in frozen vegetables, shredded chicken, shrimp, etc. Simply stir in a cooked protein of your choice.

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can definitely make this pressure cooker Spanish rice ahead of time! Once your rice has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat the rice in the microwave when ready to eat. Make sure to keep it covered and add a splash of water or broth so the rice doesn’t dry out when reheating.

Alternatively, you can also freeze cooked Spanish rice. When ready to eat, microwave covered from frozen.

What can I serve Instant Pot Mexican rice with?

This red rice goes with everything but here are a few of my favorites that pairs well: Grilled Salmon Tacos, Grilled Fruit Kebabs, Crispy Pork Belly Tacos, or my Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe.

More Instant Pot Recipes To Try

Did you make this Instant Pot Spanish Rice? Rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let me know how they turned out!