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April 13, 2020 6 Comments

Instant Pot Spanish Rice

White dish of spanish rice that was cooked in the instant potAuthentic, delicious Spanish Rice made easily in the Instant Pot. We love Mexican inspired dinners at our house and this Spanish Rice is a constant staple we all love! If you haven’t tried making Instant Pot Spanish Rice give this recipe a try. You will love how easy it is!

We eat so much Spanish Rice at our house. With two giant boys and three other hungry kids I’m always trying to add some kind of cheap-filler to our meals. That way, the big boys can fill one of their hollow legs with the inexpensive part of the meal. This Spanish Rice is so simple and super cost effective to make. It has very simple ingredients that can actually be adapted if necessary.

For example: The recipe calls for chopped yellow onion but in a pinch dehydrated onion or even onion powder will work great as a substitute. Also, the recipe calls for tomato sauce, but in a pinch I have used salsa and it has worked great. You can also use crushed tomatoes. Leaving out onion or tomato sauce all together would not yield such an authentic Spanish Rice. Basically, you are going for flavor and texture but…you can get there a few different ways.

I also have posts for how to make Spanish Rice on the stove-top or in the oven. It’s quickest to use the stove-top or Instant Pot, but when I am making a big meal and have most of my stove-top filled or I just want to be able to put something in the oven and forget about it, the oven option is awesome and turns out great. I use that method a lot!

Instant Pot Spanish Rice in a white bowl with a light hand towel behind itWe really do love Mexican food, I might even dare say it’s our family’s favorite cuisine. When we have people over for dinner we almost always serve some kind of Mexican-themed meal. Here are some of our favorite recipes:

Our Favorite Mexican Dinner Recipes:
  • Best Ever Chicken Chimichangas
  • Tex-Mex Shredded Pork
  • Creamy Cilantro Verde Enchiladas
  • Chicken and Black Bean Chilaquiles
  • Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Spanish Rice goes perfectly with any of those recipes. It is so simple to make I have some step-by-step pictures below to show you how to make it.

HOw To Make Spanish rice In the Instant Pot

Step By Step Pictures for how to make Spanish rice in the instant pot

Throw everything in, set it for 4 minutes on high pressure, let it sit for 10 minutes before you release the pressure and then you are good to go.

Two things to note:

  1. In the picture you can see butter…that can be subbed for oil.
  2. If you prefer you can turn the Instant Pot to saute and add the rice, onion and butter first. You saute it for a couple minutes and then add the chicken broth and tomato sauce. It gives it a little bit more authentic flavor, but for me, it doesn’t make a big enough difference for me to take the time, unless I’m just really in the mood to saute something.

Frequently asked questions:

HOw many People can this Recipe feed?

This recipe will feed between 6 and 8 people.

Can I Make it ahead of time?

I don’t suggest making this one ahead of time…technically you can, but the oven-baked version works better for making ahead of time.

Can I leave out the onions?

I mentioned above that this recipe is really forgiving. I would suggest using onion powder in place of the actual onion, unless there is an allergy or something. The onion flavor really does make a difference.

Serve with

Restaurant Style SalsaHow to Make Homemade Re-fried Beansperfect-taco-meatPerfect Taco Meat

5.0 from 3 reviews
Instant Pot Spanish Rice
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
25 mins
 
Authentic and delicious Spanish Style you can easily make in the Instant Pot to be a quick and tasty side dish to your Mexican inspired favorites.
Author: Maria
Recipe type: Spanish Rice
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups long grain rice
  • 3 cups chicken broth (I use water and chicken bullion)
  • ½ cup tomato sauce *see notes above in post for substitutions
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed (optional...sometimes I just add onion and it's still delicious)
  • ⅓ cup butter or canola oil or vegetable oil.
Instructions
  1. Place rice, butter, onion, garlic, tomato sauce and chicken broth in the instant pot. Stir well.
  2. Put the lid on, seal it and set it for 4 minutes at high pressure.
  3. When the Instant Pot is done cooking, let it sit for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure.
  4. Fluff the rice and serve.
3.4.3177

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Collage of spanish rice

Family Favorite Recipes, Gluten Free, Instant Pot, Mexican, Recipes, Rice, Side Dishes, Slow Cooker/Instant Pot
How to cook rice, How to cook rice in the instant pot, instant pot, Instant Pot spanish rice, Mexican Side Dish, Rice, side dish, Spanish Rice
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6 Comments

  1. SC

    December 22, 2020 at 5:41 pm

    Can I triple this recipe and cook it for the same amount of time?

    to SC" aria-label='reply to this comment to SC'>reply to this comment
    • Maria

      February 13, 2021 at 1:04 pm

      Hi, I’m sorry I didn’t see your comment earlier. Depending on how large your instant pot is. You never want to exceed the fill line and I prefer to error on the side of caution and try to say an inch away from the fill line. So if you can fit that much in your instant pot. Yes, otherwise stick to single or double batch.

      to Maria" aria-label='reply to this comment to Maria'>reply to this comment
  2. Kathleen

    April 1, 2021 at 1:49 pm

    This was perfect!! I used Better than Bullion in place of the chicken stock, and half butter/oil.

    to Kathleen" aria-label='reply to this comment to Kathleen'>reply to this comment
    • Maria

      April 5, 2021 at 12:29 pm

      Awesome! So glad you liked it!

      to Maria" aria-label='reply to this comment to Maria'>reply to this comment
  3. Tiffany Howe

    August 31, 2021 at 3:16 pm

    My kids LOVE this rice! It is a huge crowd pleaser and I love that it has basic ingredients that I always have on hand. Making it in the instant pot is my favorite because it is so easy.

    to Tiffany Howe" aria-label='reply to this comment to Tiffany Howe'>reply to this comment
    • Maria

      October 26, 2021 at 8:56 am

      Thanks to you I posted a version of how to make this in the instant pot! 🙂

      to Maria" aria-label='reply to this comment to Maria'>reply to this comment

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Hi, I'm Maria. A mom of five and a total foodie. My superpower is taking ordinary recipes and making them DELICIOUS. Your family will LOVE these meals! Come cook with me, I promise it will be amazing! Get started here or search my archives below.


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