Plain white rice is getting a veggie boost of nutrition and going green in this Instant Pot Green Veggie Rice! This is the perfect way to add veggies, color, and flavor to an otherwise boring side dish.
After testing this recipe on my loved ones, I received 3 variations of opinions:
- Boo-YA! My rice is basically a salad! (Me)
- Ummm… Why is there grass clippings in the rice (My hilarious husband)
- Whyyyyyyyyyy do you allllllllllways have to ruin white rice! (Take a wild guess who said that)
So here is my response to each
- Woohoo! Fist Bump!
- Eye Roll
- It's not spinach rice, it's Hulk rice and your muscles will be bigger than dad's if you eat it!
In the end, whether you fall into category 1, 2, or 3 you will eventually all agree that this Green Veggie Rice is the BOMB and you'll be throwing this green mix into your Mac and Cheese, Brown Rice, Polenta, and Mashed Potatoes.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT GREEN RICE
- FAST: White rice cooks up quick and the greens come together in less than 5 minutes.
- VEGGIE BOOSTED CARBS: We love our carbs, right? So why not veggie boost them and feel good about eating a double serving!
- GOOD FOR YOU: Generally speaking, if something is green, it's probably good for you, right? Note: This does not apply to the gas station candy aisle (lookin' at you kids).
- FLAVOR-TOWN: Rice can be a tad boring. Not this one! A little spinach, cilantro, lime, jalapeno, onion action, and this rice becomes vibrant with flavor.
HOW TO TRANSFORM BORING WHITE RICE
For this green veggie rice, I add big handfuls of spinach and cilantro into a food processor. Then I add a jalapeño, some green onions, lime, and salt and pulse until it all comes together.
Then I fold the mixture into my Perfectly Cooked White Rice and VOILA! Flavorful, colorful, NOT BORING, white rice. Rice has never been so tasty.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- USE FRESH INGREDIENTS: For the best flavor use fresh cilantro, lime juice, and spinach. Dried spices, bottled lime juice, and frozen spinach don't work well for this recipe.
- FLUFF THEN STIR: When the rice is done, make sure to fluff the rice with a fork before stirring in the green mixture. Stirring it in before fluffing will mash the rice and make it hard to get the green mixture incorporated evenly.
- ADD GREEN MIXTURE ASAP: The greens will mix in a lot easier right after you take the pressure cooker lid off of the cooked rice. Rice thickens a bit as it sits and that will make it harder to mix.
- BLEND GREEN MIXTURE WELL: Blend the mixture well before stirring it into the rice. It doesn't need to be a smooth puree necessarily, but you want to make sure there aren't any large chunks.
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE
- Store: Cool leftovers and store in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the refridgerator.
- Reheat: Add a splash of water and gently reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Freeze: Scoop leftovers into a freezer-safe ziptop container and freeze flat (this will make it quicker to thaw). When ready to eat, place it in the fridge overnight or on the countertop for an hour, then reheat as directed above.
MAKE AHEAD TIPS
Greens can be pureed and stored in the fridge up to 2 days in advance.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH GREEN RICE
This rice can be served with any vegetable or protein, but my two favorite recipes to serve with green rice are:
VARIATIONS
- Spicy Green Rice: Leave the seeds of the jalapeno in the mix for a spicy kick.
- Swap the Greens: Don't like cilantro? Swap it for parsley or add extra spinach.
- Green Brown Rice: This same green mixture stirs into brown rice as well (or really any grain like quinoa, farro, etc)
This rice has been on repeat in my home for years. It will add a splash of color, nutrition, and flavor to any meal. I hope you love it too!
Enjoy!
MORE INSTANT POT RICE RECIPES
- Instant Pot White Rice
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
- Instant Pot Mediterranean Rice
- Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice
Tools/Ingredients used to make Instant Pot Green Veggie Rice
PrintInstant Pot Green Veggie Rice
Take your plain ol' white rice up a few notches with some nutritious green veggies. More flavor, more color, more YUM!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Rice
- 1 cup long grain white rice (I like basmati)
- 1 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon butter
For the Greens
- 6 ounces fresh spinach leaves
- 2 green onions coarsely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed (or leave them in for spicy rice)
- small handful of cilantro
- juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Add rice, chicken broth, salt, and butter to the pressure cooker pot and stir. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, place spinach leaves, green onions, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until mixture is finely minced, almost like a paste. Could also use a blender, but you may need to scrape it down a few times.
- When cooking is complete, use a natural release for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.
- Fluff the rice with a fork. Add green mixture and gently stir to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Freeze any extra rice in resealable freezer bags. I love having it on hand for quick rice bowl dinners and fried rice.
- Double ingredients if needed. I've never tried tripling it.
Keywords: Vegetable side dish, easy rice, pressure cooker
Inspired by The Rachael Ray Show

Color is about all it offers. Definitely lacks taste.
★★★
Melissa, Oh no! I love this rice for the fact that it’s not bland. Next time add extra cilantro and lime juice if needed!
SO yummy! Thanks so much for sharing this!
★★★★★
Linda, I just love it!
I absolutely love this rice , this will be my 3rd time making it , the only thing i added was 1 avocado to make it extra creamy and nutritious.
★★★★★
Tiffany, that’s a great idea! I’m going to try that next time, thank you!
Made this for dinner tonight – and it tasted great, and the pickiest eater even got seconds! Also had the Kung Pao meatballs with the rice, great match up!
★★★★★
Kim, It’s the best thing in the world to see a picky eater accept something new!
Sounds yummy. Love the perfect white rice. Will definitely make this. ????????
Judy, This definitely kicks it up 20 notches 🙂
This looks great! I have some leftover cilantro-lime shrimp from Costco, and I was trying to figure out what to do with it for dinner. Boom, here’s the answer!! I’m going to make this rice, and throw the shrimp in when I stir it all up. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes!
Susan, That’s a match made in heaven right there!
Love the Mexican Crack chicken! A definite hit with the teenagers. Can’t wait to try the green rice! Thank you!
★★★★★
Mary Beth, Yay! I’m so glad you liked it! It would be so good with this rice!