Name: Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; ½ cup diced yellow onion; 2 cups brown rice (I like basmati brown rice); 1 (10-ounce) can mild Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies; 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes; 2 cups low sodium chicken broth; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon cumin; 2 teaspoon Kosher salt

If you happen to be a Mexican food fan, you’re gonna need a quick and easy side dish and this Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice is the one! Loaded with spices and chunky bites of tomato, this healthy, whole grain Mexican Rice is the perfect partner to tacos, enchiladas, refried beans, and more!

Turn this meal into a freezer meal! Find this recipe in our new Freezer Meal cookbook. CLICK HERE

I live firmly by the belief that I only have so much room in my belly and whatever is going to fill up that space better taste off the chart amazing.

It can be exhausting trying to live up to this level of cooking which is reason 543 why the Instant Pot is the greatest appliance of the decade.

Good food, fast, flavorful, and convenient – thank you, genius individual, who invented the electric version of the stovetop pressure cooker. You’ve made dinner time my favorite time of day.

This Mexican Brown Rice is the perfect example of healthy, full-flavored, and hands-off food that can be whipped up with minimal effort in the Instant Pot.

This recipe is also a perfect example of how I like to take a boring staple recipe like Mexican Rice and amp up the flavor and textures so your side dish efforts won’t be in vain.

Anyone else want to cry when they go through the effort to make a side dish and you see 50% of it left on everyone’s plates at the end of dinner? Well, NO MORE!

Side dishes were meant to shine just as bright as their main dish and it’s Mexican Rice’s turn to get a makeover today!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT MEXICAN BROWN RICE

The spice cupboard is going to work to make sure this rice is bursting with the savory, smoky flavors of your favorite Mexican dishes.
Loaded with excessive amounts of juicy tomatoes to make sure every bite of rice isn’t the same as the first.
This version is made with healthy whole grains because brown rice is “da bomb” in the pressure cooker.
You can freeze the extra for your next Mexican inspired meal! More on freezing below.

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN RICE IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

Saute onions for a few minutes (skip this step if you’re in a hurry or don’t want to smell like onions)
Add rice, tomatoes, spices, and broth and cook for 24 minutes
After a natural release, fluff the rice with a fork and serve

SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST MEXICAN RICE

My favorite brown rice is Brown Basmati Rice. For a stickier rice, Short Grain Brown Rice also works really well.
Make sure and use a can of MILD Rotel tomatoes if you don’t want the rice to be spicy. The HOT Rotel tomatoes are surprisingly quite spicy (even for me).
If you’d rather not have chunks of tomatoes, use a can of crushed tomatoes instead.
Sauteing the onion in oil develops a bit more flavor in the rice, but if you’re feeling lazy, simply throw it all in and press start.

HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE QUINOA FRIED RICE

Store: Cool leftovers and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Reheat: Add a splash of water to the rice and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Freeze: Scoop rice into a freezer-safe bag, press flat, and seal shut. When ready to use, let it sit on the countertop for 30 minutes, then break it apart and reheat as directed above.

VARIATIONS OF MEXICAN RICE

Simple Mexican Rice: For more versatile rice, omit the tomatoes and use 2 3/4 cups broth instead of 2 cups.
Vegetarian Mexican Rice: Swap the chicken broth for water or vegetable broth.
Spicy Mexcian Rice: Add an extra can of green chiles or use HOT Rotel tomatoes.
Chicken and Mexican Rice: Add raw, cubed chicken on top of the rice before pressure cooking for a full meal.

What do you think? Do you see yourself enjoying this rice side dish just as much as the Chicken Enchiladas served next to it?

I can speak from experience that the Chicken Enchiladas and Mexican Rice both receive high praise, with the enchiladas just barely coming out on top – because, well, Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas take second place to no one.

Put this recipe in your list of easy go-tos. It’ll become a staple for all of your future fiestas.

Enjoy!

MORE INSTANT POT MEXICAN RECIPES TO SERVE WITH MEXICAN RICE

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT MEXICAN RICE