This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
This savory, aromatic Instant Pot Spanish Rice recipe is made with light, fluffy basmati rice, plenty of onions and garlic and deep tomato flavors. It is the perfect accompaniment for Mexican-inspired dishes such as tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Will Be Your New Favorite Rice Recipe
- Forget the name, Spanish Rice is my go-to method for cooking rice to go with Mexican and Latin-inspired dishes — it is also known as Mexican Rice! With a rich tomato, onion and garlic flavor it is bold enough to be enjoyed by itself, but also is perfect for soaking up all the juices of saucier dishes.
- But, while it has a good flavor I’ve not added any dried herbs or spices like cumin or paprika, which means it holds up well to being served with strongly flavored main courses.
- Because we’re cooking this Spanish rice is cooked in the Instant Pot instead of the stovetop you get perfectly fluffy, evenly cooked rice every single time! We’re also toasting the rice in the Instant Pot before adding any liquid, helping give it a super-savory flavor which stops it tasting plain or bland.
- Keep an eye on the ingredients in your chicken broth, but this recipe should be naturally gluten-free!
What I Learnt Testing This Recipe
- I’ve written this rice recipe plain to make it as versatile as possible, but I think chopped cilantro makes a delicious garnish that really compliment the flavors of the rice. Chopped parsley would be good too if you’re not serving the rice with Mexican food.
- Don’t skip rinsing the rice. I know it is an extra step, but the excess starch that coats rice grains out of the bag will make your rice gluey and sticky instead of light and fluffy!
- Don’t stir the rice once you’ve added the tomato sauce. Keeping it on top of the rice means it can cause a burn notice. You only make that mistake once, it takes ages to clean up!
- Quick release at the end of cooking. The one time I tried natural release the rice massively overcooked!
Ingredients
Vegetable oil – Or any other neutral flavored oil.
Garlic – Fresh is best for this recipe, but pre-minced will also work.
White onion – Or brown onion, this is the flavor base for your Spanish rice!
Tomato paste – This will add a deeper tomato flavor to the rice.
Uncooked long-grain white basmati rice – Please don’t substitute a different rice, as different varieties have different cooking times and absorb different amounts of liquid. I’ve carefully tested this recipe for white basmati in the Instant Pot.
Chicken broth – Better for flavor, but vegetable broth will make this Spanish rice vegan!
Tomato sauce – If you live outside the US in a country where canned tomato sauce is hard to get hold of, sub unseasoned passata.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
I like to serve this Spanish rice with saucy Mediterranean, but more often Latin or Mexican-inspired dishes like my Italian Fish Stew and my Cheesy Salsa Chicken. Tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas are also obvious pairings.
As for leftovers, as with any rice recipe cool it down as quickly as possible before refrigerating for up to 3 days. Make sure you heat the rice through completely in the microwave before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! They’re both different names for the same dish of tomato-seasoned rice cooked with onion, garlic and broth.
I’d recommend sticking to the sauce here, as I’ve worked out the right amount of liquid and moisture to cook with the rice to get it perfectly done.
I’ve not tried it myself but I can’t see why you can’t soften small dice bell pepper with the onions and proceed with the recipe. Let me know how it turns out if you go down this route!
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Instant Pot Spanish Rice
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ white onion diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups uncooked long-grain white basmati rice rinsed
- 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- ½ cup tomato sauce
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode, low heat. Add oil and warm over low heat until it is hot and shimmering.
- Add onion and cook until it is softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the uncooked rice to the Instant Pot. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is coated in tomato paste and lightly browned. Add tomato paste and stir until it has coated the rice.
- Add chicken broth and salt to the Instant Pot. Stir well to combine ingredients, then pour in tomato sauce and do not stir.
- Secure lid on Instant Pot with vent in Sealing position. Set Instant Pot to Manual High Pressure for 7 minutes. Instant Pot will come to pressure, then 7-minute cook time will begin.
- Once cook time is up, carefully Quick Release the pressure inside Instant Pot, but do not remove lid. Leave to sit, covered, for 1 to 2 minutes, then carefully remove lid and set aside.
- Run spatula gently around side of Instant Pot to loosen rice. Fluff rice with a fork.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @40aprons on Instagram and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!
Never Miss A Meal!
New Recipes Straight To Your Inbox
A curated selection of our most recent recipes, delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
Thank you!
You have successfully joined our subscriber list.