It is so easy to make this Instant Pot Mexican Red Rice! This is the perfect side dish to any Mexican inspired meal!
I've been making this recipe for Instant Pot Mexican Red Rice at least once a week for the past few months. I love how easy it is to make rice in the Instant Pot!
If you've never made rice in the instant pot before, I highly recommend giving it a try! You are going to love how easy it is to make a batch of rice using the Instant Pot.
Cooking rice on the stove top can be a little tricky. Sometimes the rice doesn't want to cook. Sometimes the rice gets too mushy. With the Instant Pot, your rice will turn out perfect every time!
My favorite kind of rice is Mexican red rice. I really like the flavor of the tomato sauce with the rice.
When I make Mexican Red Rice on the stovetop, I like to use fresh tomatoes that I've blended. I've tried using the same method with the Instant Pot, but I've had issues getting the burn warning.
Instead of using fresh tomatoes, canned tomato sauce is the way to go. I always like to keep a few cans of tomato sauce in the pantry because they can be used in so many different recipes. I've never gotten the burn warning with the tomato sauce. Just be sure to use the amount that the recipe calls for.
You might be wondering why you need to toast the rice in oil before adding any liquids.
why do i need to toast the rice?
- Toasting the rice infuses the rice with the flavor of the onion and garlic. This creates a flavorful rice!
- When you saute the rice in oil, the rice gets a little toasty which adds a nice depth of flavor to the rice.
- By toasting the rice first, it prevents the rice from getting mushy. The oil helps to keep the rice granules separate from each other.
For extra flavor, I love adding some Better Than Bouillon. The vegetable bouillon adds so much flavor to the rice. Don't worry if you don't have any at the moment, you can skip it this time. The rice will still be delicious! I just love the extra flavor of the bouillon.
For a little extra spice and flavor, I like to add a serrano or jalapeno pepper. The chile pepper doesn't make this rice spicy; instead, it adds a little pop of flavor to the rice. If you don't have any peppers on hand, it's ok to leave it out. The rice will still be delicious!
what to serve with Mexican Red Rice
I love serving this Instant Pot Mexican Red Rice alongside any Mexican inspired meal. It goes great with so many different things. Here are a few of my favorites!
- Instant Pot Lentil Tacos
- Easy Asparagus and Black Bean Tacos
- Baked Chipotle Tofu
- Sheet Pan Cauliflower Fajitas
I hope that your family enjoys this rice as much as mine does!
Instant Pot Mexican Red Rice
It is so easy to make this Instant Pot Mexican Red Rice! This is the perfect side dish to any Mexican inspired meal!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Extra Long Grain White Rice
- 1 Tablespoon Avocado oil
- ¼ White Onion, finely diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- ½ Cup Tomato Sauce
- 1 Cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Vegetable Bouillon
- 1 Serrano or Jalapeno pepper, left whole
- ½ Cup Frozen Peas
Instructions
- Soak the rice in hot water for 5 minutes.
- While the rice is soaking, add the oil to the Instant Pot. Add the white onion and press the saute function. Cook the onion 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful because the Instant Pot can run hot on the saute function.
- Add the garlic and saute 1 minute..
- Drain and rinse the rice. Add the rice into the Instant Pot; stir. Toast the rice for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Pour in the tomato sauce; stir. Cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in water, add the vegetable bouillon, salt and chile pepper.
- Lock lid and select Manual at High Pressure. Set timer for 6 minutes. Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes followed by a quick release. Remove lid when valve drops.
- Carefully remove the pepper and add in the frozen peas.
- Fluff the rice with a fork. Let sit a few minutes and then serve!
XO Jeni
Rebecca
Hi! How much salt for the red rice?