Name: Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1 small onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning (or store bought); 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice; 1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (or water); 3/4 cup salsa; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped; Squeeze of lime, optional

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Super flavorful Mexican Brown Rice easily made right in your Instant Pot along with your favorite salsa for the perfect side dish that comes out fluffy and delicious every single time!

Super flavorful Mexican Brown Rice easily made right in your Instant Pot along with your favorite salsa for the perfect side dish that comes out perfectly fluffy and delicious every single time!

You guys, this is truly the only side dish you’ll ever need. Using the Instant Pot to make rice has been a total game changer for us because it’s just so dang simple to use and the rice literally comes out perfect every single time! This Mexican brown rice (also known as Spanish rice) makes the perfect side dish to any Mexican-inspired dish and all you need are just a few simple ingredients including your favorite salsa!

The best thing about using the Instant Pot is that you can just dump everything in, set it and LEAVE it. Pretty much like using a crock pot except waaaay quicker. And everything just tastes so much better in my opinion!

Super flavorful Mexican Brown Rice easily made right in your Instant Pot along with your favorite salsa for the perfect side dish that comes out perfectly fluffy and delicious every single time!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Brown rice – I used long grain brown rice, but you could use long grain white rice as well, however the cooking time will be much quicker for white rice (see the various cooking times below)
Broth or stock – feel free to use vegetable broth, chicken broth or any stocks you have on hand. You could also use water, but you’ll lose some of the flavor
Salsa – any favorite jarred salsa will do! We like to use a medium salsa for a little heat, but feel free to use mild salsa or even hot for more spice. If you don’t have any salsa on hand, feel free to use tomato sauce in place of it
Onion – this adds so much flavor and you can use a white or yellow onion
Garlic – you can use fresh chopped garlic or minced garlic from the jar
Cilantro – this is mixed in at the very end and adds a nice fresh flavor as well as a pop of color. However, if you’re one of those people who thinks cilantro tastes like soap, you can leave it out 😉
Seasonings – combination of homemade taco seasoning, ancho chili powder and salt

How to Make Mexican Brown Rice

Sauté onion and garlic. Chop the onion and garlic and press the sauté function on your Instant Pot. Drizzle a little olive oil and wait for the pot to heat up and the oil to glisten. Sauté onion until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes, then add in garlic and sauté for about 30 more seconds.
Mix everything together. Hit the ‘cancel’ button on the Instant Pot to turn the heat off and add in the taco seasoning, ancho chili powder and salt. Mix together with the onion and garlic then add in the rice, giving it a quick stir. Pour in the vegetable (or chicken) broth and salsa, mixing well until everything is all combined.
Pressure cook. Secure the lid of your Instant Pot and make sure the steam release valve is set to sealing. Next press the pressure cook function and set the timer to 22 minutes (please note this is for brown rice, see below of the cooking time for white rice). It will take a few minutes to come to pressure before the countdown starts
Naturally release. Once the 22 minutes are up, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 15 minutes (this just means don’t touch it at all until the timer counts up to 15). Then using a hand towel or oven mitt, carefully turn the steam release valve to the venting position to release the remaining steam.
Serve and enjoy! Twist open the lid of the Instant Pot and give the rice a good stir. Mix in some fresh cilantro and it’s ready to serve. You can also squeeze a little lime juice on top for a bright fresh pop of flavor!

Can I Use White Rice?

Yes of course! I suggest using a long grain white rice such as basmati or jasmine rice for this dish and you’ll follow all the same instructions, just reduce the cooking time to 3 minutes (as opposed to 22 minutes for brown rice). After securing the lid on the Instant Pot and setting the steam release valve to sealing, set the timer for 3 minutes. Then let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes, just as you would for the brown rice, mix in the cilantro and enjoy!

Super flavorful Mexican Brown Rice easily made right in your Instant Pot along with your favorite salsa for the perfect side dish that comes out perfectly fluffy and delicious every single time!

How to Serve Mexican Brown Rice

Serve it as a side dish alongside this chili lime grilled chicken, these sheet pan chicken fajitas, or these baked chicken fajita roll-ups
Use it as a base for burrito bowls (top with my black bean corn salsa!)
Enjoy this rice on your next Taco Tuesday with your favorite tacos or enchiladas
Have it for breakfast with eggs or my healthy breakfast enchiladas
Add it on top of these enchilada stuffed zucchini boats

Prepping and Storage

You can store this Mexican rice in a sealed, airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat the rice, I like to sprinkle a little water over top to keep it moist and heat in the microwave or place it in a saucepan on the stove.

For longer storage, let the rice cool completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container or a large Ziplock bag and store in your freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use, allow the rice to thaw out in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or stove top.

Super flavorful Mexican Brown Rice easily made right in your Instant Pot along with your favorite salsa for the perfect side dish that comes out perfectly fluffy and delicious every single time!

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