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Instant Pot Spanish Rice

Instant Pot Spanish Rice (Easy, Fluffy, Restaurant-Quality in 20 Minutes!)

5 from 4 votes
Author: Laurie Fleming
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 minutes
10 minutes
Total Time: 24 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings

Description

Instant Pot Spanish Rice made easy, fluffy, and packed with bold flavor in just 20 minutes. A quick restaurant-style side dish perfect for tacos, burritos, or weeknight dinners.

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup white onion, diced
  • ½ cup bell pepper, diced (any color)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder, or smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1½ cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
  • 14 ounces diced tomatoes,, undrained
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

  • Set Instant Pot to Sauté. Add oil and heat 1 minute. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 2–3 minutes until softened. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds.
  • Add rinsed rice. Toast for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until grains turn lightly golden and smell nutty.
  • Hit Cancel. Add ¼ cup broth and scrape all browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon (prevents burn notice).
  • Add remaining broth, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Press rice down so it is fully submerged.
  • Pour diced tomatoes on top. Do NOT stir.
  • Seal the lid. Set valve to Sealing. Pressure Cook on High for 4 minutes.
  • When done, allow 10-minute natural pressure release. Then switch valve to Venting to release remaining pressure.
  • Open lid. Fluff with a fork. Stir tomatoes through the rice. Season to taste. Garnish with cilantro and lime. Serve immediately.

Equipment

  • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, or Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker
  • Ladle

Notes

Burn notice prevention: Deglaze after sautéing (Step 3) and do NOT stir the tomato layer (Step 5). These two steps are essential.
Brown rice: Cook 22–24 minutes on High pressure, 15-minute natural release. Add ¼ cup extra broth.
Vegan: Use vegetable broth. Stir in black beans after cooking.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze up to 3 months. Reheat with a splash of broth.
Do not use the Rice button: Always use Manual/Pressure Cook for this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 175mgPotassium: 176mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 430IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg