Easy Spanish Rice is a delicious vegetarian rice recipe. This versatile dish makes a tasty side dish on taco night. It’s also a perfect addition to other Mexican entrees like burritos or burrito bowls. Better yet? You probably already have the ingredients you need for it on hand and ready to go.
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This recipe was originally published in May 2019 and has been updated with new pictures, simplified instructions and video.
What is Spanish rice?
Spanish rice, also known as Mexican rice, arroz rojo, or red rice, is a popular Mexican side dish and a family favorite. You can serve it with your favorite tacos, as part of a burrito, in a salad, or in several Mexican inspired recipes.
Ingredients to make Spanish Rice
Our recipe uses only a few ingredients that we almost always have on hand. You can make this rice dish any day of the week to go with your favorite entrees or as a tasty, homemade lunch. You’ll need:
- uncooked long grain rice - long grained rice works best for this recipe, it tends to get fluffier and less sticky than shorter grains
- vegetable stock or water - vegetable stock adds some extra flavor and richness, but you can use water if you don’t have any on hand
- oil - canola or vegetable oil work best for this recipe, but you can use other oils if you prefer
- garlic cloves - you’ll need to mince the garlic using a knife or in a garlic press
- spices - you’ll need chili and cumin powder
- salt - salt is used to enhance flavors, but you can skip the salt if you desire
- salsa- we love using our own homemade salsa for this, but you can use any store bought salsa you like
- fresh jalapeno - seeded and diced, these are added for garnishment and a bit of heat
- cilantro- cilantro is an optional garnishment
- We also recommend having some other ingredients that help enhance the flavors of the rice. They include:
- shredded cheese
- avocado
- flour tortillas
- sour cream or Greek yogurt
- limes
? Why make this in an Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot cooks rice dishes quickly and easily. Rice comes out perfectly cooked nearly every time we use the Instant Pot. It is also fast. You can make fresh rice recipes just about any night of the week and have plenty of time for your busy schedule.
New to Instant Pot cooking and nervous about making this in the Instant Pot? Don’t worry! We have you covered with our handy guide to Instant Pot cooking, Is the Instant Pot Worth It.
?How to make
Spanish Rice in the Instant Pot is super easy. Here’s what you need to do.
- Before cooking, make sure you thoroughly wash or rinse your rice in cool water. You want to remove as much of the starch as possible so the rice comes out fluffy and delicious.
- Once the rice is rinsed, turn saute mode on the Instant Pot and when it is hot, add the oil and rice. Frequently stir the rice to avoid burning the rice and stop it from sticking to the bottom. You’ll need to saute the rice for about 3 minutes or until they begin to turn a light golden color.
- When the rice begins to turn golden, add in the garlic, salt, cumin, red chili powder, and vegetable stock or water. Stir the mixture well to remove the rice from the bottom of the inner pot. This will help prevent getting the burn notice.
- Once all the rice is removed from the bottom, add in the salsa. Do not stir the pot at this point! You want to keep the tomatoes away from the bottom of the pot to avoid the burn notice on the Instant Pot.
- Turn off saute mode, close the lid to the Instant Pot, and lock the lid. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Once the timer goes off, allow the pot to sit for 5 minutes before doing a quick release.
- Lightly stir the rice with a fork and add chopped cilantro and jalapenos on top. Serve the rice immediately with your favorite Mexican dishes or add to another recipe.
How to Serve
You should serve Spanish rice hot with your favorite main dish, such as tacos. It goes great as a filling in vegetable burritos or chalupa. You can also add it to other recipes. It also goes well with tortilla chips, beans, refried Beans and 7 layer dip.
Which Toppings go well with this rice? We like to serve the Mexican rice with avocados, sour cream, shredded cheese, tortillas, and lime wedges. But you can add your own favorite toppings.
How to Store
We recommend making Spanish rice fresh when you are ready to use it. But you can store it for about 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also store it in individual containers for easy lunch options for the family. You can reheat the rice in the microwave.
How to defrost frozen cooked rice
Microwave it in one-minute increments and make sure to leave a glass of water into the microwave when reheating. This helps keep the reheated rice moist.
Can I use tomato sauce instead of salsa?
Yes, you can use tomato sauce instead of salsa. We find salsa adds extra flavor and spice, but tomato sauce is an option. If you do use tomato sauce, we recommend a canned tomato sauce and avoid any Italian style sauces.
? What’s the best rice to use?
We use long grain rice. Our two preferences are basmati or jasmine rice. If you don’t have these on hand, you can use the rice you have instead.
What’s the difference between Spanish and Mexican rice?
There is no difference. They are the same recipe, just a different name. You may find some variation between recipes, but Spanish, red, and Mexican rice are all the same and go great with a lot of your favorite entrees.
How can I avoid the burn message?
You can avoid the burn message by making sure you scrape the bottom of the inner pot very well once you add in the water or vegetable stock. You want to remove any stuck rice. The second way to avoid the burn message is to not stir the pot once you add in the salsa. Tomatoes can get stuck on the bottom and cause the burn notice to pop up, which is never fun.
Can Spanish Rice be made with Brown Rice?
Yes you can use Brown rice to make Spanish Rice. You will have to adjust the cook time to 15 minutes
More Mexican inspired recipes
- Chalupa Recipe
- Copycat Chipotle Sofritas
- Instant pot Rice and Beans
- Charro beans
- Tomatillo salsa Verde
- Vegan burrito bowl
- Mexican Cauliflower rice
- Spicy black bean soup
Other Rice recipes that you would like
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Easy Spanish Rice Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Spanish Rice is a delicious vegetarian rice recipe. This versatile dish makes a tasty side dish on taco night. It’s also a perfect addition to other Mexican entrees like burritos or burrito bowls. Better yet? You probably already have the ingredients you need for it on hand and ready to go.
Ingredients
- Uncooked long grain rice - 1 cup
- Vegetable stock or water - 1 cup
- Garlic cloves / minced - 2
- Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Cumin powder - 2 teaspoon
- Red Chilies powder - 1 teaspoon
- Fresh Salsa or Cantina style salsa - 1 cup
- Salt to taste
For Garnish
- 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and diced
- Fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot on saute and when HOT pops up add in oil and the rice.
- Keep stirring it frequently to avoid rice sticking to the pot.
- Saute the rice for about 3 minutes until they begin to turn a light golden color and then add in the garlic.
- Add in salt to taste, cumin, red Chili powder and vegetable stock or water .
- Stir and mix well to insure that you remove all rice stuck to the bottom of the pot .
- Add the Salsa and do not stir .
- Close and lock the lid. Turn the Instant Pot to Manual for 5 minutes.
- When 5 minutes is up and Instant Pot beeps, let it sit for 3-5 mins . Do a Quick release Be careful, it is very hot.
- Lightly stir it with a fork and add chopped cilantro.
- Serve in bowls. Garnish with whatever you desire and enjoy!
Notes
Optional garnishes for serving
- Mexican blend cheese shredded
- avocado slices
- cilantro
- limes
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- flour tortillas
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 98Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 0mgSodium 258mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 2g
All information and tools presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. We are not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on TheBellyRulesTheMind.net should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though we try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of our ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.
JS says
I followed the recipe and it came out wonderfully flavored because I used your salsa recipe. What a difference between homemade and bottled salsa; really, there's no comparison! I cooked the rice on rice mode and didn't get a burn signal.
Debra says
Reading the recipe, is it chili powder or is there such a thing as chilies powder? Just confused
Jenn says
@Debra same. I'm going to ask the Instant Pot community. Is it Cayanne pepper or chili powder?
Jenn says
Wondering which type of rice is better to us for this, jasmine or basmati?
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Jenn, we have tried this recipe with both the rice variety and the outside come is amazing. So go for what you have in your pantry :)
Jodi says
Why do you sauté the rice first?
Susan says
I just made this with parboiled rice and it is absolutely delicious!!! Using it to build burritos. Came out perfect and I will definitely make it again!
Jennifer says
Let me first say it still tasted good, however I did get the burn notice even though I made sure to scape the bottom and did not stir after adding the salsa on top. So I quickly scraped it all into one of my “pot in pot” pans, washed the Instant and put a cup of water in the bottom and left the lid off the inner pot since I want sure about what water adjustments might be needed. I did double the recipe and am using an 8 qt Instant Pot. Any idea what changes to the time or recipe might be for making it strictly “Pot in Pot” to begin with?
Thanks so much!!
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Jennifer, glad to hear you liked the rice ! So the burn notice can be due the the starchy rice. Make sure you wash and ruse the rice multiple times before you cook. No time changes if you are doubling the recipe . Hope this helps.
Denise says
So tasty, so easy, so quick
Soniya Saluja says
Thanks Denise??
Michelle says
I tried this recipe tonight, but doubled it. My family...especially my Hispanic husband LOVED it!
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Michelle, we are so glad to hear your feedback ? do try our other recipes from the blog?♀️
Gina says
Is the recipe the same using an 8 quart instant pot? Or do you need more water?
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Gina, no changes in the recipe if using 8 qt IP.
Judy says
I tried this recipe and it is so delicious!! Thank you for sharing!
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Judy, so glad to hear that! Hope you try other recipes from our blog:)
Frieda Ryan says
Can I use brown rice and adjust the time?
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Frieda, you can use brown rice the time changes to 15 minutes and natural release. Hope this helps!
Gudrun says
The recipe sounds delicious. I wonder about the rice, though. When I cook rice in the instant pot I do pot in pot and cook it for 12 min, natural release for 20. It's soft, but that's how I like it. How firm is it after only 5 minutes?
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Gudrun, when you are using rice button the rice Cooks in low- med pressure that's why it takes 12 minutes. You will get the same result when making the rice on pressure cook button band that to in 5 mins. Soft fluffy rice. Hope you try it.
Cassandra Griffin says
@Soniya Saluja, Good to know
Thank You. So I can have my rice done quicker. Yay
Ad says
@Gudrun, IMO 5 minutes would result in crunchy rice. I, too, cook rice pot in pot (PIP) for 12 minutes, and the NPR 20. It is just right. Not mushy at all and the taste is wonderful.
Ad says
Addition to my post above. I cook my rice PIP, HP 12 minutes, 20 minute NPR or sometimes full NPR. The result when using the rice setting is absolutely not the same.
Princesd says
Could frozen cauliflower rice be used instead of regular rice?
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Princesd, yes you can just pressure cook 0 mins.hope this helps
David says
Hi, I have a Breville Fast/Slow Pro that requires more than one cup of water to reach pressure, what changes can I make to this recipe?
Thanks
Carrie H says
This looks delicious and easy!! Have you ever tried using brown rice? I know it takes quite a bit longer to cook plain brown rice compared to white rice in the instant pot, so I wonder if you could swap it out and cook longer for this recipe as well... might have to try it!!
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Carrie, yes you can definitely swap the long grain rice to brown ricethe results are amazing.The time changes to 15 mins and natural release.hope this helps
Kim says
Can this be doubled? If so, does the cooking time (or anything else) change?
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Kim, Ofcourse you can double the recipe! make sure you have a 6 qt or 8 qt Pressure cooker . The time remains the same. do check the tips and trick to nail the Spanish rice .Hope this helps !
Nastee Cookin' says
I made this the other night, and can not say enough how good it is. I followed the directions exactly with great results. Fair warning, I did get the burn notice..... but ignore it. Let it keep cooking. Don't open, don't stir, don't worry, just leave it be. Not a single grain of rice was burnt. This will be a frequently utilized recipe. Thank you for an easy side I don't have to babysit while I cook the main course.
Michelle says
I absolutely cannot believe that you can make rice this flavorful in 5 minutes! So good, so easy!
Gina says
Love how easy of a side dish this is for SO many recipes. It's our go to recipe!
Beth Sachs says
My new favourite rice dish. Amazing flavour and the whole family loved it.
Scarlet says
Your instant pot Spanish rice look so authentic! I have to try it your way from now on. I like how you use stock and not water.
Jill says
This rice looks absolutely perfect. Love all the process photos too.
Emmeline says
Oooh I used to love Spanish rice as a kid - my dad made it so often. But what a great idea to use salsa for it! Will try this out asap!
Laura says
Thanks for this recipe. It really turns out just like restaurant rice. I love it.
Dale says
Made it tonight to have with crispy tacos and it was some of the best if not the best spanish rice i have ever made. Thanks for sharing
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Dale, so glad to hear that you enjoyed the Spanish rice! My family and friends feels the same :) hope you try some other recipes from our blog... hint the best charro beans https://thebellyrulesthemind.net/best-instant-pot-charro-beans/
Cookilicious says
I have been wanting to try this dish for a while now..will do so now. Thanks for the recipe
Denise says
This looks delicious, and I love that you use your homemade salsa in the recipe, you can never go wrong with that!
Morgan Eisenberg says
If I hear "easy" or "Instant Pot", I'm already sold on this recipe.
Caroline says
Looks tasty - I'd tend to say Mexican rice as it's not Spanish, so I struggle calling it that, but more of a Mexican take on rice dishes from Spain. But either way great with many meals and love how easy this is!
Sandy says
@Caroline, I agree! This is like the rice served in Mexican restaurants which is quite different from Spanish rice which has more of a soup-like consistency. I do look forward to trying this recipe!
Ana @ Muy Delish says
This Spanish rice sound delicious! I call mine Mexican rice lol! But like you explained, it's all the same! I'm going to give this a try in my instant pot! Yum!