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Instant pot spanish rice in a bowl surrounded by salsa, tacos, and cilantro.
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Instant Pot Spanish Rice

Instant pot Spanish rice is a quick and easy way to infuse authentic flavor into boring ‘ole white rice. Made with pantry staple ingredients, you can whip up this delicious and healthy side dish any day of the week!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, Mexican, Spanish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 233kcal
Cost $15

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups basmati or long grain rice
  • ½ a yellow onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups chicken broth or mix of broth and water
  • 1 cup tomato sauce (or 8 oz can)
  • 1 cup frozen peas optional
  • 1 cup canned corn, rinsed and drained optional

Instructions

  • Prepare all of your ingredients so that they’re ready to go into the instant pot when it’s their turn.
  • Put the instant pot on the sauté setting. Then, add olive oil, onions, and rice into the pot.
  • Sauté the onions and rice for about 5 minutes until the onions become soft and translucent. Be sure to stir so neither the rice or onions stick or burn.
  • Turn off the sauté setting. Then add in all of the spices, salt and pepper, and garlic. Stir for about a minute to allow the garlic to cook.
  • Add in the chicken broth, then the tomato sauce. Stir again. (If anything is stuck to the bottom of the pot, be sure to scrape it up so you don’t get a burn warning in the middle of cooking.)
  • Place the lid on top of the pot. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes with the valve in the “sealing” position. Once the timer goes off, flip the valve to “venting” and allow it do a manual release.
  • Once all of the pressure is out of the pot, remove the lid. Stir in the frozen peas and corn. The peas will defrost in the hot rice.
  • Spanish rice is a well suited companion to nearly any dish! Serve it with simple grilled chicken or steak, or spoon it on the side of nachos, homemade tortilla chips, and fajita tacos, or add it to the bottom of your favorite burrito bowl!
  • This rice keeps well in the refrigerator for about 5 days. It’s perfect as a dinner side dish, an addition to your lunch, or even as a mid-afternoon snack! 

Notes

  1. This recipe was tested with basmati rice, which is a long grain rice. If you use jasmine rice or another shorter grain of rice, your rice may turn out softer or get a little mushy.
  2. If you want to use brown rice instead, pressure cook on high for 15 minutes with a 5 minute natural release before turning the valve to “venting.”
  3. If you prefer a vegetarian or vegan rice, you can use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
  4. If you like spice, you can add a few dashes of cayenne pepper.
  5. This recipe can definitely be converted for stovetop cooking in a large pot. Adjust the chicken broth to equal the amount of water listed in the cooking instructions on the back of your rice bag or container. (It is typically a 2 to 1 ratio, so if you’re cooking 2 cups of rice, you’ll need 4 cups of broth.) Follow the steps as they are written in this recipe, with the addition of the extra broth, and then cover and cook the rice for the time on the package instructions, often about 20 minutes or so.

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 527mg | Potassium: 309mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 363IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg