Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice (Pressure Cooker Recipe)

Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice. Arroz rojo, the classic Tex-Mex side dish, made with whole-grain brown rice in a pressure cooker.
I’m trying to eat more whole grains, so I’m writing a Mexican brown rice recipe. My goal is to duplicate the rice on the side of a combo plate from my local Tex-Mex joint.

When I was testing this recipe, my big question was “tomato sauce or diced tomatoes?” I made batches of Mexican rice, with a few peas and carrots mixed in like they do at my local restaurants, and posted a picture to see if people preferred the chunks of diced tomato, or the red color the tomato sauce added to the rice.

And…no one answered the tomato question. What everyone did notice the peas. “Ew! Not peas!” was a common response. It’s OK! The peas are optional! (I add them because I like the extra colors they add to the rice.)

The Great Pea Controversy aside, this is a fine batch of rice. I wound up using tomato sauce, because it adds a little extra flavor to the rice, and again, I like the color.

Pressure cooking makes brown rice quick enough to serve with weeknight dinners. My problem? My kids love white rice, and when I make rice in the pressure cooker, they get suspicious. I get serious side-eye and the question “Is this brown rice?” Not this time - the red rice looked like their usual Mexican restaurant combo plate, and they dug in without question. We have a winner!

INGREDIENTS

• Vegetable oil
• Garlic
• Long grain brown rice
• Water
• Tomato sauce
• Frozen peas and carrots (optional)
• Cilantro (optional)
  See the recipe card for quantities

How to Make Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice

Sauté the Garlic and Stir in the Rice: Put the vegetable oil and garlic in a cold Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker), then turn on Sauté mode. (Use medium heat with a stovetop PC). Wait for the garlic to start to bubble around the edges, but don’t let the garlic brown, about 3 minutes. Stir the rice into the pot to coat it with the garlic oil. Stir in the water, and then pour the tomato sauce on top.
Pressure Cook the Rice for 20 Minutes With a Natural Pressure Release: Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric PC, or for 16 minutes in a stovetop PC. (Use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode in an Instant Pot.) Let the pressure come down naturally, about 15 more minutes. (You can quick release any remaining pressure left after 15 minutes if you are in a hurry).
Stir in the extra ingredients and serve: Remove the lid from the pressure cooker - watch out for hot steam. If you want the optional peas and carrots, stir the frozen peas and carrots into the rice, put the lid back on the pot, and let the pot sit for 5 minutes to heat the peas and carrots through. Fluff with a fork, sprinkle the minced cilantro on top, and serve.

Substitutions

• Chunky tomatoes: If you like tomato chunks in your rice, replace the tomato sauce with a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes.
• Other types of rice: I use long-grain brown rice in this recipe. Brown Jasmine rice is a good substitute. Brown basmati rice has a nutty flavor, which gets covered up by the rest of the flavors in this recipe. White rice won't work in this recipe - brown rice cooks very differently. (See my Instant Pot White Rice recipe for instructions).

What to Serve With Mexican Brown Rice

Mexican rice and  refried beans  or Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans are the perfect side dishes for Tex-Mex meals - there is a reason they are on the combo plate in Mexican restaurants across America. Eat them with Instant Pot Quick Chicken Tacos, Instant Pot Carnitas, Instant Pot Carne Guisada Tacos, or your own favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex main dish.

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What do you think?

Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

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