Mexican Green Rice | Instant Pot Recipe
This bright and zesty Instant Pot Green Rice has bold Mexican flavors from creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, and green salsa. It’s a delicious side dish to your favorite burritos or meat dishes.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This rice recipe calls for just five ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and comes together in a few minutes. It’s the perfect grain to throw together in a rush when you want something more flavorful than plain rice. ffdab9
We always make our rice in the Instant Pot, and this is one of the best ways to mix up the flavor and color of the dish. The pressure cooker makes rice foolproof every time, so once you try it, you’ll probably agree that there’s no need to return to the stovetop method!
We love making Mexican-inspired and Tex-Mex recipes in the pressure cooker, including Easy Instant Pot Ground Beef Tacos, Mexican Pinto Bean Soup, and Instant Pot Pork & Hominy Stew (Quick Posole). fde1e0
This recipe is originally adapted from the cookbook by our friends Sandy and Donna, Burritos! We made some tweaks to make it Instant Pot-friendly.
Update: We’ve updated this post and recipe with new tips, FAQs, and photos to help you make the best green rice possible!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED
You only need five simple ingredients to make this tasty rice in the pressure cooker:
- Broth. You can use low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth for this recipe.
- Rice. Look for long-grain rice, as short-grain may get mushy and overcooked in the Instant Pot.
- Avocado. Make sure it’s nice and ripe, which will make it easy to blend.
- Cilantro. For extra fresh green herby flavor.
- Sauce. We like to dress up this green rice with green taco sauce or salsa verde. (Add a dash of hot sauce for more spice.)
The green salsa you choose will make a big difference in the heat-level in the finished dish. The La Victoria brand is the least spicy mild we’ve found. The Herdez mild green sauce seems more like a medium-level of spiciness.
How to Make Green Rice in an Instant Pot
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
This green rice recipe really couldn’t be easier, plus your grains will come out perfectly fluffy every time. To make the dish, combine the rice and broth in the pressure cooking pot. Give them a good stir, then cook on high pressure for 3 to 4 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.
Remove the lid and use a fork to gently fluff the rice. Let the rice cool slightly while you puree the avocado, cilantro, and green salsa in a blender. You may need to add a little water to help it blend smoothly. Blend until the mixture has the texture of sour cream.
Finally, stir the avocado cream into the rice until fully combined. Season it taste with salt and pepper, and enjoy!
Important Tips for Making Mexican Green Rice
- Be sure to stir the rice and broth well in the pressure cooker before you add the lid and start cooking to avoid a burn notice.
- You can double the recipe, but do not fill your pressure cooking pot more than two-thirds of the way.
- Check for a soft, ripe avocado by gently squeezing it at the store. It should have some give to it and will have a dark green color.
Frequently Asked Questions about Green Rice
Stick leftover green rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
The rice will have a different, more mushy texture when you defrost it. If that doesn’t bother you, go for it!
You can use this zesty rice as a base for many dishes. We love to serve it with our Chicken Tinga Enchiladas, inside these Easy Instant Pot Chili Colorado Burritos, or alongside Chicken Fajitas.
If you don’t have stock, you can use plain water to cook the rice. Or, for added flavor, use a bouillon cube.
MORE Instant Pot Flavored Rice Recipes
We love making big batches of rice in the Instant Pot, including:
- Spanish Rice has a bit of a kick and crunch from fresh onions and jarred salsa.
- Cilantro Lime Rice is loaded with fresh herbs and citrus for a light side.
- Instant Pot Coconut Rice, a classic that’s slightly sweet and rich, delicious served with your favorite Asian dishes.
- Rice Pilaf with Saffron and Almonds is an easy but sophisticated side dish with crunchy nuts and fragrant spices.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Instant Pot Green Rice
This Instant Pot Green Rice recipe is a super easy five-ingredient side dish that comes together in minutes in the pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
- Flesh of 1/ 2 large ripe avocado
- 1/ 2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/ 4 cup green salsa or green hot sauce
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the broth and rice to the pressure cooker pot. Stir to ensure the rice is in an even layer. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 3 minutes cook time.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.
- Fluff rice with a fork and let cool to warm. In a blender, combine the avocado, cilantro, and salsa and blend smoothly to the consistency of sour cream. (Add water a tablespoon at a time if needed to blend.) Stir the avocado mixture into the rice. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 169Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 944mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
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Perfect recipe! Both ingredients and timing spot on!
I did rinse my rice prior to cooking!
Thanks Chris – So nice to hear it was perfect!
WOWSA! This is so like you to take a good recipe – and make it even easier! MUST get out my pressure cooker ASAP.
What a simple and delicious alternative to traditional Mexican rice, indeed! This one is pinned, since I adore Mexican food. Thank you for introducing these bloggers to me, Barbara.
This rice looks perfect! I think a pressure cooker is in my future!!
We LIVE for leftovers….mainly because my Italian blood has me still cooking for a crowd instead of just the 2 of us….that’s OK though-I look at leftovers as a bonus-and giving me a night off from making a full meal. Plus they just taste so dang good.
You know, I always reach for red salsa or make red salsa-never green. I don’t know why. This rice has changed my mind. I always make a red based Mexican rice-this would be a really nice change-and it’s so easy too. Thank you! 🙂
I absolutely love leftovers. When I was growing up there were never any leftovers thanks to my two brothers who both had very hearty appetites. Holiday dinner leftovers are something to look forward to, no cooking for at least 2 days! This recipe looks tasty, going to give it a try next time I make enchiladas. Thanks for sharing it with us.