This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for details.
Crockpot Express Mexican Rice is the perfect side dish for tacos, burritos, enchiladas or as the main ingredient in your favorite burrito bowls!
We have Mexican food (or some Americanized version of Mexican food) quite often. It’s my favorite. You can wrap literally anything in a tortilla and my kids will at least give it a try. 🙂 My only problem is coming up with side dishes to serve with it! Too often we just end up eating tortilla chips with whatever burritos, enchiladas or tacos I happen to be serving. This week we had Taco Pie for dinner and I made some yummy Crockpot Express Mexican Rice to go with it!
I actually really like rice with corn in it, but I wanted to create a simple and very basic recipe that can then be adjusted to your own tastes and preferences. This Mexican rice has fresh onion and garlic in it, but anything else you might want to add will be up to you. You can toss in a can of corn, diced chiles or diced tomatoes if you like more veggies and color in your rice.
You can also kick up the spices a bit if you’d like. Pressure cooking can produce bland food sometimes (since you can’t taste and adjust as you cook) so I always increase my spices a bit. If you like a bit more heat, for example, double up on the chili powder. This recipe is just to get you started and then you can fancy it up on your own!
Crockpot Express Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 cups white long grain rice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Press Brown/Saute and then Start/Stop to heat up the pot. (Make sure you've removed the lid!)
- While the pot is heating, chop the onion. Add the oil to the heated pot and then the chopped onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic to the onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to cook too long and let it get browned! Press Start/Stop to turn off the heat.
- Add the broth, water, tomato sauce and spices to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Add the rice to the liquid and stir.
- Close and lock the lid, turning the steam release valve to closed. Press Rice/Risotto and then Start/Stop. (Defaults to 12 mins on low pressure.)
- After the cooking time is up, allow for a FULL natural pressure release. When the lid releases, fluff the rice with the rice "paddle" that came with the pot or a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- can or corn or cup of frozen corn
- Mexi-corn (corn with red and green peppers)
- Rotel (diced tomatoes with green peppers-adds heat)
- Diced tomatoes
Nutrition
This was so easy to make, I will use it as our side dish the next time I make Sour Cream Enchiladas. My favorite part is just plopping everything in the pot and then walking away to let it do its thing while I concentrate on the main course! My Crockpot Express really does make my life easier. 🙂
- Bacon Onion Dip - September 13, 2024
- Mexican Corn Salad - August 21, 2024
- Lemon Zucchini Bread - July 23, 2024
Suzanne says
Should the rice be rinsed?
Nicole Burkholder says
Yes, I always rinse my rice. It keeps the starches from gumming up the inside of the cooker and it gives you fluffier rice overall.
Chrissy says
Is this recipe easily doubled? Thank you
Nicole Burkholder says
Yes! As long as you have room in the pot (don’t forget to think about expansion when rice cooks) you can double/triple most recipes. You won’t need to increase the cook time-the amount in the pot doesn’t change the time for something like rice. 🙂
Holly says
Can this be made in a crock pot instead of a pressure cooker? If so, what would be the timing?
Nicole Burkholder says
Yes! The ratio for rice to water will be a bit different because there’s some evaporation in a slow cooker (although not much.) Do 1:2 rice to liquid (using water, chicken stock, tomato sauce or any combination of those) and cook for about 2 1/2 hours on high or 5 hours on low. Every slow cooker is different, so keep an eye on it!
Brian Jones says
are the add-ins to be added before or after the cooking time?
Nicole Burkholder says
They can cook all together 🙂