Instant Pot Enchilada Rice
Feb 14, 2019, Updated Aug 02, 2019
Easy Instant Pot Enchilada Rice gets done in less than 30 minutes! Packed with flavors, this is the perfect meal for busy days!
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Quick & easy Instant Pot Enchilada Rice gets done in less than 30 minutes!
Perfect weeknight meal for busy days, it’s so flavorful, filling and cheesy!
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This instant pot enchilada rice might be my new favorite Instant Pot meal! You guys it’s so good and also so easy.
Do you guys like enchiladas? I do like it but it’s not something that I order every time I go to a Mexican place. The reason is that they almost always way too cheesy for my liking.
So when I want the flavors of enchilada in an easy way and with less cheese, I make this enchilada rice!
This Instant Pot Enchilada Rice
✓ super easy, one-pot meal
✓ packed with so much flavor
✓ gets done in less than 30 minutes
✓ perfect meal for busy days
Now let me tell you the most important ingredient to make this instant pot enchilada rice super good is using a good enchilada sauce.
Because the flavors really depend on it, I suggest you go with a brand you love. If you have a homemade recipe, then use that.
Else these are two I love (not sponsored, just love them)- Frontera and Tres.
For this recipe, I have used both red and green enchilada sauce. That makes this dish so much more flavorful!
Since, I don’t eat very spicy food I have used mild enchilada sauce here and also only 1/2 cup of green enchilada sauce. If you like it spicy, use medium heat enchilada sauce and you can also add more of the sauce for stronger flavors.
If you don’t like or have green enchilada sauce, then simply use more of the red enchilada sauce. Just make sure to use a good one!
Coming to the cheese, again you can use any cheese of your liking here. Cheddar, Mexican blend anything you like. And feel free to add as much cheese as you like.
This amount was just right for me without going overboard. But if you love cheese, then go ahead and add to your heart’s content.
I have used long grain white rice in this recipe but you may use basmati rice as well. I have personally not tried this recipe with brown rice. But it should work.
If using brown rice, I would cook this for 24 minutes at high pressure with natural pressure release.
Can This Be Made Vegan
Sure! Just skip the regular cheese at the end and use vegan cheese in place.
In fact you can cook the rice and once it’s done, just top it with my favorite vegan cheese sauce. It will be so good!
Can I Freeze The Enchilada Rice
Yes you can. I would not stir in the cheese at the end if I want to freeze it.
Freeze in individual portions in freezer bags and then stir in the cheese at the time of re-heating your portion.
Method
1- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil to the pot and then add the garlic, onion, jalapeño and peppers. Saute for 1 minute, you don’t want them browned.
2- Then add water to the pot. Make sure there’s nothing stuck at the bottom. If you only saute for a minute, most likely there won’t be anything stuck.
3- Add rice, do not stir.
4- Add black beans, corn, cumin powder, smoked paprika, salt in that order without stirring.
5- Then add red enchilada sauce and green enchilada sauce. Do not stir.
6- Close the pot with its lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, with the pressure valve in the sealing position.
7- Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick pressure release. Open the pot and stir in the cheese and close the pot with a glass lid for couple of minutes until the cheese melts.
8- Stir the melted cheese with the rice.
Top enchilada rice with cilantro, avocado and serve with tortilla chips. Yum!
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Enchilada Rice Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
Instant Pot Enchilada Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil 15 ml, I used avocado oil
- 3-4 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1 medium red onion 85 grams, chopped
- 1 jalapeño de-seeded & chopped
- 1 medium red pepper chopped
- 1 cup water 8 oz/240 ml
- 1 cup white rice long grain, 210 grams, rinsed and drained
- 15 oz can black beans drained & rinsed, or use 1 3/4 cup cooked black beans
- 3/4 cup sweet corn frozen
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce 8 oz, I used mild (I love Frontera)
- 1/2 cup green enchilada sauce 4 oz, I used mild, may use additional 1/2 cup for a spicier rice
- 1 cup shredded cheese 4 oz, cheddar/mexican blend/mozzarella
- cilantro to serve
- avocado diced, to serve
- tortilla chips to serve
Instructions
- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil to the pot and then add the garlic, onion, jalapeño and peppers. Saute for 1 minute, you don't want them browned.
- Then add the following WITHOUT stirring- water, rice, black beans, corn, cumin powder, smoked paprika, salt, red enchilada sauce and green enchilada sauce. Do not stir.
- Close the pot with its lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, with the pressure valve in the sealing position.Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick pressure release.
- Open the pot and stir in the cheese and close the pot with a glass lid for couple of minutes until the cheese melts. Stir the melted cheese with the rice.
- Top enchilada rice with cilantro, avocado and serve with tortilla chips. Yum!
Stove-top Instructions
- To make this recipe on stove top, use a pan with lid. Follow instructions until sauteing the garlic, onion, jalapeño and peppers (on medium heat). Then add all ingredients in given order- water, rice, black beans, corn, cumin powder, smoked paprika, salt, enchilada sauces and stir. Cover the pot with a lid and cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the rice is done. Remove lid and add in the cilantro and cheese. Mix until the cheese melts. Serve with avocados, cilantro!
Notes
- If you have burn problem with your Instant Pot- skip the step of sauteing the onion-garlic-jalapeno. Just add everything in the order that it's listed and cook as per instructions.
- If you are sauteing the onion, garlic (as per the recipe) only saute for 1 minute. You do not want any brown bits.
- I have not tried it personally but this recipe should work with brown rice as well- cook for 24 minutes on high pressure with natural pressure release if using brown rice.
- This enchilada rice is mildly spiced. To make it spicier, add more jalapenos, use medium enchilada sauce in place of mild and use an additional 1/2 cup of green enchilada sauce.
- You may also use taco seasoning here. If you do that, skip on the cumin and smoked paprika.
- You may serve it with sour cream, lime wedges etc.
- To make it vegan: skip the cheese at end or use vegan cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Super yummy! I did adjust things a bit for my InstaPot Ultra. First, be sure to rinse your rice, it makes it turn out perfect in the InstaPot. I did use 1 1/4 C water because I like mine just a bit more saucy. I cooked the Rice for the 5 min but let it “stay warm” for 4 minutes and then shut the InstantPot off and let it sit another 10 min. Turned out perfect! Add lots of your favorite fixings! Super yummy! Thanks!
Extremely good, it’s only the 3rd time I’ve used my instant pot but I feel like this is what I’ll be making and making again with it. Big hit in my mostly veggie household. Was also able to serve a bowl to one who didn’t like cheese before I stirred in the shreds, they liked it just as much.
We love this recipe!! Sometimes I serve it with tortillas to make it go farther. Do you think I can successfully double this recipe to feed a crowd?
it should work! cooking time will remain same.
Delicious and easy to make. A keeper in my house – especially yummy on a cold, autumn night. It also reheats well – excellent leftovers for lunch or another dinner.
What would I use instead of green enchilada sauce?
Don’t get it here
more red enchilada sauce
This comes out perfect everytime!
Twice tried this recipe. Followed Instagram instructions carefully. Rice is not quite done. Also the pressure never came up BOTH times. Disappointed. Guess I’ll do the stove top instructions so I don’t have to throw it out.
Hi Nancy, sorry you had trouble. If it never came to pressure then it’s most likely an issue with your IP and not the recipe. The rice was not quite done because it never came to pressure else this is ample time for rice to cook. If you have the problem of BURN issue in your IP, please add more liquid. The newer models especially the 8 qt are more sensitive to such issues. This recipe has been tried and tested in a 6qt DUO and I can assure you it works.
Can I use brown rice instead of the regular rice ? And for how many minutes I need to cook in instant pot if I use brown rice ?
you may but brown rice takes much longer, cook for around 22 to 24 minutes on high pressure
If I want to double this recipe in my 8 quart should I double the liquid too?
yes but cooking time will remain same
Easy & delicious!
glad to know 🙂
This was so tasty and flavourful! I used brown rice (cooked 24 minutes in the Instant Pot), 1 1/2 cups of homemade red enchilada sauce, and left out the jalapeños and red peppers (I had none on hand). This recipe will definitely replace other enchilada black bean recipes I’ve tried!
For brown rice you set to manual for 24?
brown rice should cook for around 22 to 24 minutes.
Excellent recipe and so easy, I add some diced chicken to make a complete meal out of it…Sooo good.
Steve
Every single time I’ve made this recipe I get a burn notice – how do you prevent that without mixing ?
hmmm make sure to scrape the bottom, if something is stuck after sauteing, the pot won’t come to pressure. Also if you have 8 qt, it might need more water, so try adding little more. And as mentioned in the recipe, do not stir after adding the enchilada sauce because they are thick and can stick to the bottom and hence causing the burn notice.
Could I make this with chicken?
maybe, I have never cooked chicken so can’t answer this question 🙂
This looks so, soooo good. Cant wait to try it!
Hope you enjoy it!
If I don’t have instant pot how to follow the recipe?
follow the same recipe, in place of instant pot cook on your normal pan (covered with a lid) until rice is cooked, around 10-15 minutes on medium heat.
I don’t have instant pot but I cooked it in regular pot and fallowed the recipe. I did spicy ? and it was great, every one loved it including children ( I mean 8-16 yrs of age ).
awesome. I love it, making in IP sounds great. perfect one pot meal.
Thank you!