Instant Pot Tex-Mex Rice (Plus: Refried Beans From a Can!)
Re-create some Tex-Mex restaurant magic in your kitchen.
Ingredients
For the Tex-Mex Rice
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion, diced fine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups chicken stock or water
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons salt
For the Refried Beans From a Can
- 2 15.5-ounce cans pinto beans
- 4 tablespoons lard, bacon grease, or cooking oil
- 4 cloves cloves garlic, minced
Directions
Instant Pot Tex-Mex Rice
- In a mesh strainer, thoroughly rinse the rice and set aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the oil, garlic, and onion. Sauté briefly until the onions are translucent. Cancel the sauté function and add the tomato paste. Sauté briefly (the bottom of the pot will still be hot).
- Add the chicken stock and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up everything sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add the cumin and salt. Add the rinsed rice; do not stir.
- Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to low pressure at 5 minutes. Do not use the “keep warm” function.
- When the 5 minutes are up, let the pressure come down naturally while you make your tacos/enchiladas/fajitas/margaritas/queso/guacamole/what have you. It will take about 20 minutes. When the little metal pressure stopper drops, you can open the lid and stir the rice gently to disperse the onions throughout.
Bonus: Refried Beans From a Can
- Set a mesh strainer over a small bowl and pour the beans into the strainer, saving the liquid. Set aside both the beans and the liquid.
- Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and melt the lard. Add the garlic and sauté briefly, 2 minutes.
- Add the beans (not the bean liquid) to the pan and sauté briefly with the garlic. Use the back of a spoon or fork to mash the beans.
- Add the drained can liquid by the spoonful until you reach your desired consistency; the beans should become creamy. Salt to taste and serve with your Instant Pot rice.