Instant Pot Southwest Rice (Served Five Ways)

A simple and delicious Instant Pot Southwest rice is a one-pot dish that can be finished and served in five different ways such as cheesy casserole, crispy pan-fried patties, burritos or a salad. Made with sweet corn, black beans and green bell peppers, this Southwestern recipe is inexpensive, vegetarian-friendly and great for making ahead.

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WHAT IS SOUTHWEST RICE?

Southwest style rice or Southwestern rice is a Tex Mex inspired one-pot dish made with rice, corn, black beans and bell peppers, flavored with garlic, onions, tomatoes and spices. It’s similar to cowboy caviar/salad but is served as a warm side dish or a main.

It complements any Mexican meal wonderfully, can be served with grilled chicken or fish, in a taco or burrito, turned into a baked casserole or cheesy rice patties. You can also serve it as a meat-free main with a side salad, avocado, corn chips and a dollop of sour cream. 

INSTANT POT SOUTHWEST RICE 

In this recipe, we show you how to make versatile Southwest style rice in the Instant Pot and how you can serve it up as five different dishes. The recipe makes a large batch of colorful, nutritious rice that can be divided into two meals (unless you’re feeding a large family or a group of friends). We love this dish because it goes a long way and is super affordable and easy to make. 

In addition, we have a recipe for a delicious avocado tomato salsa salad that can be served with all of these Southwest rice variations. You will find the full recipe and nutritional breakdown in a recipe card below. And don’t forget to check out the five ways with Southwest rice after that! 

SOUTHWEST RICE INGREDIENTS

Here is a quick overview and notes on the ingredients you will need to make this rice dish:

• Long-grain white rice – make sure to rinse it really well before adding to the pot to get rid of the starch, which can otherwise make it stodgy and gluggy.
• Black beans – any canned beans can be used but we love black beans for that Southwestern feel.
• Sweet corn – we used frozen corn but you can also use fresh or canned.
• Bell peppers – we love green bell peppers for color but red or yellow can also be used. 
• Add some flavor: in addition to chopped canned tomatoes, onions and garlic, you will need a few staple spices like paprika, cumin, turmeric (for that brilliant yellow color), salt, pepper. A touch of chili will give it a little kick. 

HOW TO MAKE SOUTHWEST RICE IN AN INSTANT POT

We used a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo but you can easily make this recipe in an 8-quart. Find the full recipe ingredients and a nutritional breakdown below these step-by-step photos.

Step 1. Rinse rice under cold water 4-5 times and drain in a sieve. 
Step 2. Using Sauté mode (Normal), cook the onions and green peppers in a little olive oil for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Press Cancel to stop the Sauté mode.
Step 3. Add garlic, black beans, corn, rice, spices, salt and stock cube (if using, crumbled). Add the 2.5 cups water and stir through well, make sure to scrape the bottom so that nothing is stuck (to prevent the BURN ERROR). If you’re not using a stock cube, add 2.5 cups of ready-made stock instead of water.

Step 4. Spread the canned chopped tomatoes over the top but don’t stir through (again, to prevent the burn error).
Step 5. Secure and lock the lid. Set to Manual/Pressure Cook on HIGH pressure for 4 minutes. After 3 beeps, the Instant Pot will start building up pressure (should take about 10 minutes), and the cooking will commence. Once the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes and then use the quick release to let off the remaining pressure. 
Step 5. Open the lid and stir through the rice. 

AVOCADO TOMATO SALSA SALAD

This zesty, refreshing tomato avocado salsa is like a side salad that goes fabulously with Southwestern rice. You can serve it on the side with the rice, on top of the casserole or crispy patties or inside the burritos or tacos. It’s super easy to make using diced tomatoes, red or white onion, cilantro, avocado and fresh lime juice. Season with a little salt and finish with a drizzle of olive oil (optional). 

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MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE

• Instant Pot Beef Cheeks (Served 4 Ways)
• Instant Pot Stuffed Baked Potatoes 4 Ways
• Instant Pot Pork Al Pastor & Rice Casserole
• 5 Ways to Cook Potatoes In The Instant Pot

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FIVE WAYS WITH SOUTHWEST RICE 

As we mentioned earlier, Southwest rice can be served as a main meat-free meal topped with some guacamole and/or sour cream and a side salad. The beauty of this rice is that it can also be turned into a variety of meals, some of which we would like to share here.

SOUTHWEST RICE WITH CHICKEN & SALAD

Serve the rice with grilled chicken or steak and any salad on the side. It’s a great side dish with pretty much anything. 

SOUTHWEST RICE CASSEROLE

To make a Southwest style rice casserole, transfer the pre-cooked rice to a baking dish, drizzle all over with the BBQ sauce and top with plenty of grated cheese. Bake in the 200 C/ 400F oven for 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and browned slightly around the edges. Serve with tomato avocado salad and sour cream. 

CHEESY  RICE PATTIES SOUTHWEST Style

To make these crispy, cheesy rice patties, combine the pre-cooked rice with grated cheese, diced pickled jalapenos and a little flour. Mix until well incorporated. Shape into small patties using your hands (about 2-3 tablespoons per patty) and pan-fry in a little oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Serve with tomato and avocado salsa salad.

SOUTHWEST RICE SALAD (COWBOY CAVIAR)

This is a great salad to make with leftover, chilled Southwest rice. Allow the rice to cool down completely (or use leftover rice from the fridge). To 3 cups of rice, add 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes, 1 cup diced cucumber, 1/3 cup diced cilantro, 1/3 cup diced red onion. For the dressing, combine the juice of 1 lime with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 garlic clove (minced) or 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika or sweet paprika. Whisk and stir into the salad. 

SOUTHWEST RICE BURRITOS OR TORTILLA BOWLS

Wrap hot rice in a large tortilla together with grated cheese, BBQ or chipotle sauce, salsa sauce, avocado, diced tomatoes and onions. Heat in the oven or in a frying pan for 5 minutes to get the cheese to melt slightly or serve as is. You can also pop it in a microwave for a minute. Another option is to make tortilla bowls filled with rice and topped with guacamole or cashew cream.