Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans and Rice–the easiest and tastiest rice and beans recipe ever! Brown rice is cooked in flavorful salsa with garlic salt, a bay leaf and cumin. Canned black beans make this recipe very convenient. And my favorite part is a squeeze of lime juice and a dollop of sour cream on top. Make this as a meal or as a side dish.
Get the slow cooker version of this recipe
Instant Pot Rice and Beans Recipe (video)
First off I want to say that I’ve been making the slow cooker version of these rice and beans for years and I love it so very much. I love to eat it for dinner or lunch or for a snack. This is an inexpensive but filling (and somewhat healthy) way to feed your family! Plus you might just have everything you need to make Instant Pot Mexican black beans and rice in your pantry right now.
Why You’ll Love this Rice and Beans Recipe
EASY TO PREPARE: It only takes about 40 minutes from start to finish in the Instant Pot and if you decided to use white rice the time would be significantly less. My favorite thing about these Instant Pot Mexican black beans and rice is how fast and easy they are! I can get everything into the pot in less than 5 minutes.
TASTE: I also love the sort of creamy consistency that happens. My favorite thing to do is stir a dollop of full-fat sour cream into my rice. I also love to eat my rice and beans with sliced avocado if I happen to have a ripe avocado laying around. Oh and if you have Juanitas tortilla chips crunch some of them on top. Mmmmm.
VERSATILITY: I made these for dinner last night and I didn’t miss the meat. However if you want you could always serve this dish with a side of chicken. I’m thinking the Cafe Rio chicken would be perfect. Or you can place the chicken directly on top of the rice and cook it at the same time as the rice and beans! See the recipe card below for how to do that. You can also make this recipe with dried beans, white rice and lots of other combinations of ingredients! It’s a starting off point to your own version.
Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
You might just have everything you need to make this Instant Pot rice and beans recipe in your pantry right now!
- A can of black beans–you can also use a different type of beans, like pinto beans or kidney beans
- Long grain brown rice–you can also use another type of rice, like long grain white rice
- Water–or chicken or vegetable broth for extra flavor
- Picante sauce–or salsa. I like to use mild Pace’s Picante Sauce
- Bay leaf–for flavor. Try buying these in the bulk section at Winco! They are so much cheaper that way.
- Ground Cumin–for flavor
- Garlic salt–to make your own use 1 part garlic powder to 1 part salt
- Fresh lime juice–you can use bottled lime juice in a pinch
- Optional toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, sliced avocado–you can also use plain yogurt, Fritos, guacamole, cilantro, olives etc.
Instant Pot Instructions
I love easy dump and go recipes and this one is just that! Add the ingredients into the Instant Pot and be on your way.
- Add ingredients into pot: Place rinsed beans, rice, water, salsa, bay leaf, cumin, and garlic salt in the Instant Pot. (I used a 6 quart Instant Pot*, but you can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot with no changes).
- Pressure cook: Cover and make sure valve is on “sealing.” Press the manual button and set to 22 minutes.
- Serve: When the pot beeps indicating that the time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then release any additional pressure. Stir a bit and discard the bay leaf. Add in lime juice and additional salsa to brighten it up, if needed. Scoop into bowls and top with desired toppings.
You can also make this recipe in the slow cooker. Find the slow cooker version of the recipe.
Can I make this without an Instant Pot?
Yes you can. You can make the rice on the stove according to package directions. Then stir in the rinsed beans, salsa, bay leaf, cumin, and garlic salt and warm through.
How to make brown rice on the stove: Add 2 cups of liquid and 1 cup of rice to a medium saucepan, and stir in a teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the rice is tender and has absorbed the water.
Can I use dried black beans?
My recipe calls for a can of black beans out of convenience. If you have dried beans that you would like to cook and use follow these steps:
- Add ¾ cup of black beans into your Instant Pot with 2 cups of water.
- Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 25 minutes.
- When time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes then move valve to venting. Remove the lid. Rinse the beans and drain them.
- Use them in the recipe below.
Can I make this with another type of rice?
If you want to use a different type of rice use this chart as a guide for water to rice ratios as well as how to adjust the pressure cooking time…
Variations
- Sauté some onions and a couple teaspoons of minced garlic in a bit of oil in your Instant Pot before pressure cooking the rice. This will add extra flavor!
- Add in a can of fire roasted tomatoes instead of the salsa.
- Get creative with the spices! Add in some chili powder or taco seasoning in the place of cumin.
- Add in a can of drained corn or a cup of frozen corn.
- Add in a diced green bell pepper. I recommend adding this after the pressure cooking time is up so that it doesn’t get too mushy.
Can I double this recipe?
I recommend doubling this recipe so you can have leftovers for lunch all week! Just double all the ingredients and keep the cooking time the same.
How to store leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.
What goes good with rice and beans?
On their own, beans and rice are incomplete proteins, meaning they lack some of the essential amino acids. Together, however, they provide all nine essential amino acids. So essentially, this combination or rice and beans is equivalent to animal protein in terms of protein quality. Cool, right?
You can add in some extra vegetables like mushrooms or bell peppers. You can also toss in some sautéed shrimp, browned ground beef, or shredded rotisserie chicken to make it even more hearty.
Some people like rolling their rice and beans up in a flour tortilla for burritos. Don’t forget all the fun toppings too!
More rice and beans recipes you’ll love…
Rice and beans are so cheap, but people could really use more ways to prepare them. Here are some other recipes that you can make tonight for dinner!
Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice
Instant Pot Santa Fe Beans And Rice
Dave Ramsey Slow Cooker Beans And Rice Recipe
All my Instant Pot recipes can be found here
Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans and Rice
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 22
- Total Time: 40
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
The easiest and tastiest rice ever! Brown rice is cooked in flavorful salsa with garlic salt, a bay leaf and cumin. Canned black beans make this recipe very convenient. And my favorite part is a squeeze of lime juice and a dollop of sour cream on top. Make this as a meal or as a side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup uncooked long grain brown rice
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup picante sauce or salsa (plus more, if needed)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- Fresh lime juice, to taste
- Optional toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, sliced avocado
Instructions
- Place rinsed beans, rice, water, salsa, bay leaf, cumin, and garlic salt in the Instant Pot.
- Cover and make sure valve is on “sealing.” Press the manual button and set to 22 minutes.
- When the pot beeps let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then release any additional pressure. Stir a bit and discard the bay leaf. Add in lime juice and additional salsa to brighten it up, if needed. Scoop into bowls and top with desired toppings.
Notes
If you wanted you could make this recipe with long grain white rice. Use 3/4 cup white rice and 1 1/4 cup water. Then use a 5 minute pressure cook time with a 10 minute natural pressure release. For other types of rice see the green chart.
To make with chicken: Reduce the amount of liquid to 1 cup if using frozen chicken or 1.25 cups if using fresh chicken. Place 1 pound of chicken boneless skinless breasts/thighs on top of all the ingredients. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. The chicken will cook along with your rice. If you want to use white rice instead of brown rice then cut up the chicken into bite size pieces or use chicken tenderloins.
- Category: Meatless
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Calories: 228
- Sugar: 3 grams
- Sodium: 347 mg
- Fat: 1.2 grams
- Carbohydrates: 44.4 grams
- Fiber: 8 grams
- Protein: 9.9 grams
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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
This was delicious! I know this recipe has been around a while and there were way too many comments to read them all but my husband said this was a keeper and had excellent flavor!!! I used salsa Verde sauce, taco seasoning, and 1.25 lbs of defrosted chicken thighs for this and it was more wet than your photo but I did follow your advise: 1c rice and 1.25c water. Maybe the salsa verde added more liquid than I would’ve wanted but it was still an outstanding recipe. It’s permanently in my to make again list!! Thanks Karen for all those recipes you share and try day in & out ❤️
★★★★★
I love salsa verde! This is a great idea!
This came out so good and the leftovers were even better! I used medium salsa but I think next time I will try using Rotel tomatoes. Should I add the whole can?
I would!
I doubled everything and also added an additional can of black beans (so 3 cans all together). It was delicious! It was a big hit with my teenagers. Tasty and filling … just the kind of recipes I need for all my hungry teens!
Yay! I love that your teenagers enjoyed it!
A keeper for sure!! So EZ to throw together & taste is out of the ballpark good! I added some sliced kielbasa when cooking & did what you suggested: big blob of sour cream with chopped scallions on top. WHOA!
Thanks for all the work you do to keep us fed & happy. You rock, girl.
BTW, my husband added NOTHING to this at the table. He usually keeps the hot sauce & Peppermill right next to his plate, just in case. He said it was delicious as is. Now, THAT’S a compliment!!
★★★★★
That really is a compliment!!!!! Thanks Kim!
I completely destroyed probably the easiest dinner to make, lol!!!
It came out mushy and the rice was a bit burned at the bottom. I probably added way too much liquid.
I’m so disappointed because I was really looking forward to this. Ah well. There is always next time. I [lan on making this again and making it right!
Oh dang! Sorry to hear this. I would layer the ingredients and do not stir. Try adding in the liquid first, then beans and then the rice.
Made it again this evening and it came out perfect! Wooohoo!!!
★★★★★
Yesssssssss
I have yet to make this recipe Karen but most likely will do this weekend.
I did want to comment however on your patience and wisdom. Were you a bird I suspect that you would be an owl.
The amount of questions asked of you that are clearly answered in your menu and notations are astounding. Simply reading your recipe is invariably all of the information one needs.
It is a very rare occurrence when something relevant is missing.
You are a much better person than I my dear.
★★★★★
Ahhh, thanks so much Robert! That is a nice compliment. I try to be understanding. Sometimes I get annoyed haha! I do have a lot of readers who are elderly so maybe they are unfamiliar with the web.
We LOVE this one. Doubles like a dream (I don’t add extra cook time) and keeps well for days.
★★★★★
I agree!
I love and have saved your InstantPot recipes…and I have tried a lot of them! What I appreciate most is that you provide ideas and cooking notes. Your recipes and suggestions seem to incorporate my cooking motto “the recipe is a place to start”. Your blog has made my InstantPot one of my favorite go-to appliances and a full kitchen remodel made it a necessity!
Thank you and keep up the delicious work!
Oh this is so nice to read. Thank you for the nice compliment Vicki. I am glad you find value here.
I’m making Turkey Tacos tomorrow night for Mum and I. This looks like the perfect accompaniment. Can’t wait to try it!
Perfect side for tacos!
Thank you so much for this recipe. Mum is still learning to like Mexican dishes and she liked this dish so much that she had seconds.
YAY!!!
This became an instant family favorite. Feeding our family of 6, we doubled it from the first attempt. Wonderful addition to taco nights or as a stand-alone meal. Now starting to experiment with variations. Our kids ask for it often.
Glad your family enjoys it too! We love it here at the Petersen’s house!
I just tried this recipe, It came out Incredably well… Thank you..
★★★★
So glad you liked it Charles!
Made the rice and beans for dinner tonight…so good!!! I added smoked sausage to the recipe…it’s a keeper!! I will be making this again!
★★★★★
Oh wow great idea on the sausage! I love that idea.
Used pre soaked black beans. Also fresh garlic and some chopped onion. Added maybe another 1/2 cup stock. 22 minutes. PERFECT1
Sounds like a winning version!!
I’ve made this recipe 4 times and we love it for many reasons: it’s easy and fast; it’s tasty and healthy and it can be customized. We like to add some chopped cilantro, avocado and lime juice. You can add a few tortilla chips on the side and eat it like a dip, if you want to. I have also diced some onion and red bell pepper or poblano pepper in a pan and added it in.
It does matter what kind of salsa you use. The first time, we used Herdez, which is mostly vegetables and kind of watery. This did not work as well as the Pace Picante Sauce; Pace is a little more like tomato sauce – not quite that thick, but not watery.
Even the first time I made this it only took 30 minutes from start to finish. Great recipe, Karen!
★★★★★
This one is my go to! Love it.
Thanks Liz for the picante tip. Although I didn’t have anything but salsa Verde on hand, I made it with that. I’m interested in seeing how it turns out in the next few minutes! I added picante tip my shopping list for the future. I never realized there was a difference.
Absolutely fantastic! I made it with a can of Rotel instead of salsa, and it was sooooo good! Thank you for posting.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it Corrie!
Made this twice with canned black beans and today with dry black beans. This will be one of the staples in my plant-based diet.
★★★★
Tell me about how you did the dry black beans!
Just followed the instructions you wrote above…3/4 cup of dry black beans with two cups of water, cooked separately in the instant pot for 20mins with 10 min natural release. After that, I rinsed the beans and followed the recipe.
Awesome! Hopefully it worked out well!
How much of the dry beans did you use and did you have to change anything about the recipe for it to work??
3/4 cups of dry black beans with 2 cups of water cooked in instant pot for 20min with 10min natural release. Rinse. It should be equal to a can of black beans.
Freekin’ awesome stuff. Just the right flavor combination! Made it just as stated, had a bunch of recommended toppings handy. This can go in a bowl, in a warmed tortilla, in a taco shell, add some meat, just truly great stuff to eat! Thank you for this recipe…. it’s a keeper.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it Debbie!
I love your recipes, but this one was so delicious I had to comment! I used the mango salsa from Costco and it gave it a much different flavor than regular salsa. I regret not doubling it, but will be making this again and again. Thanks for all your IP recipes.
★★★★★
oh wow that sounds so great!
Made this last night for my family. Everyone loved it, I asked if I should make it again and all were in agreement, the answer was “yes”. Delicious 😋
Nice!! I love this one too!
I have an 8 quart IP. I thought I had to have a minimum of 2 cups of liquid for this size.
If I made the recipe with 1 1/2 cups of water as in the recipe, would I get the burn notice?
You might, especially since the rice is a moisture absorbing food. You may want to increase the water a bit. Or you could double the recipe.
Hands down best mexican rice ive ever had!! And so easy to make! Thanks for sharing!!! Glad I doubled it, even my picky eaters asked for seconds!!
★★★★★
YESSSSSS love to hear this!
I wasn’t sure about this because I’m not a huge fan of black beans but decided to give it a shot. I made it with chicken thighs and the only thing I changed was I used some home made chicken stock instead of water. This was absolutely fabulous, will definitely be making again. So much flavor with the cilantro and lime, didn’t need cheese or sour cream.
★★★★★
Glad you liked it Phyllis!!
I have an 8 quart unit and twice tried to make this and rice stuck to bottom and burned, had to transfer to stove top. Do I need to add more liquid because it’s 8 quarts?
That’s what I would do with the 8 quart. Sorry you had issues!
Would you recommend trying 2 cups water or is that too much?
That’s what I would do!
So good and the flavors were wonderful. I used the Salsa Verda and added chicken. Next time I’ll try using the picante sauce.
★★★★★
I love salsa verde, I bet that was amazing!
So good! I doubled the recipe for quick reheat meals for my kids. So glad I did! Made recipe as directed, used the juice of one lime and a whole 24 ounce jar of restaurant style salsa in total when doubled recipe. This is a keeper….all 3 kids loved it!! I find recipes every weekend online to use for dinner and this is the first review I’ve left.
★★★★★
Wow I’m glad you liked it so well and thanks for leaving a comment!
How long did you cook a double recipe?
★★★★★
I use the same time for doubled recipes: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-double-instant-pot-recipes/
what is picante sauce and in directions it says salsa but its not in the ingredient list
It’s a lot like salsa! You can use either one.
Hi Karen , as usual you provide relevant recipes (pantry in this case during these uncertain time’s )
Although I will only make this tomorrow … I wondered if I can freeze it !? I make some meals for my son who lives on his own ..(and I cook for friends ). so being freezer friendly is important to me as I can freeze until the next humanitarian mission to his fridge lol…
Thanks for letting me know ! Keep
Safe and a huge thanks for all your hard work
Yes this one would be wonderful to freeze!
So agree with Roberta. Hard to find alot things right now. this made an awesome meatless meal. 🙂
★★★★★
Yay! Glad you liked it Toni!
Could Pinto beans be used instead of Black beans? Would the cooking time for the beans be different. The Pinto beans are canned beans.
yes absolutely! It will work great with pinto beans.
Love the recipe. I have a question about a bag of Anasazi beans. How do I cook these in an instant pot?
Cooking time? Liquid amount? Recipe?
Any would be helpful.
I’ve never tasted them before and got a bag while in CO and don’t want to ruin them.
Thanks!
★★★★★
I would cook them for 25 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release. Make sure they are covered completely by water with about an inch over the top. Here is a recipe that looks good! http://eliotseats.com/2019/01/27/instant-pot-anasazi-beans/
I made this with basmati white rice because I just don’t have the patience with brown rice. I also sauteed (without oil) a large onion before adding the other ingredients. It was amazing!!! I couldn’t believe how good your recipe was. I served it for lunch and then immediately made a second batch. I love the lime. It adds layers of flavor I never thought beans and rice could have.
I’ve eaten leftovers for breakfast, it’s so good.
★★★★★
Yay Robin! I’m so happy you liked it 🙂
Used white rice and it was perfectly cooked using the suggested 5 minutes (plus 2 minutes due to adjusting for altitude of 7000ft). I added about 3/4 cup grated butternut squash, and it was tasty and satisfying. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Yum I love butternut squash!
I made this yesterday and I’m eating it now. It came out amazing!
Changes: I didn’t have some items so I left out the bay leaf and garlic salt.
I added smoked paprika and Penzy’s seasoned salt.
For topping I added spicy guac and lime juice but I’m not sure I added enough.
It came out super flavorful and would be excellent in a burrito with guac and sour cream.
So glad it came out well. Your version sounds yummy!
So what I did was use a can of black beans drained, Minute Brown Rice and Quinoa, homemade marinara sauce instead of salsa, the bayleaf, Jimmy Dean turkey sausage crumbles and the water. I set pot for 14 min and let sit for 10. Delicious. I basically used the same measurements you had and about 1/3 cup of the crumbles. Next time I will make it meatless with Boca Crumbles. Did I say yum!
★★★★★
Awesome!
So if I use Jasmine rice, and frozen boneless chicken breast I should add on 5 minutes to the 22 minutes?
For jasmine rice I would use 1 cup of rinsed jasmine rice and 1 cup of water. You’ll need to cut the chicken into bite size pieces to they cook at the same rate. Cook for 4 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release.
Do you set the pressure on high.
Yes Joanne, I always set to high.
What would you set the insta pot for if I am using dry black beans out of a bag, not canned?
I would soak the beans for 8-12 hours first and then rinse them. Add them in with an extra 2 cups of water and keep the same 22 minute cooking time.
Can I cook pinto beans
An how many minutes
Yes I would use the same cooking time for pintos.
I have no *official* rating as of yet, but 5 stars for ease! I’m currently making this (with minor adjustments) and will comment again after. I added Aidells Roasted Garlic & Gruyere Chicken sausage (4 links) because I wanted a good basic beans/rice/sausage recipe to add to my mix. This recipe with the salsa sounded too good to pass up, so here I am! I also only had premixed brown and jasmine rice, so I cut the cook time down to 17 minutes. (My rice mix, 1.5 cups with frozen chicken breasts, usually only takes 18 minutes.) I also cut the cumin to 1/2 tsp, and added 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, like another user recommended. I’m super excited to try this tonight, and to have another super easy meal for lunches! Thanks!
~~OFFICIAL RATING~~ 5 stars! Super easy, super tasty! In addition to the sausage, I also used chicken broth instead of water. I love how my rice and other dishes turn out, and this was no exception. Delish! With the shorter cook time, the meal came out to be a perfect consistency, not dry or mushy. This recipe yielded 6 1-cup servings, which I topped with 1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese. Next time I plan on trying it with green onions and sour cream, as well.
Again, thanks so much for sharing this recipe, and I’ll be coming back for more! I’m also super stoked that you have a gluten free tab!
<3 😀
★★★★★
Hooray! So glad that it worked well for you. Thanks for being here and adding your experience 🙂
Huge hit with the family! Picky kiddo ate more than half and hubby raved about it. So simple and cheap to make. Will definitely make again!
Topped it with:
Shredded lettuce
Guacamole
Sour cream
Diced fresh Roma tomatoes
Salsa
Chives
Cilantro
YUM! Thank you!
★★★★★
Those topping ideas sound so perfect to me! I love guacamole sooooo much 🙂
The recipe is fine – the web page is outrageously and annoyingly SLOW! Get rid of all the stupid pop-ups and ads. Install, ‘Get recipe’ button on first page – not interested in your cooking life story!
★★★★
Recipe is great.
I also appreciate your context and story telling. ❤️
★★★★★
Thanks!
I agree. Thank you for all the hard work so other busy families can have healthy fast dinners at home too. Can’t wait to try this tonight – it’s cold here!!!
Thanks JC!
There is a jump to recipe button at the top of the page.
I greatly appreciated the recipe, the story telling and found that the website was as fast as any other. Maybe someone needs to upgrade from dial-up 🙂
Thanks for posting something that includes CANNED beans in the IP. I had a heck of a time finding one that didn’t call for dried beans!
★★★★★
Hi Jen, Glad it was helpful to you!
I was expecting this to be reasonably good, but wow, it was a home run for dinner tonight! My pickiest child, who always turns up his nose at brown rice, devoured his serving and gave it a thumbs up. I made a double batch, added 1 cup of frozen corn, some oregano and chicken bouillon powder. We topped our bowls with chopped cilantro, red onions, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole, plus some corn chips. Definitely will be making this again!
★★★★★
How awesome! I really love reading comments like this. It makes my hard work worth it.
I made this as directed and it turned out very well. I even gave some to my neighbors and they were very complimentary about the dish. It’s very easy, but I think next time I’ll add some rotisserie chicken since I like a little meat. Thanks.
Good plan!
Looking forward to trying this recipe! If I want to double it, do I need to increase the cooking time? I’d like to use white rice. Thanks so much.
No need to double cooking time: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-double-instant-pot-recipes/
Tell me about the ‘timer” . My IP doesn’t have one.
When the time is up on the pressure cook time
I made this for dinner tonight. I made it exactly as the recipe says but I added in seasoned, chopped chicken thighs. I’m in TX and our TX-based HEB sells Mi Tienda brand seasoned meats. I used the pollo chile verde. I cooked the chicken up and then added to the pot when everything else was done. One of my kiddos has already told me I should probably plan to make this again…soon. It was VERY good! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Nice! I love this idea!
mine turned into muuuuushhh just didn’t care for it 🙁
★
Did you use brown rice?
OMG so delicious.
★★★★★
Glad you liked it!!
Excellent. Thank you for sharing. I used the white rice version cause I had that on hand.
★★★★★
And did it work out well? I’m so glad!
What if I want to use dried beans?
I would try this recipe: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-mexican-chicken-rice-bowls/
OR
you could cook the dried beans first and then make the recipe as it is written
My son is autistic. We made this together as our first instapot recipe. He is scared of cooking, but seems to be ok with the Instapot. Mexican food is his fav. He did it! Thank you so much. I sadly didn’t have any lime or black beans (we used kidney) but still came out DELISH!!!
★★★★★
Winning! This is great to hear 🙂
I need to try and get my autistic son to help cook. Never thought about the instant pot might be easier. Thanks for posting.
★★★★
Made twice now. Had to double because my family wanted seconds. Did it as tacos and had some guacamole to line the tortillas.
Will work on modifying by adding heat.
★★★★★
yes on the guacamole! sounds great!
Could you add red quinoa for the fiber/ protein addition? Do you have an idea how much quinoa and how much water.
quinoa cooks very quickly. Will it be added in addition to the rice? or in place of the rice?
I made it with quinoa using a 1:1 ratio. I cooked on high pressure for 5 minutes then natural release for 5 minutes. The quinoa texture was correct but the dish overall was a bit dry. It’s always hard to know when adapting…I’ll add a bit more liquid next time.
Can I use brown basmati rice with the same cooking time?
yes
How would long grain basmati affect the cook time?
I’d do 5 minutes plus a 10 minute npr
This turned out perfect. I had a jar of Trader Joe’s salsa and it was great. I loved it because let’s face it… so easy, no chopping. It was the perfect meal for my teen before fencing or tennis practice. Perfect combo of protein and carbs to power through a sweat session. The thing that surprised me the most- Da Hub doesn’t eat black beans and scarfed down a bowl before a run. WINNER!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this.
★★★★★
Nice! I love to hear this. And I love that your kid has fencing practice! How cool is that?
This was good. I did add about a 1/2 lb. of ground beef (browned 1st in the Instant Pot), and took another reviewer’s suggestion to cut the cumin to 1/2 tsp. Also added about a 1/2 tsp. of oregano and coriander. Topped it with cilantro, Mexican cheese and more salsa. Twenty-two minutes was the perfect amount of time.
★★★★★
Thanks so much for sharing Sharon!!
Is this recipe possible to do in a crock pot since I dont have an instapot?
Here is the slow cooker version: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/recipe-for-slow-cooker-mexican-black/
I have always added ham to my black beans and rice so I definitely want to try this in my new instant pot. And add some chopped ham so it’s a complete meal. The. I will serve it with some chopped scalli9ns, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream on top. It looks delicious!!!
That sounds tasty!
This turned out fantastic!! Thank you so much! I’ve tried about 5 different instant pot mexican beans & rice recipes and this beats them by a landslide. It’s easier, tastier, and didn’t come out dry (7 no burn signal). For those in the U.S., I used Trader Joe’s brand red Salsa Authentica for the picante sauce. Topped with avocado, grated cheese, cilantro, and a bit more salsa and had tortilla chips on the side for a filling vegetarian meal.
★★★★★
Nice! So glad to hear this 🙂
I made it but obviously one big mistake I made. I used white rice and cooked 22 minutes. Definitely gummy. Would I reduce time to 15 minutes when using white rice?
If it’s long grain white rice I would do a 10 minute time.
Thank goodness I saw this comment! I was 5 minutes into cooking with long grain white. I stopped at 10 min and it turned out perfectly!
Served with shredded chicken mixed with fresh cilantro and lime.
10/10! Thank you!!
★★★★★
Oh good! glad you liked it!
I just made this for lunch, didn’t change anything, didn’t substitute anything, follow your recipe exactly and it was delicious. thank You !!
So glad you liked it!
Just made this last night and it was amazing! I’ve always purchased pre-packaged Spanish rice to go with tacos, but I hated how much sodium and other preservatives were in them. With this recipe, I know exactly what’s in it! I reheated it today for lunch and it was just as good. Very easy to make, and my 11-year-old daughter loved it too. From now on, I don’t even need a taco- I’ll just eat the rice!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it!
Doubled the recipe, this made awesome burrito filling, easy and tasty. A man-pleasing recipe that will become a favorite at our house. We will be trying some of your other recipes ASAP! Thank you.
★★★★★
Did the cooking time change when you doubled the recipe?
I’ve always made it double and I’ve kept the same time and it comes out awesome. I add a full jalapeño to the recipe as well 😉
★★★★★
I’m about to try this, and have cooked wih the IP many times. I think this will turn out great, everyone just needs to make sure not to stir as hat usually gives the burn notice.
In general, when doubling a recipe, you still keep cook time the same. For example, if you made extra muffin batter and filled a few more spaces in one tin.. you’d still cook them for the same time!
Made with white rice and a 3 minute cook time. Cheap, easy, and everybody liked it.
I don’t have an instant pot, could I use a crockpot for this recipe?
Here is the slow cooker version of the recipe: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/recipe-for-slow-cooker-mexican-black/
Hi Karen, I really want to make this recipe, but (from the UK) I don’t know what you mean by ‘picante sauce’. Would be grateful for help.
It’s like jarred salsa that is a little runnier than regular salsa.
Could I use this as a burrito filling, or would it be too runny?
Not too runny. I think it would work well.
I browned one pound of burger in the instant pot, drained the grease, then added the rest of the ingredients. It was perfect!
Good idea!
Followed the same quantities and cooking times (using salsa instead of the sauce) in a 3qt instant pot and it came out PERFECTLY. This is exactly the dish I was hoping to find, and so incredibly easy. A real keeper! Thanks!
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GREAT!!!
Great recipe! I added some fresh corn at the end!
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Oh fresh corn this time of year is scrumptious!
Doubled the recipe, cut the cumin down by half, added ~1tsp each oregano and coriander powder. Served with Doritos, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, lime and shredded cheddar. Delicious and filling! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Yum on the Doritos!
Hi, First time using the instant pot and I don’t have a “manual” button.
What buttons would you press for theMexican black beans and rice?
do you have a pressure cook button?
This was so easy and delicious. I doubled the recipe and it turned out perfectly. We used it as a burrito filling. Thanks for the great recipe!!!
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That is a great idea about the burritos!
I have a 3qt IP can I cut the recipe in half ?
yes!
Recipe sounds great, but I added a little diced onion and pepper (saw someone in the comments also did so with good results), used the variation for white rice, and got a burn signal! I have an 8qt, and maybe it’s just not enough liquid. Recipe is currently cooking on the stove, so I hope it still turns out.
I made this last night and followed the instructions exactly. It still had a lot of liquid after following the 22 minutes (using high pressure), and 10 minute wait time. I have another recipe for plain brown rice that calls for 24 minutes on high pressure, so I think this just needs to go for longer time. I resealed the Instantpot for a few more minutes, and it was still just okay. Probably won’t make again.
★★
I need to triple the recipe for a party of 12. Do I triple all of the ingredients? Also what should the cooking time be?
Thanks
I haven’t tried tripling it but I would probably use 2 1/4 cups brown rice and 3 cups water. Triple all the other ingredients. Same cooking time.
Thanks I will do a practice run. Should I do a full release?
5-10 minute release should suffice
This is delicious! I doubled the recipe for a family event and it was a huge hit. It doubled just fine with the same cook time and I forgot the bay leaves, but it still came out fantastic.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it!
Great recipe! I upped the rice to 1 cup and swapped out the picante sauce for a can of diced tomatoes with Chile’s. Was a big hit!
I used another brand of electric pressure pot on the Beans & Rice setting adjusting time to 22 min. It came out perfectly! I used mild picante sauce and will bump that up to the medium version next time. I also plan to double it in the 6-quart pot. I’m currently looking at a 4-qt version of the PP and would not double it in that. This would also make great burritos if one was so inclined.
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My brown rice did not cook, what did I do wrong, followed the recipe exactly?
Really? Was the pot sealed?
I had that happen, too, and checked with my mom who made this successfully. She said she cooks hers on high pressure but my IP defaults to low when on manual.
One of my new favourites! I scramble a couple of eggs and throw them on top and even eat this for breakfast some days as a ‘hash’. I’ve also taken to putting in a tsp of smoked paprika as well.
Thanks for a great dish!
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Awesome idea!!
Deeeeeelicious!!!! The only thing I did was add chicken. I diced it up into 1/2 inch chunks then seasoned it with blackening seasoning. I sautéed the chicken a bit then just made the rest of the recipe just as you posted. It was fantastic!!!
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Well that sounds perfect!
I thought of adding chicken as well for the “complete” meal.
Delicious recipe! My family loves it! I did add about a tsp of salt because it was lacking for me.
Also, the nutrition info, is that per serving or for the whole batch?
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Hi Kristen, that’s per serving!
Hello, just found this recipe, to looks delicious! I have an Instant Pot not the type you have, so I’m wondering when you say 3/4 cup rice and 1 1/2 cups water, do you mean actual cups or the cup measure that likely came with your multi-cooker that may not be 1 cup/8 oz/237 ml volume? Thanks.
I mean an actual cup, not the “rice” cups that come with the pot. Hope this helps!
Wow, I Just started using the Instant Pot and this was the first meal that turned out excellent. Great recipe, thank you for sharing.
So glad to hear!
I made this and it came out perfectly! I used beans I had already cooked, and used salsa as it’s all we had. Also, added 1/2 onion at the beginning and some corn after it was done cooking. I used fresh garlic and salt rather than garlic salt. Served with cheddar cheese and lime. Sour cream or creme fraiche would have been a great addition too! Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
I’m drooling about creme fraiche!
Oh. My. Goodness. This may be my favorite IP recipe so far! Well, it ties for top, anyway! Thank you SO much for sharing, we loved it! Now I will explore the other recipes you’ve posted. Thanks again!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it, Lisa! I love this one because it’s so easy. I love it with sour cream on top too!
I wanted to make this for a meal, it would be excellent as a side with the recipe as is. But I wanted a little bit more veggies. I chopped up half of an onion and one red bell pepper and a clove of garlic and used the instant pots sautee feature and then added in the rest of the ingredients. I also used red beans in place of black. I think this would be excellent with chicken and would be super easy to add in while you were sauteing the onions Etc. I used calrose rice, one thing I’ve noticed is that it doesn’t take very long in the instant pot, 22 minutes seemed like way too long for me so I lowered the time to 10 minutes and let it sit in extra 10 minutes and that seemed to be perfect. All in all a great versatile recipe that anyone could add or subtract from very easily to their liking, I even think you could add in a cup of regular salsa in place of the picante sauce if you didn’t have any, and it would be just as good. Thanks for this recipe, will be a regular staple!
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Thanks so much for your observations!
What would the best timing be if you use white rice?
Hi Rhonda, is it long grain or short grain white rice. Long grain white rice needs only 3 minutes and short grain needs 8. Also the rice to water ratio is 1 to 1.5 cups.
Could you not throw some chicken in with this?
you totally could.
Just add frozen chicken breasts in at the beginning???
that’s what I would do!
Made this today with some tweaks for dried beans and jasmine rice. Thanks for the inspiration to try it!
I used 3/4 cup dried black beans. Either soak the beans or use the instant pot quick soak method (beans + 4 cup water + tsp salt; bring to boil in instant pot; then seal and cook on high for 2 min; quick release, drain, rinse).
Followed the recipe for the most part, except I left out the rice in the beginning, cooked for 20 minutes on high, quick released pressure, stirred in 3/4 cup jasmine rice, cooked on high again for 3 minutes, then let pressure naturally release. I also used a can of rotel + one onion diced instead of picante because that was what I had in my pantry. Threw in a diced chipotle in adobo for extra flavor and spice.
Perfect one pot meal with stuff from my pantry. Thanks!
Thanks so much for sharing! I will try your method with dried black beans soon 🙂
Can I use precooked/leftover rice for this?
Well, the whole point of using the pressure cooker for this recipe is to cook the rice. You could probably just stir the precooked rice and the other ingredients together on the stove until heated through.
Could you use a can of chopped/crushed tomatoes instead of salsa?
yes, but it won’t have as much flavor. Try using a can of fire roasted tomatoes maybe.
Mine has a weird texture, kinda pasty. I used white rice but made the adjustment to the water. Curious. Why it came out this way.
Hmmm, I’m not sure why. Do you think the rice was overcooked? Maybe too much water?
I had a similar result. Super good in my taco salad, but pasty as well. I’m thinking less time for white rice? Thank you!
okay I need to do some testing with the white rice it sounds like!
What is picante sauce? Is this different from salsa?
Hi Stacey, here is a good article that explains the difference: https://tastessence.com/difference-between-salsa-picante-sauce-pico-de-gallo
I think I found a new staple in my dinner rotation! Thanks!
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You’re so welcome!
Very easy and turned out perfectly! I made it to the recipe and it was perfectly cooked. Family loved it, but definitely need to double it, at least, next time. Fed two adults and a teenager as is, no leftovers. Also added some rotisserie chicken to the guys afterwards.
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Good call on the rotisserie chicken 🙂
I think this would be great with Kielbasa
I am making it with kielbasa tonight…! 🙂
Cannot be made eithbjust a simple rice cooker in place of an instant pot?
I’m sorry. Are you asking if you could make this in the rice cooker?
Came out perfect and I used jasmine rice!!!
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Nice! Glad to hear.
If I was going to double this, I’d need double everything, Right? Water, salsa, beans, etc.
I love how cheap and tasty this is! I added shredded cheddar cheese into it and some sour cream and used tortilla chips to scoop it all up. Awesome!
I think so! I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t say for sure. That sounds so tasty 🙂
If you were to double or maybe just increase it by half, would it still work in the 6qt instant pot?
yep totally
If you are cooking the dish w/ out salsa in it should you add more liquid and if so, how much?
Hi Lindsey, you don’t need extra liquid. Will you be adding salsa after it cooks?
Thinking about it but wanted to get sort of a baseline brown rice and beans recipe to have as a go-to. Plus it’s a toss up with salsa and my 4 and 2 year old so I may end up adding salsa to taste after it cooks. Excited to try it tomorrow!
Hi! Trying this recipe today, but curious………..where does the lime juice come into play? I don’t see it listed in the instructions. While cooking, or after? Thank you!
Oops! I just corrected the recipe. You just add it in at the end after it’s cooked.
I assume you can’t use instant brown rice like minute rice?
I bet you *could* but I’m not sure what the water to rice ratio would be and the cooking time would be different too!
Hello! I’m curious abut how well the texture of home made black beans would hold up under the 22min cooking time needed for the rice. Do they get mushy? Would it be better to stir the beans into the hot rice at the end? Thanks 🙂
I don’t think it would hurt to just stir them in at the end. The canned worked fine from the beginning though, so it’s up to you.
I did stir them in at the end – the dish was delicious! The black beans were my first batch of no soak beans in the pressure cooker and they were just perfect as they were…I was feeling a little protective of them (so silly!) Anyway, the black beans and rice was a big hit with my family, and I’ll need to make a double batch next time so we have leftovers for lunches 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Oh good! Thanks for sharing, Valerie!
Rice is mush!!! Gross!
I used soaked (dried) black beans instead of canned (1.5 cups) and cooked for 22 min @ high pressure. Turned out perfect.
★★★★★
awesome! I’m going to try this too 🙂
Very tasty! Made it with basmati rice and added corn. I would probably reduce the cook time as it was a little mushy (I did the 22min on high pressure) but was still very good. Thanks!
Should I double the cooking time if I need to double the recipe?
no, it should be a similar cooking time. Maybe just add 2-3 extra minutes.
This sounds delicious! Could it be made with dried black beans instead of canned?
You could definitely make the black beans beforehand in the instant pot but I’m not sure how it would work if you added all the stuff together. Acid based foods (like salsa) would prevent the dried black beans from softening so you would not be able to cook the beans with that.
How much is a serving?
about a cup 🙂
Could you make this with dried black beans? Would it take more liquid or more time?
It would definitely take more time! And more liquid. I have no idea exactly how much. I’ll try again and let you know 🙂
I made this with white rice, it only took 15 minutes on manual high pressure. Wasn’t sure how much lime to add but one tablespoon was good. Turned out really good!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe because it looks so yummy! We’re planning a backyard family fiesta this summer and I was wondering if you thought this recipe could be easily tripled or quadrupled in the instant pot? Or perhaps I should double it twice and keep warm in my slow cooker? What would you suggest?
Yes, I think you could double it or triple it but I would let the pot do a full release before trying to open.