Quick, easy, flavorful, filling and cheesy Instant Pot Enchilada Rice gets done in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for a busy weeknight meal or to feed a crowd on a budget!
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Are you looking for a one-pot delicious side dish for upcoming game-night?
This Instant Pot Enchilada Rice Casserole is the perfect crowd-pleasing dish to make! Everyone will want the recipe when you tell them how quick and easy it is to make.
The easiest recipe you will ever make. Just throw everything into an instant pot and you’re set!
I love easy recipes for parties, potlucks or even for weeknight dinner.
I prefer recipes that are mostly hands-off (Instant Pot has been great for that!). Enchilada Rice in Instant Pot is one of them.
Add the ingredients to the Instant Pot, pressure cook, stir in some cheese at the end, and you have a rich, hearty dish ready in no time.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet, see the recipe card notes for a stovetop version.
Why I love this recipe?
Because it’s
- One-pot
- Healthy – Loaded with plant-based protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and nutrients.
- Easy – Requires only a handful of ingredients and less than 30 minutes.
- Delicious and filling
- Perfect for busy weeknights
- Crowd pleaser
- Perfect for game nights
- Packed with flavors
This instant pot enchilada rice is my family’s new favorite one-pot meal.
Do you guys like enchiladas?
My family loves enchiladas. That too only homemade. We don’t like restaurants enchilada much. The reason is that they are way too cheesy for our liking and somehow we never liked their sauce.
Our favorite types of enchilada are homemade Roasted veggie enchilada, Enchilada casserole made in instant pot with red sauce and enchilada casserole with a green sauce made in the oven.
When we crave for enchiladas, but don’t have enough time, and want the flavors of an enchilada in an easy way, I make enchilada rice.
Ingredients required for this recipe –
- Long grain white rice
- Green enchilada sauce
- Red enchilada sauce
- Black beans
- Corn
- Bell peppers
- Jalapenos
- Onion
- Garlic
- Oil
- Cheese
- Taco seasoning
- Salt
- Water
- Avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips and lime for toppings
How to make Instant Pot Enchilada Rice? Step by step process –
Turn on the saute button in an instant pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil to the pot.
Now add garlic, onion and bell peppers, saute for a minute, you don’t want them browned.
Then add water to the pot. Make sure there’s nothing stuck at the bottom.
Add all the remaining ingredients – corn, rice, beans, taco seasoning, salt, jalapenos, red sauce, and green sauce. Do not stir
Close the pot with its lid. Press the manual/ 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 quickly release the remaining pressure.
Open the pot and add in the cheese and close the pot with a glass lid for a 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 and lime wedges. Yum!
Some important tips and notes to consider while making this recipe –
1. Red and green enchilada sauce –
The most important ingredient to make Instant pot enchilada rice is – use good enchilada sauce!
Because the flavors and aroma really depend on the sauce.
For this recipe, I have used store-bought sauce. My favorite brand is Old El Pasos green and red enchilada sauce (Not sponsored, just love them).
2. Rice – Choose long-grain white rice. I have used Basmati rice.
3. Cheese – You can use any cheese of your liking and feel free to add as much cheese as you like.
4. Black beans – Make sure to drain the beans well if you are using the canned variety.
5. Substitutes for white rice – You can cook this recipe with brown rice or quinoa too.
- For brown rice – Add one more cup of water and cook this for 22 minutes at high pressure with natural pressure release.
- For quinoa – just replace the rice with quinoa, everything else will remain the same.
6. This can be made vegan too – Skip the regular cheese at the end and use vegan cheese. Or simply skip the cheese. It will be still so good!
7. This rice freezes well – I would not stir in the cheese at the end if I want to freeze it. Let the enchilada rice cool down, place in an individual portion in an airtight container and freeze them. They stay fresh up to a month.
Thaw them at room temperature for about an hour or two and heat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Stir in cheese at the time of re-heating your portion.
8. Spice Level – This enchilada rice is medium spiced. To make it spicier, add more jalapenos, use hot enchilada sauce in place of the medium. Or to make it mild, skip the jalapenos and use mild enchilada sauce.
9. Serving suggestions – Serve this with sour cream, tortilla chips, lime wedges, cilantro, and diced avocados. Or place in the middle of tortillas, add salsa, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and some more cheese, and make a burrito. Yum!
10. The texture of this rice – Unlike Mexican green rice(Arroz Verde), the rice granules in this enchilada rice recipe won’t be separated.
At the same time, they will be saucy and even more appetizing. The enchilada sauce blends in so well with the rice to make it juicier.
In short, this recipe would make your game day celebration or even a simple meal come alive.
11. Do Not stir – Once onion, garlic and bell peppers are sautéed, add all ingredients one by one WITHOUT stirring.
12. Stovetop version – To make this recipe on stovetop, follow instructions until sauteing the garlic, onion, and bell peppers on medium heat.
Then add all ingredients – water, rice, black beans, corn, taco seasoning, salt, green, and red enchilada sauce, 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 avocado and chips!
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Instant Pot Enchilada Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup – Long grain White rice (I used Basmati – Washed and drained)
- ½ cup – Green enchilada sauce
- 1 cup – red enchilada sauce
- 15 oz – Black beans I have used canned, drained it completely
- ¾ cup – Corn i have used frozen, fresh works fine too
- 1 cup – Bell peppers
- ¼ cup – Jalapenos Chopped and deseeded
- ¾ cup – Onion
- 1 teaspoon – Garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon – Oil
- 1 cup – grated Cheese
- 2 teaspoon – taco seasoning
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup – Water
- Avocado, cilantro, and lime for toppings
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Turn on the saute button in an instant pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil to the pot.
- Now add garlic, onion and bell peppers, saute for a minute, you don’t want them browned.
- Then add water to the pot. Make sure there’s nothing stuck at the bottom.
- Add all the remaining ingredients – corn, rice, beans, taco seasoning, salt, jalapenos, red sauce, and green sauce. Do not stir but press slightly so that rice is under the liquid.
- Close the pot with its lid. Press the manual/ 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 quickly release the remaining pressure.
- Open the pot and add in the cheese and close the pot with a glass lid for a 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 and lime wedges. Yum!
Video
Notes
Because the flavors and aroma really depend on the sauce.
For this recipe, I have used store-bought sauce. My favorite brand is Old El Pasos green and red enchilada sauce (Not sponsored, just love them). Rice – Choose long-grain white rice. I have used Basmati rice. Make sure to rinse the rice well with 2 to 3 waters and drain the excess water and keep it aside. Cheese – You can use any cheese of your liking and feel free to add as much cheese as you like. Black beans – Make sure to drain the beans well if you are using the canned variety. White rice alternatives – You can cook this recipe with brown rice or quinoa too.
- For brown rice – Add one more cup of water and cook this for 22 minutes at high pressure with natural pressure release.
- For quinoa – just replace the rice with quinoa, everything else will remain the same.
At the same time, they will be juicier and even more appetizing. The enchilada sauce blends in so well with the rice to make it juicier.
In short, this recipe would make your game day celebration or even a simple meal come alive. Do Not stir – Once onion, garlic and bell peppers are sautéed. add all ingredients one by one WITHOUT stirring.
Stovetop version –
- To make this recipe on stovetop, follow instructions until sauteing the garlic, onion, and bell peppers on medium heat.
- Then add all ingredients – water, rice, black beans, corn, taco seasoning, salt, green, and red enchilada sauce, 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 avocado and chips!
Nutrition
Warm regards,
Dhwani.
I ended up making my own enchilada sauce to use in the recipe, but otherwise followed it to a “T” and it came out so good!! Full of flavor and dish.
Thanks a lot for trying and sharing your feedback!
Can you share the recipe to make your own enchilada sauce?
Hi Anita,
I will try to share the enchilada sauce recipe soon. Thanks 🙂
I made this with quinoa and just let it sit about 10 minutes after quick release with the top off to absorb excess liquid. I ate as its own dish (no chips) and topped it with a taco seasoned sour cream. I loved it! Only thing I’d probably do since I ate it as a main dish would be to add 2x the black beans just to up the fullness factor. Thanks for the recipe!!!
Thanks a lot for the feedback, Gina! 🙂
Your video says about adding Italian seasoning?!
Hi Kirti,
I am really sorry dear. It’s a typo. I will correct it as soon as possible. Thanks 🙂
Hi,
It’s yummy and I will try soon. Can u say the brand of the enchilada sauce u have used here
Hi Sanjitha!
Thanks. I have used Old-El-Paso brand enchilada sauce. 😊
I step by step followed your instructons and viola! it turned out so good, loved by whole family! will definately make it again. thank you.
Hi Dipti!
So glad to hear that your family enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for trying and sharing your valuable feedback. Happy cooking!
I made this recipe last week for my son who does meal prep. He loved it and actually asked me to make it again for him this week. He likes it really spicy so I added more jalapeños.
Thanks for your valuable feedback, Christine!
Has anyone added chicken to this recipe? I was thinking I would sauté the chicken in the beginning with the garlic and onion, but not sure how much longer to cook after adding other ingredients. Thanks!
I made this tonight with about two pounds of cubed chicken breast that I sautéed with the peppers and onions. I keep the pressure cooking time the same. Came out perfect!
Thanks a lot for the feedback 🙂
I made this today and added browned ground turkey to the pot on top of the other ingredients before cooking to make it a main dish. It is tasty and looks beautiful!
So you added ground turkey last? And did you do the same amount of time?
Very easy and quick recipe . It Can be a quick meal for your family . Followed this recipe and turned out To be delicious Meal for the night . Thank you Dhwani for sharing recipe .
Thanks a lot, Soniya for the feedback 🙂
Hi I only have red enchilada sauce… can I just do 1& 1/2 cups of the red? Will that work well for the taste?
Hi, yes you can do that. It will work fine.
I substituted green chilies for the jalapenos and I added chicken. Otherwise followed the recipe as it is. We loved it!
Glad to know, Lesia. Thanks.
I made this recipe tonight after coming across the recipe. It looked so good but I was nervous to try rice in my instant pot. I’m so glad I went for it. So easy and so good! My husband, daughter and I ate it all. No leftovers.
So good to hear this. thanks for the feedback 🙂
Hi. Would I be able to double the recipe and it not overfill the pot?
Yes, Jenny!
Thank you for this recipe. I made it tonight and it was delicious! I’ll definitely add this to my recipe box ☺️
Thanks for the feedback! glad to know that you enjoyed it.
Turned out fantastic!! I used Hatch enchilada sauce, basmati rice, canned beans and frozen corn, a lot like the author did. I did not use any jalapeños. It still had some heat from the enchilada sauce. Everyone loved it. Definitely worth adding to the weekly rotation!
Yayy…. Thanks for the feedback 🙂
I wonder if it would be good with ground beef on top
I made this tonight and it was delicious. Followed the recipe as written and served with avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome. Thanks a lot.
Wow! This Enchilada rice was so awesome. I wish I could’ve added a photo but it was devoured before I could take a picture. Full of flavor, this will now be in my supper rotation! Thanks so much for sharing!
Yayyy!!! Thank you for trying and sharing your feedback with us. So glad to know that you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
Can I use homemade boiled beans rather than store bought ?
Yes, you can.
Just made this with brown rice and wondering how long the NR should take as am already at 35 minutes?
You can quick release after 20 minutes.
Loved loved loved it so much !! Made it twice already in less than a month and doubled the recipe both the times. I substituted rice for quinoa and end up getting burn message on my IP – scraped it well before adding quinoa and beans and did not mix it once I add quinoa but still got the burn message. Otherwise, super yum recipe. Thanks for sharing it !!
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS recipe and easy to make! Thank you for sharing.
My pleasure. 🙂
This recipe was so easy and so good. I was able to fit it in my Mini without having to modify quantities. The only change I made was I didn’t have enough red sauce so I increased the amount of green sauce accordingly. My kiddo ate her whole portion without complaints 🙂
So good to know! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
This is a really great, simple recipe with delicious results! To add one more alternative to white rice, we substituted farro in this recipe and it worked extremely well – to the point where we probably will never the white rice version. 🙂 It’s delicious and very filling, but healthy enough to not feel guilty eating the whole thing.
Thanks for the feedback Hiral. 🙂
How long did you cook the farro for? Same time? And for the recipe author, could I use white jasmine rice for this? It’s all I have on hand, but I have everything else!
1. Yes, same time.
2. Yes, you can use Jasmine rice.
Love this recipe and so did the guests at a Cinco de Mayo party! So easy to make and great flavor!
Thank you for a great recipe!
Awesome. Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Anyone else have an issue with the pot not sealing? The first couple times I made this it sealed fine, but for the past 3 times now it doesn’t! Just starts counting down without ever coming to pressure. It comes to pressure with all other recipes, so pretty confused. Am I adding rice at the wrong time maybe?
Is this gluten free?
Followed recipe but rice was still hard – any suggestions
Next time, Increase the cooking time by 1 minute.
Hi,
I used brown rice and increased the water by a cup and then pressure cook it for 22 minutes and manual release. I added rotisserie chicken breast on the top of all the other ingredients since it is cooked already. Came out good. Thanks.
So glad to know. Thanks 🙂
OMG-This recipe is awesome-so easy & so much flavor. I did add cooked chicken at the end before the cheese. Love, love, love it.
Glad to know. Thanks much.
Wondering if this would work with uncooked chicken breasts thrown on top and shredded into the mix at the end. It seems like the chicken would have plenty of time to cook through.
I’m so happy I found this recipe! It was delicious. I got a burn notice twice so I moved it to the stove. Could it be that I didn’t add the food in a certain order? It would be nice to have things listed in order to add to the instant pot. Thank you for sharing!
If I double this do I need to increase cook time?
No. You dont need to increase the time.
It was very tasty, but I had problems with my instapot. I layered the ingredients and didn’t stir (and made sure I deglazed it before I added everything), but got 2 burn notices. I added a 1/2 cup water and tried again, but got the same notice. By then the rice was done so I just ate around the burned bottom. Should it have more water on the bottom with the onion & peppers?
Yeah… Use some more water next time and see. This mostly happens in 8qt Instant pot. Did you make it in 8qt?