These instant Pot fiesta rice bowls are a vegetarian, gluten-free recipe that works great for meal prep! Just dump it all in the Instant Pot, press the button, and you're done!
Recipes like this Instant Pot Cajun rice and sausage and these Moroccan Instant Pot lentils are life savers on busy week days - there is something so satisfying about dumping a bunch of ingredients into the Instant Pot and letting it work it's magic. These Instant Pot fiesta rice bowls are another dump and go meal to add to your meal prep rotation!
These fiesta rice bowls are made with all the delicious ingredients of a vegetarian burrito, but deconstructed into a meal prep bowl. Made with pantry staples such as basmati rice, black beans, corn, peppers, tomatoes and taco seasoning, these rice bowls are loaded with veggies, and get a ton of flavor while cooking.
This is meal prep at it's easiest - just dump all the ingredients in the instant pot and pressure cook - no sautéing required! Best of all, for about 15 minutes of active cooking time, you get six lunch portions, and you can freeze some for later!
Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!
Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
- it's packed with delicious flavors from the taco seasoning and green chilies
- you can meal prep this recipe as a freezer Instant Pot meal, or by portioning out leftovers in meal prep containers
- there's a ton of veggies involved, and each serving packs 18 g of vegetarian protein
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these fiesta rice bowls. They are so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient notes
- Taco seasoning - taco seasoning adds a ton of flavor to the veggies and rice as this recipe is cooking. Make a batch of homemade taco seasoning, or purchase store-bought for a time saving shortcut.
- Black beans - you can use canned black beans, or make batch of Instant Pot black beans.
- Green chilies - add a ton of flavor, but they are not spicy! You can purchase canned and diced green chilies at the grocery store.
- Vegetables - red and yellow bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, corn, and red onion cook up perfectly in this fiesta rice bowl. Note: I recommend using fresh diced tomatoes (not canned) to help prevent burning. See section below for how to avoid the burn warning when cooking this recipe in the Instant Pot.
- Cheese - mozzarella cheese or Monterey Jack works perfectly in this recipe
- Rice - basmati rice is our go-to for this recipe; other types of long grain white rice should also work. Short grain rice, instant rice, brown rice and wild rice will not work in this recipe, as they require different cook times.
Step by step instructions
1. Assemble ingredients - add all ingredients (except for tomatoes) into the stainless steel inner pot of an Instant Pot (6 quart): rice, onion, peppers, corn, black beans, chiles, taco seasoning and water. Stir to combine, then add the diced tomatoes on top (do not stir). Put the lid on and set valve to 'sealing'.
Important note - it's important to place the tomatoes on top of the rest of the ingredients to avoid a burn warning- find more tips below!
2. Pressure cook - Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to 'sealing', and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes. Allow for a full natural pressure release (takes around 15 minutes).
Natural Pressure Release- when the Instant Pot completes the cooking cycle, allow it to sit until the pin drops, or for a set amount of time. Find out more about when to use a natural pressure release in Instant Pot 101!
3. Add cheese - remove the lid and stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Sprinkle the top of the rice with the remaining ½ cup cheese and put the lid back on for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.
4. Serve - with your choice of suggested toppings such as guacamole, cilantro, and salsa.
How to avoid the burn warning
Unfortunately, a number of readers have reported back that they had a burn warning when trying to cook this recipe. While I've tested it 6 times and never had this issue myself, I wanted to outline a few tips to help avoid the burn warning.
Why the burn warning occurs
A burn warning occurs when food gets burnt on the bottom of the Instant Pot. Tomatoes are notorious for causing a burn warning in Instant Pot recipes - especially canned tomatoes.
Tips to avoid burning
- Old versus new models- this recipe was developed in an older Instant Pot model, which is less sensitive to the burn warning than newer models.
- Add tomatoes last- tomatoes are notorious for triggering the burn warning, which is why we add them last and do not stir them into the rice.
- Follow the recipe precisely- make ingredient swaps and substitutions at your own risk. This recipe seems to be very sensitive to small changes in liquids.
Topping variations
These fiesta rice bowls are delicious as-is, but the toppings really take them to the next level. A few topping variations you might consider are:
- extra cheese
- avocado (see how to cut an avocado (and not your hand) here!)
- fresh tomatoes
- cilantro
- a fresh squeeze of lime
- green or red onion
- guacamole
- salsa
- greek yogurt
FAQ
Yes, I have tested these fiesta rice bowls in my 8 quart model Instant Pot and it works! If you want to play it safe, you might want to 1.5 x the recipe to meet the 1.5 cup minimum liquid requirement for the 8 quart model.
I bet that would work but I have not tried it. It would be the same liquid ratio, but a cook time of 1 min (plus full natural pressure release). The veggies should cook through in this time. Leave us a comment if you give it a try!
I don't recommend cooking rice in the slow cooker, as it can end up mushy. However, you can cook this on the stovetop (see directions below, and in recipe card).
Stovetop directions
To prepare these fiesta rice bowls on the stovetop, the recipe will remain the same, with the exception of increasing the water to 2 cups.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for an additional 10 minutes (do not take the lid off).
- After 10 minutes of resting, stir in the cheese and enjoy!
Meal Prep + Storage
Freezer Packs
Freezer packs are assembled ahead and frozen before cooking. That way on cook day all you need to do is dump the meal into the Instant Pot and press the button. No measuring!
- Assemble all ingredients in step 1 a large gallon size freezer bag or large meal prep container with date and cooking instructions.
- Freeze for up to 3 months uncooked in freezer.
- Thaw completely before cooking- the Instant Pot may not come to pressure if cooked from frozen.
- Cook as directed in the recipe card, and enjoy!
Reheat meals (leftovers)
- Cool completely after cooking.
- Portion out into air tight meal prep containers, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely if frozen (overnight in the fridge), then reheat in the microwave until steaming hot.
- Add fresh toppings, and serve!
More Instant Pot meal prep recipes
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Instant Pot Fiesta Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice see note 1
- 1 red onion diced
- 3 tomatoes chopped; see note 2
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 11 oz can of corn drained; 341 mL
- 18 oz can of black beans drained & rinsed; 541 mL
- 4.3 oz can green chiles 127mL
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 cup water 1 ½ cups (total) for 8 quart *see note 3
After cooking
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- fresh tomatoes, cilantro, guacamole, salsa or other toppings
Instructions
- Assemble ingredients - add all ingredients (except for tomatoes) into the stainless steel inner pot of an Instant Pot (6 quart): rice, onion, peppers, corn, black beans, chiles, taco seasoning and water. Stir to combine, then add the diced tomatoes on top (do not stir). Put the lid on and set valve to 'sealing'.
- Pressure cook - Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to 'sealing', and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes. Allow for a full natural pressure release (takes around 15 minutes).
- Add cheese - remove the lid and stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Sprinkle the top of the rice with the remaining ½ cup cheese and put the lid back on for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Serve - with your choice of suggested toppings such as guacamole, cilantro, and salsa.
Tips:
- For 6 quart: use 1 cup of water.
- For 8 quart: drag the serving size to 1.5 x of the recipe to meet the minimum liquid requirement of 1.5 cups of water
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for an additional 10 minutes (do not take the lid off).
- After 10 minutes of resting, stir in the cheese and enjoy!
- Assemble all ingredients in step 1 a large gallon size freezer bag or large meal prep container with date and cooking instructions.
- Freeze for up to 3 months uncooked in freezer.
- Thaw completely before cooking- the Instant Pot may not come to pressure if cooked from frozen.
- Cook as directed in the recipe card, and enjoy!
- Cool completely after cooking.
- Portion out into air tight meal prep containers, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely if frozen (overnight in the fridge), then reheat in the microwave until steaming hot.
- Add fresh toppings, and serve!
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Kathleen says
I am looking for the stovetop directions but not seeing them. Am I missing them, Denise?!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Kathleen - thank you so much for pointing this out to us! We have updated the post and recipe cared to include the stovetop directions. We hope you enjoy!
Kathleen says
Thanks!
Kathleen says
Just reporting back that it worked great, and will be repeating the recipe this week!
Lauren Hadley says
I made this recipe for meal prep this week. And I had one taste and fell in love!! I love anything with the word FIESTA in it. I am so excited for meal prep this week and for lunch's. Perfect start to eating cleaner!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Lauren, so glad to hear that you loved this recipe! I have to agree - "fiesta" just makes it sound like a party in a bowl, doesn't it?! Enjoy your meal prep lunches this week, and thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review.
Kelly says
Tried this recipe a couple weeks ago. I love your recipes but this one didn’t go so well. I knew burning seemed to be an issue but decided to give it a shot anyway because who doesn’t want a fiesta in their face? I used fresh tomatoes and a 6qt instant pot but still had it burn straight to hell before reaching pressure. Oh well. I guess this one just isn’t for me. I’ll stick to all your other awesome concoctions.
Jean-Marie says
Hi! Overall the recipe was okay but my mixture came out a little more watery than intended. I noticed that on your instagram post (which drew me in lol) the recipe calls for 1 cup water but on your blog it called for 1.5 cups of water. I used 1.5 cups and if I tried this again would probably only use 1. Just thought I'd share incase there was a mistake on instagram or blog.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Jean-Marie, sorry for the discrepancy on the IG post versus the recipe, the recipe (1.5 cups) is the correct one. We had to increase the amount of liquid from the original recipe because many people had issues with the pot coming to pressure. The rice should not be coming out watery, and I'm confused as I just made this the other day and it was not at all watery. Anyway thank you for your feedback, sounds like we need to reformulate this recipe again. <3
Katie says
Favorite new recipe! Delicious!!!
Denise Bustard says
Woo hoo! So happy to hear this, Katie! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to come back and leave a review, I really appreciate it 🙂
Megann says
Made this tonight for my family using a 6qt Ninja Foodi. I have to say I was skeptical of the 3 minute cook time, but it was PERFECT! Came together so fast and so easily! We grilled some lime cilantro chicken and mixed it together. It was divine!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Megann! So happy to hear you enjoyed. Thanks so much for reporting back!
Jessica says
For the stove top method, the directions state to add 2 cups of water or stock. Is this in addition to the 1 and 1/2 cups of water in the ingredients list?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Jessica, sorry for the confusion! It's 2 cups total, not in addition to.
Rosalia Rohr says
Can I omit the chilles?
Denise says
Absolutely!
Christy H says
We loved this! I used a 6 qt Instant Pot , homemade taco seasoning with no cornstarch or other thickener, and one can of tomatoes, drained. Did not get a burn warning.
Denise says
Hi Christy! Thank you so much for reporting back, I'm glad it worked well for you. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Karen says
We really enjoyed the fiesta rice bowls for lunch today with sour cream and salsa as toppings. I might live on the wild side and add some avocado with the leftovers tomorrow!
Denise says
Hi Karen! So happy to hear you enjoyed them. Laughing at the 'wild side' comment 🙂
Alicia says
I used the 6 qt Instant Pot Duo with canned tomatoes and it turned out perfect.
Denise says
This is so great to hear, Alicia! Thank you for reporting back 🙂
Katie Kowalski says
Hey, haven’t tried the recipe yet but was wondering if I could replace the green chili with anything? My husband isn’t really into really spicy things and want to make a milder version. Thanks!!
Denise says
Hi Katie! You can leave that out, although it doesn't make this recipe spicy (in my opinion). Hope you enjoy!
Heather says
Ok, so I decided to try this recipe, even though I didn't have exactly the right ingredients...and even though the burn issue was out there. I didn't have just green chilis, but I had tomatoes & green chilis. So, in they went. I didn't have a green pepper or whole tomatoes, but I subbed in those fresh baby sweet peppers and those grape tomatoes. I had white rice, instead of basmati. Oh, and I threw in some cubed cooked chicken that I had partially defrosted (sorry, vegetarians!). Oh, and some hot sauce. Because of those changes, I added some extra water, maybe 1 & 3/4 cups. It came out great!!! Delish!!
Denise says
Hi Heather! So glad you enjoyed. Just a question- did you add 1 3/4 cups total or in addition to the 1 1/2 cups in the recipe. Thanks so much for reporting back with your changes!
Heather says
That was the total amount of water, pretty much. I thought it needed a tad bit more watwr because of the added chicken. 😋😀
J says
Burn notice : (
Camilla Birtwistle says
Me too 🙁
Michele P Richards says
Followed your directions exactly and they came out fantastic!
We did use the entire packet of taco seasoning because we like our stuff seasoned but other than that..your directions were perfect!! So darn delicious!!!
Denise says
Hi Michele! So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for reporting back to us!
Hanna says
This is so delicious! I made this in my 8-quart Crock Pot Express (doubled the recipe; full disclosure - husband made it for me and he's a chef) - and it turned out perfectly! Topped it with the cheese, scallions, and avocado. The perfect lunch meal. It reminds me of the Amy's Mexican Casserole bowls, but a fresh, homemade alternative. Loveeeed it! Sure to become a lunchtime staple.
Denise says
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Hanna. Thank you for reporting back!
Brittany says
Just gave this recipe a try and also had issues with burning. We tried low for 12 minutes as someone suggested and added a bit of extra water (on try 3), but that burnt before reaching pressure as well. We'll finish it off on the stove. It's too bad we can't make it in the instant pot, but I'm sure we'll still make this recipe on the stove once in a while!
Brittany says
(we used beefsteak tomatoes)
Denise says
Hi Brittany! I'm so bummed out to hear this. I have had this recipe tested by two independent recipe testers and I myself have tested it 6 times...none of us have had the burn warning. I am not sure if it comes down to differences in Instant Pot models or what?! (I have tested in 6 and 8 quart). Do you mind sharing which model you own? Is it the lux? Thanks so much 🙂
Nancy Lanier says
I didn’t get a burn notice. Mine was great in a 6 qt
Denise says
Hi Nancy, I'm so glad to hear this! I suspect it comes down to specific Instant Pot models. I have tested this recipe 6 x, my mom has tested and I have an independent recipe tester as well who did not get the burn warning. It's definitely hard to troubleshoot a recipe that we are not personally having the issues with.
Suzanne in Oshawa says
To increase the recipe for an 8 qt instant pot, would you multiply by 1.3? I’m considering doing my rice separately since I only have long grain brown in my pantry. Thanks.
Denise says
Hi Suzanne! I would do 1.5x for the 8 quart since it needs extra liquid to come to pressure. Brown rice will not work in this recipe and if you leave the rice out, you'll have to adjust the liquids and your pot will probably not come to pressure, so I don't recommend substitutions in this recipe.
Tiffany says
Came out perfect! I followed the recipe exactly and used 3 fresh Roma tomatoes. I rinsed the rice and added it last before mixing everything together. It did take a little longer to come to pressure and release, but it came out great in my 6 qt IP. Thank you for an easy, flavorful meal prep recipe.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Tiffany! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for taking the time to report back <3
Jen says
This is a great combination for a make ahead lunch! Based on the previous comments I tweaked a few things and it worked out well: I used a can of diced tomatoes, added a 1/2 cup extra water, and used the rice function on my cooker (12 minutes on low, valve release).
Denise says
Hi Jen, thank you for reporting back with your experience! Glad you had no issues with it coming to pressure.
Lyanne says
I tried this recipe to the T and it never came to pressure. Had to cook it manually in the pot. Tried water test after to see if my pot was broken & it came to pressure. I used fresh tomatoes.
Denise says
GAH! I am so frustrated and sad to hear this. I have personally tested this recipe 6 times. My mom has even tested it. It always works for us and I don't understand why it gives people problems.
Beatriz says
What is the serving size? How many oz or grams per serving?
Denise says
Hi Beatriz, sorry I don't have that information. 1 serving size is 1/4 of the batch, which was between 1.5 to 2 cups.
Amanda Baker says
Sadly, I also received a burn notice for this recipe in my 8 qt. pot, twice. The second time I had even added additional water. Disappointing, because it looks delicious.
Denise says
Hi Amanda, I'm so bummed out to read this! I have tested this myself 6 times in both a 6 and 8 quart Instant Pot. A few questions for you: did you use fresh or canned tomatoes? Did you use basmati or another type of rice? I am sending out to a recipe tester to try to figure this out because it works fine for me.
Amanda Baker says
I used canned tomatoes and basmati rice.
Denise says
Thank you so much for replying Amanda, that is so helpful! I suspect the canned tomatoes are why it didn't work. I'm going to test out my theory!
Rukmini says
Hi
It looks like a great recipe and I can't wait to try it. But I was wondering if I can replace the canned black beans with dry black beans?
Thank You,
Denise says
Hi Rukmini! You can use dry beans but you will have to cook them first. Here's a tutorial on cooking them from scratch in case you're interested! https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/perfect-black-beans/
Kelly A Yoder says
I tried making this and twice the rice burned on the bottom and I had to dump it into a standard pot and cook it on the stove. Disappointed with the one pot claim of instant pots. The only remedy I can think of is to not stir it together,and add the rice last, just pressing it lightly down under the liquid--this hasn't been an issue for anyone else?
Denise says
Hi Kelly, I'm sorry to hear this recipe gave you troubles. I have personally tested this recipe 4+ times in both my 6 and 8 quart Instant Pots and have never had this issue. Did you replace the fresh tomatoes with canned diced as you mentioned in your previous comment? If so, this could be why it gave you troubles?
Rebecca says
Mine did burn a bit and I used a can of stewed tomatoes
Rice was on the bottom, next time I will layer rice in middle
Sharon says
Can you use 3 quart IP with this recipe?
Denise says
Hi Sharon, unfortunately I don't think it would fit. I'm not sure though as I don't own the 3 quart. The 6 quart was more than half full after cooking.
Betsy says
THis recipe was very unsuccessful for me. I was really looking forward to it but my instant pot kept saying burn so I had to repeatedly turn it off and on and scrape the bottoms. Anyone else have this problem? Did I do something wrong?
Denise says
Hi Betsy, I'm so sorry to hear this! I tested in both a 6 and 8 quart Instant Pot. The only thing that I could think of is your vegetables might release less liquid than the ones I used. DId you change the veggies at all? Maybe you could try adding a bit more water next time? So sorry it didn't work out for you 🙁
Em says
Hi, is the rice cooked or uncooked when we dump all the ingredients into the instant pot? I am not sure if 3 mins high pressure is enough to cook the rice! Thanks 🙂
Denise says
Hi Em! Since it takes about 10 minutes to come to pressure and then naturally depressurizes for about 15-20 minutes, the rice is definitely cooked through 🙂
Denise says
To clarify, you put uncooked rice in the pot.
Marian says
Any idea on how long for brown basmati rice to cook?
Denise says
Hi Marian, unfortunately this recipe won't work with brown basmati, as it has an extremely long cook time and the vegetables will be completely disintegrated.
Anna says
I followed the recipe to a T and my rice turned out gummy and more stew like. The flavor is great but I was expecting it to be less stew-like. Is it possible I had too much liquid?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Anna! Thank you so much for reporting back, did you use a 6 or 8 quart IP? I just made it the other day and it was definitely not stewy for me 🙁
Denise says
This looks delicious. Is it possible to use a crock pot instead? If so how long? Thanks for your help
Denise says
Hi Denise! I've actually never cooked rice in the slow cooker before, as I hear it can end up mushy. I bet it would work on the stove top though! Here's what I would do: double the cooking liquid, simmer for 15 minutes, then a 10 minute resting period (just take it off the burner and leave the lid on).
I hope this works for you and would love it if you could report back here if you try it!
XO
Kelly Yoder says
The descriprion includes bell peppers, but they aren't included in the ingredient list for the recipe. Does this change the cooking time? Also, can I substitue a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes for the 3 fresh--we try not to buy fresh vegetables out of season
Denise says
Sorry for the confusion, I added them to the ingredients list. I don't know if the diced tomatoes would work as I only tested with fresh. I'd love to hear if it works for you, Kelly!