After all, being able to make Mexican meals in a fraction of the time is worth its weight in gold. I was hesitant to get another kitchen gadget, but once you use an Instant Pot, you’ll never go back! The fact that you can cook a hands-off meal like a Crockpot is great. But it will also sauté without needing another pot to clean, not to mention the steaming, rice setting and pressure cooking to boot! Don’t think you need all those fancy settings? Trust me, you do! Just imagine cooking a pot of melt-in-your-mouth carnitas without needing to sear the meat in a skillet first and then have the oven on for hours. Or, what about whipping up a simple batch of flavorful rice, sautéing your veggies to perfection before letting the pot do all the work? No more dry, burnt rice in this house, thank you! I’ve found 21 fantastic Mexican Instant Pot recipes for you to try. If you’ve only made chili or soup, now’s the time to spice things up!
1. Instant Pot Mexican Casserole
This recipe is a lot like chili, but it’s technically a casserole due to the rice in the mix. The best part is, you can brown the meat and cook the rice right in the same pot, and it takes less than an hour to cook! The most you’ll need to do here is chop some veggies and brown the meat. The pot does the rest.
2. Instant Pot Taco Meat
How many times have you come home from work only to realize you forgot to take the meat out of the freezer? Nightmare! I guess it’s pizza again, right? Nope! Put the phone down and grab that block of frozen ground beef because you’re having tacos! All you’ll need to do is pressure cook the meat for 20 minutes, and it’s good to go. Sauté, season, and enjoy.
3. Instant Pot Mexican Rice
When I tell you that this rice is foolproof, I’m not kidding. Between the veggies, sauce, and bouillon cubes, it’s packed with flavor! You just need to sauté everything for a few minutes before popping the lid on. Oh, and did I mention it’ll be ready in just 15 minutes? Once it’s cooked, you’ll just need to fluff it up and serve.
4. Instant Pot Carnitas
Typically, carnitas need a solid few hours of your time to marinate and slow cook before broiling to crisp up the edges. You still need to marinate and broil with this recipe, but the cook is a fraction of the standard time. These carnitas need just 30 minutes, plus a natural release of 15 minutes. Can you believe that? Tender and flavorful carnitas in under an hour? Just don’t forget that the meat needs plenty of fat to keep it juicy while still turning crispy on the edges. This step is crucial, so don’t skip it!
5. Homemade Instant Pot Salsa
My favorite thing about making salsa is that I get to control exactly how spicy it is. Unfortunately, I often find the store-bought kind either way too mild or way too hot. I also prefer mine quite chunky, and when doing it yourself, you can easily control the texture. If you like it spicy, go ahead and throw in some chopped jalapeños or chipotle peppers. If you like it a little fruity, try adding some chopped mango and lime zest to the mix.
6. Charro Beans
Beans make such a great side dish for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Not only are they filling and tasty, but they’re also loaded with protein and budget-friendly. Using dried beans will save you a ton of money, and usually, you just need to remember to soak them before use. In this case, you can pour those dried beans right into the pot (after rinsing, of course). The pressure cooker setting will soften them up without you needing to prep them the day before. I like them quite soft, so I go for around 45 minutes.
7. Instant Pot Tortilla Soup
When it comes to soup, you can’t go wrong with a big batch of chicken tortilla. I like that you can cook the chicken right in the mix, guaranteeing it’s super juicy and bursting with great flavor. Top tip: add some extra chicken to the mix, plus an extra cup of stock, and cook it like the recipe states. Remove the extra chicken to have with tacos, in a salad, or even in a chicken sandwich.
8. Instant Pot Posole – Pork Stew
The last time I was at the store, they had pork butt on sale. I bought way too many and had to freeze at least three cuts of meat. I kept one out to make this slow cooker Texas pulled pork and another to make this incredible pork stew. This Posole recipe is wonderfully flavorful, calling for dark beer, poblano, and Chipotle peppers, a whole slew of seasonings, and hominy. If you can’t find hominy, no worries! Just add in regular corn right at the end instead. Again, if you want to, you can throw in some extra pork and a little more stock to the pot. Remove the excess to use in tacos or shredded over a baked sweet potato.
9. Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas
Obviously, you can’t make chicken enchiladas in an Instant Pot alone. You’ll still need to wrap the meat up in tortillas and bake in the oven with lots of sauce and cheese. But you can make the most delicious chicken filling ever right in your Instant Pot. Chicken can be so easy to overcook, but when you use the pressure cook setting, you’ll lock in every ounce of deliciousness. It’ll leave you with lovely moist chicken that will last for a solid few days in the fridge.
10. Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
The chicken in the recipe above would work wonders in a batch of fajitas. That said, I much prefer mine with peppers and onions. I recommended searing the chicken a little before adding in the onion and peppers to get some added texture to the meat. Also, if you prefer your peppers with a bit more bite, try adding them in halves. Remove the seeds but don’t slice them until you cut the chicken. This should keep them a little firmer.
11. Easy Instant Pot Mole Sauce
Mole (pronounced mow-lay) is a lesser-known but deeply tasty sauce you can use on your tacos, nachos, or even in place of BBQ sauce on your chicken wings. A quick Google search will bring you plenty of terrific recipes, some with nuts and fruits, some with a variety of chili peppers, and most with a hint of chocolate. This recipe uses chocolate chips, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and peanut butter, so you’ll be forgiven for thinking you stumbled on some kind of frosting recipe. But you’ll also see it calls for onion, garlic, chiles, and cayenne for a truly sweet and spicy finish that is very unique.
12. Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Some might not think this soup looks particularly appetizing, but I happen to think the black beans look great when served with some bright avocado and tomatoes. Black beans are already one of my favorite beans, and I think they taste the best out of the bunch. But when you add garlic, cumin, chili, cayenne, and some zesty lime to the mix, they become something special. I like to top mine with some cotija cheese and a sprinkling of Trader Joe’s chile lime seasoning, which is fresh and spicy and even better on the rim of your margarita glass.
13. Instant Pot Mexican Street Corn
Mexican street corn is a thing of beauty. It’s corn on the cob, but with a twist! Instead of just butter and salt, you’ll brush your corn with a sweet, zesty, and spicy mixture of mayo, cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime juice. I like to cook the corn in the Instant Pot first and then finish it on the grill, so you’ll get that lovely char on the outside. Then, once you’ve brushed it with the mayo mix, feel free to sprinkle over some extra cheese and chili lime seasoning.
14. Rajas con Crema y Elote
A colorful mix of poblano peppers, corn, and red onion, this quick little dish is perfect beside some chicken enchiladas or served right in your taco with the carnitas from above. Poblano peppers taste a little like bell peppers; only they have some kick. I like to use them because though they’re spicy, they’re relatively mild and not overpowering. Please don’t skip the first step of charring the peppers, as it’s the best way to get all that great flavor.
15. Layered Taco Dip
If you’re looking for a way to serve nachos without the mess, this dip is for you. Between the ground meat, peppers, and cheese, this dip has all the same great ingredients, and you won’t need to worry about serving up a hot plate. One thing I will say is that this is best served in a larger dish, if possible. That way, you can have extra cheese on top!
16. Instant Pot Pork and Roasted Green Chile Tamales
Tamales have a very distinct corn flavor, plus an excellent meaty filling. In this case, it’s a heavenly spiced pulled pork. When buying corn flour, be sure you get “masa” and not corn starch, which is used to thicken stews. Corn starch would give this a chewy texture compared to the cake-like texture you get from the corn flour. Corn husks are usually easier to get in local grocery stores, but you could also use banana leaves if you have them.
17. Instant Pot Chicken and Cheese Taquitos
Taquitos are “little tacos” that get filled, rolled, and then deep-fried for a crispy outer texture. Because they’re rolled, they don’t have quite as much filling, and because they’re deep-fried, they usually only have meat or beans and cheese inside. Also known as flautas, taquitos are typically made with corn tortillas (flautas are made with flour tortillas), and they’re best when you use mini-tortillas, making them finger food-friendly. I like to add a little bit of spicy cream cheese to mine for an extra flavor boost. Just beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth, and then stir in some chopped chilies before spreading a bit in the middle of the tortilla.
18. Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa
We all know that quinoa is the King of grains, right? It’s loaded with protein, fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, potassium, calcium, and beneficial antioxidants. Oh, and it’s gluten-free, to boot! If you’re looking for a way to up your protein intake (especially if you’re trying to include meatless meals into your week), quinoa is your new best friend. Unfortunately, just like rice, quinoa needs a little TLC. It’s not the best served right from the pot and cooked in boring water. You’ll need a little spice! This recipe calls for onion, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, and fire-roasted tomatoes.
19. Instant Horchata
Horchata is a sweet drink made using rice that’s usually spiced with cinnamon and sweetened with vanilla and sugar. It’s a super popular drink in Mexico, and it’s pretty easy to recreate at home. The only thing is the time you need to put into it. This isn’t something you can throw together at the last minute… until now! Using your Instant Pot, you can have a batch of horchata ready to chill in just 10 minutes. If you want it low in sugar, try adding the sweetener of your choice until it tastes right.
20. Instant Pot Mexican Hot Chocolate
Mexican hot chocolate isn’t just spiced with cinnamon; it’s also got a generous helping of cayenne, too! Much like the mole sauce, the sweet and spicy blend of chocolate and chili works wonders, and this will be your new go-to when the weather turns cold. This drink isn’t super sweet, so it might not be to the kids’ liking. I wouldn’t recommend using milk chocolate, but you could always add a little more honey if you want.
21. Instant Pot Mexican Rice Pudding (Arroz Con Leche)
Did you know you can make dreamy rice pudding using the “porridge” setting of your Instant Pot? It cooks the long grain rice to perfection with milk and sugar, and then you’ll just need to stir in some condensed milk and vanilla right at the end for the creamiest finish possible. I like my rice pudding just like that, but I’ve also had it with chopped nuts, soaked raisins, and even a dollop of strawberry jam in the middle. Click on a star to rate it!
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