Here is another recipe from the United Chestnuts Test Kitchen: Instant Pot Golden “Spanish” Rice for Carnitas with Chestnut Mole Sauce.

Spanish rice should taste bright, warm, and comforting. This easy Spanish Rice Recipe gives you rich color and bold flavor with very little effort. It cooks in one pot, and it pairs beautifully with carnitas, chestnut mole, tacos, or grilled chicken. With a few pantry staples, you can make a side dish that feels special any night of the week. This one’s for grandson Porter! (And to go with Carnitas with Chestnut Mole)

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• ½ teaspoon cumin (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste or ¼ cup tomato sauce
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth or water
  (Instant Pot uses less liquid than stovetop)
• Lime + cilantro (optional)

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🔥 Instant Pot Instructions (Step-by-step)

1. Rinse the rice

You want the water to run nearly clear.
This removes surface starch and keeps the grains fluffy, not sticky.

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2. Sauté the onion

Hit Sauté → Normal/Medium.

Add oil.
Add diced onion.
Cook 3–4 minutes until soft.

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3. Add garlic + spices

Add:

• Garlic
• Turmeric
• Chili powder
• Cumin

Stir 30 seconds to wake them up.

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4. Stir in tomato paste/sauce

Cook 1 minute so it darkens slightly.
This gives the rice a deeper “Spanish” color.

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5. Add rice and stir to coat

Dump in the rinsed rice.
Stir so every grain gets glossy and colored.

No need to toast long in the Instant Pot — 30–45 seconds is enough.

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6. Add liquid + salt

Pour in 1.5 cups broth (important: not 2 cups here).
Add salt.

Stir once.
Then use your spatula to gently push rice into an even layer along the bottom.

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7. Pressure cook

Switch to Pressure Cook → High → 4 minutes.

Yes — only four minutes.
The magic happens during the steam release.

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8. Natural release for 10 minutes

When the timer beeps:

• Leave it alone for 10 minutes
• Then quick release the rest

This gives you fluffy, separate grains.

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9. Fluff + finish

Open the lid.
Fluff with a fork.
Squeeze in lime if you like brightness.
Add cilantro for color.

Boom. Golden, fragrant, carnitas-ready rice.

Served with this awesome Carnitas with Chestnut Mole Sauce and others are www.unitedchestnuts.com/resources

How To Cook With Chestnuts: Carnitas with Chestnut Mole-Style Sauce

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📝 Notes Just for You (UC Test Kitchen style)

• This version handles bold dishes like carnitas and chestnut mole without competing.
• Turmeric stays subtle — more color than flavor.
• If you want deeper “Spanish rice” character, add an extra tablespoon of tomato paste.