Instant Pot Mexican Casserole Recipe

This Instant Pot Mexican Casserole recipe is one of our favorite meals to make for ‘Taco Tuesday’.

It is full of flavor and the entire family loves it! And best of all, it takes little effort to prepare.

In fact, you can make this even in less time if you like to meal prep for the week like we do. For instance, every Sunday we make a Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot. And then we use the meat throughout the week.

However, we also cook a few pounds of ground beef as well. This way we can add it to any dish that calls for cooked ground beef like our Big Mac Cheeseburger Casserole or Instant Pot Baked Ziti recipes.

And of course, we also use that cooked ground beef to make this Instant Pot Mexican Casserole. But don’t worry, if you don’t have cooked ground beef on hand, it is still easy to make this recipe right in your Instant Pot.

How to Make Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

Before we get into detail on how to make this casserole, let me first tell you that you can use whatever ground meat that you have on hand.

We most often use ground beef, but we have also made this recipe using ground chicken and turkey.

Regardless of what meat you use, turn the Instant Pot on Saute. We have made this recipe in both our 6 quart Instant Pot Duo and also in our 3 quart Instant Pot Mini.

Once the display reads HOT, add the oil and your ground meat and onions. Continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink.

If there is a lot of grease, I would recommend draining it off before proceeding to the next step. We typically use lean ground beef or chicken and we never need to drain it after cooking.

Next, add in the diced peppers, black beans, corn and seasonings. Then add the water and deglaze the bottom of the pan by scraping it with a wooden spatula to remove any stuck bits.

Next, add the diced tomatoes and salsa on top of the mixture and DO NOT STIR!!

If you stir the Mexican Casserole at this point the Instant Pot will most likely give you the BURN notice. It is vital to keep the tomato products on top of the other ingredients.

Rinse Your Rice

Now it is time to add the rice. However, before doing so be sure to rinse it under cold water in a fine mesh strainer. This helps remove the starches that are stuck on the outer surface of the grains.

Once the water below the colander runs clear, drain the rice and add it on top of the tomatoes and salsa. Again – DO NOT STIR!!!

Lightly push the grains of rice down into the the mixture so that the rice can absorb the liquid during the cooking process.

Cooking Instructions

Now you are ready to cook your Instant Pot Mexican Casserole!

First, lock the lid in place and move the valve to the SEALING position. Press Manual or Pressure Cook and set the cook time for 20 minutes on HIGH pressure.

*Just like with all pressure cooker recipes, additional time is needed for the pot to gain pressure before the cooking process will actually begin.

Once the cook time is up, allow the pot to Natural Pressure Release for an additional 20 minutes. This will allow the rice to become nice and tender.

Release the remaining pressure in the Instant Pot and now you can finally stir your Mexican Casserole! Stir in one half of the cheese and sprinkle the remaining half on top.

Close the lid and allow the cheese to melt before serving. Garnish with diced avocado, cilantro, green onions and/or sour cream.

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