This is the cheat code for easy, vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free Instant Pot Mexican Casserole! Use dry beans without soaking or cooking ahead of time. With the Instant Pot, you can achieve the same slow-cooked flavors and textures of a traditional casserole in a fraction of the time. No need to babysit the stove or wait hours for your meal to be ready.
Additionally, this vegan Mexican casserole is a fantastic way to pack in a variety of nutrient-rich ingredients. From protein-packed beans, every bite is bursting with goodness. The bold and zesty flavors work great as a main dish or side dish.

If you’ve tried my Crock Pot version or the Stove or Oven version, you know that this flavor combination is really good and really easy. Some people don’t like the texture of the rice when cooked in the Crock Pot. The Instant Pot Mexican Casserole comes out perfect every time; if you have a pressure cooker I challenge you to make this!

Instant Pot Mexican Casserole
If your family is just starting to try plant-based living, this recipe is for you! You can enjoy it in a bowl topped with your favorite ingredients, wrapped in a tortilla, or with chips.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked brown rice
- 1 cup uncooked dry beans (if you have trouble with beans not cooking enough, try soaking them first)
- 5 cups water
- 1 6 oz can of tomato paste (or 1 8 oz can tomato sauce with slightly less water)
- 1 tsp garlic
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp sea salt (optional)
Instructions
Step 1 – Add Ingredients
Dump all of the ingredients into your pressure cooker and stir once or twice.
Step 2 – Pressure Cook
Close the lid and cook on manual for 28 minutes.
Step 3 – Release Pressure
Once done, allow the pressure to come down and open carefully. If you are in a hurry you can do a quick release.
Step 4 – Serve
This meal can be eaten alone or served with tortillas or chips and salsa. It travels well making it perfect for lunch boxes.
This photo shows what it looks like right out of the pressure cooker! It’s quite a bit darker than the Crock Pot and Stove Top versions.

A Note on Using Dry Beans
I’ve had feedback from some that their black beans are not soft enough after cooking. Most people do not have a problem. If this is the case for you, make sure you are using beans that are not old. Beans that have been in your pantry for a year will take longer to cook than fresh beans. (This is why I stopped buying giant bags of beans in bulk.)

Also, hard water could make the beans cook more slowly. If your beans could be older or if you have hard water, I recommend soaking the beans in warm water before cooking.
If using beans other than black beans make sure you are cooking this long enough. The rice takes 28 minutes to cook but some beans may take longer. Consult the Instant Pot cooking guides and cook it as long as necessary.

Customization Ideas for Mexican Casserole
Feel free to customize this vegan Mexican casserole with your favorite vegetables or beans. You can add diced zucchini, shredded carrots, or even cooked sweet potatoes for extra flavor and nutrients.
If you prefer a spicier dish, add a diced jalapeño or a pinch of red pepper flakes to the mix.
Experiment with different seasoning blends to suit your taste preferences. Smoked paprika, chipotle powder, or taco seasoning can add depth and complexity to the flavor profile.
For added richness, you can stir in a dollop of vegan cream cheese or cashew cream before serving.
More Plant-Based Instant Pot Recipes
If you love your Instant Pot as much as I do, here are some other great recipes to try. They save me so much time!
- Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Instant Pot Breakfast Rice
- Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa
- Instant Pot Rice and Beans with Green Chilies
- Instant Pot Lentil Stew – No Oil
You might also find this information helpful on How to Clean an Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Mexican Casserole

The Instant Pot Mexican Casserole will amaze your family and impress your guests! This should be your go to plant-based recipe for your Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked brown rice
- 1 cup uncooked dry beans
- 5 cups water
- 1 6 oz can of tomato paste (or 1 8 oz can tomato sauce with slightly less water)
- 1 tsp garlic
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Dump all of the ingredients into your pressure cooker and stir once or twice.
- Close the lid and cook on manual for 28 minutes.
- Once done, allow the pressure to come down and open carefully. If you are in a hurry you can do a quick release.
Notes
- This meal can be eaten alone or served with tortillas or chips and salsa. It travels well and we often take it in our lunches.
- If your beans are older than one year, soak them before cooking.
This was absolutely lovely! But… I changed things a bit and my pinto beans were too firm. What did I do wrong please? I’m new to the Instant Pot. We don’t care for too much for the “tomato paste” kind of taste with rice, so I eliminated that and added a can of chopped tomatoes instead. I cut back on the water by 1/2 cup. What did I do wrong please because this was just delicious (spices just right)
Hi Nancy,
I should have mentioned something more about the cooking times. I’ll go back an add a note. Pinto beans take longer to cook than black beans. I recommend cooking this for 30 minutes if you are doing a natural/slow release and maybe 35 if doing a quick release. That is just an estimate because I haven’t cooked it with pinto beans yet, two of my family members have an intolerance to pintos so we mostly eat black beans now.
I’m not sure if you’d want to cut back on the water since you also cut back on the tomato paste but if the texture worked then go for it. Pressure cookers are a thing of mystery so it’s difficult to know which changes can be made sometimes.
I’ve also added diced tomatoes after it was finished cooking and put the lid back on for a few minutes. It was really good.
I hope it works perfectly for you next time Nancy!
Thank you, Holly! May I ask one more question of you? I have a wonderful recipe that I make on the stove-top with chickpeas, red lentils, sweet potatoes. How do you time this? Because each thing would cook at a different time, wouldn’t they? I normally use canned chickpeas, but since I have the new I.P., I bought dried chickpeas… any idea how I would do this? I mean, would you cook the dried beans first, then add the lentils and sweet potatoes kind of thing or is it possible to do it all at once? Thanks Holly. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your recipes!
Nancy, I don’t think you could cook them together. The lentils cook so quickly. I’d recommend cooking the chickpeas first, you may be able to cook the lentils and sweet potatoes together but I haven’t tried anything like that.
I hope you find a way to make it work. It sounds great!
HI Nancy Nurse, I’d love to hear your recipe for the lentils, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes. Could you share here? Or is that “legal”?
Of course; my pleasure to share it, but sadly, I don’t know the person to whom to credit this fabulous recipe? It’s possible it’s a Dr and Mary McDougall recipe. Here is the stove-top/crockpot recipe:
This stew was off the charts delicious!
SPICY AFRICAN PEANUT STEW
EDITED BY ADMIN
Here is the link to the recipe https://www.frontiercoop.com/recipes/spicy-african-peanut-slow-cooker-soup
I edited the last comment because I found the recipe.
Bloggers and website owners work so hard on their recipes that I want to give them full credit. I’ve link to the recipe you mentioned.
While some bloggers/website owners don’t mind their content being shared most prefer that it is shared through a link so they get proper credit and so readers can visit them for more recipes. This recipe is a repost but they have permission from the publisher (and I don’t) to have it on their website. 🙂
It looks like a fantastic recipe! 🙂
you can trying the beans this would give them a shorter cook time
If I were to just use 1 cup of rice instead of two, how much water should I use?
Thanks!!
I’d try 3 1/2 cups of water. I’ve never made it that way so I can’t guarantee it will work.
Thanks so much!
Katie, Have you tried this, making the adjustment? We are a household of two and I’m tired of recipes that feed an army. Thanks, Marie
Sorry, I haven’t tried yet, Marie!
I just realized we only have white rice in the house, could it be easily interchanged?
Hi Marina,
I haven’t tried it but I think It can work.
Just follow the time in the Instant Pot book for white rice and for beans. If they are close enough it would work. If the times are too far apart one would be overcooked/undercooked.
Is the garlic fresh or is it garlic powder like the slow cooker recipe? Thanks!
Hi Gayle, it’s powdered! Thanks for asking, I’ll try to update it soon!
Just got my Instant Pot! (yay!) and want to make this. If I were to add fresh onion, celery, carrot, etc to get extra veggies in would it change cooking time or water levels at all?
Those veggies cook very quickly. You wouldn’t want them to cook the same time as the beans and rice. The best option is to cook them separately and add them in. If you really want to keep this a 1 pot meal the after the recipe is done, release the pressure, add the veggie and cook for a few minutes longer. I haven’t tried it so I don’t know how long exactly. I’ll often add canned tomatoes or corn to Instant Pot meals after they finish cooking and just put the lid back on for a while without cooking longer.
I just got an instant pot and I really wanted to try this recipe as we are trying to eat more plant-based foods. I used uncle Ben’s whole-grain natural brown rice and Goya black beans and the rice came out mushy and the beans are still crunchy. I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong since I am new to this whole pressure cooker thing. I cooked it on high pressure for 28 minutes and I let the pressure naturally release for 26 minutes and then opened the lid. I followed the recipe exactly. Any thought? I’d like to try it again.
Hi Sue,
I’ve never cooked with Uncle Ben’s rice but my guess is that since it is parboiled it has a quicker cooking time than the regular brown rice. I typically buy organic short grain brown rice that takes 45 minutes of simmering to cook. It can cook in the Instant Pot in about 22. When cooked to long it goes get a little mushy but it works for the casserole.
The black beans are more of a mystery. I know that older beans take longer to cook and I’ve had some instances lately with beans taking longer than they used too. I’ve been cooking beans for 30 minutes and doing a natural pressure release.
With your quicker cooking rice, I think it might be best to cook the rice and beans separately then mix them together. I do this occasionally when I want extra beans for other meals. Just add all the seasoning to the rice, you’ll only need about 2 1/2 cups of water for 2 cups of rice.
OK, thanks. My beans were a bit older so maybe that was part of the problem. We will try again with fresh beans and longer cooking rice. The funny thing is, after it sat for a day in the fridge the beans were a little less crunchy and everybody ended up eating it, so the flavor was good!
Hi Sue,
I’m glad there was a happy ending at least. I hope it’s perfect for you next time! 🙂
When I make beans in the IP, I always do a quick cook first. A cup of dried beans, 4 cups of water, salt and cook for 2 minutes on manual. After rinsing the beans, they are ready to cook. Black beans usually take about 26 minutes this way. Have you ever tried the pre-cook method?
I’ve never tried to precook them but it’s an excellent idea!
What a wonderful idea, Allhans!
This is in my IP right now! I made a few tweaks: I used 2 cans chicken broth, the juice from 2 cans of stewed tomatoes, plus a tiny bit of water to make 5 cups of liquid. I also threw in a pound of cooked ground beef from the freezer. I’m really hoping it turns out nicely!! Thanks for the recipe and inspiration. 🙂
Hi Holly, I want to thank you seriously for this recipe! I had been wanting to do more beans and rice regularly with my family and just never thought ahead to soaking so I never served beans and rice. This recipe is so incredibly easy and fast and my family including my three children LOVE it. We have made it so many times, adding a few variations, and serving alone or on tortillas or chips. I love your recipe so much I have told people that my Instant Pot was worth it even if we only used it for beans and rice! We love stirring in a can of diced tomatoes and garlic after it comes down from pressure and we serve with Texas Pete on the table. LOVE! Thank you!!! Please check out my Loaded (with Veggies) Potato Soup Recipe for the Instant Pot. https://2ndgenhomeschooler.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/loaded-potato-soup/
Thanks so much for this recipe! Just made it tonight and it turned out perfect. I loved the consistency and the flavor. I could eat this every day!
Since I got my IP I’ve mostly just used it for plain beans or grains to eat with/add to another dish. So I figured I’d try this out to eat for lunch this week and mmm so good! I just added cumin and left out the salt (since I put hot sauce on everything). Delicious, healthy, and easy! Loved it 🙂 Love your blog too and looking forward to making more IP (and regular plant based) recipes. 🙂
Thanks so much Stacie! I really appreciate your kind words.
I want to create some more IP recipes but like you, I do a lot of plain beans and grains. 🙂
Enjoy your Instant Pot and thanks for reading!
I’ve made this a few times and still having problems. I didn’t see the note below the recipe that stated it was just for black beans – so that may be the problem as I’ve been using pintos. I will try 35 minutes and see how that goes.
One question though – how does it do a natural release? Once it finished cooking, I turned it off and waited and nothing happened after 40 minutes. I finally just quick released it and was mushy that time. If you could explain the natural release? I’m wondering if I have a faulty lid because it won’t release anything naturally for other recipes either.
Hi Bev,
Pinto beans take longer to cook than black beans so that is part of the problem.
If you use pinto beans and cook it longer the rice will over cook and turn mushy. You can try soaking the beans first so they don’t need to cook for as long.
Sometimes when you cook rice it can clog the release so the metal pin doesn’t drop. You can wait for 10 minutes then so a quick release.
Make sure you clean the release valve. Sometimes I’ll shake the lid a bit if it doesn’t fall on its own. I’ve heard some people have issues with it dropping.
Let me know how that works. 🙂
How many servings in this recipe?
HI Lynn,
It will depend on how big the servings are but you can plan for 4+ servings.
It makes a SUBSTANTIAL amount – divided into 4 is very large servings. I am thinking at least 6 – maybe even 8 if you are feeding younger kids.
I would like to try this recipe and I wonder if the beans are soaked before hand. I love the idea of cooking the eho meal in the pressure cooker!
HI Kathleen,
I do not soak the beans first. I cook it all together. Some people have had trouble with it all being done together, I think it depends on how fresh your beans are and what rice you use. I usually use short grain brown rice. This takes a while to cook but turns out well in my Instant Pot.
Thanks! I will try it with soaked beans and adjust from there as I usually use pinto beans over black beans.
I’m wondering if the problem that people are having with the beans not softening is due to the acidity of the tomato paste. I learned to cook beans with the understanding that you add acidic things after they are as soft as you’d like them.
Good point Lydia! I’ll try it that way and see what happens. The tomato sauce can easily be added after it cooks.
Hi, Can I use canned pinto beans? If so any idea on the time adjustment?
Hi Lisa,
You can used canned beans but I would just cook the rice with spices on manual for 22 minutes with a NPR. Then add the tomato sauce and can of rinsed pinto beans.
Let me know how that works for you!
I’m so glad you just added that about the canned beans…I was going to say if there was a problem with dried beans being hard, couldn’t you just add canned beans at the end…that could go for canned black beans, too, couldn’t it? You think I should wait with the tomato sauce, too? TIA
HI Nancy,
I’ve made this a ton with tomato sauce added at the beginning and it turns out fine for me. Other times I’ll add it at the end and it works too. Canned black beans are a favorite for us because we always have them. Plus, I rarely plan to soak or prep beans ahead of time.
I made a mistake. I only had white rice, given by a friend. Only use brown rice. Having to simmer to finish the black beans and praying my rice does not become mush. May have to add some corn to break up texture.
Corn is a great addition! I love it with corn but my husband has to avoid it. I only use brown rice myself.
Just made this as my first IP recipe! So good and easy! I added about a cup of chopped onions, 4-5 cloves of garlic, 2 tsp of New Mexico mild red chile powder, a tsp cumin and a pinch of Mexican oregano, then added 2 chopped fresh tomatoes and cilantro after it was done. Thanks for a great, easy to follow recipe!
Yay! Congrats on your IP! I love this recipe because it’s so easy to add to based on what you have on hand! Your versions sounds delicious!
Is there a reason why the crock pot recipe has Cumin and this one does not? I was just wondering.
Not really Jenna. I was probably out of cumin when I recreated it for the IP. Come to think of it, I’m still out of cumin. You can definitely add it though.
Very good and easy! And less pots to clean/ time than to do the rice and beans separately. I didn’t have onion powder but used some fajita seasoning instead, and used salsa instead of the tomato sauce and it still turned out very yummy!
Has anyone used canned pinto beans in chili sauce? I’m thinking of cutting back the water a cup
is it okay if you add some sliced sausage? has anyone tried that?
As this is a plant based community, probably nobody has tried that
I’m so glad I found this recipe, and am glad I read all the comments before I tried it out. I recently purchased an Instant Pot and was wondering how to use it for some of my favorite regular recipes. This recipe is very similar to the vegetarian Spanish Rice that I normally make on the stove (using brown rice and black beans). That recipe usually takes 45 minutes to an hour, and it’s tricky to get the texture just right, and inevitably some of it sticks to the bottom of the pan, so I was definitely curious to see if it would work better in the IP. I took your recipe and blended it with mine, and it came out perfectly! I normally used canned beans, but was afraid they’d get mushy if cooked with the rice, so I used dried beans as called for in the recipe. Since the dried black beans I had on hand had been in my cupboard for a few years, I was worried they wouldn’t get soft enough — so I used allhans advice to quick cook them first in the IP (I cooked them on high pressure for three minutes instead of two). I then sauteed onion and garlic in the IP, tossed in the brown rice and black beans and the tomato paste and the spices, added some chopped green pepper and a can of diced tomatoes (with the liquid), and used about 4 1/2 cups of homemade vegetable broth instead of water. 28 minutes on high pressure, let it rest for 10 minutes, and then released the pressure. Both the rice and the beans were just the right texture, there was no extra liquid, and absolutely nothing was stuck to the bottom of the pan! So this was definitely a winner on the first try and far less mess than cooking on the stove. PS – This recipe can be used for lots of things: I use it as both a main dish and a side, and also use it as a filling for cabbage rolls, stuffed peppers, and enchiladas.
I’m so glad it worked for you! I like to change it up when I have other things to add to it. It’s definitely versatile!
I’ve made this 4 times already. My husband is obsessed with it. My 2 year old eats it by the fist fulls. It’s easy, it’s cheap, and most importantly delicious! Thank you so much did sharing. I don’t know how we survived without this recipe in our lives.
Oh my Charlene! That is the sweetest comment ever! Thank you!
This was sensational! I added a quarter cup of nutritional yeast and used fresh garlic…and knocked my socks off. Thank you!
That sounds fabulous! I’m gonna try it that way next time! I LOVE Nooch!
Any thoughts about doubling this recipe? Would it fit or be way to much for the IP to handle?
Is there a PRINT button hiding in there somewhere? I’d like to be able to print the recipe only. Thanks!
This came out very soupy. I thought it looked like too much water when I was adding it, but I hesitate to change a recipe when I’m trying it for the first time. Does the type of brown rice affect it? I think I used brown basmati.
Now I’m not sure how to remedy it or decrease all the liquid.
Hi Julia,
I’m sorry this didn’t turn out for you!
I think using brown basmati may have made a difference. It typically cooks quicker since it’s longer and skinnier that regular brown rice. It probably wouldn’t absorb as much liquid.
When this recipe is done and the pressure comes down in the Instant Pot, it does typically have extra water in it, but if you give it a stir and come back to check it after it’s had a chance to cool off, the water is usually completely absorbed.
The reason I use regular brown rice is that it cooks in about the same amount of time as the black beans.
If you want to use a quicker cooking rice go ahead but significantly decrease the water and used beans that are already cooked. Sometimes I’ll just make the rice using 2 cups of brown rice, 3 cups of water, the tomato sauce (or paste) and spices. Then cook it for 22 minutes on manual. After it’s done, I’ll stir in a can of drained and rinsed beans.
I hope that helps. I live in a dry climate so I err on the side of more water.