Instant Pot Venison Spanish Rice is the perfect weeknight meal. With just a few simple ingredients and the magic of pressure cooking, you'll have a hearty and flavorful meal that comes together in a breeze! With only 30 minutes of cooking time and 5 minutes of prep time, you're definitely going to want to add this easy ground venison recipe to your weeknight meal rotation!
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Why This Recipe Works:
One of the great things about an Instant Pot is the rice function. It's the perfect way to make rice and works wonderfully for this great recipe. The ability of pressure cookers to infuse food with flavor quickly under high pressure is the key factor that makes this dish exceptionally delicious. The result of cooking venison under high pressure is super flavorful and tender meat.
This recipe is like the boxed mixes we all know but without all the unnecessary ingredients. The homemade taco seasoning adds great flavor to the ground venison. All of the spices and ingredients come together to make this super flavorful and easy weeknight dinner!
Ingredient Notes:
- Ground Venison: Any ground red meat can be used in place of ground venison. Elk, antelope, moose, beef, etc. will all work. A chorizo-style ground venison sausage can be used in place of the ground venison with taco seasoning. You can also skip the meat altogether and make this into a side dish rather than an entree.
- Taco Seasoning: This recipe uses homemade taco seasoning but you can use your preferred taco seasoning or whatever you have on hand!
- Fideo Pasta: Fideo pasta, also known as vermicelli pasta, is a type of thin, spaghetti-like pasta commonly used in Mexican and Spanish cuisine. If you can't find it, you can use angel hair or thin spaghetti pasta broken into small pieces.
- Stock or Broth: This recipe uses homemade wild game stock but you can use beef broth or chicken broth instead.
Equipment Notes:
- Instant Pot: You can make this recipe in a large skillet on the stove instead of in an Instant Pot. See the recipe card below for complete instructions.
Step by Step Instructions:
How To Make Instant Pot Venison Spanish Rice:
This tasty Instant Pot meal comes together quickly but there are a few key steps to make sure it turns out great every time. Follow the simple steps below!
Pro Tip: Make sure you thoroughly stir the liquid ingredients into the other ingredients. This helps keep the rice, etc. from burning on the bottom of the Instant Pot.
More Easy Ground Venison Recipes:
Putting it All Together:
Once your venison Spanish rice is finished, all that's left to do is serve and eat! I like to top mine with some shredded cheddar cheese, but it's not necessary. You can add some fresh toppings like avocado, diced tomatoes, cilantro, etc. but it's also delicious on its own. This is sure to become one of your favorite easy Instant Pot recipes!
Recipe FAQ's:
Besides the obvious burgers and spaghetti, ground venison is a versatile game meat that can be used in many different dishes! This Instant Pot Venison Spanish Rice is a great weeknight option. Or check out these lists of ground wild game recipes and venison recipes for more inspiration.
Occasionally, you might come across some ground venison that has an off-flavor. Thawing the meat in a paper towel-lined bowl can help remove some of those off flavors. Additionally, seasoning the meat well and adding it to a mixed dish like this Instant Pot Venison Spanish Rice can help mask some of the off flavors.
Ground venison is a lean meat but it doesn't need to be mixed with other ground meat or fat. It does need a little fat for cooking, but you certainly don't have to add it to your raw ground venison.
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Recipe:
Instant Pot Venison Spanish Rice (Easy Ground Venison Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground venison (or elk, moose, antelope, etc.)
- 3 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon pork lard (or other cooking fat)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup long grain rice
- ½ cup fideo pasta
- 2 cups stock or broth (wild game, chicken, etc.)
- 1 ½ cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- shredded cheese, for serving (cheddar, monterey jack, etc.)
- sour cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Mix taco seasoning into ground venison.
- Heat Instant Pot on sauté mode on high. Add lard and swirl to coat the pot.
- Add seasoned meat to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip the meat and continue cooking until browned, breaking the meat up into small pieces while it cooks, about 3-4 more minutes. Remove meat to a bowl and set aside.
- Add butter and swirl to coat the pot. Add diced onion. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add rice and fideo pasta. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
- Add tomatoes, stock, remaining seasonings, and cooked meat. Stir to combine. Make sure you stir it well and scrape up any brown bits to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Turn off sauté mode.
- Place the lid on top of the Instant Pot and lock it into the sealed position. Move the steam release valve to the closed position. Select the rice mode and let the Instant Pot come to pressure and cook.
- When cooking is done, quick release the Instant Pot by releasing the steam release valve. When pressure is fully released, remove the lid. Fluff the rice with a spoon or fork.
- Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!
Stovetop Instructions:
- Follow steps 1-6 above with a large skillet instead of an Instant Pot. Bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
Storage Instructions:
- This recipe makes plenty for leftovers. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or vacuum seal it and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat in the microwave or saute it in a pan on the stove for a crispy texture.
Notes
- Any ground meat can be used in place of ground venison. Elk, antelope, moose, beef, etc. will all work. You can also skip the meat altogether and make this into a side dish rather than an entree.
- This recipe uses homemade taco seasoning but you can use your preferred taco seasoning or whatever you have on hand!
- If you can't find Fideo pasta, you can use angel hair or thin spaghetti pasta broken into small pieces.
- This recipe uses homemade wild game stock but you can use beef stock or broth instead.
- To add some extra fiber to this dish, add some cooked pinto beans or black beans after the rice is done cooking.
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