Rice is a staple food in so many cuisines and homes around the world, including my own. To make it extra flavorful and give it a Latin spin, I make this cilantro lime rice recipe. It’s an easy way to take rice to the next level, making a flavorful base for rice or burrito bowls or as a side for any Mexican-inspired dishes.
Reasons I Love This Recipe
Simple: True, it’s simple to just zap a microwaveable pouch of rice and call it done, but I take a few more minutes to make this fresh and herbaceous rice from scratch. It takes hardly any effort at all for a big flavor payoff.
Real-food ingredients: This recipe requires just five simple ingredients plus water. I love rice as a naturally gluten-free energizing carbohydrate that makes a nutritious and delicious addition to meals and dinner bowls.
Family favorite: My kids, husband, neighbors, kid’s friends, and extended family all appreciate my homemade cilantro-lime rice. They say it’s just as good as what’s served at any authentic Mexican restaurant, and I agree. The fresh cilantro and lime flavor are an easy way to make tacos, burritos, and enchilada meals even better.
Ingredients To Gather
It takes just five ingredients (plus water) to make the most flavorful rice side dish. Here’s what’s needed to make my copycat Chipotle cilantro lime rice:
- Rice – I typically use jasmine rice because I like how it doesn’t stick together as much as basmati or other more glutinous types of rice do. Basmati rice or any other type of long-grain white rice will work. Or, feel free to use brown rice, too (though it will require more water and a longer cooking time).
- Lime – I use both the zest (shredded peel) and the juice of one medium lime. Always zest a lime first before cutting it in half to squeeze out the juice.
- Cilantro – it’s important to use fresh cilantro for the best fresh flavor. Mince or finely chop the leaves and cilantro stems just before stirring it into the rice.
- Avocado oil – I like this neutral-tasting, high-heat oil for toasting the rice before it cooks. Toasting the rice enhances the nutty flavor and also helps prevent it from clumping. Olive oil also works.
- Salt – a little salt really helps the flavors of the lime and cilantro pop.
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Making Cilantro Lime Rice
Here’s how to make cilantro lime rice just right every time.
- Toast the rice: Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat until it’s hot, then add a little avocado oil and the rice to the hot saucepan. Heat and stir the cup of rice for 1 minute to toast it. This brings out a pleasant nutty flavor in the rice, removes excess starch, and also helps prevent it from clumping together when it’s cooked.
- Cook the rice: Next, add the water (or chicken broth or vegetable broth) and salt to the saucepan and bring the water to a boil, staying nearby so the water doesn’t boil over. When the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan, letting it simmer on low until the rice is tender, which takes about 13 to 15 minutes. Be sure to stir it about every 5 minutes to make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan. When the rice is done cooking, remove it from the heat but leave it covered. Set it aside for about 10 minutes to let the rice steam some more.
- Add the lime and cilantro: After 10 minutes, remove the lid and stir in the lime zest, fresh lime juice, and cilantro. If I’m feeling like I want a little pop of heat, I might add a dash of ground cumin or chipotle powder.
- Fluff and serve: Fluff the cooked rice with a fork to incorporate the lime and cilantro, then serve it while it’s warm. Or, let it cool to room temperature before covering and storing in the fridge.
For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.
Prep It Up To 4 Days In Advance
If I know I’m going to be serving this rice later in the week, it’s a simple one to check off my list and store in the fridge to reheat later. It can be made up to 4 days before serving, covered and stored in an airtight container for meal prep, and then reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave. After reheating, I just fluff it again and it tastes fresh as the day it was first made.
Serve As A Side Or The Base Of A Burrito Bowl
When I make this easy cilantro lime rice recipe, most often it’s because I’m making my famous copycat Chipotle chicken burrito bowls for my teen daughters and their friends. I serve this rice as a perfect side dish to go with Mexican black beans, chipotle chicken, and corn salsa. I also set shredded romaine lettuce, sauteed peppers and onions, guacamole, and other burrito toppings. That way everyone can assemble their bowls just the way they like them. While some may prefer Mexican rice or cauliflower rice, this cilantro lime rice seems to be the biggest crowd pleaser.
But this rice also makes a delicious side dish for all types of Mexican food dishes, such as this ground beef and zucchini skillet, chicken tostadas, carnitas bowls, and sheet pan chicken fajitas.
Storage Directions
Store the cooked and cooled rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
To reheat, heat the rice in a saucepan on the stovetop with ½ cup water over medium heat, or reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this recipe can be made in a rice cooker. To do so, use the saute function on the rice cooker. Heat the oil and rice, stirring constantly, for one minute. Then add 1 cup of water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Seal the rice cooker and set for 4 minutes of cook time. Once the rice is done, add the lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro. Fluff it with a fork to combine.
Though brown rice isn’t typically used to make cilantro lime rice, you can use it instead of white rice. If using brown rice, add an additional ½ cup water and cook the rice until tender. This may take an additional 5-10 minutes.
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Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe
Make a flavorful and simple rice side dish to pair with any Mexican-inspired meal. This copycat Chipotle cilantro lime rice tastes even better than the restaurant version and requires just a few simple ingredients and quick steps.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 1 cup long grain white (such as jasmine or basmati)
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- Zest and juice of 1 medium lime (2 tablespoons juice + 1 teaspoon zest)
- ½ cup loose-packed finely chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Place a large (3-quart) saucepan over medium-high heat. When the saucepan is hot, add the oil and rice. Heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to toast the rice.
- Add the water and salt; stir.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the rice to a boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer, covered, over low heat until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 13 to 15 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave the pan covered for 10 minutes to allow the rice to finish steaming.
- Remove the lid and stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and the chopped cilantro. Fluff with a fork to combine and serve warm.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Notes
The rice can be cooked up to 4 days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to serve. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until warmed through, stirring halfway through.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: ¼ of the rice or ~ ¾ cup
- Calories: 182
- Fat: 2 g
- (Sat Fat: 0 g)
- Sodium: 141 mg
- Carbohydrate: 32 g
- (Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 0 g)
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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