Cilantro Lime Rice

This cilantro lime rice is fresh and flavorful, just like the rice you get at Chipotle. This is my copycat version, which is healthy and easy to make at home. Serve it as a side dish with your favorite Mexican food.

I like to cook a batch of this cilantro lime rice to eat with Mexican and Asian inspired meals during the week. It goes great with my Cuban Black Beans, grilled chicken, tofu, or salmon.

I’ve been making different versions of cilantro lime rice over the past several years, and this recipe is my absolute favorite. The key is to gently toast the rice before cooking it, which helps to enhance its flavor and texture.

Cilantro lime rice ingredients

Rice: Chipotle uses regular long-grain white rice to make their cilantro lime rice. You can find this type of rice at any grocery store.

I personally like to use basmati or jasmine rice, which are both long-grain rice. They have a nice aroma, which works great with this recipe.

Long-grain rice will cook up fluffy and separate, which is what you want when making cilantro lime rice. Avoid using short-grain rice, which is sticker.

Water: I cook my rice using plain, filtered water. If you want it more flavorful, use vegetable or chicken broth.

Oil: I like to use olive oil in this recipe, but you can use coconut oil or avocado oil if you prefer. Toasting the rice lightly in oil helps give it extra flavor.

Chiptole uses rice bran oil if you prefer to use that.

Garlic: I like to add 1 crushed garlic clove while the rice is cooking, which gives the rice extra flavor. If you want a stronger garlic flavor, mince the garlic and cook it in the oil with the rice.

Salt: Adding salt to the rice while it’s cooking helps to enhance its flavor and prevent grains from sticking together.

Bay leaf: Adding a bay leaf to the rice while cooking helps to enhance both its flavor and aroma.

Butter: Adding a little butter to cooked rice improves its texture by making it rich and creamy.

Cilantro: Always use fresh cilantro in this recipe instead of dried. The fresh herbs add a beautiful and bright green color. I use cilantro leaves and a few stems in my rice.

If you’re not a big fan of cilantro, you can substitute with fresh chopped parsley.

Lime juice and zest: Always use fresh lime juice and zest for this recipe. The lime zest helps to enhance the citrus flavor.

If you don’t have limes, you can use fresh lemons instead. Chipotle uses a lemon-lime citrus juice blend to make their rice.

Green onion (scallions): This is an optional ingredient, but it adds a nice flavor to the rice. Add it to the cooked rice with the fresh cilantro.

How to make cilantro lime rice

This cilantro lime rice can be made on the stovetop or in a rice cooker. Below are the instructions for how to make it on the stovetop.

Clean the rice: Add the rice to a large bowl or pot. Fill the bowl or pot with enough water to completely cover the rice.

Use your hand to swirl the rice gently to help loosen the starch. The water will become cloudy, which means the surface starch is being released.

Carefully pour out the cloudy water over the kitchen sink, using your hand or a fine-mesh strainer to prevent the rice from escaping.

Repeat the process of filling the bowl with water, swirling the rice around with your hand, then draining the cloudy water 2-3 more times, or until the water runs clear. It usually takes me 3 rinses to do this.

Keep in mind that rice is a starch, and the water will never be crystal clear, but it should be noticeably clearer by the third rinse.

Cook the rice: Add the oil, crushed garlic clove, and rinsed rice to a pot over medium heat. Fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring gently to toast the rice.

Add the water (or broth if using), salt, and bay leaf to the pot. Stir well and bring to a low boil with no lid.

Place a tight-fitting lid on, then turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 12-15 minutes (or according to your rice package instructions). DO NOT LIFT THE LID.

To check if the rice is done cooking, gently tilt the saucepan, then take a quick look to see if all the water has been absorbed.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the rice rest for 10 minutes with the lid on.

Mix in the cilantro and lime: Remove the bay leaf and crushed garlic clove. Stir in the butter, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and chopped green onion if using. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Rice Cooker Method: Follow the instructions above to clean the rice.

Add the water (or broth if using), oil, rice, crushed garlic clove, salt, and bay leaf to the inner pot of your rice cooker. Place the lid on and cook the rice according to your rice cooker’s instructions.

Once the rice has finished cooking, remove the bay leaf and crushed garlic clove. Then stir in the butter, fresh chopped cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and chopped green onion if using.

How to serve cilantro lime rice

Cilantro lime rice is the perfect side dish to go with Mexican, Tex-Mex, Southwestern, Jamaican, or Asian meals. Below are some more yummy suggestions.

• As a base for burrito bowls, power bowls, vegetarian chili, or curries.
• Wrapped in a burrito, taco, fajita, or enchilada.
• As a side dish with black beans or your favorite protein (chicken, fish, steak, pork, tofu, or tempeh).
• Serve it with your favorite salsas like pico de gallo.
• Serve it in stuffed peppers or in soup.

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