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Best cilantro lime rice. authentic and easy Mexican rice better than chipotle rice.
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5 from 21 votes

Best Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe

Best Cilantro Lime Rice you will ever make. This rice recipe is easy to make and tastes even better than Chipotle's cilantro lime rice. Serve this with rice bowls, burritos, enchiladas, guacamole, chicken, etc.
Prep Time4 minutes
Cook Time16 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American, Mexican, Spanish
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 233kcal
Author: Kushi

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon Olive oil or butter
  • 1 cup Long grain rice like basmati or jasmine
  • 1 ½ cups Water
  • Salt , to taste (approx ¾ tsp)
  • ½ teaspoon Lime zest
  • 2 tablespoon Lime juice
  • ½ cup Cilantro or Coriander leaves chopped

Instructions

Easy Cilantro Lime Rice

  • Add olive oil in a pan along with rice and toss so that the rice is coated well. Sauté this on a medium flame for 3 to 5 minutes till you get a nice nutty aroma.
    2 tablespoon Olive oil, 1 cup Long grain rice
  • Be careful not to burn it. This is what makes your dish flavorful and different from other recipes. I prepare all my Mexican rice recipes the same way.
  • Add water or broth, salt to taste, lime zest, and boil. Cover with a lid and cook on medium to medium-low flame for 10 to 12 minutes. Then, switch off the flame.
    1 ½ cups Water, Salt, ½ teaspoon Lime zest
  • Keep this covered for another 5 to 8 minutes.
  • To the cooked rice, add fresh lime juice, cilantro, and toss till combined. For some reason, if you missed adding zest while cooking rice, you can add it at this point. 
    2 tablespoon Lime juice, ½ cup Cilantro
  • Serve it with burritos, tacos, steak, chicken, black beans, or salsa, and enjoy!

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice

  • Turn on the SAUTE mode of your IP.
  • Add rice and olive oil and toss till rice is coated in oil and saute till it becomes aromatic. Now add water and salt to taste, lime zest, and stir again. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
  • When cooking time is complete, allow the natural release of pressure for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, do a quick pressure release and fluff rice with a fork.
  • Toss rice with cilantro and lime juice in a separate bowl. Serve and enjoy.
  • If you are using brown rice instead of white rice, you must cook for 23 minutes, natural release.

Notes

  • Toss and sauté rice in oil for 3 to 5 minutes till it gets a nutty aroma on low flame. I do it for all Mexican rice recipes. This enhances the taste and makes it copycat Chipotle style. You can also check out our popular Mexican Black Bean Rice. 
  • Add lemon zest along with water that you use to cook rice. This gives that authentic lime flavor to your rice.
  • Use fresh lime juice and not the bottled one.
  • You can cook the rice in chicken or beef stock for additional flavor if you are non-vegan.
  • Do not overcook the rice, as it will make your dish mushy.
  • You can also add bay leaf while cooking the rice for a fragrance similar to pilaf.
  • Any rice will work for this recipe that you use on a daily basis. Flavored long-grain rice like Jasmine rice or basmati gives the best result. 
  •  You can use brown rice to make cilantro lime brown rice for a nutritious and healthier version. 
  • If you have leftover cooked rice, you can also use that in the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.5mg