Why you’ll love this recipe
With its zesty, citrusy, and tangy flavors, this cilantro lime rice recipe is sure to shake up your plain old white rice routine.
All you need is a single lime and a handful of fresh cilantro to transform basic stovetop white rice into a bright, herby, restaurant-worthy side dish!
- Easy – Made in just 30 minutes with little to no prep time. You’ll juice and zest the lime while the rice cooks.
- Texture – Light, fluffy, and tender, thanks to my proven method for cooking stovetop rice. Hint… Turn the burner off during the last 10 minutes of cooking time!
- Versatile – This recipe pairs well with Mexican and Asian cuisine, and just about any chicken, pork, or beef main dish.
With my simple instructions, you’ll learn how to make cilantro lime rice perfectly on your first try!
Key Ingredient Notes:
Are you wondering how to make cilantro lime rice that tastes far better than the boxed stuff? It’s all about fresh, quality ingredients! Before you start cooking, make sure you have these essentials on hand:
- Long grain rice – I recommend using long-grain white rice, such as jasmine or basmati. Both types of rice provide a neutral-tasting base for the cilantro and lime flavors, but they differ in texture. Basmati rice is hearty and chewy, and jasmine rice is tender and soft. Regardless, they both become light and fluffy when cooked and can be used interchangeably in this recipe.
- Olive oil – Helps prevent the rice from becoming too sticky. If you don’t have olive oil unsalted butter is a good substitute.
- Kosher salt – To enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
- Lime – Fresh lime juice and zest give the rice a tangy, citrusy flavor. Look for limes with shiny, smooth, firm skin, and avoid anything dull and wrinkled looking.
- Cilantro – For bright, earthy flavors. Fresh cilantro should be bright green and crisp-looking without any signs of yellowing. It should also have a strong aroma and be free of any slime.
How to make cilantro lime rice recipe:
Take a look at these step-by-step instructions for how to make the best rice from scratch. Photos and tips are included!
1. Cook the rice
- Combine rice, water, olive oil, and salt in a 2 ½ quart heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
- Cover the pot, and bring it to a slow boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, covered.
- Then, remove the rice from the heat, and let it sit for another 10 minutes, covered.
Tip: Don’t be tempted to open the lid during the final 10 minutes of cooking. Steam trapped in the pot helps the rice finish cooking and become perfectly fluffy and tender.
2. Prepare the lime
- Meanwhile, wash the lime to remove dirt and residue from the skin. Then, zest the lime using a microplane grater.
- After zesting, cut the lime in half and squeeze out the juice. You should end up with about 2 tablespoons.
Tip: When zesting your lime, apply gentle pressure, and rotate the lime as needed. You only want to zest the green outer layer containing the aromatic essential oils. The inner white layer is bitter-tasting. Avoid zesting the inner white pith at all costs!
3. Combine the ingredients
- Add the lime zest, juice, and chopped cilantro to the cooked rice.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and mix everything together until combined.
- Serve immediately or save it for meal-prepped lunches throughout the week!
What to serve with cilantro lime rice:
When it comes to side dish options, rice is always a solid choice. And, once you learn how to make cilantro lime rice, you’ll want to serve it every night of the week! Here are some of my favorite ways to serve this side:
- Alongside Mexican mains like chicken quesadillas, chicken fajitas, and slow cooker chicken tacos.
- As a starchy addition to salads and bowls, like Dorito taco salad and leftover steak salad.
- Or, to round out a meaty main dish! Cilantro lime rice is a tasty addition to tequila lime scallops, ribeye steaks, and baked miso chicken.
Make-Ahead Tips:
I like to cook a big batch of cilantro lime rice for weekly meal prep and serve it with a protein like creamy coconut shrimp or orange chicken.
- Store cooked cilantro lime rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat it in the microwave, covered, until warmed through. If the rice starts to become dried out, drizzle a teaspoon of water over the top before warming it in the microwave.
Storing Tips:
Now that you know how to make cilantro lime rice, you’ll be making it on repeat and storing leftovers for use throughout the week! Luckily, it stores, reheats, and freezes really well.
- Store leftover cilantro lime rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through. Drizzle about a teaspoon of water over the rice, cover, and reheat. This will add moisture and make it taste just like freshly cooked rice!
- To freeze, allow the rice to cool completely. Then, transfer it to an airtight container or a ziplock bag. If freezing in a plastic bag, make sure to squeeze out all the air, and lay it flat on your freezer shelf. Freeze the rice for up to 1 month.
- Thaw frozen rice in the fridge overnight, and warm it up as directed above.
FAQs:
I’d argue that my cilantro lime rice recipe is actually better than Chipotle’s version! While both recipes feature cilantro and lime as the primary flavors, my version is heavier on the lime, because I include both juice and zest!
While this stovetop rice cooking method is super easy, you can also make cilantro lime rice in an Instant Pot. Simply follow my guide on how to cook rice in an Instant Pot. Then, mix in the lime zest, juice, and cilantro after the rice has finished cooking.
The short answer is, it depends! Because of its high starch content, short-grain rice should be rinsed until the water runs clear. Rinsing removes the excess starch, ensuring the cooked rice isn’t overly sticky or gummy. Long-grain rice, on the other hand, doesn’t contain as much starch, so it usually doesn’t require rinsing.
Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain rice such as jasmine, basmati
- 3 ½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil optional, but highly recommended
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 lime
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or to taste
Instructions
- To cook the rice on stovetop, in 2.5qt heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid, combine rice, water, olive oil and salt.2 cups long grain rice, 3 ½ cups water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- Cover and bring it to a slow boil over medium high heat.
- Reduce heat to low/simmer and cook for 15 minutes, covered.
- Remove from heat and let sit for another 10 minutes, covered. Don’t be tempted to open the lid, because steam is what finishes the cooking.
- Meanwhile, zest the lime using a microplane zester. (TIP: Only zest the green part without going into bitter white part.) Then cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice. You should get about 2 tablespoons of juice.1 lime
- Once the rice is cooked, add lime zest, juice and chopped cilantro. Fluff the rice with a fork and mix everything together.3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
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Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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