Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe (2024)

This easy Cilantro Lime Rice recipe will cure your Chipotle craving without having to leave home! To make your own, you’ll only need a handful of ingredients and about 30 minutes of time. Make it with or without your Instant Pot for perfect rice every time!

When I created this recipe, I was trying to recreate Chipotle’s cilantro lime rice – it’s one of my favorite things on their menu. Being able to fulfill that craving for the famous version super cheaply at home is amazing.

After some researching and fine-tuning, I made my first batch, but it didn’t quite taste like Chipotle’s version. My copycat version was WAY better! This is truly the best rice I’ve had.

It’s super fresh and flavorful without being too acidic, and it has a nice bright flavor that will perk up any homemade burrito bowl, burrito, or fajita meal.

Why This Recipe Works

Freezer-Friendly – You can make up a batch or two of this Chipotle cilantro lime rice and save it in the freezer whenever you need it. Talk about a WIN for meal prepping.

Perfect for Bagged Lunches. You can make up a batch of the cilantro lime rice recipe for the refrigerator so that you can throw together quick lunches throughout the week by adding different Mexican or Asian toppings. Placing the rice on top of your leftover meats will allow the rice to steam in the microwave as the meat reheats. I like to use this method in individual containers for quick work and school lunches.

It is fast – Throw this rice recipe together and it will be ready in thirty minutes or less.

It’s inexpensive – Because you only need eight ingredients and one of them is water, you don’t have to spend much money on this rice.

Great for a beginner – If you are just starting out in the kitchen, you can easily make this rice recipe. It’s quick, easy, and delicious.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice

🍚 Ingredients for the Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe

If you love cilantro, lime, & rice, you’re going to have a little bit of everything in this fantastic side dish.

White Rice | You can use old-fashioned white rice or jasmine rice to make this cilantro rice recipe. Or if you’d rather use brown rice, that is fine too.

Bay Leaves | Adding in a couple of bay leaves adds a lot of flavor to this dish. Plus, its what they do at Chipotle.

Lemon and Lime Juice | I like to use both lemon juice and lime juice. It really needs to be fresh juice and not something pre-packaged to get the most flavor.

Cilantro | Use freshly chopped cilantro for best results. Add this ingredient right before serving the rice. If you don’t have cilantro, there are many substitutes you can use.

Canola Oil | The oil keeps the rice from sticking and improves the texture. You can use olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil if you prefer.

Salt | To taste.

Water | We like the rice made with water best, but you can use chicken broth instead for a different flavor. If you choose broth it will not need added salt.

🍽️ Traditional Instructions

Preparing cilantro lime rice is one of the easiest recipes you can make. Let’s take a look at the steps you will need to take:

Step One | Boil water and salt in a medium-sized pot using medium heat. A little bit of salt will help the water boil faster and will also flavor the rice.

Step Two | Rinse the rice and drain off excess water. This removes excess starch so that you have fluffier rice. You can use a colander with small holes to rinse the rice.

Step Three | After the water is boiling, add the rice, oil, and bay leaves to the pot. Stir and turn the heat down to low. Partially cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes, then remove from heat. Allow the rice to sit for five minutes.

Step Four | Take the bay leaves out of the pot and fluff the rice using a fork. Drizzle in some lemon juice, lime juice, and add the cilantro. Stir and enjoy it!

Instant Pot Instructions for Cilantro Lime Rice

Step One | Pour rice, oil, bay leaf, salt, and 2 cups of water into Instant Pot. Give it a stir.

Step Two | Cook 12 minutes on low pressure or select the rice button. Depending on your Instant Pot model this step may be different for you. Make sure to close the valve if yours is not an automatic valve.

Step Three | Once done release pressure.

Step Four | Stir in all the remaining ingredients, stir, and serve!

💡 Expert Tips

Timing is everything. Only add cilantro to the rice you are going to eat immediately. If you add it to the entire batch of rice, the cilantro may discolor and won’t age well. I cut up just enough cilantro for each dish. Once cut, it really is best used immediately. As an added bonus, if you have a family member with a strong dislike of cilantro, you can make them plain lime rice and leave out the offending herb.

Make it faster. If you are short on time, make this in the Instant Pot. It will result in a bit stickier white rice, but you can’t beat how easy it is to make.

Fix Crunchy Rice. Cook the rice a little longer if it seems too crunchy. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan at a time if the water has all evaporated until you get the texture you like.

Use Freshly-Squeezed Juices. It is only a little tiny bit of extra work to use freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice and the difference is notable. Your tastebuds will thank you. A little hand juicer makes this super easy.

Variations

Add jalapeños. Every now and then, I enjoy a little kick to this dish!

Add sautéed onions. That dark, rich, caramelized flavoring complements these fresh ingredients nicely. It adds a nice earthy flavoring.

Add avocados on top for a fun and healthy topping. Heck, I could add avocados to just about anything, but it does work nicely with this rice.

Make this with cauliflower rice. My local grocery store sells this in both the produce section (for fresh) and in the freezer section. Cauliflower Cilantro Lime Rice is amazing!

Try it with quinoa. If you want a little variety in your grains, this recipe works with quinoa. Make your quinoa according to the package directions with bay leaves in the water and then stir in the last four ingredients.

Add a clove or two of garlic. Some people love garlic in everything. This rice can handle garlic well if you are one of those people!

🍴 Meal Prep – How to Freeze the Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe

This recipe can be frozen and used again, which lends it to being FREEZER FRIENDLY!

• Prepare the rice as normal. Set aside the other ingredients. I have had the best luck freezing the rice without adding the lime and cilantro.
• Allow rice to cool in the fridge.
• Divide it into freezer-friendly bags (I like Ziploc Freezer Bags) and label them with the amount and the date. Lay them out flat in the freezer. You’ll find that they defrost more quickly when you are ready to use them.
• Reheat it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it in 30-45 second intervals and stir so you don’t burn the rice.

If you do freeze your rice first, I recommend heating it up and then adding lime, cilantro, and oil. I have had mixed results when I combined all the ingredients first and then froze it.

Recipe FAQs

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Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.You can alsostay in touch with me through social mediaby following me onInstagram,Pinterest, andFacebook!

Readers love this recipe! “Just made this to bring to a Cinco de Mayo party. Delicious!!!” From Anne

“Perfect recipe!” From Jaime

“I love Urban Cookhouse for their cilantro lime rice. Can’t wait to make this at home. Thanks for sharing an easy, quick and a delicious sounding recipe!” From Christy