Easy Cilantro Lime Rice

Did you fall in love with cilantro lime rice because of Chipotle and now need to make it at home wherever you enjoy Mexican food? Yeah, us too. This easy cilantro lime rice is a quick and basic version that focuses on fresh and bright flavors. It is perfect for using as a base for your at home burrito bowl, as a filling in your chicken burritos ranchero, or as a side to your favorite tacos. 

While we know that this isn’t an exact copy of the Chipotle cilantro lime rice, we enjoy the simpler and fresher flavors we get from it. And by using just 3 simple ingredients, this cilantro lime rice is quick and easy to make.

Cilantro Lime Rice Ingredients

We have found that keeping our cilantro lime rice simple is best because it allows for the pure taste of each fresh ingredient and means you only need to have 3 basic ingredients on hand. Here is everything you’ll need to make cilantro lime rice:

• White rice
• Fresh cilantro
• Fresh lime
• Sea salt (optional)

If you would rather make cilantro lime rice with brown rice or even basmati or jasmine rice, you can just substitute it for the white rice and follow the cooking directions on your rice packaging. Using brown rice is a great option if you are looking for a healthier alternative to white rice. Due to the difference in taste and texture it can also be better suited for certain dishes as well. Try using brown cilantro lime rice for a healthy burrito bowl or with as a side for our vegetarian tostadas!

Using fresh cilantro and lime is very important to make sure your cilantro lime rice turns out the best it can. The fresh ingredients give the rice the bolder flavor it needs to go with your favorite burrito, tacos, or other Mexican dish. And if you want to bring out the flavors within the rice even more, adding a pinch of salt will help.

How To Make Cilantro Lime Rice

Making cilantro lime rice is super easy. All you need to do is make rice and then stir in the rest of the ingredients! Here are the steps broken down for you:

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Add rice to the saucepan and stir. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
3. While the rice is cooking, chop the cilantro.
4. Check to make sure all of the water in the pot is gone. Then remove the cooked rice from the heat and stir to fluff.
5. Add chopped cilantro, the juice from half of a lime, and a pinch of salt, then stir to combine.
6. Serve hot as a side dish or use as a filling for your favorite Mexican dishes, like our chicken burritos ranchero and carne asada tacos!

If you are using a different kind of rice, be sure to check the package instructions for how long to cook. Other than that, follow the above directions as normal!

What Goes With Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro lime rice is the perfect compliment to any authentic Mexican recipe. Here are some of our suggestions for what goes well with the fresh and flavorful rice:

• Serve it as a side for Baked chicken tacos.
• Use it as a filling in chicken burritos ranchero.
• Enjoy it alongside a carnitas torta, or add it as an extra topping.
• Serve it with some slow cooker chicken tinga in a burrito bowl.

This versatile rice can be used in any number of ways as it is easy to make and brings plenty of extra flavor to any recipe!

Storing And Reheating Leftovers

If you have leftover cilantro lime rice, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Once you are ready to reheat and enjoy with your favorite tacos, just move it to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring part way through. If you find your leftover rice to be a little dry, try adding a teaspoon of water to the microwave safe container and heat up as normal. This will help to steam and rehydrate the rice.