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Cilantro Lime Rice – If you love the rice at Chipotle and other restaurants like it, you are going to love this! It is so easy to make, and loaded with flavor.
I love carbs and rice is right up there with one of my favorite things. Whenever we go out for Mexican food, I have to get rice. It is just so fluffy and good. This Instant Pot Spanish Rice is like the rice from a more traditional Mexican restaurant.
The rice at Chipotle and other quick service Mexican places is loaded with cilantro and lime to make it anything but, just white rice. But depending on how long it has been sitting out, I find you can either get a good serving or the cilantro is kind of wilted and tasteless. But when you make it at home, it is always perfect!
If you are new here, you may not know that I have a thing for copycat recipes. I love to recreate restaurant favorites at home. This Roasted Chili Corn Salsa is another Chipotle recipe that will go perfectly with this rice. You can start building your own bowls or burritos in no time.
What You’ll Need
- Basmati Rice – or another long grain white rice like jasmine rice
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Bay Leaf
Yep, I have found the secret to having your rice taste just like the restaurant is the bay leaf. Chipotle actually says on their website that they use it, so I tried it and was shocked! You may never make plain white rice again after you try cooking it this way.
How To Make Cilantro Lime Rice
- The first thing you want to do is rinse your rice. This helps to make sure you get rid of any extra starch and leads to a less clumpy, fluffier rice.
- If you have a rice cooker (or even the Instant Pot) it is perfect to make in there. But no worries, the stovetop works great too. If making on the stove, combine the rice with the water, oil, and bay leaf in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy.
- Once the rice is cooked fluff it with a fork and add in the cilantro, lime zest and lime juice. Mix until it is well combined.
- Taste the rice and add additional salt if necessary.
The best part about making it at home is you can make it how you like it! If you think there isn’t enough lime juice, you can add more. If you don’t really like cilantro you can use parsley. If you like things spicy, add in a little diced jalapeno.
What To Serve With Cilantro Lime Rice
You really can just serve this on the side with Chicken Tenders and it would a great easy dinner. But there are all sorts of ways to make it over the top as well.
- Use for the rice in a Wet Burrito
- Build a bowl with Cafe Rio Chicken and their Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
- Serve with Green Chili Pork
- Margarita Grilled Chicken normally has Mexican rice, but this would be delicious as well.
- Place Fiesta Lime Chicken over a bed of this rice!
What Rice To Use
I like to use basmati rice for this. It is a long grain rice that cooks up very fluffy and not sticky. Jasmine rice is another good one if you have that at home. Just make sure to use a long grain rice, not medium or short. Medium and short grain rice tend to be soft, moist and chewy – which is not what we are going for here.
And the key to the best rice is always to rinse it first. Pour it into a colander and run water through it, while you gently shake it back and forth. After a minute or two when the water is mostly clear you can start cooking it with. Washing away the extra starch gives you the fluffiest rice.
More Copycat Recipes To Try
- Pasta Milano
- Orange Julius
- Olive Garden Breadsticks
- Chick-Fil-A Brownies
- Ruth Chris Sweet Potato Casserole
- Crunchwrap Supreme
- Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Southwest Egg Rolls
Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice, basmati or jasmine rice, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, about 1 cup
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice
- zest 1 lime
Instructions
- Combine the rice with the water, oil, salt and bay leaf in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy.
- Meanwhile finely chop the cilantro and mix with the lime zest.
- Once the rice is cooked fluff it with a fork and add in the cilantro, lime zest and lime juice. Mix until it is well combined.
- Taste the rice and add additional salt if necessary.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This tastes just like the kind at restaurants! I had some with shredded chicken and it was a super tasty dinner!
This is a flavorful and easy to make side dish. I think it’s perfect with chicken.
This tastes just like chipotle’s rice! So delicious!
Such a great flavor. Perfect side!
Everyone at my house loved this! It is such an amazing side dish! So perfect!
You can make the rice part in the rice cooker, then continue with the recipe. Great flavor to add to rice! Useful for lots of types of meals, Mexican or Asian style.