Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro Lime Rice is a flavorful twist to Mexican Rice or plain white rice. Perfectly steamed long grain white rice is toasted first and cooked in an herb and stock blend with lime juice and zest added after steaming. I have a few tricks that keep this different from the many Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice copycat recipes out there.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice

For this Mexican rice dish I use a white long grain rice, and instead of water, give it an extra flavor boost from chicken stock blended with the cilantro.

A tip I’ll share with you is to rinse the rice to remove all starch, it tends to make the rice clumpy, and we want light and fluffy.

The rice is toasted in butter with the chopped onion and garlic for a pilaf style instead of just being steamed.

For the rice to completely absorb the chicken stock and get fluffy, I lay a kitchen towel over the saucepan and put the lid back on top after it’s steamed, too.

I see a lot of copycat recipes out there for the Chipotle restaurant chain’s version, and their cilantro lime rice copycat recipes usually are steamed white rice tossed with chopped cilantro and lime juice squeezed on top at the end.

This Cilantro Lime Rice recipe holds true to many authentic Mexican and Tex Mex restaurants, NOT the restaurant Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice versions.

Why this recipe works

1. I rinse the white rice to remove starches that keep the rice from being fluffy
2. Blend the cilantro with the chicken stock in lieu of plain water to cook the rice in
3. Let it sit for 10 minutes with a kitchen towel under the lid after it’s been cooked (see above photo)
4. Remove lid, add the lime juice and zest after it’s been steamed, and fluff before serving

The result is a wonderfully fluffy and flavorful Mexican rice dish. For another wonderful, flavored rice dish, try my Green Rice (Arroz Verde), made using chiles.

Perfect served with any Mexican meal like Carne Adovada or Ground Beef Enchiladas alongside with Mexican Pickled Carrots and  Authentic Refried Beans.

Finish the meal with sweet apple empanadas or churros. Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Rice

My cilantro lime rice gets rinsed, toasted in butter, onion and garlic and steamed in chicken stock blended with cilantro. Lime juice and zest top it off.

4.75 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 28 minutes

Resting Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 380kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 small onion diced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
• 2 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups cilantro leaves
• 2 limes 4 tbsp juice, zest from one lime

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Over medium heat in a medium saucepan melt the butter and sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Rinse the rice until water runs clear to remove starch. Shake excess water out and add rice to saucepan with onion and garlic. Toast for 3-4 minutes.
• In a blender add chicken stock and all but 2 tablespoons of the cilantro leaves. Blitz for 30 seconds and add to toasted rice. Stir to combine.
• Bring to a boil, cover with lid, lower heat to simmer and steam for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and place kitchen towel under lid and allow to rest at least 10 minutes.
  
• Remove lid and towel, add lime juice and half the zest. Fluff rice with a fork and serve with remaining cilantro and lime zest on top.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 543mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 735IU | Vitamin C: 15.2mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1.3mg

Have you made this recipe? Let me know on InstagramTag @KevinIsCooking and hashtag me #keviniscooking!