Cilantro lime rice is the ultimate Chipotle copycat. Fluffy white rice is infused with bright, zesty, and garlicky flavor, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to any Mexican dish — I’ll share more ideas below!
Why I Make This Cilantro Lime Rice All The Time
I’m a big Chipotle restaurant fan, with my go-to order being a grilled chipotle chicken or carnitas rice bowl topped with guacamole, pico de gallo, and fajita vegetables. But the cilantro lime rice is one of my favorite components. So I was over the moon when this homemade recipe turned out perfectly! Here’s a quick overview as to why I love it (and you will too!)…
- It has so much flavor with simple ingredients. All you need are fresh cilantro, limes, and garlic to amp up cooked white rice and recreate Chipotle’s golden treasure.
- It’s a meal prep and party favorite. Whether you’re prepping dinners for the week or making a large batch of rice for a potluck or dinner party, this recipe satisfies every single time.
Cilantro Lime Rice Ingredients
- Rice: Long-grain rice is ideal as it produces firm grains that become light and fluffy after cooking. Today, I’m using white Jasmine rice. If you want to use brown rice, make sure to look up the proper cooking time for that.
- Cilantro and Limes: Grab a bundle of fresh cilantro and a few limes (if you want extra for garnish). You’ll need the zest and juice from the lime for maximum zesty goodness.
- Garlic: The cooked minced garlic adds a savory flavor without being pungent. Plus, a touch of garlic makes everything taste better.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Cilantro Lime Rice
Prep the rice. Wash the rice in a fine mesh sieve over running water. Add the minced garlic to a pot over medium heat and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Then, add the rice and salt, and stir for a minute or so until mixed well.
Cook the rice. Bring the pot to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Mix in cilantro lime flavor. Remove the pot from heat (keep it covered) and let it steam for about 10 minutes. Then, add the lime juice, lime zest, and chopped cilantro. Give everything a good toss and it’s ready for eating!
Ways To Serve It
Although a burrito bowl is my go-to, this rice is a delicious side dish for any Mexican spread, even for breakfast with huevos rancheros! Here are a few ideas:
- All the best Mexican meats — The options are endless with chicken fajitas, carne asada, barbacoa, birria, or grilled shrimp.
- Mexican toppings and salsas — Top your meal off with red salsa, salsa verde, lime crema, or this creamy chipotle sauce.
- For more ideas — You can browse through my list of Mexican recipes.
Common Questions
If you’re just storing for the week, it can be kept in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. If you’d like to freeze this, it can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw it in the fridge overnight. Then microwave a portion for a minute or saute it on the stovetop until warm. You can also add a squeeze of lime juice to add fresh zestiness.
If you have a rice cooker — absolutely! Simply cook the rice as you would normally, fluff it up, and mix in the chopped cilantro, lime juice, zest, and salt. If you want to add the cooked garlic, you can saute that first and mix it in with the rest of the ingredients.
Yes! I always like to keep mine warm in a crockpot. This makes it easy to transfer and keep it warm and delicious no matter where the party is.
If You Love Cilantro Lime Flavor
- Cilantro Lime Chicken: Seared chicken thighs with the best marinade.
- Cilantro Lime Bacon Coleslaw: A fresh and savory take on coleslaw!
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice: The perfect low-carb option.
If you make this cilantro lime rice recipe, I’d love to know how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Stainless Steel Cookware The most durable set of cookware!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cup water or broth
- 1 lime, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Rinse. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear. Set aside.
- Saute and toast. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the rice and salt, and stir the rice for a minute, lightly toasting it.
- Simmer. Add the water, bring it to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove the pot from heat (keep it covered) and let it steam for an additional 10 minutes.
- Add flavor. Add the lime juice, lime zest, and chopped cilantro. Stir everything together and serve immediately!
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted May 2020, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
I was buying a prepackaged cilantro rice, which wasn’t very cost-effective and it was wasteful with the packaging. The brand I was buying was good and vegan-friendly; It became more expensive and harder to find. Your recipe is such a great replacement ! Thank you so much. The flavor is perfect, easy to adjust if needed.
Sometimes, the homemade version is the way to go for cost effectiveness, flavor, and quality! I’m so glad you enjoyed my version, Kimberly.
Great instructions and the rice came out perfect. I tripled the recipe, including the amount of water and the rice didn’t clump
together. I added 2 TBSP of butter because…why not?
Glad this recipe worked out great in a much larger quantity, Dana!
I whipped up some cilantro lime rice, and my hubby and friends loved it! I doubled the recipe and served it with chimichurri chicken. It’s super easy to make and will definitely be a regular in my kitchen.
Wonderful! Glad this cilantro lime rice was a hit, Jojo.
BETTER THAN CHIPOTLE’S RICE. Super tasty. Thank you!
Hi Cora – Happy to hear you’re loving this cilantro lime rice! Sometimes, homemade versions are best.
Great recipe and easy to make! I made this tonight together with the cilantro lime chicken recipe from downshiftology. I’ve made the chicken many times before but not the rice. I realized how much simpler it is to make both since you’re already prepping the lime, cilantro and garlic so just prep a bit extra at the same time. The flavors all together and really good.
Yes, they really are great recipes to make together. I’m happy you love both of them, Belinda!
This recipe is easy to follow and great to add to your rotation of dinner options. I like to make the rice ahead of time and store it in a freezer bag. it makes for quick tasty meals that save your budget and it helps me satisfy my burrito bowl cravings.
Hi Carolina – Thrilled to hear you’re loving this cilantro lime rice! It definitely is a great ingredient to keep prepped in your fridge or freezer.
Turned out great with my chipotle chicken bowl!
I have but one recommendation: pretty sure OG Chipotle cilantro lime rice is garnished with bay leaves at the end. That gives it that kick and compliments the cilantro well.
Great tip on the extra bay leaves, I’ll have to give that a try! Otherwise, glad this cilantro lime rice was the perfect addition to your Chipotle chicken bowl.
Very good! Family loved it!
Just made this and it’s absolutely delicious!
Hi Susan – Thrilled to hear you’re loving this cilantro lime rice!
I was disappointed with this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly, but the end result was wet undercooked rice. Not sure why it did not work out for me.
Ive done this recipe many times and it works great. Make sure the 10-15 covered on low/simmer is still a rolling boil then pull and let stand for 10-15 minutes covered.
This is my household’s go-to recipe for making rice as a side dish for our “bowl dinners”- this rice, plus avocado, shredded cabbage, pineapple salsa, seasoned black beans, and some barbacoa, carnitas, or cooked shrimp on top. This rice is a great foundation for those bowls and adds a ton of flavor with minimal work.
The perfect foundation for a Mexican bowl dinner! Happy to hear everyone is loving this cilantro lime rice, Sophia.
Just made a triple batch of this in my rice cooker and it’s so good!! Perfect for meal prep too!
It’s always a good idea to keep this cilantro lime rice on hand!
This is one of the easiest and most delicious side dishes I’ve ever made! I come back to it again and again, thank you!
It really is the best way to enjoy rice, in my opinion, haha! So glad you love it as well, Diana.
Would love to see an instapot version of this recipe.
Hi Angie – I’ll have to keep that in mind for the future!
Used instant rice due to time constraints. Worked out well and very delicious paired it with the salsa verde recipe and it was a hit!
Glad this turned out great with instant rice, Heather!
This recipe is fantastic!
Happy to hear you’re loving this cilantro lime rice, John!
The way this was cooked was great did sauté the rice a little longer. To me the lime was over powering and I like lime. So add some cumin to take away the limey taste and added finely chopped hot peppers. This was good I would add less lime and taste before adding more. Can you freeze this rice?
Hi Barbara – Glad you were able to enjoy this recipe to your liking! As for freezing, that’s fine.
Full of my two favorite flavor combos, cilantro & lime.
Served mine with cilantro lime chicken done in slow cooker.😋
Hi Shauna – Happy to hear you loved this cilantro lime rice!
I usually only have basmati rice in the house. Would that work? Plan on using my rice cooker too. Love your recipes, Lisa. ❤️
Hi Karen – If that’s all you have, that’s fine. Although, this might taste better with a rice that’s a bit softer.
This cilantro lime rice was delicious and I love cilantro. This recipe is a keeper!
Glad you enjoyed it, Renee!
Can this be made ahead of time and warmed in a crock pot? Wanting to make for a party of 50?
Hi Linda – I think that should be fine!
This is a great recipe. 🔥🔥🔥
Can this be made in advance then warmed in a crock pot? Want to make it for a party of 50?
Hi Linda – That should be fine!
Sooo delicious and easy to make!!
My family loved this Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe! I tripled the recipe and it came out perfect!! Gonna share this recipe for sure!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear it!
I made this in my rice cooker! It came out perfect! Very aromatic and flavorful
Hi Claudia – I’m glad this turned out great in your rice cooker!
Wow! Made this tonight and loved it.
Hi Kao – Glad this was a hit!
We loved it, although there was a very strong lime flavor. Next time I will cut the juice in half. This will be in regular rotation.
Hi Corrie – You can always tweak the recipe to your liking. Glad you loved it!
I tripled the recipe and followed directions, but it turned out hard and mushy. I used a heavy duty cast iron pot with a lid. Maybe I will try again with my insta pot.
Hi Heidi – not quite sure how it can be both hard and mushy? Unfortunately, not a lot of guidance I can give there. Sorry!
Sounds like you used too much water and dud not cook the rice long enough.
Very simple, very good. AS someone with food intolerances this Rice and the cilantro Limes Chicken legs where the First food in 5 years someone(my.best friend) Made for me! Both of US remade IT several Times by now, though WE prefere using parsley over cilantro.
If anyone ever Claims Rice IS boring, their really should try this, IT IS flavorful, but Not so much, that IT overszadows whatever IT IS served with
Hi Riana – I’m glad you love this cilantro lime rice!