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
Yes, when you are making this easy cilantro rice, you can easily swap out white rice for something else. I like white rice because the flavor is much more like Chipotle’s version, but feel free to try any you want. Wheat, jasmine, basmati, and cauliflower rice are all great options for this dish. I do not recommend Minute rice.
There are 45 grams of carbs for every cup of cooked white rice. If you’re watching your carbs, I recommend switching the rice out with cauliflower rice instead to keep it low carb friendly.
If you have rice that hasn’t been cooked yet, you can quickly tell that it’s gone bad because you will most likely notice bugs or mold. GROSS! Never ever eat rice if there is a question that it’s gone bad because you may become very ill if you risk it.
If the rice has already been cooked and you’re trying to figure out if it’s gone bad, there are a few things to consider. How long did you allow it to set out before refrigerating? If it’s more than two hours, then you shouldn’t eat it. Rice is a food that needs to be refrigerated quickly after being cooked.
Additionally, you should only reheat rice one time; then, leftovers should be discarded. You may also notice that it seems incredibly dried out; this is another indicator that it’s not ideal for eating any longer. There will also be an unpleasant odor when the rice is past its prime. These are all clues that it’s not a good idea to eat it.
You should always store cooked cilantro lime rice in the refrigerator or freezer within two hours of cooking it. Keep the rice in an airtight container with a lid, and it will last 4-5 days in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.
This rice works really well as a base for any meat with Mexican flavors and many Asian dishes as well. You can use it to make fajita bowls, burrito bowls, burritos, or as a side dish for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, etc. You can use it with steak, chicken, salmon, or pork. Carnitas, guacamole, fish tacos, and even basic grilled meat pair well with this rice. It brings a fresh and bright flavor profile to any meal.
Yes. This homemade recipe for cilantro lime rice is gluten-free. If you are making cilantro lime rice from a box (please don’t — but just in case you landed on this page just to find the answer to this particular question) — please check the box itself to make sure there is no added wheat ingredients or cross contamination.
Yes. Add the water, rice, bay leaves, and salt to the rice cooker and follow the rice cooker instructions and measuring cup for the correct ratio of water to rice. Be aware that the rice cooker measuring cup is not always a full cup, so you may need to make adjustments. Fluff the rice and add the remaining ingredients when the rice is finished.
Mor Great Recipes to Try
Instant Pot Cauliflower Fried Rice
Instant Pot Spanish Fried Rice
Easy Homemade Blended Guacamole
Related Recipes
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 also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
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
Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe {Instant Pot Option}
Ingredients
- 2 cups White Rice
- 3.5 cups Water
- 3 tbsp. Canola Oil
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Juice from half a lemon fresh squeezed
- Juice from half a lime fresh squeezed
- 1/4 cup Cilantro finely chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Add water and salt to a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Rinse and drain rice.
- Once water is boiling, add in rinsed rice, canola oil and bay leaves. Stir. Reduce to low heat. Partially cover. Cook for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let sit for five minutes.
- Remove bay leaves. Fluff with fork. Then add lemon juice, lime juice and cilantro and stir with fork.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Hi!
Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.
Perfectly balanced cilantro lime rice!!
Can you cook this the day before?
Clare! Thanks for posting! Absolutely! There is a MEAL PREP area of the post and you can check in there for any additional questions. Just don’t add the cilantro until you are ready to eat as it doesn’t save well….which you probably already know! 🙂 Enjoy and let us know how it goes! 🙂 Ginny
Hi Ginny,
What would you recommend if I don’t have anything to cover the rice while it cooks?
Hi Anna! No worries! So if I understand it correctly, your pot is missing a lid? You can still make this without a lid. Bring the rice to a boil as normal. Once it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and after about 5 minutes or so. At this point, you need to keep a closer eye on your rice as the top is going to get exposed to the air and dry out as the water starts to evaporate. Stir it and bring the moist rice to the top and do that everyone couple of minutes until the rice is fully cooked and there is hardly any water left! I hope that helps! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂 Cheers-Ginny
The adds are so annoying. I’ll print this, but… Yikes!
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!
Perfect recipe, nightmare blog. I won’t be following until you get these ads under control. I saw you responded about it in November, it’s still bad.
Jaimie, I understand. The ads are better than they were and I completely understand how it can be frustrating. Thanks for the feedback!
Just made this to bring to a Cinco de Mayo party and it is BOMB! Delicious!!!
Anne-That is fantastic!! So glad you liked it!! Enjoy!
I just discovered your blog and I’m loving it… I just can’t read an entire post with the crazy pop up ads and total page redirect. It happens on every post after scrolling about half way, anyone else having this problem? I’m on an Android. It blocks about 5 or 6 rapid fire pop ups then the ads win 😒
Aimee, we are working on getting those corrected with the ad company! We are also working to get the site working at a faster speed for mobile users. A tech guy is working on it as we speak so stay with us!! Always feel free to comment! We love it!