Cilantro Lime Rice is so flavorful and delicious, you’ll want to serve it with all of your meals. It’s the perfect side dish for any Mexican-inspired meal.
Plain rice is fine, but it can’t hold a candle to this cilantro lime rice. This rice is simply bursting with flavor. After the first time I made it, I couldn’t believe I’d been living without this rice for so long.
I’ve found that it pairs nicely with just about any main dish. I serve it with carnitas quite often, but it also goes really well with chicken fajitas or as a replacement for regular rice in our favorite verde wet burritos.
» You might be interested in How Much Rice to Serve Per Person and Mexican Red Rice.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil – Olive oil is widely used for it’s healthy fats. It is used for more than just a cooking oil – it adds flavor and richness.
- Basmati long grain white rice – Basmati rice is a long grain, slender aromatic rice that is often served with curries and Indian food. It has a slightly more nutty and floral taste to it and comes in both white basmati rice and brown basmati rice.
- Garlic
- Salt
- Lime zest and lime juice
- Cilantro – Cilantro has a very bright and citrusy flavor, and is used to perk up the flavor profile and aroma of many dishes.
Tips and Notes
- Be sure to toast the rice before cooking it, to give it loads of extra flavor.
- You can add minced garlic to the rice after cooking, for an extra twist.
- Leftover rice can be stored in the freezer in an airtight contain or plastic wrap for up to a month.
Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1/2 cup (93 g) basmati long grain white rice
- 1/2 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) lime zest
- 1 cup (237 ml) water
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice
- 1/4 cup (30 g) lightly packed chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice grains and stir to coat with the olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice has started to brown. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more.
- Add the water, lime zest and salt. Bring the rice to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to low. Cook the rice for 15 minutes. Remove the lid quickly to check the rice. Return it to the heat if the rice is undercooked.
- Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the lime juice and chopped cilantro. Stir to combine.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to toast the rice before cooking it, to give it loads of extra flavor.
- You can add minced garlic to the rice after cooking, for an extra twist.
- Leftover rice can be stored in the freezer in an airtight contain or plastic wrap for up to a month.
Nutrition
» You might be wondering Does Rice Go Bad?
What Rice to Use
First, start with using a long-grain Basmati rice. I not only like the texture of this rice better than regular long-grain rice, I think it soaks up more of the flavors, too.
If all you have on hand is regular long grain rice, that’s okay. It won’t ruin the recipe. However, other variations of rice might – for instance, short or medium grain rice won’t cook the same or produce the same fluffy, dry rice results.
This recipe calls for 1/2 cup uncooked rice, which will result in about 2 cups of cooked rice. If you require more, or want to have some leftover for later, you can just double the recipe.
We find that 2 cups of rice is more than enough for the two of us, and there’s always leftovers.
I always rinse the rice before cooking it to remove some of the starch. This will result in a fluffier rice. Try using the Instant Pot to cook rice, it comes out perfectly every time.
Toast the Rice
The next step that I find really important for creating super flavorful rice is to brown the rice before you cook it.
You can do this in the same saucepan you’re going to cook the rice in. Add a little olive oil to the saucepan and heat it over medium-high heat until shimmering. Then add the rinsed rice and let it toast to a light golden color, stirring frequently to keep it from burning.
Once most of the kernels are toasted, you can add in the minced garlic, salt and lime zest. Stir that around to combine it. Then add the water, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the rice for around 17-20 minutes.
Combine and Rest
Once the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and fluff it with a fork. Then add the lime juice and cilantro and stir. Let the rice sit for about 5-10 minutes to soak up and incorporate the flavors of the cilantro before serving.
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Angela’s passion for discovering and experimenting with new flavors and recipes is at the heart of her culinary philosophy. Residing in a quaint Oregon town, she finds joy and inspiration in her kitchen. Angela has a lot of expertise in cooking and she eagerly shares her discoveries and unique creations with you.
Drooling over this delicious rice recipe. I will try this out soon
I love how you included the secrets of making this rice! I never knew to brown it was so key. I can’t wait to make this recipe.
I love using cilantro in my dishes and this cilantro lime rice is such a delicious recipe, the perfect side dish for sure.
This looks like Chipotle rice, which we all love, so I’m eager to try this recipe! Can’t wait – it looks amazing!
My family is asking me to make it again! So delish!