Home » Side Dishes » Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro Lime Rice is a quick and easy side dish to add to your next meal. Ready in under 30 minutes and this recipe guarantees fluffy rice that is full of cilantro and lime flavors.

Easy side dishes are a must-have for busy families. We love serving this cilantro lime rice in Pulled Pork Burritos, with Smothered Burritos, Ground Beef Tacos and Skillet Mexican Street Corn.

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Bowl of cilantro lime rice with a spoon, lime slices, cilantro garnish.

Rice is one of the easiest things to cook. With these step by step directions, it will turn out every time and is sure to be your go-to side dish for Mexican night.

Ingredients for cilantro lime rice.

Ingredients Needed

  • Lime zest and juice
  • Butter
  • Long Grain White Rice (I like Ben’s)
  • Water
  • Fresh Cilantro

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Step By Step Directions

Zesting limes on a cutting board.

Zest the limes and then slice and squeeze the juice. Set aside.

Rice toasting in a pan.

Melt butter in a pan that has a lid. Add the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until rice starts to toast.

Boiling rice in a pan.

Add water and half of the lime juice and bring the mixture to a boil.

Cover the pan and lower to simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, not lifting the lid.

Cooked rice in a pan.

Remove from heat and lift the lid, being careful of the steam.

Rice with cilantro.

Add the remaining lime juice, zest and chopped cilantro.

Bowl of cilantro lime rice.

Stir well, fluffing with a fork until well combined. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Reheat: Place in a pan with about 1 tablespoon of water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.

Feed a Crowd: Rice is easy to scale up or down. Keep the ratio of rice to water at 1:2. So if you would like to make 2 cups of cooked rice, use 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water.

Brown Rice: Brown rice will work with this recipe but will take about 45 minutes to cook.

Bowl of rice with lime and cilantro.

If you are a fan of cilantro lime rice from Chipotle or Qdoba, you are going to love this homemade version that is quick, easy and inexpensive!

If you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave a comment and a five star review. Help us share on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!

Closeup of bowl of cilantro lime rice, lime slices cilantro garnish.
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5 from 2 votes

Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro Lime Rice is a quick and easy side dish to add to your next meal. Ready in under 30 minutes and this recipe guarantees fluffy rice that is full of cilantro and lime flavors.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chipotle copycat cilantro lime rice, how to make fluffy rice, Mexican rice with lime and cilantro
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 84kcal
Author: Milisa

Ingredients

  • 2-3 whole limes zest and 1/4 cup juice, divided
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  • Zest the limes and set aside. Juice the limes and set aside.
  • Melt butter in a pan that has a lid. Add the rice and cook over medium heat.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of lime juice, water and kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and lower to simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and carefully lift the lid, it will steam.
  • Add reserved lime juice, zest and chopped cilantro, fluffing with a fork to combine.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

Storage: Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
Reheat: Place in a pan with about 1 tablespoon of water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through.
Feed a Crowd: Rice is easy to scale up or down. Keep the ratio of rice to water at 1:2. So if you would like to make 2 cups of cooked rice, use 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water.
Brown Rice: Brown rice will work with this recipe but will take about 45 minutes to cook.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 342mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

2 Comments

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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