I made this Cilantro Lime Rice as a side dish for the Shrimp Tacos that I made last weekend (my apologies for taking so long to post it). This rice is very simple and makes a great, filling side dish to any Mexican or Tex-mex meal. It’s so delicious that I’m tempted to just put some in a bowl, melt some cheddar cheese over top and have at it… oooh, and maybe add a few black beans in there. Okay, now it’s turning into a whole other recipe! As you can see, it can also be a versatile base to many other dishes. Try it in casseroles or as a super flavorful filling for burritos! Plus, it’s just pretty and green.
Originally posted 4/30/2010, updated 7/17/2015.
Cilantro Lime Rice
Servings 6 (about 1 cup each)Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice (uncooked) ($0.60)
- 3 cups chicken broth ($0.40)
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.50)
- 1 lime ($0.33)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
Instructions
- Add 3 cups of chicken broth to a medium sauce pot (if using Better Than Bouillon or another soup base, fully dissolve the base in the water before adding the rice). Add the rice to the pot, place a lid on top, and bring the pot to a full boil over high heat. As soon as the pot reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let the pot simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let the pot rest for 10 minutes, with the lid in place, undisturbed.
- While the rice is cooking, prepare the cilantro lime mix. Rinse the cilantro well. Pull the leaves from the stems and roughly chop the leaves with a knife. Use a fine hole cheese grater or zester to remove the thin green layer of zest from the lime. Add the chopped cilantro, lime zest, juice from the lime, and 1 Tbsp olive oil to a bowl. Stir to combine.
- When the rice is finished cooking, fluff the rice. Add the cilantro lime mixture and fold to combine. Avoid vigorous stirring as this can make the rice gummy. Gently fold the flavor in.
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How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice – Step By Step Photos
Add three cups of chicken broth to a medium saucepot. I use Better Than Bouillon brand soup base, which should be fully dissolved water before beginning this recipe. Add 2 cups of rice to the broth, place the lid on the pot, and bring it to a full boil over high heat. Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit undisturbed for about 10 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, rinse the cilantro well. Pull the leaves from the stems, then give them a rough chop. Use a small holed cheese grater or zester to remove the thin green layer of zest from the lime. Add the chopped cilantro, lime zest, and juice from the lime to a small bowl, along with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Stir to combine.
When the rice is finished cooking, fluff it with a fork. Add the cilantro lime mixture and fold it into the rice. Taste and adjust the salt if needed (my chicken broth contained enough salt, so I added none).
Need more help with cooking rice? Check out my guide for How to Cook Rice.
I made this tonight and was so impressed! What a fancy dish and so easy to make. The taste was out of this world. I will definitely make again.
Can one sub Riced califlower to keep the carbs down?
For riced cauliflower, you’d need to use a different method because cauliflower does not absorb liquid the way rice does.
Can you sub vegetable broth for chicken? What’s a vegetarian alternative?
You can do vegetable broth. It will change the flavor slightly and may make your rice a little more brown in color, though.
I’ve made this recipe a few times and my partner and I love it. An excellent “dupe” for chipotle’s rice! We’ve made it with and without using the zest, and it’s good either way but the zest really add a lot of flavor so don’t skimp out!
I saved this recipe a year and a half ago, and I finally made it. I don’t know why I waited so long, it’s so good and easy! I was tempted to add more broth because about 15 minutes into the simmer it looked like it had all absorbed, but I’m so glad I didn’t touch it because the rice was cooked perfectly.
Made this to go with your white bean and spinach pepper jack enchiladas. My meat-eating roommate loved everything as did I, so good!
Anyway we can use brown rice in this recipe?
Yes, you can do brown rice instead, but be aware that brown rice has a much stronger flavor than white rice so it will compete with the flavor of the cilantro and lime. Brown rice needs more liquid and a longer cooking time, so you’ll probably need more like 4-4.5 cups of broth and about 40 minutes of simmering time.
I made 4 cups last night in my instant pot and it came out perfect. I did a 1:1 ratio (4 cups rice and 4 chicken broth) and used jasmine long grain rice because that was all I had in the pantry. All you do is hit the rice button and let it sit for 15 minutes on slow release as I read somewhere on the internet. I served this with black beans and fish tacos for a party. I will definitely make this again and LOVED how easy the instant pot was for making rice.
Thanks!