This zesty Cilantro Lime Rice, inspired by Chipotle’s, is a bright and flavourful side dish perfect for any meal! Make this for this week’s meal prep or for dinner tonight!

As someone who eats a ton of rice on a regular basis, it’s always nice to change things up! Cilantro lime rice has been a fun go-to lately, especially when I’ve got a bunch of cilantro hanging out in the fridge for food styling purposes haha.

A white plate with chipotle chicken, caramelized corn, and cilantro lime rice.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s just like Chipotle’s! I’m a Chipotle fan-girl. When I worked across the street from one of the locations, I would go weekly. Since moving, I’ve had to make my own cilantro lime rice because I missed it so much!
It’s super easy. Just toast your rice then simmer the rice on the stove top. That’s it! Make it at home in a jiffy!
It’s meal prep and freezer friendly. This cilantro lime rice is meal prep friendly since you can store it for up to 5 days and if you don’t want to eat it all? Freeze it!

What You’ll Need

olive oil
long grain rice — I love using basmati rice for cilantro lime rice.
garlic
bay leaves
lime — we’re using both the zest and juice!
salt
cilantro

How to Make Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice At Home

A pot with rice, lime zest, garlic, and bay leaves.

Rinse the rice and drain the water. I like running it through a fine mesh sieve or you can wash the rice in the pot.
Heat olive oil up in a small pot with olive oil on medium heat and lightly toast the rice, stirring it for 1-2 minutes.
Add in the garlic, bay leaves, and lime zest and stir for another minutes.
Add the water into the pot and bring the pot of rice up to a boil before lower the heat to a simmer.
Allow the rice to simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on and then remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes, still covered.
Fluff with a fork and stir in the lime juice and cilantro.

Tips and Notes

It’s important to keep the lid on the rice, even when the heat is off. It mimics how the rice cooker holds onto the steam near the end to finish off the rice.
You can use both the cilantro soft stem alongside the leaves or just the leaves itself. It’s up to you.
For more flavour, you can use a stock instead of water when cooking the rice.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: store the cooked rice in an airtight co n tainer for up to 5 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave with a splash of water until heated through.
Freezer: allow the rice to cool and then transfer it into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer. Frozen rice can be directly added to hot dishes like soups and stews. Alternatively, thaw the rice in the fridge overnight before microwaving it throughly.

What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Rice

Here are some ideas of what you can serve with homemade cilantro lime rice!

Cilantro Lime Rice

This zesty Cilantro Lime Rice, inspired by Chipotle’s, is a bright and flavourful side dish perfect for any meal! Make this for this week’s meal prep or for dinner tonight!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Resting Time: 10

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Ingredients

1 cup long grain rice, basmati rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 lime, zest and juiced
½ tsp salt
2 cups water, or stock
1½ cup cilantro

Instructions

Rinse the rice and drain the water. I like running it through a fine mesh sieve or you can wash the rice in the pot.
Heat olive oil up in a small pot with olive oil on medium heat and lightly toast the rice, stirring it for 1-2 minutes.
Add in the garlic, bay leaves, and lime zest and stir for another minutes.
Add the water into the pot and bring the pot of rice up to a boil before lower the heat to a simmer.
Allow the rice to simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on and then remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes, still covered.
Fluff with a fork and stir in the lime juice and cilantro.

Notes

Recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Healthy

Nutrition Disclaimer

Want To Try Another Type of Rice?

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