Chipotle has nothing on this one pot homemade cilantro lime rice! It’s the perfect addition to your buddha bowls, tacos, or a simple side dish to impress your friends. It’s ready in 30 minutes and naturally vegan and gluten free.
I don’t know why, but when I think of cilantro lime rice I always think of summer. But, this time of year I LOVE burritos, tacos, burrito bowls and all of that good stuff. So, I figured, why not share a cilantro lime rice recipe to go with all of that?!
This recipe is the perfect addition to any type of buddha bowl and would be delicious with my maple glazed salmon or crispy teriyaki tofu.
No matter how you serve it, this recipe is an easy way to add a ton of flavor to any dish. If you love this recipe, try my Spanish Cauliflower Rice next!
How to make cilantro lime rice
The first step is to toast the rice. I don’t usually do this when making regular rice, but it actually brings out more flavor and takes this recipe to the next level.
You’ll want to add the rice, minced garlic and olive oil to a large pot and let toast for 3-4 minutes. When the garlic starts to become really fragrant you’ll know it’s time to move onto the next step.
Next, add in the water and salt and stir everything to combine.
Bring to a low boil and then reduce the heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 15 minutes and remove the lid. Let simmer for an additional 5 minutes, uncovered, to prevent the rice from getting mushy.
Once all of the liquid is absorbed, stir in the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. I love throwing in some red pepper flakes, but this is optional.
Serving suggestions
I love using this cilantro lime rice as a base in burrito bowls, as a side with tacos, fajitas or my air fryer salmon.
It’s a great recipe to have on hand to add flavor to any dish!
Why is it sticky?
Sticky rice can happen when the rice is cooked but too much liquid remains. To prevent this problem, remove the lid from the rice and let cook uncovered.
This way, some of the liquid evaporates and allows the rice to cook properly without getting sticky or mushy.
You want to find a balance between cooking the rice covered and uncovered so that it cooks thoroughly without getting mushy. I
suggest cooking it covered for 15 minutes and then uncovered for 5 to allow any excess moisture to evaporate off, giving you perfectly fluffy rice! Keep the heat low for best results.
A final tip is to avoid stirring the rice too much. Stirring is a useful technique in dishes like risotto, which help make it creamy, but you just want this rice to be fluffy, not creamy! Let it simmer without stirring for best results.
Does it keep?
Once prepared, this cilantro lime rice recipe will store in the fridge for 5 days. Store in an air tight container for best results.
For anyone who likes to meal prep, this cilantro lime rice can be frozen! Make sure it has cooled completely before transferring it to a container. It will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
I like to freeze it in smaller container so I can defrost just what I need for an individual meal.
The best kind of rice
Be sure to use long grain rice for this recipe. Either jasmine or basmati rice work well. Basmati rice takes slightly longer to cook, so let simmer for 20 minutes before removing the lid if you choose that type of rice.
You can use brown rice, just check your package for the appropriate rice to water ratio and adjust the cook time as needed.
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Easy Cilantro Lime Rice
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 3-4 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Add the rice, garlic and olive oil to a large pot and toast for 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the water and salt and stir to mix. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and let finish cooking uncovered for 5 minutes so it does not get mushy. (see notes)
- When all liquid is absorbed, turn off the heat and fluff with a fork. If the rice is a bit too al dente, keep the heat off, but put the lid on and let it steam for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the finely chopped cilantro, lime juice and red pepper flakes if desired.
Andrea says
can I use Arborio rice in this recipe? The only other one I have on hand is minute rice. Thanks!
Claire Cary says
that should work, but the final recipe may end up a bit stickier than intended since arborio rice is naturally more starchy than other types of rice.
Ilandi Badenhorst says
Question – can I still wash the rice before toasting it?
Or if I need to wash my rice, would I need to skip to toasting?
Claire Cary says
Toasting works best with dry rice, but this isn’t an absolutely essential step. If you need to wash it, I would just skip toasting!
Stephanie says
Hi!! I had a quick question. Can I make this with brown rice? If so, what differences would there be in the prep?
Claire Cary says
Yes! I would use long grain brown rice and you can keep everything the same, just use a longer cooking time (probably about 10 extra minutes and keep the heat low). If you notice it’s not done cooking but all of the liquid is absorbed, just let it sit, covered but with the heat off to let it steam until fluffy! If the package of your rice says to use a rice to water ratio other than 1 to 1 1/2, use that!
Macy says
This was great and I have plenty of leftovers; I left some of the spicier elements (hot sauce, etc) out as my mom’s really sensitive, but next time I’ll be adding a lot more. Thanks!
Claire Cary says
Always love lots of leftovers! So happy you enjoyed it, thanks for the love!
Natalie says
Hi! I am going to make this for dinner tonight and I’m so sorry but I’m a little confused with the rice (I’m new to cooking) I am going to use brown jasmine rice (that’s all I have at home) and so when you’re on step one: Add the rice, garlic and olive oil to a large pot and toast for 3-4 minutes. Does this mean like after I follow the rice instructions on the bag of the rice? Like after it’s cooked and then do step one or do I put all that with the water as I cook the rice? Sorry, I don’t know what to do hahaha
Claire Cary says
No! You don’t want to follow the instructions on the rice package. The rice will be cooked in the pot with the garlic/oil etc. Just ignore the package instructions and follow the instructions in this recipe except using brown rice!
Natalie says
Ok so basically dump the rice straight from the bag (that’s uncooked) and put it in the pot with garlic and everything?
Claire Cary says
Yes, just follow the instructions in my recipe!