Turn a plain pantry staple into something everyone will want again and again with this simple but delicious cilantro lime flavoring. It’s quick, tasty, and so easy to make. You can pair cilantro lime rice with a taco bowl, place it in a burrito, or serve it as a side to any protein of your choice, like my Carne Asada. Make a batch when you’ve got fresh herbs on hand and enjoy it throughout the week!
Key Ingredients You Need
- Rice — I prefer and recommend using long grain rice like Jasmine or Basmati. The grains of the rice will be firm, light, and fluffy. If you use short grain rice, it will come out more sticky.
- Cilantro — There are many different types of cilantro and you can use any of them. Be sure to pick some that are brightly colored and have fresh, fragrant leaves. To keep your cilantro fresh longer, you can fill a jar with an inch of water and place the stem ends of the cilantro into the water. Then cover the top loosely with a plastic bag and store it in the fridge.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice
Step 1: Cook the rice according to the packaging.
Step 2: Chop the cilantro.
Step 3: Squeeze a lime for fresh lime juice.
Step 4: Add the lime juice to the cooked rice.
Step 5: Add the cilantro and salt to the cooked rice.
Step 6: Mix everything, so it is combined evenly.
Tips For This Recipe
- I highly recommend you use freshly squeezed lime for this recipe. The flavors will be brighter and more fresh than bottled lime juice. You can even add some lime zest if you want to kick it up a notch.
- To get more juice out of a lime, roll the lime under the palm of your hand on a countertop before juicing. Doing so will soften the lime, making it easier to release the juice.
- For more flavorful rice, you can cook the white rice in vegetable or chicken broth.
- The cilantro stems are tender and flavorful, so no need to pick the leaves off the stems before chopping. You can chop the cilantro directly attached to the stems or add them to a food processor and pulse until it is in fine pieces if you’re making a large batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Feel free to use brown rice in place of white rice. Just keep in mind that brown rice takes longer to cook. You can also turn this into cilantro lime cauliflower rice as well. Check out my post on How To Make Cauliflower Rice to learn how to make your own at home.
Yes, I recommend that you rinse your rice before cooking. When you rinse rice, it helps remove some of the surface starch that can cause the rice to clump together as it cooks. Rinsing the rice can also help remove any debris that may be packed with the grain. To quickly rinse the rice, you can add the rice to a fine mesh strainer and run water through it while giving the rice a few swishes.
If you have leftover rice or plan on making this ahead of time for the week, allow the rice to cool to room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, you can simply microwave it until warmed through.
Yes, you can freeze this zesty rice. Allow it to cool, and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. You can thaw the frozen rice overnight in the fridge before microwaving or microwave it directly from frozen.
This rice goes really well with everything! Some of my favorite main dishes I like to pair it up with are my Sweet and Sour Shrimp, Air Fryer Salmon, Hawaiian Chicken Skewers, and Chicken Skewers with Cucumber Salad.
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Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package instructions.
- Mix the cooked rice with rest of ingredients, making sure everything is combined evenly.
Notes
- I highly recommend you use freshly squeezed lime for this rice recipe. The flavors will be brighter and more fresh than bottled lime juice. You can even add some lime zest if you want to kick it up a notch.
- To get more juice out of a lime, roll the lime under the palm of your hand on a countertop before juicing. Doing so will soften the lime, making it easier to release the juice from the lime.
- For more flavorful rice, you can cook the white rice in vegetable or chicken broth.
- The cilantro stems are tender and flavorful, so no need to pick off the leaves off the stems before chopping. You can chop the cilantro directly attached to the stems or add them to a food processor and pulse until it is in fine pieces if you’re making a large batch.
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