Cilantro Lime Rice (Chipotle Copycat)
125 Comments
Aug 31, 2024
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Cilantro lime rice is the ultimate Chipotle copycat. Fluffy white rice is infused with bright, zesty, and garlicky flavor, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to any Mexican dish — I’ll share more ideas below!
Why I Make This Cilantro Lime Rice All The Time
I’m a big Chipotle restaurant fan, with my go-to order being a grilled chicken or carnitas rice bowl topped with guacamole, pico de gallo, and fajita vegetables. But the cilantro lime rice is one of my favorite components. So I was over the moon when this homemade recipe turned out perfectly! Here’s a quick overview as to why I love it (and you will too!)…
- It has so much flavor with simple ingredients. All you need are fresh cilantro, limes, and garlic to amp up cooked white rice and recreate Chipotle’s golden treasure.
- It’s a meal prep and party favorite. Whether you’re prepping dinners for the week or making a large batch of rice for a potluck or dinner party, this recipe satisfies every single time.
Cilantro Lime Rice Ingredients
- Rice: Long-grain rice is ideal as it produces firm grains that become light and fluffy after cooking. Today, I’m using white Jasmine rice. If you want to use brown rice, make sure to look up the proper cooking time for that.
- Cilantro and Limes: Grab a bundle of fresh cilantro and a few limes (if you want extra for garnish). You’ll need the zest and juice from the lime for maximum zesty goodness.
- Garlic: The cooked minced garlic adds a savory flavor without being pungent. Plus, a touch of garlic makes everything taste better.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Cilantro Lime Rice
Prep the rice. Wash the rice in a fine mesh sieve over running water. Add the minced garlic to a pot over medium heat and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Then, add the rice and salt, and stir for a minute or so until mixed well.
Cook the rice. Bring the pot to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Mix in cilantro lime flavor. Remove the pot from heat (keep it covered) and let it steam for about 10 minutes. Then, add the lime juice, lime zest, and chopped cilantro. Give everything a good toss and it’s ready for eating!
Ways To Serve It
Although a burrito bowl is my go-to, this rice is a delicious side dish for any Mexican spread, even for breakfast with huevos rancheros! Here are a few ideas:
- All the best Mexican meats — The options are endless with chicken fajitas, carne asada, barbacoa, birria, or grilled shrimp.
- Mexican toppings and salsas — Top your meal off with red salsa, salsa verde, lime crema, or this creamy chipotle sauce.
- For more ideas — You can browse through my list of Mexican recipes.
Common Questions
If you’re just storing for the week, it can be kept in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. If you’d like to freeze this, it can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw it in the fridge overnight. Then microwave a portion for a minute or saute it on the stovetop until warm. You can also add a squeeze of lime juice to add fresh zestiness.
If you have a rice cooker — absolutely! Simply cook the rice as you would normally, fluff it up, and mix in the chopped cilantro, lime juice, zest, and salt. If you want to add the cooked garlic, you can saute that first and mix it in with the rest of the ingredients.
Yes! I always like to keep mine warm in a crockpot. This makes it easy to transfer and keep it warm and delicious no matter where the party is.
If You Love Cilantro Lime Flavor
- Cilantro Lime Chicken: Seared chicken thighs with the best marinade.
- Cilantro Lime Bacon Coleslaw: A fresh and savory take on coleslaw!
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice: The perfect low-carb option.
If you make this cilantro lime rice recipe, I’d love to know how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.
Cilantro Lime Rice (Chipotle Copycat)
Description
Video
Equipment
- Stainless Steel Cookware The most durable set of cookware!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cup water or broth
- 1 lime, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Rinse. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve until the water runs clear. Set aside.
- Saute and toast. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the rice and salt, and stir the rice for a minute, lightly toasting it.
- Simmer. Add the water, bring it to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove the pot from heat (keep it covered) and let it steam for an additional 10 minutes.
- Add flavor. Add the lime juice, lime zest, and chopped cilantro. Stir everything together and serve immediately!
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted May 2020, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
Loved it
I made this recipe this week, had great flavor, but the rice was gummy. Will try it again with a rice cooker.
I made this cilantro lime rice this week as a side to compliment a work taco salad potluck. It came out so flavorful, and the team finished it all up. This will definitely be a go to rice for me.
What a great dish to complement a taco salad! I’m happy to hear everyone enjoyed this cilantro lime rice, Adriana.
Would dried cilantro work in this?
Hi Noella – It’s best to use fresh cilantro if possible!
hi Lisa? I would love to make this rice for my partner…. she LOVES cilantro, but doesn’t like Lime? what could I substitute the lime for???
You can try making it without the lime!
Cooked perfectly! Next time I will definitely double the recipe.
Awesome! So happy you loved it, Robin.
I made this but 3x it came out perfect0 and delicious, thank you!!
Glad this turned out perfectly!
I couldn’t tell how many this would serve, anyhow how make it for 60 people!!
How long do you cook the rice for 2 cups of rice? Thanks in advance
Delicious!! It was gone before I could take a picture.
Glad this cilantro lime rice was a hit Maria!
Amazing! Taking a good classic to a whole new level. Fresh and light with just the right amount of zip from the citrus. So versatile.
A must add to any evening dish but especially yummy with cilantro lime shrimp!
Gotta love all those cilantro lime flavors coming together. :)
Love the recipe for the rice, got to know this first In Mexico 30 years ago and ever since do I love it.It is so good and tasteful anyone who will make your recipe will certainly enjoy each and every bite. You have fantastic recipes, I have followed you for a while and made a lot of them, thank you for every one of them.
Happy to hear you have been enjoying Downshiftology recipes, including this cilantro lime rice!
Can this be made with Jasmine rice?
Yes, no problem.
Hi! I would love to give this recipe a try tonight, is there anyway it can be made in a rice cooker?
Late to the party, but this was amazing! I didn’t see any comments regarding doubling the recipe, so I wanted to let anyone else know that it can be done! We’ve made it twice in three days it was such a hit! Thank you!!
Doubling is a smart idea for meal prep! Happy you loved it!
Hello Ma’am🙂 I how that you’re having a great day! After reading your review, I have a quick question for you. You mentioned “Doubling the recipe” So my question is, are you referring to how at the very top/beginning of this recipe l, it gives you the option to click on wether you’re making a single serving, a double serving, or a triple serving? Bc if you click on the numbers, it shows you the exact correct account to make a single, double or triple serving. Is that what you’re referring to?
Yes, you can use the serving ticker to change the amounts based on how many servings you plan to make :)
Better than Chipotle!
Yay, love to hear that! :)
Added this great rice to Buddha bowls with quinoa, veggies, roasted chickpeas and pesto. Definitely a good recipe.
Thanks for leaving a review Karen!
Cilantro lime rice
Love it and so simple to make
I cook it weekly now
I made this recipe but with using quinoa, and it was delicious!! This is going on the “Make Again!” list 😋🤤
I made this delicious rice over the weekend. My family and I enjoyed it very much. In addition, I added red and green bell peppers for added flare. Thank you for this great receipe.
Love the idea of adding bell peppers to this for an additional crunch!
Love this recipe alongside carne asada. The only addition I make is to add a can of black beans to make it more filling!
Glad you enjoyed this cilantro lime rice! It really is the perfect addition to a carne asada plate or tacos :)
I love your method for cooking the rice. I have been making it this way for years. The ratio of water to rice if perfect and it comes out great every time. I made it exactly as written with the exception of adding a little finely chopped jalapeno along with the lime and cilantro. Delicious! Thank you for a fabulous recipe.
Happy to hear this method provided perfect results Susan!
Thanks dear Lisa we are grateful
Glad you enjoyed this falafel flatbread :)
Made this rice recipe for first time, didn’t use the salt, but it turned out soo good we all loved it even my 23 month old granddaughter m. Served it with carnita taco’s. Making it again today with Chile verde chicken enchiladas. YUM!! The best ever thanks for the recipe
Happy to hear everyone enjoyed this recipe Cathy! It really is the perfect addition to taco night :)
Perfect! Tasted just like Chipotle’s but better! I made this in a rice cooker and paired it with the Slow Cooker Barbacoa recipe.
That’s always the perfect pairing! Glad you enjoyed this rice :)
Can you use instant rice
Yes, but just make sure you cook the instant rice to the package instructions.
I want to try this! Can it be used with minute rice as well? How many servings does this recipe have?
Hi Lisa – I will always put the servings in the recipe card down below, but it’s 4 servings! As for rice, you can add the same flavors to it if you’d like.
How did it turn out using the minute rice? I am going camping and was thinking of making this but with minute rice!
BEST CILANTRO RICE EVER!!! I actually feel like it has far more flavor than chipotle’s!!! This recipe is definitely a HIT!!!!
So glad you love this cilantro lime rice Priscilla! :)
This is way better than the Chipotle lime rice!!
Wow! Now you can make a homemade version that’s much better :)
If I could give this recipe 10 stars, I would. Seriously, after you make this cilantro lime rice, you’ll never want to eat any other rice recipe again! I’ve been actually making it several times a week, ever since I discovered it on Lisa’s blog. This recipe made me get back to rice, after not making it for MANY years. Thanks so much Lisa!
So glad you love this cilantro lime rice! It definitely gives plain ol’ rice tons of flavor :)
Excellent flavour in the rice. Made it with chicken stock and served with cilantro lime chicken. My two year old liked this too!
Hi Ace – I’m happy you both loved this recipe!
I never comment on recipes….and I’ve made a few copycat chipotle rice recipes and this is hands down the best!! I have a rice cooker and don’t usually cook rice on the stove. But this turned out perfect!!! Even my picky eaters liked it! I did only use half a lime because my kids don’t like lime as much as I do. Thanks!!
So glad to hear you and your family has found a winning cilantro lime rice recipe!
This rice is just perfect 👌
Teamed it with some Soy Salmon, Made a sauce of Soy,ginger,garlic and honey and cooked this in foil.
The rice accompanied this perfectly,
Thanks Lisa for the perfect rice
Hi Pam- Wonderful! That sounds amazing with a soy salmon.
I thought I was the rice queen until you created this masterpiece and it’s so easy! I can’t believe I never thought of this. Absolutely delicious and it goes with pretty much everything I cook. Thanks Lisa, you are AWESOME!
Hi Natalia- So glad you enjoyed this rice recipe! It really is a staple that can pair nicely with just about any meal :)
I just made it and it was soo good! Finally a great side dish that is not boring as plain white rice! Thank you so much for your tips and recipes, Lisa! Next on my list: tuna salad ;)
Yay, glad you enjoyed this side dish! Can’t wait for you to make both the tuna and chicken salad 😊
I’ve never been able to make perfect rice before and I did it finally-with this recipe! I highly recommend trying it, will absolutely make it again. Followed recipe exactly-thanks Lisa!
Hi Roman- So glad this helped you create the perfect batch of rice!
Lisa this rice is delicious! How would you do this with brown rice?
Hi Trista- You can find instructions on how to cook brown rice in my “How To Cook Rice” post :) Then just add the same ingredients.
Holy WOW. The FLAVORS, the texture, EVERYTHING about this recipe is so incredible. Thanks to Lisa’s rice cooking hacks/tips, this was my first EVER rice making success!! Can’t beat that it was for this delicious dish.
Hi Delaney- Ah that’s amazing! What a success and great recipe for your first rice dish :)
Thank you! This rice turned out well! And normally mine doesn’t! I will now follow your tips and tricks and has made this turn out good! The recipe was simple to follow and fresh and clean tasting! Thank you!
Hi Christina- Wonderful! Happy to hear the few tips I had helped create the perfect batch of rice :)
One of many Downshiftology recipes I made for Cinco de Mayo. Made with the carnitas and also served with the carnitas bowl. It will be a great side dish for ANY Mexican meal. YUM!!!
I couldn’t agree more! Glad you were able to utilize this rice in so many ways :)
The only word I can use to describe this recipe is amazing!!!!! Easy to make and delicious!
Hi Khilsy- Thrilled to hear you loved this rice recipe :)
Easy and tasty. My daughter especially enjoyed this recipe.
Wonderful! Glad you both enjoyed this cilantro rice :)
I made this delicious rice today to celebrate “Cinco de Mayo” and my family loved it! I just added a little bit of chopped raw white onion when I mixed the cooked rice with the cilantro and lime! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Jenny- So glad everyone enjoyed this for Cinco De Mayo!
Never stop making and sharing these simple tasty recipes. This is a delicious rice dish that is easy to make and is very quick, thank you.
I’m so glad you loved the recipe Andrew! And I’ll keep them coming for sure. :)
I always saute my Spanish rice, but never thought to saute white rice. This is such a nice change to plain rice side dish. Served with pulled pork tacos. Will make often. Thank you.
It really is great way to spruce up white rice and it’s perfect with pulled pork tacos. Enjoy the recipe Sandra!
This was the simplest and Quickest way to Jazz up a meal. Two thumbs up.
It’s amazing what some simple flavors and herbs can do to jazz up up rice, isn’t it? So glad you loved the recipe!
I made this with jasmine rice. It’s so good and so easy. :)
Hi Anita – So glad you enjoyed this one!
Yum! I love cilantro and lime together. It’s a match made in heaven. This looks so good and looks really easy to make too. Saving it for later.
Hi Krissy- It really is the best combination, especially for a rice dish!
Cilantro Lime Rice is simply my favourite. I have never tried adding garlic to the recipe though. Love the spin.
The garlic adds that perfect punch of flavor. Hope you enjoy it!
I have this recipe saved to make for Cinco de Mayo tomorrow! I love the combination or lime and cilantro!
Oh perfect! It’s always a hit for Cinco de Mayo. Enjoy!
Why would you use white rice? Even long grain is bad isn’t it?
Hi Michelle – white rice is a great gluten-free side dish option. And no, I don’t believe rice is bad. Rice can definitely be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy diet.