This easy cilantro lime rice recipe is fresh and bright. Serve it as a side dish with Asian or Mexican food, or use it as the base of your next burrito bowl.
This cilantro lime rice recipe is even better than Chipotle’s.
Yup, I said it. This easy cilantro lime rice is fresh and bright, flecked with chopped cilantro, lime zest, savory scallions, and jalapeños for heat. It’s an epic base for a homemade burrito bowl—just add black beans, fajitas veggies, salsa, and guac!—but it’s also a versatile side dish. Serve it with Mexican fare like tacos or enchiladas, with an Asian-inspired meal like crispy sesame tofu, or with whatever you’re grilling. This recipe couldn’t be easier or more delicious. I think you’ll love it!
How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice
This cilantro lime rice recipe is easy to make!
First, cook the rice. I recommend using long-grain white jasmine or basmati rice for this recipe.
- Both these varieties cook quickly, in about 15 minutes.
- They’re also fragrant and aromatic, so they add depth of flavor to the final dish.
For rice cooking instructions, see my guide to how to cook rice on the stove. You can also make Instant Pot rice or prepare the rice in a rice cooker. Tip: Rinse the rice before cooking to remove excess starch from the outside of the grains. Without rinsing, the cooked rice will be sticky. You want it to be fluffy for this recipe.
When the rice is cooked, but still hot, toss it with garlic, scallions, and lime zest. Adding these ingredients while the rice is still warm helps it soak up their flavor.
Let it cool slightly, and then add olive oil, sea salt, diced jalapeño, lime juice, and cilantro. I wait to add these ingredients until the rice has had a chance to cool so that the cilantro and jalapeño don’t soften or wilt.
Season to taste and serve. That’s it!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Variations
Not feeling white rice? Feel free to use another type of rice in this recipe.
- Brown rice makes it nuttier. Long and short-grain both work well. Note that you’ll need to increase the water measurement to 2 cups.
- Or, for a lighter twist, replace half the regular rice with cauliflower rice or broccoli rice. I love this variation in veggie burritos!
How to Serve Cilantro Lime Rice
This cilantro lime rice recipe is a fresh, flavorful side dish. I especially love it with Asian and Mexican-inspired dishes. Pair it with crispy sesame tofu or baked tempeh, or serve it alongside enchiladas or taquitos. It’s also a great addition to a taco bar!
Of course, à la Chipotle, the rice is a tasty base for burrito bowls too. Build your own with
- Black beans or pinto beans
- Tofu sofritas
- Fajita veggies
- Guacamole
- Pico de gallo, salsa verde, or corn salsa…
…or check out my burrito bowl recipe. Tip: cilantro lime rice is delicious in a sushi bowl too!
How do you like to serve cilantro lime rice? Let me know in the comments!
Storage
This recipe is best on the day it’s made, but leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Enjoy them cold or at room temperature, or pop them in the microwave to reheat!
More Favorite Rice Recipes
If you love this cilantro lime rice, try one of these easy rice recipes next:
- Spanish Rice
- Coconut Rice
- Wild Rice Pilaf
- Forbidden Black Rice
- Broccoli Rice
- Cauliflower Rice
- Or any of these 25 Healthy Rice Recipes!
Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain jasmine rice, rinsed well and drained
- 1½ cups water
- 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Pinch red pepper flakes, or ¼ diced jalapeño, optional
Instructions
- Combine the rice, water, and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a medium saucepan with a lid. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes (or check the time listed on the package of your rice).
- Uncover and fluff with a fork. Add the garlic, scallions, and lime zest and stir to combine. Let cool for 1 minute, then add the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, lime juice, cilantro, and red pepper flakes or jalapeño, if using. Stir to combine and season to taste.
I thought it lacked a lot of taste and was on the bland side. I kept adding more of everything in it to give flavor
Love this recipe and so easy to make. I don’t typically have fresh cilantro or scallions on hand, so I add 2 tablespoons of dried cilantro before boiling and use diced red onion instead of scallions.
So glad you love the recipe, Lauren!
Hi Lauren, I’m so glad you loved it!
It’s a good recipe. I feel that olive oil imparts a flavor that contrasts too much against the other ingredients. I would recommend rice bran oil.
Delicious and so easy!
I added a bit of cumin and cinnamon. I used diced serrano chilies rather than jalapeños. I served this with grilled lamb loin chops with mint jam. The salad was chunked tomatoes, cucumbers and diced red onions with cumin, lemon juice, and EVOO.
Sounds like a delicious meal, Pat!
You made a completely different recipe and then rated it 4/5 stars. SMH…make it make sense.
I live at 6,000 ft in elevation. How would I adjust this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Carolyn, I’ve never lived at elevation, so I’m not sure what changes you’d need to make. Sorry about that!
Hi Carolyn, I live at 4500 elevation and use 1.5 cups of water to 1 cup of rice and it comes out perfect. I bring the water/rice mixture to a boil, then cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. At higher elevations you need to increase the water and cook time so I’d try what I do and then play with it from there.
Fantastic. Went well with my spicy chicken. Howeveŕ, I think I added too much line juice. Would there be a way to fix this? Still delicious. Thankyou.
Hi Sami, you could add a little more oil and salt to balance it. It will also be mellower the next day if you have leftovers. So glad you enjoyed it!
Was simple and delicious!! Added to the cookbook!
So glad you loved it, Rachel!
Flavorful and easy to make along with turkey legs and corn.
Hi Robin, so glad you enjoyed it!
Followed directions to the tee and so so delicious – Will be making again! Perfect flavor.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Great, thank you! You have consistently good recipes, I appreciate that, look for ‘Love and Lemons’ everywhere!
Hi Karen, I’m so glad you love the recipes!
Made this for a quick addition to our meal. It was amazing & so easy. Didn’t add the hot pepper. This will go in my favorites book.
I’m so glad it was a favorite!