Cilantro Lime Rice
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Love Chipotle’s famous cilantro lime rice? Make it in your own kitchen with this easy recipe—it’s just as tasty, if not better!
Inspired by the popular rice served at Chipotle, this cilantro lime rice is not just for burritos and burrito bowls. It’s a delicious side dish that pairs well with chicken, fish, pork, or beef—and it complements any number of cuisines, from Mexican to Asian to Indian.
The recipe features basmati rice, known for its long, slender grains and fluffy texture, prepared using the pilaf technique. This involves “toasting” the rice in oil along with sautéed onions and garlic before adding the liquid. It’s a quick extra step that infuses the rice with a rich, nutty flavor. This cilantro lime rice goes well with tequila lime chicken, grilled jerk chicken, blackened tilapia, beef enchiladas, or butter chicken, to name just a few options.
“I have searched long and hard for a Chipotle rice recipe and this by far is the absolute best. My kids are so excited!”
What You’ll Need To Make Cilantro Lime Rice
- Vegetable oil: For sautéing the onion and garlic. It has a neutral flavor, so it lets the other ingredients shine.
- Onion and garlic: These are the flavor builders—they give the rice a savory base that makes everything taste better.
- Basmati rice: Light, fluffy, and naturally aromatic. Extra-long grain works best if you want that classic, separate-grain texture.
- Lime: Adds brightness and zing—it’s what gives the rice that fresh, tangy kick.
- Butter: A little goes a long way in adding richness and helping the rice stay fluffy, not clumpy.
- Cilantro: Brings freshness and that unmistakable flavor that ties the whole dish together. If you’re not a fan, feel free to skip it or swap in parsley.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the onion. Cook the onion. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it’s soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Be sure not to let it brown, and don’t rush this step—it builds a flavorful base for the whole dish.
Step 2: Add the garlic and rice. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until toasty and fragrant—this adds flavor and helps keep the grains separate as they cook.
Step 3: Add liquid and seasoning. Add 2½ cups water, along with the salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Step 4: Simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Taste a grain—if it’s still a bit firm, add a few tablespoons of water and cook for a few minutes more.
Step 5: Finish. Off the heat, add the lime juice, butter, and cilantro. Fluff the rice with a fork, mixing gently to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed, then serve. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Cilantro Lime Rice
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup minced yellow onion, from 1 small onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1½ cups basmati rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, from 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not brown; lower the heat if necessary.
- Add the garlic and rice and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until toasty and fragrant.
- Add 2½ cups water, along with the salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Taste the rice; if it is still a bit firm, add a few more tablespoons of water and cook a few minutes more.
- Off the heat, add the lime juice, butter, and cilantro; then mix and fluff the rice with a fork. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The rice can be made up to 4 days ahead of time or frozen for up to 3 months. Simply prepare the rice as instructed and let it cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container. When you're ready to serve, thaw overnight if necessary and reheat in the microwave. If necessary, you can add a splash of water to help loosen it up and bring back its freshness.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 349
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Cholesterol: 8 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Thanks for this recipe. It’s great. FYI – I have made cilantro lime rice for years. Using the same amount of any kind of rice, I add the juice of 2 limes (2 T) to the water or chicken broth. Next time I’ll use your recipe again and add 2 limes worth of juice at the end to see if there’s any real difference in strength of lime flavor.
I have searched long and hard for a Chipotle rice recipe and this by far is the absolute best. My kids are so excited! Thank you !
Mine didn’t turn out as pretty as yours, but delicious! I will definitely make this again.
This looks really easy and delicious. I have one question though, is basmati rice the only type of rice I can use for this recipe? Thank you, I love your recipes and cookbooks.
Hi Stella, You can use long grain white rice, but the end result won’t be quite as fluffy or aromatic.
We loved this recipe! I doubled the garlic and cilantro and added a can of drained black beans. We served it with the jerk chicken recipe. It is fabulous! Would also go great with any Mexican food or grilled shrimp.
My whole family loved this and said it was very reminiscent of Chipotle’s version. I made it last night to pair with your Thai shrimp curry (which was also excellent). All of your recipes are so consistently good — whenever I make something of yours, I know my family will be happy!!
Hi Jenn,
Firstly, thanks for all the great recipes, quite often use them to the delight of my family. Would this recipe work with black rice? Trying to be a bit more healthy, emphasis on trying lol.
Thanks
Hi Tony, So glad you enjoy the recipes. 🙂 I don’t recommend black rice here – sorry!
Easy to follow recipe, 15 minutes for the rice was perfect timing. Perhaps next time I will double up on the cilantro and lime to add more flavor. I’m also considering adding sliced almonds… what to you think of that?
Hi Elizabeth, It’s perfectly fine to double the cilantro and lime and to add almonds. 🙂
Can you use jasmine rice instead of basmati? It’s all I have at the moment. I have made tons of your recipes and love them all. Vicki
So glad you like the recipes! Yes, jasmine rice should be fine – just keep in mind that jasmine rice is a bit sticky or so the texture will be a little different. Feel free to use this recipe as a reference.
Planning to make this cilantro rice and blackened tilapia for dinner tonight and I know it’ll turn out great! I really appreciate how clear your instructions are – even an experienced cook ( like me!) can use some reminders about not over- browning onions and getting the perfect “ bite” on rice. Thanks again!
We made this for dinner tonight! Very , very good!!! All of us loved it!!! Daughter-in-law who is on a keto diet made hers with cauliflower rice!!! That turned out very good too!!!
Why do you mostly use vegetable oil instead of olive oil in your cooking even your dressings? Just curious, as I prefer olive for health reasons.
Hi Candice, Olive oil has a stronger taste whereas vegetable oil is very mild in flavor. I like to use vegetable oil in cases where I don’t want the flavor of the oil to shine through; dressings are a great example. Hope that clarifies!