Cilantro Lime Rice

This Cilantro Lime Rice recipe is fresh, flavorful, and tastes just like what you get at your favorite Tex Mex restaurant. With just three ingredients, you can easily make it at home!

Overhead photo of a pot of Cilantro Lime Rice on a cooling rack with a spoon. Lime wedges and cilantro beside. - 3

This cilantro lime rice is so flavorful and easy to make! All three ingredients are in the actual title, so there’s no funny business or complicated recipes to follow for this one. The fragrant cilantro and tangy lime have some terrific Tex-Mex vibes and taste exactly like what you’d get at Chipotle, Q-Doba, and Cafe Rio. I love a big bowl of this rice and chicken with all the fixings!

How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice

This rice could not be more simple to make. You will make it once and wonder why you haven’t been making it every time you have taco night. Only three ingredients, only three steps!

Rinse the rice. Rinse the dry rice until the water runs clear. I typically rinse it about three times. Read more on this below.
Boil rice. Bring two cups of rice and four cups of water to a boil.
Simmer. Reduce the heat, cover with the lid just slightly ajar, and cook for 20 minutes or until the water is fully absorbed.
Add the cilantro and lime. Fluff the rice, transfer it to a bowl, and stir in cilantro and lime juice.

Bowl of Cilantro Lime Rice with margaritas, lime wedges, and cilantro beside - 4

Rinsing Rice

Rinsing rice is a key step in this recipe. The reason we do this is to remove the extra starch from the rice. This will help keep it from scorching and sticking to the bottom of the skillet while cooking.

Additionally, the act of rinsing the rice (but not soaking it) will result in softer and fluffier rice that doesn’t stick together. It is a simple step that makes this easy cilantro lime rice recipe turn out so much better.

Please note that if you skip this step, you will still enjoy the recipe, you might just find that the rice sticks together more. My goal is to always give you recipes that help you put a complete dinner on the table with those you love. If that means skipping that step, do it!

Storing Cilantro

When you buy the fresh cilantro for this recipe, note that it can be stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks. There are a few tips that help make it last longer.

When you get the bunch home from the grocery store, separate it out. Pull out any browning leaves or any leaves that are amongst the stems.
Allow the bunch to dry. You can pat it dry with a clean kitchen towel. If you skip this step, sometimes the leaves start to rot when they are in the refrigerator.
Cut off at least an inch from the bottom of the stems.
Add the bunch to a glass cup or jar that has a few inches of water in the bottom.
Cover the bunch in the glass with the plastic bag that it came in from the grocery store.
Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

If you are looking for other recipes to use fresh cilantro, try my Cowboy Caviar , Black Bean Dip , or Chicken Street Tacos .

Photo of a pot of Cilantro Lime Rice with a spoon - 5

Fresh or Bottled Lime Juice

Lime juice is sold in bottles in the grocery store. This can be a really convenient way to keep this ingredient on hand. That being said, you will likely enjoy the taste of fresh lime juice much more in this recipe.

Low Carb Cilantro Lime Rice

If you are eating lower carb but love the taste of cilantro lime rice, you have two great options. One is to make Cilantro Lime Quinoa . Quinoa has fewer carbs than white rice, and it contains twice the amount of protein as white rice.

Another great option is to make my Cauliflower Rice , and then add in lime juice and cilantro at the end.

Cauliflower Rice

Yes! You can prepare your rice in the instant pot and then follow the recipe as written. You will need less water when making your rice in the instant pot. We reduce the ratio to 1 cup of rice to 1 1/4 cups water.

You could make a lower carb version of this recipe by using riced cauliflower instead of white rice. The flavor of the dish will be different but will bulk out your dinner and keep you eating low carb. Prepare your cauliflower rice and then add your cilantro and lime juice as the recipe says.

Overhead photo of a bowl of Cilantro Lime Rice with spoons, cilantro, and lime wedges beside. - 6

What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Rice

The possibilities are endless in our house on taco night. I love a bowl of cilantro lime rice with black beans and veggies. Here are some other tasty recipes to throw into the mix with your rice side dish.

Taco Meat : This simple recipe is perfect for taco night!
Chicken Tacos: We make this recipe all the time! It is easy to make and totally delicious, and should be a regular on your recipe rotation list too.
Guacamole: If you are having taco night, you really need to have my guacamole!
Margaritas: Where there are tacos, there should really be margaritas.

If you make my lime cilantro rice or any of my recipes, leave me a comment and let me know!

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Ingredients

2 cups white rice rinsed three times
4 cups water
2 tablespoons lime juice the juice of about one lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

Rinse the dry rice until the water runs clear.
Bring rice and water to a boil. Cover with the lid just slightly ajar and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the water is fully absorbed.
Stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice.

Recipe Video

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