Cilantro Lime Rice

Mexican food Restaurant recipes sides

This recipe is a must-try for rice lovers.

If you are anything like me, cilantro lime rice is a must-have. It’s delicious on its own and makes a beautiful side dish.

If you’ve tried, you’re familiar with Chipotle cilantro lime Rice’s addictiveness. You can make it in burritos or bowls. This recipe is so easy to put together. This recipe is perfect for weeknight meal prep or dinner. It’s the bright, tart, refreshing cousin of Arroz Rojo or tomato-tinged Mexican rice. This recipe is a must-try for anyone who loves rice.

What is cilantro lime rice?

Cilantro lime is a fluffy, long-grain rice made with cilantro and lime. Although it sounds easy, this dish is just as delicious as the parts. Cilantro lime Rice is bright and fluffy and full of herby cilantro flavors. It is excellent with Mexican cuisine and tastes fantastic with Asian food!

How to make fantastic cilantro lime rice

Three secrets are required to make cilantro lime rice.

1. Toast the rice first. Add butter or olive oil to cook the rice. This will bring out the nuttiness. Toasting gives the rice a deeper flavor.
2. The second, use fresh limes. Remember to add the zest. The lime zest can be added to rice and the lime oil will infuse it. Fresh juice is a great way to add a slight tartness.
3. Add a bay leaf to your classic Mexican dishes. If you have Mexican bay leaves, use them. Otherwise, any bay leaf can be used. This crucial step should be noticed in cilantro lime rice recipes. Do not forget to add the bay leaf. It is what makes homemade cilantro lime rice so unique.

Cilantro lime rice ingredients

• Rice: long grain white rice, which is fluffy and light, is the best. American long-grain white rice can be purchased, as well as Jasmine and basmati. This dish is best served with American long-grain white rice. You can find more information about rice choices below.
• Butter or neutral oil: We will toast the rice grains to give them a slightly nutty taste and make them more like rice. Butter can be used for a richer flavor or as a neutral oil.
• Mexican bay leaf: Mexican Bay leaves (pictured below). These are essential to Mexican cuisine. They give Mexican food an authentic taste and texture. Mexican bay leaves are slightly milder than the traditional American bay leaf. Mexican bay leaves can be purchased in the Mexican aisle of a grocery store or online.
• Lime juice & zest: fresh tastes best, so we will use both the liquid and the zest to create the perfect bright and fresh lime flavor.
• Cilantro: Fresh green flecks add a big hit of herbaceous flavor. We want maximum flavor with 1/2 cup of freshly chopped leaves, tender stems, and loosely packed fresh cilantro.
• Salt: to bring out the flavors in the rice, lime, and cilantro, you will need salt. When I cook, I use 1/4 teaspoon. Then, I taste it and add more if necessary. Salt preferences differ for everyone, so season your food according to your taste.
• Bonus: If you are not a vegetarian, you can use low-sodium chicken stock instead of boiling water to cook your rice. Each grain of rice will be infused with light chicken flavors.

How to make cilantro lime Rice

1. Rinse. This is the key to creating fluffy, distinct rice grains. Wash the rice using a fine mesh strainer in a sink. Next, rinse the grains with cold water. Finally, swirl the grains with your fingers. Drain the rice.
2. Toast. Next, heat 1 tbsp butter or neutral oil until it melts in a saucepan. Toast the drained rice on medium heat, occasionally stirring, until they become translucent and slightly golden. Stir in the minced garlic, and toast for another minute.
3. Heat water and add lime zest, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring the pot to boil on high heat. Once the pool is bubbly, cover it with a lid and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover the pot and cook for 18 minutes.
4. Steam. After 18 minutes, take the pool off the heat. Let it cool down, and then steam for ten more minutes with the lid on.
5. Fluff. Now, take off the bay leaf and cover. Use a silicone spatula or a rice paddle to mix the rice gently. Move the grains around the pan, fluffing and then aerating to eliminate any lumps.
6. Season. Add lime juice and cilantro to the bowl and mix well. Season with salt to taste. Enjoy!

Rice cooker with cilantro lime

Rice cooker cilantro lime rice and stovetop rice cooker are different in that they have different rice-to-water ratios. A rice cooker will require 1 cup of water to make 1 cup of rice.

1. Rinse your rice with a fine sieve and drain it well.
2. Don’t toast the rice. Rice cookers are too hot. Toast your rice on the stove in the pan and then add to the rice cooker pot.
3. If you don’t have a rice cooker, use 1 cup water, one clove of minced ginger, 1 tbsp olive oil, one lime zest, one bay leaf, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. First, cook the rice. Then, open the rice cooker and take out the bay leaf. Next, add the lime juice and cilantro to the rice. Enjoy!

Instant Pot: Cilantro lime rice

The rice-to-water ratio makes Instant Pot cilantro lime rice different from stovetop cilantro rice. For 1 cup of rice, you only need 1 cup of water.

1. Rinse your rice first in a fine Sieve. Drain well.
2. Next, heat the oil in an instant pot and then toast the rice with the oil. Stir occasionally until the rice is lightly golden. Stir in the garlic.
3. Next, add 1 cup water and one tablespoon of lime zest from 1 lemon, one bay leaf, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Cook at high pressure for three minutes, then release naturally for ten minutes.
5. After the 10 minutes have expired, turn off the heat, take out the bay leaf and let the rice cool. Enjoy!