Cilantro Lime Rice – Nothing plain or boring about this flavorful green rice recipe! It’s easy to make and a great side side for Mexican, Tex-Mex, Asian and Indian cuisine. Plus, you’ll find easy directions for the stovetop, rice cooker or instant pot!
Cilantro lime rice is packed with fresh herb and zesty flavors. Better than Chipotle’s, because it’s homemade and you get to adjust the flavors. A filling side dish to any Mexican meal (or Tex-Mex) especially in burritos.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5
Ingredients
- ▢1 cup long grain rice basmati rice
- ▢2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- ▢2 teaspoon olive oil
- ▢Pinch of salt
- ▢1 tablespoon butter optional, highly recommended
- ▢3 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
- ▢Zest of one lime
- ▢1 cup cilantro leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Rinse the rice : Always rinse rice before you cook it. This helps removes excess starch (surface starcand keeps it from sticking together. Rinsing gets rid of any dirt.
- Place rice in fine mesh strainer or a bowl and rinse it for several times. Rinse by scrubbing rice gently with finger tips.
- Saute : Another step I follow to make rice cook perfectly with separated grains. Heat up little oil (olive oil or canola oil). Saute rinsed rice in a heavy bottom sauce pan om medium heat. Keep stirring until rice begins to brown. This step will ensure rice is cooked perfectly and also every grain remains separated.Note : Sauteing rice in oil has another advantage. If you follow this step, rice will not stick to the bottom.
- Water To Rice Ratio : We shared detailed recipe on how to steam rice a few days back which covers in detail information of everything about how to steam rice along with water to rice ratio for each type of rice. Check how to steam rice post for details. For long grain rice, use 1:2 ratio. For every 1 cup long grain rice, add 2 cups liquids. Once rice is sauted, add liquid of your choice – water or chicken stock to pack in more flavors. For vegetarian option, use vegetable stock.
- Scrape rice sticking to the side of pan into the liquid.
- Simmer and Cook : Simmer flame to medium low heat and bring water to boil.Pro-Tip: it’s important to cook rice in correct temperatures. If cooked on high heat, water will evaporate very quickly preventing rice from absorbing the liquids, thus you rice won’t get cooked as desired.
- Cook uncovered until the water level drops below the surface of the rice. Then reduce flame to low. Now cover pan with lid (when almost 90% of water is absorbeand simmer cook for about 12 minutes.Note : Heat should be at it’s lowest temperature. Else rice will begin to burn at the bottom.
- DO NOT Stir rice in between. Leave it untouched.
- Let it Rest : Once cooked remove sauce pan from heat and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes undisturbed. Do not open the lid. This helps rice to cook through. Rice absorbs moisture from steam and makes it fluffy and perfect.
- Flavor : Open lid. Add butter, lime juice, cilantro, lime zest and gently fluff it with fork or spatula. If needed add salt as per taste.
- Serve enjoy.
