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    Cilantro Lime Rice (stove + rice cooker)

    November 10, 2020 by Denise Bustard 11 Comments

    Home / Recipes / Sides / Cilantro Lime Rice (stove + rice cooker)

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Fragrant and citrussy, this cilantro lime rice can be cooked on the stove top or in a rice cooker! Easy to prepare and no sautéing, this is the perfect side dish for Mexican and Asian recipes.

    While I love a nice bowl of perfect, fluffy rice, you can get so creative with the flavors: from saffron rice to coconut rice, a few simple ingredients can really level up the flavors!

    cilantro lime rice in brown bowl on grey background

    This cilantro lime rice is the perfect example of how a few simple ingredients can really take your rice to a whole other level. Fragrant, citrussy, with refreshing cilantro flavor, it is perfect to serve with Mexican or Thai entrées.

    Reasons you’ll ♡ cilantro lime rice

    • it pairs well with a variety of entrées
    • no sautéeing any ingredients means you can cook it quickly on the stove or in the rice cooker
    • the rice infuses with so much flavor as it cooks

    Recipe video

    Watch the video below to see how easy this rice is to cook. You can find more recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

    Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

    ingredients for cilantro lime rice recipe in the rice cooker

    Ingredient notes

    • rice– use long grain white rice; I highly recommend using basmati. If you use long grain brown rice, you’ll need to change the cook time accordingly.
    • oil– I’ve used coconut oil, which helps soften the rice and make it fluffy. You may swap for butter.
    • lime- to keep the bright, citrussy flavors while avoiding sourness, we are just using the zest of the lime to cook the rice, adding in some fresh lime juice just before serving.
    • cooking liquid- the recipe lists water, however you could swap for chicken or vegetable stock for an even more flavorful recipe.
    • cilantro- add it just before serving. This keeps the flavors bright and the texture from being soggy and unpleasant.

    chipotle cilantro lime rice in rice cooker (after cooking)

    Recipe tips

    Rinse the rice

    Rinsing your rice helps remove extra starch from the surface of the grains, making your rice nice and fluffy. You can rinse it in one of two ways: 1) use a colander and rinse under tap water or 2) BEST- add rice to the pot, cover with water, swirl, carefully decant the water, and repeat 3-4 times, or until the water becomes clear.

    Always let your rice rest

    In addition to rinsing your rice, it’s crucial to allow the rice to rest after cooking by allowing the moisture to evenly distribute in the pot. After your pot of rice has finished cooking through, transfer to a cold burner and allow to rest (no peeking!) for 10 more minutes, before fluffing with a fork, folding in the cilantro, and serving.

    If you are using a rice cooker, the rest period should be built into the cook cycle, so no need to do this.

    Storage + Reheating

    While rice does have a bad reputation, if handled properly, there should be no food safety issues:

    • Get it into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking- do not let it sit at room temperature for too long as this is the temperature at which harmful bacteria can replicate
    • Store in an air tight container for up to 4 days
    • Reheat until steaming hot
    • Do not reheat more than once

    Read more about food safety and rice.

    Freezing

    This rice freezes well, though the cilantro does get soggy. You can freeze it in meal prep containers or in freezer bags (I love these re-usable silicone freezer bags!). Some people add a little bit of water when re-heating freeze/thawed rice, as it does end up slightly dryer than fresh rice.

    Instant Pot

    After many trials and tribulations, I finally cracked the code for perfect Instant Pot basmati rice. To make cilantro lime rice in the Instant Pot, add the quantities of lime zest, coconut oil and salt listed in the recipe card in this post, but cut the cooking liquid down to 1 ¼ cups.

    lime cilantro rice in brown bowl on grey background

    What goes well with this recipe?

    This recipe is infused with subtle citrus and herb flavors that pair well with Mexican and Asian recipes. Here are some ideas:

    • Fajita Chicken Skewers
    • Instant Pot Thai Chicken Curry
    • Thai Salmon Patties
    • Chipotle Chicken Marinade
    • Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

    More rice recipes

    • Instant Pot Wild Rice Pilaf
    • Mexican Rice Recipe
    • 7 Easy Rice Recipes
    • Herb Lemon Rice Recipe
    • Pesto Green Rice
    • Golden Turmeric Yellow Rice
    overhead shot of cilantro lime rice with lime wedge in brown bowl
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Cilantro Lime Rice

    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Calories: 199kcal
    Author: Denise Bustard
    Servings: 4
    Fragrant and citrussy, this cilantro lime rice can be cooked on the stove top or in a rice cooker! Easy to prepare and no sautéing, this is the perfect side dish for Mexican and Asian recipes.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time35 mins
    Total Time40 mins

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup basmati rice note 1
    • 1 tablespoon coconut oil note 2
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 lime zested
    • 2 cups water note 3

    After cooking

    • ½ cup cilantro leaves chopped
    • ½ lime juiced

    Instructions

    Stove Top

    • In a medium pot, combine the basmati rice, coconut oil, salt, lime zest and water. 
    • Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes. 
    • Remove from heat and let sit for another 10 minutes before adding the cilantro and lime juice and stirring up.

    Rice Cooker

    • Spritz your rice cooker insert with some spray oil. Add the basmati rice, coconut oil, salt, lime zest and water.
    • Cook using the 'white rice' function (or regular function if there is not a white rice option).
    • Once the cook time is up, stir in the cilantro and lime juice before serving.

    Notes

    1- you can use any long grain white rice, but check the package; Jasmine rice has a different water: rice ratio than basmati.
    2- I recommend refined coconut oil as it does not have a prominent coconut flavor; swap for butter if you'd like.
    3- for an even more flavorful rice, swap the water for chicken or vegetable stock.
    Storage
    Get rice into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking, and do not let it sit at room temperature for extended periods of time.
    • fridge- store in an air tight container for up to 4 days
    • freezer- store in a meal prep container or sturdy freezer bag (rolled flat) for up to 3 months
    Reheating
    Heat back up in the microwave until steaming hot; some people add a splash of water to help revive the rice as it can dry out slightly as it stores.
    Never reheat rice more than once.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/4 of batch | Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @SweetPeaSaffron or tag #sweetpeasandsaffron

    About Denise Bustard

    Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

    Previous Post: « Instant Pot Turkey Chili
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    Hi, I'm Denise

    Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too!

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