The best simple Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe! Easy to make in under 30 minutes, this healthy side dish is delicious with chicken or tacos!
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If you’re looking for a side dish that’s both easy to make and tasty – try this cilantro lime rice! It’s a great side to any weeknight meal.
Whether you are having tacos made with our healthy taco seasoning or our chili lime grilled chicken, this is delicious!
You can make it with white or brown rice and cook it with bone broth instead of water for extra protein!
If you are looking for more sides, check out these Healthy Side Dishes!
reasons to make cilantro lime rice
We love this lime rice in our house! We make it almost every week because it’s:
- Easy to make – Although it’s loaded with flavor, this rice is incredibly easy to make and only takes about 30 minutes.
- Good for meal prep – This healthy cilantro lime rice is so easy to warm up, lasts for 3 days in the fridge, and will pair well with your favorite meal prep protein!
cilantro lime rice recipe ingredients
For this healthy cilantro lime rice you’ll need:
- long grain white rice – this is our favorite for this rice. You could make it with brown rice too but the cook time will vary
- chicken broth – look for low or no salt
- salt
- olive oil – helps to add fat and flavor to the rice
- cilantro – parsley or basil would work too.
- lime juice
This citrus juicer is also helpful to have, as is a nonstick pot.
ingredient substitutions + variations
Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil, butter, or ghee for olive oil
Broth: Broth and stock are the same thing! You can use any broth or stock interchangeably. Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, or vegetable broth all work interchangeably. I always use low or no salt broth. Water also will work fine in this recipe!
Cilantro: You can substitute cilantro with parsley or basil, but it will have a different flavor. We don’t recommend using dried cilantro.
Rice variations:
Different types of rice use different ratios of water and cook times.
cilantro lime brown rice: Brown rice typically needs a little bit more water or broth (1/2 cup more) and usually cooks for closer to 30-40 minutes.
basmati rice: Basmati rice typically needs less water and cook time. I would try it with 1.5 cups of water and cook for 12-15 minutes.
jasmine lime rice: Jasmine rice cooks at roughly the same time/temperature as regular long grain white rice and can be used interchangeably in this recipe.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice
- Bring rinsed rice, 2 cups broth or water, salt, and olive oil to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to low/medium low, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes to allow the rice to finish cooking.
- Stir in lime juice and cilantro to the rice.
Note: It’s important to note that certain types of rice cook at different times so always check the bag of rice to see recommended cooking times and instructions.
best tips for making cilantro lime rice
Here are our best tips for making the perfect batch of cilantro lime rice:
Fluff your rice with a fork or spoon at the end of cooking to give it a nice fluffy texture.
Adding your herbs after cooking to preserve their flavor and freshness.
For easy clean up: Take your rice out of the pan and store it in a container immediately after cooking. Put your pan and put your dirty pot right in the sink and fill it with soapy water to prevent the rice from getting caked on the pot!
storing suggestions
Storing: This rice will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. We like these containers for freezing!
If you need more freezer friendly recipes check out our Fill Your Freezer Ebook with 22 easy freezer meals!
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave or on the stovetop. I recommend adding a little bit of broth to the pot if you’re going to heat up on the stove top.
If you want to make your rice taste better, try cooking it in broth instead of water! You can also add salt, pepper, and more herbs for flavor! Butter and olive oil also help make rice taste better!
what to serve with this recipe:
This cilantro lime rice is really versatile and goes with lots of different recipes! We serve it with our Chili Lime Chicken and Pickled Veggie Salad (pictured above) but it would also go great with:
Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice we use organic long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth low or no salt OR water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 whole lime juiced about â…› cup
Instructions
- Note: It’s important to note that certain types of rice cook at different times so always check the bag of rice to see recommended cooking times and instructions.
- Measure 1 cup of white rice and add to a strainer. Rinse thoroughly with water. It’s best to rinse your rice for a few minutes in a thin strainer or a bowl to remove excess starch prior to cooking.
- Add your rinsed rice, 2 cups water, salt, and olive oil to the pot.
- Turn the heat on high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the water is boiling you can turn the heat down to low/medium low. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes, this will allow the rice to finish cooking and absorb the remaining liquid.
- Add your lime juice and cilantro to the pot, stir together and enjoy.
Notes
- Fluff your rice with a fork or spoon at the end of cooking to give it a nice fluffy texture
- Adding your herbs after cooking will preserve their flavor and freshness.
- You can substitute olive oil with butter
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