Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
This cilantro lime brown rice recipe is the perfect side dish for Mexican meals. It tastes just like Chipotle's. It's easy to make with healthy brown rice!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Yep, this cilantro lime brown rice tastes just like Chipotleโs! Chipotleโs burrito bowls are my go-to โfast foodโ meal when weโre in a hurry. Likewise, this homemade brown rice has become a kitchen staple. Itโs so versatile.
If you have this cilantro lime brown rice in the fridge, you can throw together a meal in a hurry. Add beans or cooked eggs, top with some salsa or guacamole, and youโll have a burrito bowl in ten minutes. If you have leftover greens or vegetables, this is the perfect way to use them up.
This cilantro lime brown rice is also a great side dish that will round out your Mexican-themed meals or anything that comes off your grill this summer. It starts with a base of perfectly cooked brown rice, a healthy whole grain. I often stir in a can of well-rinsed black beans for some extra protein.
I originally created this recipe for my cookbook, Love Real Food. If you havenโt tried those burrito bowls yet (page 142), you have been missing out on a delicious and quick weeknight meal. Iโm sharing the recipe for the rice here, just in case!
Cilantro Lime Brown Rice Ingredients
I modeled this recipe off Chipotleโs ingredients for their cilantro lime rice. Chipotle says, โWe simmer the whole-grain rice with bay leaves to add savory flavors, then season it with lemon and lime juices and toss it with cilantro for a slightly tart, fresh taste.โ
Hereโs what youโll need to make this recipe:
Long-Grain Brown Rice
Long-grain brown rice is key. I love its slightly nutty flavor and the natural separation of the grains. I typically buy the Lundberg Farms brand (the green bag).
Bay Leaf
Weโll cook the rice with a bay leaf, which infuses the rice with a subtle layer of savory flavor.
Fresh Cilantro
Chopped cilantro adds a burst of fresh flavor to this rice recipe. Itโs not complete without it.
Lime Juice
You canโt make cilantro lime rice without lime! Youโll need the juice from about 1 medium lime for this recipe.
Lemon Juice
Thatโs right, thereโs lemon juice in your cilantro-lime rice! Lemon brightens up the flavor and rounds out the lime. Chipotle uses a lime-and-lemon citrus juice blend for their recipes, but weโll use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice instead.
Olive Oil
Youโve probably noticed a light sheen on Chipotleโs rice, and itโs because theyโve added oil. Stirring in a little oil adds richness and prevents the rice from clumping together. Chipotle uses canola, sunflower or rice bran oil, but I like to use minimally processed extra-virgin olive oil instead.
Watch How to Make Cilantro Brown Rice
Uses for Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
Cilantro lime rice goes great with your Mexican and Tex-Mex meals. Here are some serving ideas.
Make Burritos or Burrito Bowls
Serve this rice with any combination of the following:
- Beans: Refried Beans or cooked beans
- Salsa: Pico de Gallo, Red Salsa or Salsa Verde
- Avocado: Guacamole or Avocado Sauce or fresh avocado slices
- Donโt miss the burrito bowls in my cookbook, Love Real Food (shown below).
Serve as a Side Dish
Cilantro lime rice is the perfect side dish. Here are some entrรฉes that would go well:
- Tacos: Epic Vegetarian Tacos or any of these fun options
- Enchiladas: Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas or Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas or Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
- More Mexican Classics: Quesadillas, Huevos Rancheros and more
Please let me know how your rice turns out in the comments. Iโm always so eager to hear from you.
Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
This cilantro lime brown rice recipe is the perfect side dish for Mexican meals! It tastes just like Chipotleโs, and itโs so easy to make. Recipe yields 4 ยฝ cups, enough for 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 ยฝ cups long-grain brown rice or brown basmati rice, rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- ยผ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 lime)*
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons lemon juice (from 1 small lemon)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ยฝ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Pour in the rinsed rice and drop in the bay leaf. Give the mixture a brief stir and let it boil for 30 minutes, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent overflow.
- Drain the rice, return it to the pot, cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes off the heat. Discard the bay leaf and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Add the cilantro, lime juice, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and stir to combine. Taste and add additional salt if necessary (I usually add an extra ยผ teaspoon). Cover until youโre ready to serve.
- Leftover rice will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.
Notes
Recipe originally published in my cookbook, Love Real Food (page 142).
Change it up: For some extra protein, stir one can of well-rinsed black beans (or 1 ยฝ cups cooked black beans) into the rice after cooking.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I am thinking of making this for a large gathering. Do you think it could be made the day before? If so, what would be the best way to reheat the rice?
This is great leftover.
Iโm sorry, maybe Iโm missing it. But it doesnโt say the water:rice ratio?
Her method of brown rice is to just use extra water, cook for the time, then drain. Basically like pasta. So itโs pretty error free.
VERY yum and comforting. I loved this recipe! Itโs my first time cooking brown rice this way and it was enjoyable. I think it turned out really nice too. I might use a bit less olive oil next time as it was a little heavy for my taste but everything else was just right.
This is a great recipe for seasoned rice to go with a variety of dishes! I made this for my husband for his lunches for the week and I used italian parsley because heโs one of those that hates cilantro. Anyways, he raved about how well the rice went with the rest of his meal! I was wondering, could this be adapted to suit other whole grains like farro, millet, buckwheat, or sorghum? Maybe even quinoa? Just curious as I try to include different whole grains throughout meals. Great recipe as written though! I love many recipes on this site! :)
First time preparing brown rice this way and it worked out really well. Delicious recipe that was a perfect accompaniment to chili lime BBQ chicken salad. Thank you!
Your cilantro lime rice was made this evening. The lime, lemon, cilantro ratio was exact. A superb tasting dish that complimented the meal so well. And itโs so easy. Thank you for this.
Made this today and wow!! My whole family loved it! I followed the instructions exactly. Since it is a more time/labor intensive recipe, I made a double batch of each component and my husband was able to meal prep his entire week of lunches! What a fantastic recipe โ delicious flavors that come together perfectly :)
Would love to know how I could do this in the IP.