By keeping just a few ingredients on hand you’ll always have the option of whipping up this light, effervescent Cilantro Lime Rice.
It does quite well in groups (think burrito bowls) but sometimes it just needs some quality one-on-one time (with black beans). Either way, it’ll be one of your most versatile creations if you give it a chance.
Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe and Tips
You can get by using water as a base, but you’ll notice quite a difference if you cook the rice in some stock. I’m using 2 cups of this homemade version but a low sodium storebought version will work too.
For every cup of rice you use you’ll need about 1/2 cup worth of chopped cilantro; this translates roughly into half of a standard sized cilantro bunch.
It’s common to use the cilantro stems in Mexico so I’m in the habit of doing that. After rinsing, you can twist off the bottom, thicker portion of the stems but feel free to leave in the thinner stems that connect the leaves. (Here’s how I chop cilantro.)
You’ll also need two tablespoons of lime juice for each cup of rice. You’ll get two tablespoons of juice from a fresh lime but if your limes are suffering you might need an extra one.
Then it’s just a matter of blending together the cilantro, lime juice, and a single garlic clove. You might need a couple tablespoons of water (or oil) to get it to combine.
This mixture then gets added to the cooked rice.
Easy right?
Give it a final taste for salt before serving. This recipe uses 1/2 teaspoon of salt when cooking the rice and that is usually enough for me.
You can also keep some extra chopped cilantro on hand if you want a fresh layer on top. So good!
It’ll be tempting to gobble it up on its own, but don’t forget that this Cilantro Lime Rice is a gregarious lot and likes to hang out with others on occasion.
Buen Provecho.
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1 lime
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- oil
- splash of water
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Heat up a dollop of oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat
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Saute 1 cup of rice in the saucepan until lightly browned
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Add 2 cups of stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the rice
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Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a light simmer
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Let simmer until the liquid is absorbed
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Turn off heat and cover, letting rice sit in its own steam for a few minutes
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Rinse 1/2 bunch of cilantro and twist off the bottom stems, chopping roughly
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Add to a blender along with 2 Tablespoons lime juice and 1 garlic clove
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Add a couple tablespoons of water (or oil) and blend the ingredients together
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Add the lime cilantro mixture to the cooked rice and mix thoroughly
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Taste for salt
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Add additional cilantro if desired
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So delicious! I’m need try it!!
You have a new follower 🙂
Gracias! Hope it treats you well. See you around 🙂
EXCELLENT! Love this recipe!
Thanks Marci!
What a great recipe. The entire family enjoyed this delicious side dish. Thanks Patrick!
Hey thanks for the feedback Dennis, much appreciated! Glad the fam enjoyed it 🙂
Hi Patrick – I love it! Love the colors, love the recipe, love the result! Fantastic work – thank you so much for sharing it!
Awesome, thanks much for the feedback Elaine! Glad it worked out for you. Hope all is well with you. 🙂
Can i use any kind of rice?
Good question! To be honest, I’ve never tried this recipe with anything besides white rice. But I think it should work quite well with other types of rice too. You might have to increase the flavoring a bit to compensate for some of the heartier grains, but at the very least I think it’s worth experimenting with.
Cheers.
My husband , while in the hospital, had Cilantro and Lime Barley served as a side dish. He said it was delicious. I’m going to try it at home with vegetable stock.
Hi Bettye that sounds like a good plan! I’ve found that using stock makes a huge difference in the final flavor of the rice. I typically use chicken stock but veggie should work just as good. Cheers.
Do you really cook the rice uncovered? if so, any tips?
Hi Bob! Yeah I’m in the habit of cooking the rice uncovered. But then once all the liquid is absorbed I take it off the heat, cover it, and let it sit in its own steam for a few minutes. Keep in mind though that no one can agree on nothing these days and that’s true for making rice too, so there are multiple ways to get there. Hope that helps a bit. Cheers.
I made it just as it was and the rice was delicious!
Thanks much for the feedback Jennifer! I’m always amazed how satisfying that rice can be with so few ingredients…
I used brown rice and it has been cooking for over an hour now. Still not even close to being done. Definitely does not work with anything but white rice.
I used brown rice and it came out great!
Yum! Made this with carne asada for dinner, hubby loved it! I added a small can of rinsed and drained black beans to the cooked rice while blending the other ingredients… plus an extra clove of garlic (my first clove was very samll). Will definitely make this again!
Thanks for your feedback Sharon! That is a tasty meal you just made!
Will make again! It was easy but complex and all 5 kids were fans!
Thanks Mark!
Hey Patrick you are cooking style is the best, count me as u r new follower.
Hey thanks much! Cheers.