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Learn how to make chipotle’s cilantro lime rice rice right in your rice cooker and make your own burrito bowl at home! It's the perfect side dish to any of your dinner dishes, with plenty of herbs and fresh lime juice.
Y'all I used to absolutely love some Chipotle, but for the last few years I've been making my burrito bowls at home. Why not? It's been really easy, having the option of homemade chipotle nights for taco tuesday gives us more variety, and I have perfectly fluffy rice every single time thanks to my rice cooker! It's a done deal! Make-Your-Own-Chipotle-Bowl nights at my house are always a hit, never a miss.
The base for those burrito bowls is this rice cooker cilantro lime rice recipe. It's incredibly easy to make and it's literally so good you could just eat it on its own. I know I have plenty of times. The best part to me is the lime zest and fresh cilantro added at the end, that flavor is just so bright and gives so much life to plain rice.
Make this simple side dish next time you are having your taco tuesday and get ready for it to be part of your meal rotation every week!
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How to Make Good Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice
The biggest thing is first, rinse your rice. It gets rid of all that starchiness, which can lead to gummy rice.
The second biggest thing is to not have any excess water. You should always use the ratio of rice to water as instructed in your rice cooker's instructions but if you can't find it, the general rule for a rice cooker is 1 part water to 1 part rice. That's the main difference from cooking rice on the stove top where it's 1 cup rice to 2 cups of water.
Take the rinsed rice, put in your water or chicken broth, a pinch of salt and a little oil, and go on your merry way until it's done!
Then, before serving, stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and chopped cilantro leaves. The perfect little delicious side dish to go along with whatever you're eating!
Ingredients
Massive flavor with simple ingredients is what good eating is about, right?
Long-grain white rice. Jasmine rice, basmati rice, any kind of rice so long as it's long grain. Most people like basmati and jasmine because they're really fragrant and add another layer of flavor.
Chicken broth. Want supremely flavorful rice? Add chicken broth instead of water.
Garlic powder. This is optional, but that little bit of garlic does add a lot, especially if you forego the chicken broth.
Bay Leaves. A bay leaf or two adds flavor! What kind of flavor? A very subtle herby-minty-peppery brightness that does well in this rice and with heavier dishes, too.
Fat. Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, butter, whatever you like!
Fresh limes. That bright citrus flavor is what'll make you literally eat spoonfuls of this out the pot.
Fresh Cilantro (aka Coriander). This is what gives us that vibrant green color pop all within the white rice. Cilantro haters, you can substitute the cilantro for flat-leaf parsley!
How to Rinse your Rice
An important step when cooking rice, especially in the rice cooker, is rinsing the excess starch off of your rice. It'll give you well-separated, perfect rice every time.
Not only is it rinsing the starch off, but you can check for rocks or other weird things that may be in your bag of rice.
It's natural food. It happens, you know?
So in a fine mesh sieve inside of a large bowl, rinse the rice in cool water. The water should be super cloudy, pour it out and run the water through the rice in the sieve again. Use your hand and make sure every grain is getting rinsed by mixing them up in the sieve, this is also how you can check for any abnormal things.
The water should be running through the rice a whole lot clearer after about a minute of rinsing, that's your sign that it's ready.
What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Rice
What's so great about this easy cilantro lime rice recipe is that it's versatile, it goes with so many different meals.
Of course, the first suggestion is to make a DIY burrito bowl! Eat it with some delicious carne asada or chicken, plenty of cheese and beans, and top it off with homemade guacamole and salsa verde!
I also like it with Cuban black beans, especially when I'm missing the foods of South Florida. Served with extra lime wedges next to churrasco steak, it fits right in.
Put this rice inside a taco with slow cooker pork carnitas, let me tell you: so. good.
If you're making this for your next Cinco de Mayo party and want more recipe inspiration, I have a whole list of great Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes!
FAQ
You can make the rice days ahead and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. Perfect for meal prep.
To reheat, put the rice in a microwave-safe bowl along with a splash of water. Cover with a microwave-safe plate or wet paper towel, then microwave in 30-second increments, stirring and re-covering, until heated through.
Lemon juice can be substituted, but expect it to be sweeter than lime juice.
More Side Dishes
Tools I Used in this Recipe
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Cilantro Lime Rice (Rice Cooker)
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth or water
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, optional
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Zest of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped finely
Instructions
- In a fine mesh sieve under cool running water, rinse the rice of its excess starch until the water is much clearer, for about a minute.
- Put the rinsed rice in your rice cooker with as much water or chicken broth as per your rice cooker's instructions (it's usually 1 part rice to 1 part liquid), add the olive oil, bay leaves, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Give it a stir, close the lid, and cook on your 'white rice' setting.
- When the rice is fully cooked remove the rice from the pot and put into a large serving bowl. Remove the bay leaves and fluff up the rice with a fork.
- Mix in the lime zest, fresh lime juice, and fresh cilantro. Taste, and add more salt as needed.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
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