Easy Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe

This cilantro lime rice recipe is a zesty side dish that pairs well with tacos or grilled meats. It uses a handful of ingredients, and the cilantro goes in at the end so it stays bright and fresh. It is a simple version of the Mexican cilantro lime rice on our cilantro recipes page.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 cup long-grain white rice, such as jasmine or basmati
• Water for cooking, in the amount the rice package gives
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter or neutral oil
• Zest of 1 lime, and 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

Method

1. Rinse the rice in a fine strainer until the water runs mostly clear. This removes extra starch and keeps the grains separate.
2. Cook the rice with the water and salt, following the package directions.
3. When the rice is done, let it stand covered for a few minutes, then fluff it with a fork.
4. Stir in the butter or oil, the lime zest and the lime juice.
5. Fold in the chopped cilantro just before serving. Taste, and add more salt or lime juice if you like.

Tips

• Add the cilantro last. Heat dulls its flavor and turns the leaves dark.
• Use the tender stems too. Chopped fine, they carry plenty of flavor.
• Zest before you juice. It is much easier to zest a whole lime.
• Make it ahead. The rice reheats well. Stir in the cilantro after reheating.

What to serve it with

Try it beside tacos or grilled meats, as on the recipes page, or under a spicy salsa. Leftover rice makes a good filling for burritos.

Using homegrown cilantro

If you grow your own, cut the cilantro in the morning, as the step-by-step Kratky method guide for cilantro suggests, and use it the same day for the best flavor. How to harvest cilantro for bushier plants shows how, and how to store fresh cilantro covers what to do with extra.

Easy variations

Once you have the basic rice, a few additions make it a fuller dish: black beans, sweet corn, thinly sliced green onion or a little minced jalapeño. Add them with the cilantro at the end, so they stay fresh. Brown rice also works, with the cooking time on its package.

Common questions