Who doesn’t love Chipotle’s cilantro lime rice with cilantro? Ever since they opened one near me, I’ve been hooked on their bowls and I always pick the cilantro lime rice. After reviewing a lot of copycat recipes, they all share the same basic ingredients with the key ingredient being the type of rice – it has to be Basmati rice! Basmati rice is aromatic and is a very fluffy rice that doesn’t clump. When you add the lime and cilantro bits, it’s the perfect pairing to the Mexican dishes of your dreams. I love it with extra cilantro on top.
WHAT’S BASMATI RICE?
Basmati is a long-grain rice grown in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and is commonly used throughout the region. It’s light and fluffy in texture with a nutty and floral aroma. It is served with curry dishes and makes a perfect rice pilaf. I buy Royal brand basmati rice, as the only ingredient is basmati rice – no other additives.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups Basmati rice, well rinsed to remove the starch
4 cups of water for cooking
Olive oil, about 1 Tablespoon
bay leaf
kosher salt, about a teaspoon
2 Tablespoons of cilantro, minced plus more for garnish
2 Tablespoons each of freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice
HERE’S HOW I MADE IT IN A RICE COOKER
Start by rinsing the basmati rice a few times to remove the starch. The water will change from cloudy to clear. Add the rice to the rice cooker and follow the standard instructions for the rice cooker – usually 2 to 1 (water to rice). Add oil, kosher salt and bay leaf to flavor the rice. Stir to distribute the salt throughout. Cover and set to cook.
Once the rice cooker chimes, fluff up the rice with a fork, add the cilantro and juice and combine well. Taste and reseason. I added a 1/4 teaspoon of extra salt to mine.
Serve warm with extra lime wedges and enjoy! There’s not much to it. I’ve not tried to cook Basmati rice in the “pasta” method. When I do, I’ll update this post. If you can’t find basmati rice, use long-grain rice, but not Jasmine rice. Jasmine rice is great when making Asian sticky rice, but we’re going for fluffy rice here.
Shown below with my pork carnitas and Mexican green beans as part of my Succulent Cinco de Mayo.
Cilantro-Lime Rice (Chipotle Copycat)
An easy to make copycat version of Chipotle's delicious cilantro-lime rice. This rice is consistently fluffy with delicious and aromatic flavors.
Equipment: rice cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups Basmati rice, well rinsed to remove the starch prefer Royal brand
- 4 cups water for cooking
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt prefer Diamond brand
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced plus extra for garnish
- 2 Tablespoons each of lemon juice and lime juice, freshly squeezed
Instructions
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Rinse your rice a few times to remove the starch. The water should change from opaque to clear.
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Add the rice to the rice cooker and add the water. Read your rice cooker instructions for specific quantities. I used 2 cups of water per cup of rice.
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Add olive oil, kosher salt and bay leaf. Stir to combine and distribute the salt and set the rice cooker to cook. It should take 15-20 minutes.
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Remove from rice cooker and fluff with a fork. Add cilantro and both lime and lemon juice. Combine well, taste and reseason, if needed. I added about a 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
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Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
