Rice and Beans
$0.55per plate
Prep
10 min
Rice and Beans · Rice Sides
Cilantro Lime Rice
Cilantro lime rice is the fast-casual side everyone knows from burrito bowls, and it takes five ingredients and about half an hour at home. Plain rice gets simmered, then off the heat it's folded with fresh lime juice, lime zest, and a good handful of chopped cilantro so the herbs stay bright instead of wilting into the hot pot. It's the same bright, fresh-tasting rice you'd get scooped over a Chipotle-style bowl, at a fraction of the price. Serve it alongside its saucier cousin, Spanish rice, spoon it into burrito bowls, or serve it next to any of our chicken dinners or black bean tacos.
$0.41per plate
Estimated recipe total
$1.63 · serves 4
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/cilantro-lime-rice
Equipment
- Medium saucepan with a lid
- Fine zester or grater
Variations
- Use brown rice with a longer simmer (about 40 minutes) and a little extra water.
- Stir in a pinch of sugar with the lime for a slightly sweeter, restaurant-style version.
- Swap in fresh parsley and extra lime zest if cilantro isn't for you.
- Double the batch and refrigerate the plain rice; add fresh lime and cilantro to each portion as you serve it.
1 How to make it
1
Rinse and cook the rice
Rinse the rice under cold water until it runs clear - this keeps the grains from turning gummy. Combine it with 2.25 cups water, the oil, and the salt in a covered saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
2
Let it rest, covered
Take the pot off the heat, keep the lid on, and let the rice rest for 5 minutes. This finishes the cooking gently with the last of the trapped steam, so the grains firm up and stay separate instead of turning mushy once you fluff and dress them.
3
Zest and juice the limes
While the rice rests, zest one of the limes, then juice both. Do this over a small bowl so you don't lose any juice.
4
Fluff, then fold in the lime and cilantro
Fluff the rice with a fork first, then fold in the lime zest, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Adding the herbs after fluffing - not while the rice is still steaming hot - keeps the cilantro bright green instead of wilting and browning from residual heat.
5
Taste and serve
Taste and stir in a little more salt or lime juice if you like it brighter. Serve warm as a side, or use it as the rice base for a burrito bowl.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Brown rice. Brown rice works with a longer simmer (about 40 minutes) and a little extra water; the lime and cilantro taste just as good over a heartier grain.
- Bottled lime juice. In a pinch, use about 1/4 cup bottled lime juice in place of fresh, though fresh lime zest is what gives this its brightest flavor and is worth keeping if you can.
- Not a cilantro person?. Cilantro is the signature flavor here, so we don't recommend leaving it out entirely, but a big handful of chopped fresh parsley with a little extra lime zest gets you a similar bright, herby rice.
- A touch of sweetness. A pinch of sugar stirred in with the lime rounds out the tartness, the way some restaurant versions do.
3 Budget tips
- A bag of rice, two limes, and part of a bunch of cilantro make four servings for well under fifty cents a plate.
- Buy the whole bunch of cilantro even though this recipe only needs part of it; the rest keeps in a jar of water in the fridge for about a week and flavors tacos, eggs, or soup.
- This rice reheats well, so it's worth doubling the batch for burrito bowls all week.
- Fresh lime zest and juice are what make this taste like the real thing, and two limes cost only a little more than a bottle of juice.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking and use within 3 to 4 days. Cooked rice should not sit out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the kitchen is above 90°F) - spores that survive cooking can multiply in rice left at room temperature (USDA).
Freezer
Freeze cooled rice in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 months. The texture softens slightly and the lime flavor mellows, so it's best stirred into a bowl or taco filling rather than served plain.
Reheating
Reheat in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of water to loosen the grains, stirring until steaming hot throughout (about 165°F).
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
260
Protein
5g
Fat
4g
Carbs
51g
Estimates per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
What is cilantro lime rice?
It's a simple, Chipotle-style side of cooked rice tossed with fresh lime juice, lime zest, and chopped cilantro. It comes together in about 30 minutes and works as a side or as the rice base for a burrito bowl.
Why fold in the lime and cilantro at the end instead of cooking them with the rice?
Adding them after the rice is off the heat keeps the cilantro's bright green color and the lime's fresh flavor from fading. Stirring fresh herbs into actively steaming rice wilts and dulls them.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes. Cook and refrigerate the plain rice, then stir in the fresh lime and cilantro right before serving so they stay bright - the herbs lose their color and punch if they sit mixed in for more than a few hours.
How is $0.41 a plate figured?
The whole batch runs about $1.63 for four servings, so about 41 cents each. Rice is the base cost; the fresh limes and cilantro are the priciest items relative to the rest of the dish.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
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- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
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