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Cilantro Lime Rice (Chipotle’s Copycat)

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This copycat version of Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice boasts flavors of toasty brown rice, tangy lime and earthy cilantro. It’s a refreshing spin on your traditional bowl of brown rice and certain to be your new favorite side dish.

At any given time you can look in our fridge and you’ll find a big container of this Cilantro Lime Rice. In fact, it’s become such a staple recipe in our home that it’s no longer included on our weekly meal plan—we just know to make it whenever we’re running low.

It’s a fantastic side dish to almost any meat, can be topped with an egg and eaten for breakfast or used as the starting point for a variety of bowls. The browned rice, fresh cilantro and lime juice provide a true burst of flavor. Once you make this recipe once, it’ll become a staple in your refrigerator too!

Why we love it

  • Simple to make
  • Versatile
  • Filled with fiber and other nutrients
  • FlavorFULL!

Do I need to rinse my rice before cooking it?

Yes! Before you dive into cooking, you’ll need to rinse your rice. Rice tends to come with a good amount of surface starch. Rinsing off the excess starches prevents your rice from turning gummy during the cooking process. A thorough rinse also allows the individual grains to cook better.

To do this, place it in a fine, mesh colander and run cool water over it in the sink. Use a swirling motion with your hand while rinsing the rice to free it from excess starch.

Is browning the rice necessary?

Browning your rice brings out a wonderFULL toasty, nutty flavor that you just can’t achieve any other way. While it’s not absolutely necessary, browning your rice will set the flavor profile apart from any other Cilantro Lime Rice recipe you’ll try. If you have time for the extra step, we highly recommend it. If you don’t, no problem!

Making Cilantro Lime Rice with a Rice Cooker or Instant Pot

If you want to make your rice in a rice cooker or Instant Pot, no problem.

Toast your rice in a skillet (recommended but not required). Add rice, water and salt to the rice cooker or Instant Pot and turn on the rice setting. Once finished, allow the rice to sit for 5 minutes with the lid off. Fluff it with a fork and add lime juice, cilantro and beans.

Do I need to use fresh-squeezed lime juice?

While fresh is best, we often use bottled and it tastes wonderFULL! When shopping for a bottled version, just make sure the only ingredient is lime juice.

If using fresh: Our secret to lime squeezing success is using a citrus squeezer. We like to think we’re semi-strong gals, but to be completely honest, squeezing limes hurts our hands. Citrus squeezers don’t cost much and they make life so much easier. They also extract twice as much juice.

This Bellemain Citrus Squeezer is the one we keep on hand and has been a saving grace when extracting freshly squeezed citrus juice.

Storing and reheating your rice

Store your rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.

Reheating on the stove: You can reheat your rice in a skillet by adding a few tablespoons of water and a little bit of EVOO to rehydrate the grains.

Reheating in the microwave: To reheat rice in the microwave, place it in a bowl with a few tablespoons of water. Cover the bowl with a damp paper towel and microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through. Fluff rice between each interval.

Ways to reinvent your leftovers

  • As-is, served as a simple side dish (paired with meat, fish, Asian food, Mexican food, the sky is the limit!)
  • As the base for bowls. Our personal favorite is a burrito bowl—just add beans, veggies, salsa and avocados.
  • In a burrito (bean, breakfast or meat)
  • Topped with a sunny-side-up egg for breakfast
  • Used in a stir-fry
  • Paired with grilled kabobs
  • Stuffed in peppers
  • With a falafel bowl and a few scoops of hummus

If you think Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice is good, just wait until you try this!

If you make this Cilantro Lime Rice, let us know how it turned out! We’d love to hear what you think in the comments below. You can also snap a photo of your finished rice and tag us on Instagram using @FULLforLifegal and #FULLforLife so we can see. Enjoy the deliciousness!

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The Easiest and Best Rice Cooker Recipe (Fluffy + Flavorful)


  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 45 min
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Recipes
  • Method: One Pot, Too Easy

Description

With our Easiest and Best Rice Cooker Recipe, you’ll consistently achieve rice perfection without the guesswork. It’s a game-changer that brings out the best in your rice cooker, transforming every meal into a culinary delight.


Ingredients

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup long-grain (whole-grain) rice OR brown basmati rice
  • 1 teaspoon salt OR Jane’s Krazy Mixed-Up Salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter or oil (optional, for extra richness)
  • 1.5 cups water (adjust for different rice types)

Equipment


Instructions

Rinse the Rice

Measure 1 cup of rice using the measuring cup provided. Rinse the rice under cold water in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear. This step removes excess starch and prevents the rice from becoming too sticky.

Cook the Rice

  1. Transfer the rinsed rice to the rice cooker’s inner pot.
  2. Measure 1.5 cups of water using the measuring cup. The general rule of thumb is to use a 1:1.5 ratio of rice to water, but you can adjust this slightly based on your rice cooker’s instructions and the type of rice you’re using.
  3. Pour the water over the rice in the cooker.
  4. Optional: Add a teaspoon of salt to the rice and water mixture for seasoning. You can also add a tablespoon of butter or oil at this stage to enhance the flavor and texture of the rice.
  5. Place the inner pot into the rice cooker and close the lid securely.
  6. Depending on your rice cooker model, select the appropriate cooking mode. Most modern rice cookers have a brown rice setting. If your cooker offers different settings, choose the one suitable for the rice you’re using.
  7. Press the start button to begin the cooking process. The rice cooker will automatically adjust the temperature and cooking time based on the selected mode.
  8. Once the rice cooker completes its cycle and switches to the warm mode (indicated by a light or signal), let the rice sit undisturbed for about 10 minutes. This allows the steam to evenly distribute, resulting in fluffier rice.
  9. Open the rice cooker lid and use a fork or spoon to gently fluff the rice, separating any clumps.
  10. Your perfectly cooked, fluffy and flavorful rice is now ready to be served as a delightful side dish or base for your favorite stir-fries, curries and more.

Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.

Always check for FfL-friendly ingredients.

Substitutions

Sesame oil, coconut oil or EVOO can be used in place of butter.

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Hi beautiFULL, We’re Pam and Kalie

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