Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice (The Best Easy Copycat Recipe)

This Chipotle cilantro lime rice is as close to the real thing as you can get. The fluffy rice has the perfect cilantro lime flavor from the fresh cilantro and fresh lime juice, and it's just so good! But the best part about this Chipotle rice recipe is that it only takes 5 minutes to prepare!

The Best Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice

If you like chipotle's rice, you're going to love this cilantro lime rice recipe. I mean, it seriously tastes just like the flavorful white rice you'd get from Chipotle Mexican Grill.  So this recipe really comes in clutch when you don't feel like leaving your house or waiting to have some of this delicious rice delivered. 

This copycat Chipolte cilantro lime rice copycat recipe has perfectly cooked, fluffy rice with freshly squeezed lime juice and lemon juice, along with chopped cilantro for the iconic balance of flavors.

Now, along with being delicious, this cilantro lime rice is super easy to make! All you really have to do is boil some water, add the ingredients to the pot, and just let everything cook. That's seriously all there is to it!

Oh, and since most of the time spent making this rice is passive cooking, you'll have plenty of time to make this Chipotle steak, these Chipotle black beans, and Chipotle honey vinaigrette to create the ultimate homemade burrito bowl! 

Ingredients

Another reason I love this recipe is the ingredients needed to make it are super simple. In fact, you might even have everything you need on hand already!

Anyway, here are all of the Chipotle cilantro lime rice ingredients:

• 4 cups of water
• 1 cup basmati rice or desired long-grain rice
• 1 small bay leaf
• Salt, to taste
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

See what I mean by simple?

By the way, if you have extra white basmati rice, you can use it to make this halal cart chicken over rice next. It's another one of my favorite copycat recipes.

Ingredient Substitution and Suggestions

Now, I think this cilantro lime rice is perfect just the way it's written, and it tastes the most like the Chipotle rice made this way. But with that said, there are some changes you can make to the recipe, and it'll turn out just as delicious! 

So when I make this recipe, I like to use long-grain white rice or white basmati rice. But feel free to change up the rice you use to slightly alter this cilantro lime rice to your personal taste preference. Some other kinds of rice you can use are long grain brown basmati rice, regular brown rice, regular white rice, or even jasmine rice.

Then you can just enjoy this rice on its own or pair it with some black beans and any meat you want to make some burrito bowls. 

How to Make Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice

I know I already said this, but it's worth saying again - this Chipotle cilantro rice could not be any easier to make!  Even if you've never made rice from scratch before, you'll find this recipe to be a breeze, and it'll turn out just like the restaurant's every time.

So with that said, let's not waste any more time and get cooking!

Step 1: Cook The Rice

First, you're going to start by cooking the rice. So to do that, you'll want to add 4 cups of water to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Then once it's boiling, you can add a bit of salt, the rice of your choice, and a bay leaf to the pot.

Now let the rice boil for 11 minutes, uncovered. When the time is up, check the rice, and if it's not at your desired chewiness, boil it for another minute or two.

By the way, you can also use a rice cooker or an Instant Pot to make the rice if you'd prefer.

Step 2: Season The Rice

So, now that the rice is cooked, you can remove the bay leaf from the pot, and you'll want to strain the rice through a fine mesh strainer or sieve.

Then you can transfer the fluffy rice into a bowl and add the chopped cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, and lemon juice. Now give everything a little mix, taste the rice, and add additional salt or seasonings if you think it needs it.

Finally, you can serve cilantro lime rice with added lime zest and cilantro to garnish.

Enjoy!

How To Store Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice

This recipe for Chipotle cilantro lime rice makes 4 servings, and it's so good that I doubt you'll have leftovers! But if you want to have some leftover rice for meal prep for the week, you can make a double or triple batch of this recipe with little added time.

Speaking of leftovers, if you do end up with some, you can store the cooked rice in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. And if you want to keep the rice for longer, you can store it in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.

How To Reheat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice

Once you're ready to enjoy this delicious rice again, you'll definitely want to reheat it.

So to do that, you can transfer the leftover cooked rice into a microwave-safe bowl, add a bit of water or 1 ice cube to the bowl, and microwave it in 30-second increments. Make sure to stir between each one until it's completely heated through.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make Chipotle cilantro lime rice.

Cooking rice has never been easier! And I know I'm biased, but I don't think you'll find a better copycat Chipotle cilantro lime rice recipe than this one. This recipe has the perfect ratio of flavors, and the rice just cooks so well every time. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. As always, if you give it a try, let me know what you think in the comments below!

More Chipotle Copycat Recipes

If you enjoyed making and eating this Chipotle-inspired cilantro lime rice, we have a bunch of other Chipotle copycat recipes on the blog you can try next! 

Here are some of our favorites:

• Chipotle chicken
• Chipotle barbacoa
• Chipotle carnitas
• Chipotle corn salsa
• Chipotle pinto beans

Oh, and make sure to check us out on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for even more delicious recipes! We post new recipes on them every day.

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