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Learn the secrets to making Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice in the comfort of your own kitchen. This copycat recipe starts with getting the right type of rice and cooking it in a non-traditional way. This rice is soft and fluffy with just the right amount of chew and no stickiness.
I’ve taken a deep dive into cooking perfect, fluffy rice on the stove or using a rice cooker. By using Basmati rice, and cooking it in lots of water (aka “the pasta method”), I was able to closely mimic their recipe.
You don’t have to use Basmati, though; I experimented with other kinds of rice and cooking methods and have outlined those as well.
Table of Contents
Cilantro Lime Rice ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
“Grain” refers to the rice’s length-to-width ratio, when cooked. More than likely, you’d be able to tell whether a rice is short-grain or long-grain just by looking at it. Medium is a tad more difficult because sometimes it gets lumped (clumped?) into the short-grain category.
- Short-grain rice is a plump, stubby grain. This rice is most commonly used for making sushi. Short-grain rice has more starch, so it clumps together easily.
- Long-grain rice is slender and long, as its name suggests. Varieties include American white and brown rice varieties, Jasmine rice, and Basmati rice. Long-grain rice has a firm, dry texture and is best for side dishes, pilafs, and salads.
- Medium grain rice is somewhere in between. It produces moist, tender, slightly chewy grains that stick to each other when cooked. Common medium-grain rices include Arborio and Valencia, which are used to make risotto, and Bomba rice, which is used in paella.
One thing I’ve definitely learned along the way is to use the type of rice listed in a given recipe. Each one has different characteristics, so if you swap in a kind that hasn’t been tested, you might not get the result you are hoping for.
How to make Chipotle Rice
Method 1: How to Make Perfect Basmati Rice on the Stove (pasta method)
Even though I had cooked Basmati rice before, I had always cooked it using the typical method we’ve all been taught: measure a specific ratio of rice to water, bring to a boil, cover, and cook until all the water has absorbed. Then I learned about a new (well, new to me) method for cooking Basmati rice, and it changed my rice-cooking life.
If you’ve always thought cooking rice was too tricky, this method is for you. It’s called the pasta method; if you can cook pasta, you can definitely make perfect rice.
- Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add rice, bay leaf, oil if using, and salt to taste (I like 2 teaspoons). Stir and return to a boil.
- Boil uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes (for me it’s always 12, but some readers have reported mushy rice after 12 minutes, so keep an eye on yours).
- Remove bay leaf. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain rice and rinse with hot water.
- Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt (I like an additional ¼ teaspoon). Serve hot or at room temperature.
Method 2: How to Make Long-Grain Rice on the Stove (absorption method)
If you don’t have Basmati rice, you can still use another type of long-grain rice and still have a great version of Cilantro Lime Rice. I recommend rinsing it before cooking it to remove excess starch.
To rinse the rice, place it in a fine-mesh sieve under cool water and rinse until the water runs clear. Drain well before adding the rice to the pot or rice cooker. Or, soak the rice in a large bowl of water for up to 30 minutes to help remove starch while conserving water.
- Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add rice, bay leaf, oil if using, and salt to taste (I like 2 teaspoons). Stir and return to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf. Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt (I like an additional ¼ teaspoon). Serve hot or at room temperature.
Method 3: How to make rice in a Rice Cooker
I love using a rice cooker! It’s completely hands-free and all I have to do is push a button. I use and recommend the Aroma Housewares Rice Cooker, which you can get on Amazon for $30. Rice cookers usually come with a measuring cup that’s a little smaller than a standard cup. You simply count out the number of cups you’re making, then fill the cooker with water up to the level on the side that matches the number of cups you’re making.
- Add rinsed rice, water (according to manufacturer’s instructions) bay leaf, salt (I like 1 teaspoon), and oil, if using. Close rice cooker, plug in, and turn on.
- Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- When the rice is finished, remove bay leaf. Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Add more salt to taste (I like ¼ teaspoon). Serve hot or at room temperature.
Method 4: Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice
You can cook Cilantro Lime Brown Rice in a rice cooker (easy, because most rice cookers have a ‘brown rice’ button) or on the stove top. I prefer to use brown Basmati rice, but any long-grain brown rice will do.
Because brown rice takes a little longer, just follow the revised cooking times as outlined in Step 7 of the recipe.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: 1 cup uncooked white rice makes 3 cups cooked white rice. 1 cup uncooked brown rice makes 4 cups cooked brown rice. This recipe will make about 6 cups Cilantro-Lime Rice, enough for 12 (½ cup) servings. That means it’s great for plenty of burrito bowls and meal prep!
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Rice is one of the easiest things to freeze. I love to pack it into 2-cup portions (in plastic bags). Label, date, and lay flat in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw as needed or add to soups or stir-fries straight from the freezer.
- Cilantro haters: If you happen to be one of the millions of people who despise cilantro (it’s not your fault), you can ask for rice without cilantro at Chipotle.
- Chipotle Burrito Bowls: Make your own copycat burrito bowls, tacos, and salads at home with my full collection of Chipotle Copycat Recipes:
- Proteins: Chipotle Chicken, Chipotle Steak, Chipotle Barbacoa, Chipotle Carnitas, Chipotle Sofritas
- Sides:Chipotle Cilantro-Lime Rice, Chipotle Black Beans, Chipotle Pinto Beans, Chipotle Fajita Veggies
- Sauces: Chipotle Guacamole, Chipotle Tomato Salsa, Chipotle Corn Salsa, Chipote Tomatillo Salsa, Chipotle Hot Salsa, Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette
Why I love my rice cooker
I find that rice cookers help make the fluffiest rice and when we rounded up the best rice cookers, our top pick was my personal favorite: The Aroma Housewares Rice Cooker. It’s compact, super simple, and does exactly what it’s supposed to do without fail. My sisters, Erin and Meredith, each have the same one, and we all love it. Not to mention, it has over 6,100 positive reviews. That’s a whole lot of rice!
You can buy my favorite rice cooker for $42 at Target, or you can get the smaller 4-cup version for about $30 on Amazon.
Rice cookers can cook polenta beautifully, also, without stirring it for a million hours. It’s not just a one-job appliance. And if you’re not sold on my rice cooker, others on our list have slow cooker capabilities, too.
Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe FAQs
1 cup uncooked white rice makes 3 cups cooked white rice. 1 cup uncooked brown rice makes 4 cups cooked brown rice.
Brown rice is considered a whole grain, with fibrous bran, germ, and all. Fiber, vitamins, and minerals are all stored in the bran and germ. White rice has had the bran and germ removed in processing, and so it’s technically less nutritious than brown rice. (But it’s still delicious!)
Brown rice takes quite a bit longer than white rice in terms of cooking, but instructions on how to make Cilantro Lime Brown Rice are in the recipe card below, in case you are interested.
Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Chicken (Copycat)
Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Steak (Copycat)
Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Barbacoa (Copycat)
Chipotle Copycat Recipes
Chipotle Carnitas Copycat
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Cilantro Rice Recipe (Chipotle Copycat)
Equipment
- Rice cooker (optional; I own and recommend the Aroma Housewares Rice Cooker)
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice unrinsed, or any long-grain white rice, rinsed (see note 1)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or rice bran oil, optional
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro minced (or omit or sub parsley)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
To cook basmati rice on the stove top:
- Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add rice, bay leaf, oil if using, and salt to taste (I like 2 teaspoons). Stir and return to a boil. Boil uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes (for me it's always 12, but some readers have reported mushy rice after 12 minutes, so keep an eye on yours).
- Remove bay leaf. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain rice and rinse with hot water. Pour into a large bowl.
- Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt (I like an additional ¼ teaspoon). Serve hot or at room temperature.
To cook any long-grain rice on the stove top:
- Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add rice, bay leaf, oil if using, and salt to taste (I like 2 teaspoons). Stir and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf. Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt (I like an additional ¼ teaspoon). Serve hot or at room temperature.
To cook long-grain rice in a rice-cooker:
- Add rinsed rice (see notes), water (according to manufacturer's instructions, see notes), bay leaf, salt (I like 1 teaspoon), and oil if using. Close rice cooker, plug in, and turn on. Cook according to manufacturer's instructions.
- When the rice is finished, remove bay leaf. Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Add more salt to taste (I like ¼ teaspoon). Serve hot or at room temperature.
To cook brown rice:
- Follow the instructions above using the following times: 40 minutes for Basmati on the stove top, 45 minutes for long-grain on the stove top, and 60 – 70 minutes for a rice cooker (or according to manufacturer’s instructions). 2 cups brown rice makes 16 servings, ½ cup each (higher yield than white rice).
Recipe Video
Notes
- Long-grain rice (not Basmati): If using a long-grain rice other than Basmati, I recommend rinsing it before cooking it to remove excess starch. To rinse the rice, place it in a fine-mesh sieve under cool water and rinse until the water runs clear. Drain well before adding the rice to the pot or rice cooker. Or, soak the rice in a large bowl of water for up to 30 minutes to help remove starch while conserving water.
- When using a rice cooker, it is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for rice and water portions. Many rice cookers come with a specific “measuring cup” that may not be equivalent to a standard 8-oz. cup. They will also specify exactly how much water to use in relation to their measuring cup for best results. Those instructions supersede my quantities of rice and water here, but the other ingredients should remain the same (subject to your own taste preference, of course). If you’re looking to buy a rice cooker, I use and recommend the Aroma Housewares Rice Cooker, which you can buy from Amazon.
- Yield: 1 c. uncooked white rice makes 3 c. cooked white rice. 1 c. uncooked brown rice makes 4 c. cooked brown rice. This recipe will make about 6 c. Cilantro-Lime Rice, enough for 12 (½ c.) servings. That means it’s great for plenty of burrito bowls and meal prep!
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Rice is one of the easiest things to freeze. I love to pack it into 2-c. portions (in plastic bags). Label, date, and lay flat in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw as needed or add to soups or stir-fries straight from the freezer.
I made this recipe tonight with long grain rice. I saute my rice first, then add boiling liquid, water in this case, so I used that method. Used the bay leaf. After the 5 minuterest, I fluffed and added the lime and cilantro. LOVE!!
Yes, that’s a GREAT way to do it! That’s how I make my Mexican Rice and my Puerto Rican Rice (well I bake them after the saute of rice and boiling water addition). So good. I should test this recipe that way too! Thank you Chef Danna. 🙂
Of course it matters how much water you use when cooking rice!!!! That is why you are not successful!!! The ratio is always 2 parts water to 1 part rice! Bring to a boil , cover tightly! Turn down heat to med and let the rice cook until tender. About 10 to 15 minutes depending on how much rice you are cooking.
Hi Jan, the way I cook the basmati rice in this recipe, it works out perfectly as long as you use plenty of water. Normally I’d agree with you (for long-grain rice), but this is the method suggested on the back of the basmati rice package.
The reason you rinse the rice until the water runs clear is to clean it and get chemicals off. It also helps to keep the rice from sticking together or becoming to starchy. I made this recipe though, and it is absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Thank you Maddie! Yes, you lost the nutrition but also lose the chemicals! Great point! Thanks. 🙂
I don’t know what I did wrong but the 12 minute boil and hot water rinse turned my rice into a mush-fest. So disappointed because this seemed to work for so many people. Anyway, future cooks beware–if your rice looks done, take it off! I noticed mine looking a little too soft but went with it. R.I.P. 2 cups of basmati rice.
Hey there, I’m so sorry to hear that! Not sure what happened. I would be curious to know how long they have written on the package you bought to cook the rice. Sorry again about the wasted food (and time and sanity). 🙁
I made this tonight in my rice cooker and it was delicioussss. I realized too late that I didn’t have any lemons so I just left it out. The lime flavor was kind of strong but in a really good way. We still have a ton left so I’ll be having more for lunch and probably dinner tomorrow!
In my experience, reheating rice in the microwave works just fine if you give it a heavy sprinkling of water beforehand and then cover it. So that’s how I’ll probably try it tomorrow 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe (and continuing to update it with additions/corrections, I feel like that’s super rare)!!
Hey Krys! I’m glad you liked it! Yeah, it’s really good without lemon too (at least in my opinion). My favorite sentence: “Kind of strong but in a really good way.” I’ve reheated it in the microwave too with water just as you described, works really well! Yes, I’m always trying to improve my recipes, the Mexican Rice and Chipotle Chicken are other ones that are constantly being updated. 🙂 Thank you so much! Have a great weekend. 🙂
So the rice to water ratio On the back of my basmati rice bag is a little different then your instructions sink don’t know what to follow … The back of my bag says 2 cups of rice and 3 cups of water . And your instruction say 2 cups of rice with 8 cups of water
Hi Desiree, I think there is more than one way to make the rice. I make it with 8 cups of water (or 6 or 10 or some large amount) and then drain off the excess after 12 minutes (and also boil it uncovered). I’m not sure how the bag you are reading says, but if you were going to COVER the rice and try to have it absorb all the water, then 8 cups of water would be way too much. 3 cups might be more appropriate. But since I drain the excess water off and rinse the rice until the water runs clear, 8 cups works fine. But of course it’s up to you! Feel free to follow the instructions you see there. 🙂
Chipotle does rinse their rice until all the water runs clear and they use bay leafs when cooking it
Hi Anna, do they really rinse their rice? That’s awesome. I mean, it totally works for me in terms of getting it to be so separated and not sticky at all. And yes, the bay leaves are everything. They change the flavor of the rice so much, for the good! Thanks for your comment.
I have always made basmati rice using the ration 1 cup rice:1 ¾ cup water and it comes out perfect. I fear you are using too much water.
The way I’m making it, you end up pouring off the excess water. In your version, do you do the same? Or is all the water absorbed? I imagine if you used exactly the right amount of water (as you are probably doing) the rice wouldn’t need to be drained. I am planning to experiment with this recipe again soon so I’ll try your way! Thanks for sharing.
This recipe works well with these directions.
NOTE: It DOES NOT work with a 1/2 batch.. Tried it ‘halving’ the ingredients and there was way too much lemon/lime. Also, after ~ 11 1/2 minutes of boiling, my pot ran out of water.
Good to know, thank you!! I never tried making a half batch, and now I never will. Thanks for your help.
I just made the rice (basmati) for the first time tonight using the Stev top method following the directions exactly. Understanding I may have done something wrong, here are my comments. After rinsing the rice with hot water and straining it the best I could it still seemed very wet. After adding 2 tbsp lime and 1 tbsp of lemon it was just way to wet. I’m guessing I didn’t get enough water out during straining. What else should I have done?
Last, the lemon and lime was way to strong especially compared to Chipotle’s. I’m just going to cut the amount in half the next time I try to make this recipie.
Any comments/suggestions welcome.
Hi Mike, I am so sorry you had some problems with the recipe. It sounds like you probably did everything right. I have never done anything to deliberately “dry” the rice and it has always been fine for me, but now I want to go and make it again and assess more closely how “wet” the rice is. Because clearly you had issues, and I’m really sorry about that. I will also test the amount of lemon and lime juice, maybe I had weak citrus?? What a disaster, I’m so sorry about that! I will retest this within a week and reply to you with my findings. So sorry again.