CHIPOTLE CILANTRO LIME RICE
Unleash the secrets to Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice at home, starting with the perfect rice and a surprising cooking method (plus alternative techniques for long-grain rice and even your trusty rice cooker!). Scroll down for a video to see just how easy this delicious rice is to make!
Sometimes in life, it’s the simplest things that are the best.
Craving the ultimate comfort? Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice delivers: soft and fluffy with a satisfying chew, and blissfully free of any stickiness.
A chameleon on the menu, Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice complements burritos and salads alike, but what makes it so perfect?
While I’ve honed my rice-cooking skills over the years, transforming it from crunchy and bland to perfectly seasoned and soft (cilantro lime or otherwise!), I’ve yet to conquer the pesky problem of stickiness, despite trying all sorts of rice varieties, from Jasmine to short-grain.
See latest video.
While Chipotle uses long-grain rice, I found Basmati best replicated their texture, but I’ve also experimented with other rice varieties and cooking methods, which I’ve detailed here.
HOW MANY CUPS RICE WILL 1 CUP UNCOOKED RICE MAKE?
- One cup of uncooked white rice yields three cups of cooked white rice.
- While 1 cup uncooked brown rice might seem like a small amount, it expands to yield 4 cups of cooked brown rice.
METHOD 1: BASMATI RICE, STOVE-TOP METHOD (PREFERRED)
Having tried Basmati before, I cooked it this time using the typical method for long-grain rice.
While some recommend soaking rice for 30 minutes beforehand or rinsing it repeatedly until the water runs clear, I’ve found the key to be simply measuring a specific rice-to-water ratio, bringing it to a boil, covering it, and waiting for all the water to be absorbed.
For the perfect Basmati rice, achieve a fluffy texture by using at least 4 cups of water for every cup of rice and leaving it uncovered while boiling. I’ve also updated this recipe to include a bay leaf (game changer!), recommended by many of the commenters below.
After rinsing the drained rice in hot water, stir in lime and lemon juices, salt, and finely chopped cilantro while it’s still warm – perfection!
METHOD 2: LONG-GRAIN RICE, STOVE-TOP METHOD
While Chipotle likely skips the rinsing step, to achieve their fluffy rice texture, start with long-grain rice like they do, and rinse yours to remove excess starch for perfectly separate grains.
You could also add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pot (Chipotle uses rice bran oil, but olive oil works well too), and don’t forget to add a bay leaf! Stir in citrus juice, salt, and cilantro when the rice is tender.
METHOD 3: LONG-GRAIN RICE, RICE-COOKER METHOD
I love my rice cooker! It delivers results as good as the stovetop, but with way less hassle (rinsing the rice first, as my manual suggests and experience confirms, definitely helps achieve fluffier results).
Add a teaspoon of oil and some salt if desired, along with a bay leaf (because honestly, I’m sold on bay leaves for white rice – from now on, it’s going in every pot no matter the rice or dish!).
While your rice cooker manual will have the exact proportions, I typically use around 3/4 cup rice to 1 cup water (there’s a special “rice” measuring cup that comes with some rice cookers that holds 3/4 cup). Then, I toss the cooked rice with salt, citrus juice, and cilantro at the end.
Method 4: CHIPOTLE CILANTRO LIME BROWN RICE
Craving Chipotle’s brown rice? Whip up Cilantro Lime Brown Rice in your rice cooker or on the stovetop using brown basmati or long-grain rice, following the revised cooking times in Step 7. (Just like the recipe notes, this yields 16 ½-cup servings, compared to 12 servings of white rice.)
This isn’t fancy (size-wise either!), but my trusty $30 rice cooker from Amazon (with over 3,500 positive reviews – that’s a lot of rice!) gets the job done, and apparently my sisters Erin and Meredith agree – they have the same one!
Chipotle secret menu tip (warning: you might already know this!): Cilantro haters rejoice, you can ask for rice without cilantro at Chipotle – they keep a stash for those who know to ask. And hey, you can easily make cilantro-free rice at home too!
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CHIPOTLE CILANTRO LIME RICE (COPYCAT)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
Description
Unleash the secrets to Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice at home, where the journey begins with the perfect rice cooked using a surprising method.
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice unrinsed, or long-grain white rice, rinsed (see notes)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- teaspoon olive oil or rice bran oil, optional
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
To cook basmati rice on the stove top:
- In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Then, add the rice, 2 teaspoons of salt, and the bay leaf. Stir everything together, return to a boil, and boil uncovered for 12 minutes.
- After removing the bay leaf, drain and rinse the rice with hot water using a fine mesh strainer, then pour it into a large bowl.
- Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice, then season with the remaining quarter teaspoon of salt, or more to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature.
To cook long-grain rice on the stove top:
- In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil, then add rice, 2 teaspoons of salt, a bay leaf, and oil (if using), reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- After removing the bay leaf, stir in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Then, add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt, or more to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature.
To cook long-grain rice in a rice-cooker:
- Combine the rinsed rice, water (following the manufacturer’s instructions, see notes), a reduced amount of salt (1 teaspoon), bay leaf, and optional oil in the rice cooker, then close it, plug it in, turn it on, and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- After removing the bay leaf from the cooked rice, stir in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Season with additional salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon is recommended), and serve hot or at room temperature.
To cook brown rice:
Follow the instructions above using the following times: 40 minutes for Basmati on the stovetop, 45 minutes for long-grain on the stovetop, and 60-70 minutes for a rice cooker (or according to manufacturer’s instructions). This recipe yields 18 servings of 1/2 cup each.
Notes
For long-grain rice, rinsing before cooking is recommended to remove excess starch. To do this, place it in a fine-mesh sieve under cool running water until the water runs clear, then drain well before adding it to the pot or rice cooker. Alternatively, soak the rice in a large bowl of water for up to 30 minutes, a more water-conserving method that also helps remove starch.
While using a rice cooker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for rice and water portions, as their measuring cup might differ from a standard 8-ounce cup. They will also specify the ideal water amount for best results. Use those instructions over mine, but feel free to adjust the other ingredients to your taste.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12 servings
- Calories: 117 kcal
- Sugar: 0.1g
- Sodium: 437.9g
- Fat: 0.6g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Protein: 2.2g
- Cholesterol: 0g
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