Cilantro Lime Rice

Bowl of white rice mixed with flecks of cilantro, topped with a lime wedge.

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Cilantro lime rice is going to be your new favorite starchy side dish! It's packed with flavor and freshness and pairs perfectly with everything!

Course Basics, Gluten Free, Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 146kcal

Author Caitlin Self, MS, CNS, LDN

Ingredients

1 cups uncooked basmati rice or any
1 ¾ cups water more if cooking on stovetop
2 Tablespoons salted butter
1 lime zest and juice
½ cup cilantro
⅛ teaspoon fine salt more to taste

Instructions

Rinse the rice in clean water and drain.
Rice Cooker: Add to the rice cooker with about 1 ¾ cups water. I like to measure rice in my rice cooker by resting my finger atop the rice, angling my fingers to 45 degrees and adding enough water to reach the first knuckle of my middle finger. This is how I learned, but the measurements above should also work! Set the rice cooker to cook rice.
Stove top: Follow your preferred ratio, usually about 2 cups water for 1 cup of rice. Place on the stovetop over medium-high heat, covered, and the moment it starts to boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat but leave covered for 10 minutes. Then fluff your rice with a wooden spoon and serve. More ways to cook rice here!
Meanwhile, zest first, then juice a whole lime. Be sure to zest before you juice it! Chop some fresh cilantro - leaves and stems - until you have about ½ cup.
When rice is cooked, stir in the butter to melt, along with the salt.
Then add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Enjoy alongside slow cooker burrito bowls, pineapple lettuce wrap fajitas, or your favorite Mexican-inspired meal.

Notes

When it comes to choosing between brown or white rice, I recommend choosing whichever works for you and your family as the difference in nutrition and blood sugar benefits are typically negligible. You will get a bit more fiber and B-vitamins in brown rice, but most people digest white rice more easily. I eat both, depending on the dish the and mood!

Use vegan butter for dairy free, or ghee for lactose-free. You can also substitute the butter with olive oil.

To improve the glycemic index of white rice, I recommend cooking it ahead and allowing it to cool to room temperature. Cooked and cooled rice develops resistant starch, which acts very similar to fiber in the digestive tract, making it much better for your blood sugar! You can reheat the rice and then add the butter and remaining ingredients.

To reheat: add a portion (or more) of rice to a microwave-save bowl. Add 1-4 ice cubes, depending on how much rice you're re-heating. Microwave on high for about 60-90 seconds, or until the rice is fluffy and steam. The ice cube will only melt part-way, and in the process it will re-steam and re-hydrate the rice!

Nutrition: just a reminder that nutrient numbers and the below nutritional label is just an estimate.

Nutrition