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Cast iron pot filled with cooked white cilantro lime rice.
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5 from 15 votes

Perfect Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro Lime Rice. This tender, fluffy rice is flavored with fresh zesty lime juice and chopped cilantro. Perfect for serving alongside chicken, fish, or shrimp. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex Mex
Servings: 6
Author: Serene

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil olive oil, avocado oil
  • 2 cups long grain white rice* rinsed*
  • 4 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • ½ tsp lime zest
  • tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • ½ cup cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the rice and stir, coating with the oil.
  • Continue cooking, while stirring the rice to prevent burning or sticking until the rice is starting to toast.
  • Pour in the chicken broth, keep the heat at medium heat. Stir in the salt.
  • Bring mixture to a simmer. Cover the skillet with a lid. Turn the heat to LOW. Cook covered for 25 minutes. (don't remove the lid during this time)
  • After 25 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat, keeping the lid on. Let the rice sit for 10 minutes, undisturbed.
  • After resting 10 mintues, remove the lid, fluff the rice.
  • Stir in the chopped cilantro, lime zest and fresh lime juice. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

  1. Types of long grain rice:
  • American long white rice: basic, and classic. Easy to find and not expensive in most markets.
  • Basmati rice: a very popular choice for Mexican rices. 
  • Jasmine rice: one of my new favorites to use when making Mexican rice and this cilantro lime rice. It has a fragrance when you fry it up and cooks beautifully.
2. Rinsing Rice: To rinse the rice place into a fine mesh strainer. Pour water over the rice and rinse until the liquid runs clear. This helps remove excess starch and any other impurities on the surface of the rice. Another option would be to soak the rice and then strain out the excess water. 
3. Storing Leftovers: store in a sealed container inside the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
4. How to Reheat Rice: place in a microwave safe container with a small amount of water (1 tablespoon per cup of rice) and heat until rice reaches 165 degrees F. OR use a pot on the stovetop, again, adding the 1 tablespoon of water per cup of rice and heating on medium heat, stirring to prevent sticking until rice reaches 165 degrees F.
5. Freezing: store cooked rice in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. To thaw, remove to the refrigerator overnight.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1159mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg