Take your rice to a whole new level.
What is it about Chipotle, anyway?
Well, it’s a lot of things, of course. The peppy, fast-paced atmosphere. The way you can customize your burrito to get it exactly the way you like it. And, of course, the way they make a point of using fresh, whole ingredients from sustainable farms. That’s all great stuff.
But when I think about what makes a trip to Chipotle feel like a treat, I think maybe it’s the little things that make the biggest difference. Like the rice.!
When you order up a burrito bowl at Chipotle, it doesn’t just come with rice; it comes with cilantro-lime rice. It just adds that extra little kick that takes the whole meal to the next level.
Fortunately, it’s really easy to do the same thing at home. All you need to make my Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice is a little lemon and lime juice, cilantro, butter, salt…and the secret ingredient, a bay leaf. Oh, they don’t mention that in the menu, do they? But it makes a difference, trust me. If you sauté your rice in butter with that bay leaf for just a couple of minutes before you cook it, and then add the juice and cilantro at the end, it will take your homemade Cilantro Lime Rice to the next, NEXT level.
Put a scoop of this on the side of any Mexican dish (or inside a burrito, like they do at Chipotle), and watch your meal go from dinner to yeah, dinner!
How to make Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients you will need:
- basmati rice (extra long grain rice)
- butter, divided
- bay leaf
- water
- salt
- chopped cilantro
- fresh lime juice (about 1/2 a large lime)
- Set a medium heavy pot over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon butter, bay leaf and rice. Saute rice for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Next pour in water and salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer covered for about 15-17 minutes, until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy. Removed from heat.
- Stir in last Tablespoon of butter, cilantro, lime and lemon juice. Stir until well combined. NOTE: Make sure to remove the bay leaf before serving!
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Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice extra long grain rice
- 2 Tablespoon butter divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
- 1.5 Tablespoons of fresh lime juice about 1/2 a large lime
- 1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Set a medium heavy pot over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon butter, bay leaf and rice. Saute rice for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Next pour in water and salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer covered for about 15-17 minutes, until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy. Removed from heat.
- Stir in last Tables spoon of butter, cilantro, lime and lemon juice. Stir until well combined. NOTE: Make sure to remove the bay leaf before serving!
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Patricia says
Do you rince rhe rice first?
Corey says
If the bag or box of rice directs you to, I would.
Christy says
Nope! Turned out beautifully.
Bobbi says
Sounds yummy! Have you every tried this with brown rice?
Elizabeth says
Just tried it and it came out amazing! None of the other recipes I read call for a bay leaf. Thanks for sharing!
Carrie says
My family LOVES this rice, thanks for the recipe!!!!
Annie says
This recipe is wonderful! Ended up throwing the sautéd rice into my rice cooker for an effortless middle step! I would recommend cutting down the salt to 3/4 or even 1/2 tsp, as my kids and I thought it was a tad too salty. Overall very tasty recipe!
holli says
Oh my goodness! This tastes so close to Chipotle’s!!! Soooo good!
becca R. says
Does this recipe work well if you have to make in advance and reheat?
Lanna G says
Yes, I often make a double Batch just so I have left overs to eat later. I do put a damp paper towel over the bowl in the microwave to keep it from drying out. Don’t know if it would but this is just something I have always done when reheating rice.
Pam says
Made this tonight with Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas – it was perfect! Great flavor – I think the Bay Leaf is the key! Thanks for sharing!
Brianna Moloney says
This recipe is AMAZING!!! I’m a huge Chipotle fan, but due to where I’m currently living, I sadly cannot get it. (Gosh do I miss the rice, it’s my favorite part). I tried this recipe last week, and oh my goodness, dare I say it, it’s BETTER than Chipotle’ s rice. It tastes exactly the same, but is BETTER because it’s so fresh. I am so so happy that I found this recipe. I don’t have to crave Chipotle anymore when I can make it right at home! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
Maggie Unzueta says
Oh my! I need this in my life. Must print your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Hilary says
Can I do this in a rice cooker? If so how long?
Laura Carter says
Really good. I agree with previous poster that it was a tad too salty. Maybe cut the salt in half.
Andy D says
My teenage kids devoured this like there was no tomorrow. Well played my friend (I did use Chicken broth instead of water and no added salt). This is a keeper. Thank you.
Cheyanne Childers says
Tried it tonight, super yummy!!!!!! Tastes a lot like Chipotle!
Etzel Gapitto says
THIS WAS THE BEST! I’m not one to eat that much rice, however this rice is is TOPS! It came out perfect! We made some grilled chicken, avocado, black beans, pico de gallo salsa, sour cream and corn tortillas chips and placed in a bowl! This is our favorite rice!
Corey says
So happy you love it!
Lanna says
I have made this rice several times and my family all love it. Add it as a side, into your dish or as the meal by its self. Love, love, love it.
Jane says
This recipe was awesome. Turned out just like the lime rice served at Chipotle. This is the best of the copycat recipes I have tried.
Julie says
This recipe saved the day and kept my Chipotle-addicted teenager at home lol. He was amazed at how the rice tasted JUST LIKE Chipotle’s. Maybe he’ll eat dinner at home more often now.
Corey says
Lol. Love this Julie!
Christy says
I enjoyed this! Not only was the rice a hit in my household, but it also got my boyfriend to convert to unwrapped burrito bowls! This recipe was simpler than others & called for less ingredients; all of which I had on hand. I enjoyed experimenting with a different rice cooking method than I’ve used in the past; it was easy, not complicated, and came out incredible. While the rice was cooking I had time to dice the cilantro and put together the rest of the ingredients for our dinner, making it easy to come together all at once without having to juggle timelines w/diff dishes. I LOVE sneaking in bay leaves, and this was perfect! I used 2 Turkish leaves (smaller). Now we’re set for eating great with little effort throughout the hot Summer. THANK YOU!