
Cilantro lime rice is a flavorful Mexican dish. You can make a Chipotle-style burrito, taco, or a bowl with cilantro lime rice, beans, salsa, and guacamole. It is vegan, gluten-free, and loved by kids.
Cilantro lime rice can be easily made in 30 minutes in an instant pot without any supervision. It can be made ahead of time and it works great for kids' lunch boxes with some black or pinto beans.
Jump to:
- What is cilantro lime rice?
- What kind of rice for cilantro lime rice?
- How to make cilantro lime rice in instant pot?
- Can you make cilantro lime rice with leftover rice?
- What to eat with cilantro lime rice?
- Is cilantro lime rice vegan and gluten-free?
- How to store cilantro lime rice?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
What is cilantro lime rice?
Cilantro lime rice is a flavorful Mexican rice dish. It is served with burritos, tacos and also as a side dish. It is made with few basic pantry ingredients but can add a lot of flavor to any meal.
Long grain rice, water, oil, cilantro, and some lime juice are the only 5 ingredients needed to make this delicious and yummy dish.
What kind of rice for cilantro lime rice?
This Chipotle-style Mexican cilantro lime rice can be made with any long-grain rice, else it can turn out mushy. I have used basmati rice, however, jasmine rice or white rice can also be used.
You can also make cilantro lime rice with brown rice or even wild rice. When using rice other than basmati rice, the amount of water and time will have to be adjusted accordingly.

How to make cilantro lime rice in instant pot?
Making cilantro lime rice in an instant pot is very easy and convenient. First basmati rice is pressure cooked in the instant pot and then cilantro and lime juice are added.
Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear. Put the rice, water, salt, and oil in the instant pot container. Lock the lid with the pressure knob in the sealing position.
Cook on high-pressure mode for 6 minutes followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release. Release the remaining pressure by moving the pressure knob in the venting position until the silver pin drops.
You can also pressure cook basmati rice by pot in pot method.
Open the lid and fluff the rice, this allows the moisture to be distributed equally. Add some chopped cilantro and lime juice and give it a mix.

Can you make cilantro lime rice with leftover rice?
If you are looking for what to make with leftover rice, cilantro lime rice is a quick and easy dish. All you need to do is reheat the rice and add the cilantro and squeeze some lime juice. If there is no salt in rice, sprinkle some salt and mix it.
What to eat with cilantro lime rice?
Cilantro lime rice can be served with many vegetarian dishes. You can make Chipotle-style burritos or bowls by serving it with black beans, fajitas, salsa, guacamole, corn, lettuce, and cheese.
It can be served as a side dish or a main dish with black beans, pinto beans, or other types of beans. Cilantro lime rice can also be served with vegan Asian dishes like kung pao and veg manchurian.
Is cilantro lime rice vegan and gluten-free?
Cilantro lime rice is gluten-free as rice is gluten-free. This is a vegan cilantro lime rice recipe. It makes a satisfying meal or a side dish for anyone following a vegan and/or gluten-free diet.

How to store cilantro lime rice?
If you have any leftover cilantro lime rice, you can store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also plan ahead and make cilantro lime rice over the weekend for your weekly meal planning.
You can also make a batch of rice and store it in the fridge for meal planning. Some of it can be used for various dishes like dals, beans, and curries. And some can be reheated to make cilantro lime rice by adding salt, chopped cilantro, and lime juice.

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out these recipes too
- Vegan fried rice
- Mexican black beans
- Kung pao chickpeas
- Vegetable masala khichdi
- Pot in pot basmati rice
- Instant pot jasmine rice
- Vegan manchurian
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📖 Recipe

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 1 ½ cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Oil
- ¼ cup Cilantro (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon Lime juice (adjust as per taste)
Instructions
- Rinse basmati rice thoroughly with cold water until the water runs clear.
- Put the water, rice, salt, and oil in the instant pot container.
- Lock the lid with the pressure valve in the sealing position.
- Turn the instant pot on the high-pressure mode for 6 minutes.
- Press the "keep warm" button to turn it on
- Once the rice is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Release the remaining pressure by turning the pressure release valve in the venting position.
- Gently fluff the rice with a fork.
- Mix in cilantro and some lime juice.
Sue says
Not a comment,but a question. I only have a 6 quart instant pot. Can I still use the measurements that you have listed?
Alpa Jain says
Hi Sue,
Yes, you can follow the same recipe in 6 qt.
Hope this helps
Regards
Alpa
Angie says
Love this recipe. Rice with a difference
Alpa Jain says
Hi Angie
Glad you liked it.
Regards
Alpa