Craving the fresh, zesty flavor of Café Rio’s cilantro lime rice? This copycat recipe brings the perfect balance of fluffy rice, tangy lime, and aromatic cilantro, making it the ideal side dish for tacos, burritos, or even just a delicious bowl on its own. With a few simple ingredients, you can recreate that vibrant, savory taste at home.
*This is a sponsored post due to my partnership with the Utah Dairy Council.
I’ve found that when I make Mexican food lately I really want rice and beans with it, just like the restaurants do. I didn’t used to care, but I’ve really grown to like the rice and beans. We especially love how easy this rice is. There’s a touch of butter in the rice too. Let’s not forget that. A little dairy can totally change a dish for the better. True story.
I’ll include a whole section below for recreating a whole Café Rio meal that includes this easy rice recipe! Mmmm…now I’m craving some Café Rio!
Ingredients for Cilantro Lime Rice
Whether you’re planning to eat this rice as a side dish for some chicken fajitas or as the base for burrito bowls, you’re family is going to love it! Let’s jump further into the all the ingredients you will need!
- Rice: Just regular long-grain white rice will work great. Jasmine rice and basmati rice would also work.
- Water: used to cook the rice
- Unsalted Butter: adds richness and flavor
- Chicken Bouillon: Adds flavor to the rice as it simmer.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic will give you the best flavor.
- Cilantro: You can’t have too much fresh cilantro in my opinion, so grab a bundle from the produce section of the grocery store and chop it up.
- Lime: Fresh lime juice is definitely preferred, but if you don’t have lime, the bottled lime juice will work.
- Diced Green Chiles: I like to leave the juice in for added flavor. You can dial up the spice here with medium or hot canned chiles. We stick with mild in our house.
The measurements and details for each recipe can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice on the Stove Top
I almost always cook rice on the stove top these days. I used to be loyal to the rice cooker, but as time has gone on, I’ve found myself enjoying being a little more hands on with rice. It takes a tiny bit more work, but for me, it’s worth it. Here are the steps for making this cilantro lime rice recipe including a photo of each s