Copycat Café Rio Cilantro Lime Rice [+ Video]

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

Crock Pot Copycat Cafe Rio Chicken [+ Video]

Enjoy the delicious flavors of Cafe Rio at home with this easy and flavorful crockpot Cafe Rio chicken recipe. We’ve included a step-by-step video instructions for a perfect copycat dish!

This chicken dinner recipe tastes just like Cafe Rio’s recipe for shredded chicken. It’s a great dinner idea to take to someone who may need a family friendly meal. It is delicious served with cilantro lime rice and topped with creamy tomatillo cilantro ranch dressing. Use it for a salad, tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, or a chicken taco salad. It’s so versatile!

Ok, so if you live in Utah there are probably 3 Mexican fast food chains that you try to copy their chicken or pork. (Mostly the sweet pork, but I’ll do that one later.) This copycat Cafe Rio Chicken recipe is seriously so good and if you don’t want to do a salad then turn it into a burrito!!

This chicken is one of those life saver crock pot (slow cooker) recipes. Kinda like this regular Crock Pot Chicken. I love that you can throw everything together in less than 5 minutes, let it cook all day and then feel like a hero as you serve it to your family. The only thing you really need to watch out for is how darn much the recipe makes.

Scale that sucker back! It’s too much chicken for just our little family! However, that usually means it’s a great opportunity to invite someone over or to surprise a neighbor with dinner. And I’m definitely all about that. It also freezes well to save for another night!

Ingredients for Cafe Rio Chicken

You only need 5 ingredients to make this delicious chicken recipe! And you literally toss it all in the slow cooker let it cook. Here is the ingredients list:

• Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing: I know this is super specific but it’s just the right flavor for this recipe. Avoid the fat free dressing.
• Cumin: adds flavor
• Chili Powder: adds flavor and a little heat
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Chicken Breasts: boneless skinless chicken
• Creamy Tomatillo Cilantro Ranch Dressing: easy to make and so delicious
• Cilantro Lime Rice: the perfect complimenting flavors to this chicken

The measurements a

Copycat Chick-Fil-A Nuggets and Sauce [+Video]

Craving the signature taste of Chick fil A nuggets? Skip the drive-thru and the price tag and try this easy homemade recipe with a delicious homemade sauce for the perfect copycat dish.

When our girls were little, Cade would take them on daddy daughter date nights periodically and the girls always picked Chick-fil-A as the place the wanted to eat dinner. I used to love Dairy Queen as a kiddo so I get it. Plus it’s a daddy date so I’m not invited.

When I was little I guess I used to get out of bed a lot and wake up super early. Which is funny because I HATE, DESPISE, DETEST, and VEHEMENTLY PROTEST waking up. I looooove to sleep and take naps. Love it. Anyway, my parents made me a chart when I was like 3 I think. Every day I didn’t get out of bed I got a whale stamp (remember how stamps weren’t all cool yet? It was just an old black ink pad and whale) on the date and after a week I got to go to Dairy Queen. What a treat!

So, I started researching Chick fil-A chicken copycat recipes and experimenting with recipes. Every recipe I saw had pickle juice so I was intrigued. This is a perfect copycat recipe! And my favorite part, it’s a fraction of the cost! Eating out has gotten so dang expensive!

How to Make Copycat Chick Fil A Chicken Nuggets Video

Ingredients for Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets

There are few surprise ingredients in this list, but you’re just going to have to trust me! From pickle juice to powdered sugar, there’s a little of everything in these recipes, but each ingredients gets us the flavors we are after. Here is everything you will need:

Chick Fil A Nuggets

• Chicken Breasts: cut into bite-sized pieces
• Dill Pickle Juice
• Water

Breading

• Flour
• Powdered Sugar
• Paprika
• Chili Powder
• Black Pepper
• Salt
• Baking Powder
• Peanut Oil

Dredging Liquid

• Egg
• Milk

Chick-Fil-A Sauce

• Honey
• Yellow Mustard
• Dijon Mustard
• Hickory BBQ Sauce
• Lemon

Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Pie Cookies [+Video]

Indulge in the flavors of fall with these soft and chewy pumpkin pie cookies topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Perfect for satisfying your pumpkin spice cravings!

I saw a cookie floating around on Instagram that everyone was obsessed with all about pumpkin pie. You use a filling similar in flavor to classic pumpkin pie, but it’s really nothing like a pumpkin pie. After tackling the key lime pie cookie I couldn’t get it out of my head that the best idea ever for those who hate making pie and want something more kid friendly on Thanksgiving was to make a pie cookie. These are to die for!!

Of course that darn Crumbl beat me to it, so now you can make that yummy pumpkin pie Crumbl cookie at home! And to me, our is better….shhhhhh! 🤐

Ingredients and Materials Needed

For this cookie pie recipe, there are two main components and then a couple of optional components. We will start with the cookie base, then while it chills, we will make a pumpkin pie filling. You have the option of rolling the cookie dough in pie crust crumbles (which I HIGHLY recommend) and topping it with whipped cream just like you would a slice of pumpkin pie. It all combines for the perfect pumpkin dessert bite! Here is what you will need:

Cookie Base

• Butter: Use unsalted butter and you want it softened but not warm
• Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and richness of flavor
• White Sugar: Adds sweetness
• Egg: Gives the cookie base structure
• Vanilla: Adds flavor
• Flour: Just regular all-purpose flour is all you need
• Cornstarch: Adds chewiness and tenderness to the cookie
• Baking Powder: Adds rise, fluffiness to the cookie base
• Baking Soda: Works with the baking powder to leaven the cookie base
• Salt: Enhances all the other flavors
• Cinnamon Sugar: Adds flavor to the crumbled pie crust
• Pie Crust: Rolling the cookie dough in pie crust crumbles gives the cookies that craveable flaky, buttery flavor and texture.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

• Pumpkin Puree: Make sure you have pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling
• Maple Syrup: Adds natural sweetness and flavor
• Sugar: Adds more sweetness
• Cornstarch: Helps the filling thicken as it bakes
• Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor
• Unsalted Butter: Adds flavor and richness
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: Adds that signature pumpkin pie warmth and flavor
• Read more

Aussie Bites Copycat [+ Video]

Craving the delicious Aussie Bites from Costco? Learn how to make your own copycat version at home with this easy recipe and step-by-step video tutorial. They are such a great healthy snack on the go and now you can make them at home!

We first posted this recipe back in 2016, so it was time for an update! We had a few complaints about them being too dry, so I’ve reworked the recipe and they are perfection! They are the perfect back to school snack as we head back into the school year!

I went to Costco, checked the label and ended up changing a few ingredients. I changed out flaxseed because it was just too annoyingly dry and only use chia seeds and pepitas now. For the butter, I ended up swapping it with coconut oil because I think too much water was evaporating in the hold recipe with the butter. And I thought golden raisins worked a lot better in flavor and moisture than regular raisins as well. So this is the new and improved Costco copycat Aussie Bites recipe!

Ingredients for Aussie Bites

These Aussie bites have a few different ingredients in it, some for sweetness, some for texture, some for binding, and some for flavor. Here is what you will need:

• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• Quinoa
• Pepitas
• Chia Seeds
• Dried Apricots
• Golden Raisins
• Unsweetened Coconut
• Maple Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Sea Salt
• Baking Soda
• Vanilla
• Honey
• Coconut Oil

Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for the measurements of each ingredient.

How to Make Aussie Bites at Home

This is a quick overview of how to make these bites. For all the details, keep scrolling down to the recipe card.

1. Prep: Preheat the oven and spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
   • NOTE: If you don’t have a mini muffin pan, just bake them on a cookie sheet and use a cookie scoop to form them.
2. Blend: Add some of the oats to a blender and pulse them until ground into powder, i.e. oat flour. Place in a large bowl.
3. Pulse: Add the remaining oats and the rest of the dry ingredients to a food processor and pulse until a grainy texture.
4. Mix: Add all the wet ingredients to the food processor and pulse to combine thoroughly. It will become a wet sand texture that will hold together if you squeeze it.
5. Bake: Press the dough mixture into the muffin cups and bake for 10 minutes.
   • NOTE: If you’re using a cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and press it firmly into the scoop before releasing it onto the baking sheet. It will bake for the same amount of time.
6. Cool: This is probably the most critical step of the process, let the bites cool completely in the muffin tin. If you try to pop them out warm, they will fall apart,

These copycat bites are the perfect healthy snack to fuel me through the day and help me avoid the junk