When people make rice, it’s common for it to have no flavor. Quite frankly, it’s a bland side dish, but that’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes, the entree is saucy and those flavors smother the rice, comforting it in their richness. Other times, though, the rice plays a bigger role in the dish. In the case of a burrito bowl, for example, rice is the featured ingredient. You don’t want bland rice in that scenario, so that’s why you use this cilantro lime rice.

Cilantro lime rice is a flavorful dish that is an excellent side dish, burrito bowl base, or even a filling entree. Besides the rice, the two most important ingredients are fresh cilantro and lime zest. A long grain rice, like Jasmine or Basmati rice, is preferable for this recipe. The picture does show brown rice, which is also an acceptable rice to use.

You can make rice in a rice cooker, but this rice dish requires a saucepan. If you find a way to make this in a rice cooker, please reach out and let us know how it turned out. The point of making it in a saucepan is to toast the rice and add another dimension of flavor. The most important instruction in this recipe is to add the lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro after the rice fully cooks. You don’t want to cook those ingredients with the rice, or else it will be bitter.