This Cilantro Lime Rice is made with a little butter, rice, limes, and cilantro. It’s the perfect Mexican side dish and a staple in our Cafe Rio meals. 

Cilantro Lime Rice

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CILANTRO LIME RICE

One of our favorite meals to make for company is our copycat Cafe Rio. We live thousands of miles away from the nearest Cafe Rio and so recreating it is as good as it gets.

We like to make their salads with the Sweet Barbacoa Pork, this Cilantro Lime Rice, black beans, lettuce, Pico de Gallo, and then drizzled in this Creamy Tomatillo Dressing.

I make it for Bunko, company, church functions…you name it!

Can you believe that rice used to be my biggest challenge? For the life of me, I could not cook rice without screwing it up. Now, I can make this rice with my eyes closed!

HOW TO MAKE CILANTRO LIME RICE

  1. In a skillet melt butter with rice.
  2. Add the chicken broth and the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Cilantro Lime Rice

COMMON QUESTIONS

  • Can I freeze this? Yes, this freezes well. Just reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until warm. You may need to add some chicken broth to moisten it.
  • Can I double this recipe? Double, triple, quadruple it. In fact, I almost always double it since it only makes about 4-6 servings.
  • Can I make this ahead of time? Yes. Just make as directed and store in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or oven at 350 degrees.

OTHER MEXICAN RECIPES

Cilantro Lime Rice

Cafe Rio’s Cilantro Lime Rice

4.59 from 39 votes
This Cilantro Lime Rice is made with a little butter, rice, limes, and cilantro. It's the perfect Mexican side dish and a staple in our Cafe Rio meals.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 ¼ cup uncooked white rice
  • juice and zest 1 large or 2 small limes
  • 2 ¼ cups chicken broth
  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin

Instructions
 

  • In a skillet melt butter with rice. Add the chicken broth and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Notes

source: my mother-in-law Sheri Denney
Serving: 1g, Calories: 289kcal, Protein: 6.9g, Fat: 5.9g
Cuisine: Mexican
Course: Side Dish
Cilantro Lime Rice

 

author avatar
Christy Denney
Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!