Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice is a quick and easy recipe that can be ready in about 20 minutes. Fresh lime and fresh cilantro bring bold flavors to tender cooked white rice. This flavorful rice makes for a great side dish recipe for your favorite Mexican, Tex-Mex, or even Asian-inspired meals. Cilantro lime rice is perfect for taco nights because it pairs well with tacos, and enchiladas, or use as a base for your favorite burrito bowls.

If you love Chipotle's cilantro lime rice then you are sure to love this Instant Pot cilantro lime rice recipe. This easy recipe is made with a few simple ingredients. White rice is cooked in the pressure cooker with water until fork tender and fluffy. Then toasted together with fresh lime juice and fresh chopped cilantro for bold flavors.

In this article, we will share how easy it is to make rice in the Instant Pot. We will also explain why in our option the Instant Pot is the best way to cook rice. As well as what to serve this cilantro rice with and any variations there may be for this recipe.

This easy to make rice recipe is a great beginner recipe for those that may be new to the Instant Pot. We have a great article for Instant Pot Terms you may also find useful.

How To Make

I find that the Instant Pot makes perfect rice for me every time. The rice comes out fork tender in 12 minutes on low pressure. Depending on what I'm planning to use the rice for I have a trick that helps the rice from sticking together.

That would be olive oil mixed together with the water and rice. A bit of salt cooked along with the rice will enhance the flavor of the rice.

Into the inner pot of the Instant Pot add the water, rice, salt, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Stir these ingredients together, making sure the rice is all covered by the water. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and press the rice button.

If your IP doesn't have a rice button no problem. Just press the pressure cook button, making sure it is set to low pressure. Then adjust your cooking time to 12 minutes.

Once the cooking time is done do a quick release to release the steam and remaining pressure from the Instant Pot. Remove the lid from the pressure cooker, and stir to create a fluffy rice.

Add the freshly squeezed juice of one whole lime to the rice. Along with the fresh chopped cilantro and the remaining olive oil. This time the olive oil will help to keep the rice fluffy as well as from sticking together. Mix all the ingredients together and serve with your favorite tacos or homemade burrito bowl.

Why The Instant Pot Is Best To Cook Rice In

Cooking rice in the Instant Pot not only cooks it fast but also requires less water to be used when cooking the rice. Once I discovered how easy making rice in the Instant Pot was I haven't made it any other way.

Since I didn't have a rice cooker I always made rice on the stove. I love how easy the Instant Pot has made making rice. Twelve minutes to get fully cooked rice and I don't have to watch a pot so it doesn't boil over.

This cilantro lime rice can easily be made with minute rice or rice cooked on the stovetop. All you have to do is prepare the white rice or jasmine rice the way you normally do. Once the rice is fully cooked mix in the cilantro and lime juice.

Did I mention there is no need to rinse the rice? I have made this recipe by making sure to rinse the rice before cooking as well as not rinsing the rice. I didn't find a difference either way.

Tips

The key to getting the rice so it doesn't stick together is mixing olive oil into the water and rice. Then add a bit more when the rice is finished cooking along with the lime juice and cilantro.

Instant Pot cilantro lime rice is a perfect side dish to most Mexican-inspired recipes. We love to have this easy rice recipe with tacos or fajitas. My friend Bity at Eighty Recipes has a great Ground Turkey Recipe that would be perfect to serve over this rice.

It would also be a great base for any rice bowl recipe or as a great side to pair with enchiladas. Stir in some black or pinto beans along with fresh pico de gallo for a meatless dinner idea.

I did make this in my 6-quart Instant Pot but any size Instant Pot will work.

Variations

Any type of rice would work for this simple recipe. Try using brown rice, or use our favorite royal blend rice, long-grain rice, or basmati rice would work great for this recipe. You could also try replacing the rice with any type of grain. I haven't tried it yet. So I'm not sure of the results, but I bet quinoa would taste amazing with cilantro and lime.

As for the lime juice for this recipe, I do feel that freshly squeezed is best. The consecrate won't bring in a fresh lime flavor. So this will change the overall taste of the recipe. For a deeper lime flavor, you could add in lime zest. Once again fresh is better when it comes to the cilantro.

But in this case, dried will work just fine. Chicken broth or vegetable broth would be a good substitution for the water to bring in more flavor. Store any leftovers of this delicious cilantro lime rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

You can replace the olive oil with vegetable oil or canola oil if you would like. Take this popular copycat recipe to the next level by adding in some black beans.

We hope you enjoy this easy side dish recipe for this easy Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice as much as we do.

Here are some more easy Instant Pot recipe you may enjoy.