Tuck this Easy Cilantro Lime Brown Rice into burritos or serve it as a side dish. It’s a fantastic whole grain and gluten-ree recipe that you’ll make over and over again.
It’s not often that my kids get excited over side dishes. When it’s just plain rice and steamed broccoli, who can really blame them? But this…this rice! Now this is something to get excited over.
Even though I’m usually throwing rice and water in a saucepan at top speed, desperately hoping that it will be ready so we can eat before leaving for some activity or another, I’ve decided that I must regularly work five extra minutes into dinnertime prep to sauté some onion, garlic and spices to pep up the rice.
That deserves some kind of Mother of the Year award, doesn’t it?
This is the same rice that I served underneath the Spice Rubbed Lime Salmon Recipe that I told you about earlier this week. They were meant for each other!
I’m even okay with admitting that the other side dish was “the usual”…steamed broccoli. But my kids didn’t care because both the salmon and the rice were winners in every sense. The taste, the novelty and the taste again.
While this works beautifully with the spiced salmon, I guarantee that I will be tucking it into enchiladas and tacos, and serving it alongside southwestern roast chicken and spiced roasted cauliflower.
I made this recipe in a saucepan, but next time I’m going to sauté the onions, garlic and spices in a skillet, then transfer them to a rice cooker
with the brown rice and water. A perfect time-saver!
Find these ingredients on Amazon: Brown rice
and Ground cumin
If you want to use a rice cooker, this is my favorite one.
Other recipes with lime:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Grilled Chicken Tenders with Chipotle Lime Yogurt
Cookin’ Canuck’s Jicama & Carrot Slaw with Honey-Lime Dressing
Foodiecrush’s Mango Margarita with Chile Salt & Lime
The Food Charlatan’s Cilantro-Lime Cucumber Salad
Naturally Ella’s Grilled Cumin-Lime Zucchini Quesadilla
Easy Cilantro Lime Brown Rice Recipe
Calories 50.2/ Total Fat 1.1g / Saturated Fat 0.2g / Cholesterol 0mg / Sodium 2.4mg / Total Carbohydrates 9.0g / Fiber 1.0g / Sugars 0g / Protein 1.2g / WW (Old Points) 1 / WW (Points+) 1
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups water
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin and salt, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the brown rice and stir to combine with the onion mixture.
- Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until all of the water is absorbed, 45 to 55 minutes.
- Fluff the rice, mix in the lime juice and cilantro, and serve.
Recipe Notes
Disclosure: This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
My hubs and I were just saying its been too long since we ate rice. I have been cookin’ up a massive amount of quinoa lately. But with this recipe, I think it’s time to visit our dear, ricey friend! Love anything cilantro lime…pinned!
Feisty Eats says
Do you have measurements for the cilantro or lime?
Dara says
Sorry about that! The recipe has been fixed now to include the cilantro and lime. That would be important for “cilantro lime rice”, right? 🙂
Feisty+Eats says
Hey it happens. Thanks. This looks great. I love cilantro and your recipes!
Amanda says
Putting this in a burrito would be perfect. Gonna try this next burrito night! 🙂
Anna+@+Crunchy+Creamy+Sweet says
I can only imagine how delicious this rice is! Definitely need to try it! Pinned!
Millie l Add A Little says
This looks great and simple! I bet it goes well with so much!
Gwen+@SimplyHealthyFamily says
It’s been far too long since I’ve made a good side of rice. This is on my to do list next week, I think I’ll serve it with grilled fish! oxox
Tami says
Your recipe says to cook the garlic, salt & cumin for 30 mins.?!? Is that right? Do you mean 3 mins?
Dara says
Ack! I meant 30 seconds so that the spices and garlic don’t burn. Thanks for catching that. Clearly I was a little tired or distracted when typing out the recipe!
Denise @ Creative Kitchen says
Hi Dara! Love cilantro and lime so this rice sounds amazing! I’m finally back to blogging, and feels great after several months of quiet (or more!). So thrilled to be back! 😉
Ali+|+Gimme+Some+Oven says
This sounds amazing! Love that you used brown rice. 🙂
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
I love simple side dishes like this that completely elevate a regular old weeknight meal.
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
I love cilantro lime rice…mainly because I am addicted to cilantro and lime. They are staples in my house! I’ll have to try it with brown rice!
Jenny+@+The+Peachy+Pair says
Hubby loves rice and cilantro. Think this would be a hit!
Stephanie+@+Eat.+Drink.+Love. says
I always order the cilantro brown rice from Chipotle and need to try this at home! So refreshing and perfect for stuffing in a burrito or as a side!
Ram says
Lime rice is a favorite staple here in Southern India.
You might also like to try …
– Coconut Rice
– Tamarind Rice
– Tomato Rice
– Mint Rice
… there are many more.
For added crunch roast some peanuts lightly in a small amount of oil and add to the rice.
Eating this accompanied by wafers of your choice should take you pretty close to heaven.
You could top it off with rice mixed with Greek yogurt (or what we call curd here) seasoned with some spices and mixed with fruits like grape & pomegranate preferably eaten warn!