Looking to jazz up taco night with a delightful, simple side dish? Look no further than this easy recipe for cilantro lime rice!
As a kid, I didn’t grow up with rice as a side dish. It was almost always some sort of potato side. We had rice, of course, with any Asian dish like stir-fry. Josh’s family however, ate more rice than potatoes. Josh’s mom grew up in West Africa as a teenager, and rice was just more readily available than potatoes, so for her, rice is just a super normal side dish to always have on hand.
Naturally, when two people from two different families get married, they merge family traditions, so in our case we eat a pretty balanced variety of potatoes and rice as side dishes for dinner. Side dishes for us usually include a veggie or salad of some kind. Maybe cornbread or biscuits, maybe something with quinoa or a potato or rice variety.
I do have a Cilantro Lime Quinoa on the blog and it is great! We love it. It doesn’t take long to prepare, but the reason I want to share this rice version is because it is a slightly different recipe and it pairs with Mexican food a bit different (better?) than the quinoa. I like the quinoa for recipes featuring a main protein like chicken or beef. But I like the rice for something more like tacos or enchiladas (or fajitas even!). Just different sides for different main dishes.
This cilantro lime rice would even go really well with my Korean beef tacos and of course, rice is an excellent side dish to bring to someone when delivering a meal. Very easy to warm up and it does help stretch a meal, too, because the ingredients are minimal and inexpensive, which is always nice!
If you’re looking for that perfect “easy” side to jazz up your next Taco Tuesday, or any night you’re wanting your rice to be a little bit “extra”, look no further!
Cilantro Lime Rice
Looking to jazz up taco night with a delightful, simple side dish? Look no further than this easy recipe for cilantro lime rice!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water long grain rice, rinsed
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 TB extra virgin Olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp lime zest
- 1 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 3 TB freshly squeezed lime juice
Instructions
- Combine water, garlic, and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in rice, lime zest, and 1 tbsp oil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork. Transfer rice to a serving bowl and drizzle with lime juice, remaining tbsp of oil, and toss with chopped cilantro. Season to taste.
Notes
Feel free to substitute different kinds of rice, like Jasmine or brown rice. Adjust cooking time for different varieties of rice.
If you want to add even more flavor, use broth instead of water.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 78Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 217mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.