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Home » Instant Pot » Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice

published on April 5, 2020 | updated on July 6, 2021

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Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe

My favorite thing to order at Chipotle is their cilantro lime rice, so here’s my copycat version made in the Instant Pot. It’s full of flavor and really easy to make. And turns out light and fluffy every single time. Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free.

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice in a white bowl with a fork and a wedge of lime

If you’re a fan of cilantro-lime rice like me, then you’re going to LOVE this version. It’s made in the Instant Pot which means that you’ll get consistent results every time you make it.

I used a cheap rice cooker for years, but when I got my Instant Pot, that’s all I use to cook rice.

Adding cilantro, lime juice, and zest to the cooked rice makes it super flavorful and tasty. It will make the perfect side dish to your favorite Mexican inspired meal and a great base for bowl recipes, as well as an ingredient for burritos and tacos.

I love my Instant Pot so much that I use it to cook almost everything. From breakfast recipes, to lunches, dinners, and desserts. I even use it to make the best homemade yogurt.

To make this flavorful rice, I put rice into my Instant Pot for only 20 minutes altogether. This gives me some time to do other chores, to come back to this delicious bowl of rice.

Table of Contents hide
1 Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice Ingredients
2 How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice in the Instant Pot?
3 What to Serve This Rice With?
4 Storing Instructions
5 Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need the following simple ingredients:

Long grain rice (I used basmati rice but any long-grain rice works perfectly here), vegetable oil, salt, fresh cilantro leaves, bay leaves, and a couple of limes.

Cilantro Lime Rice ingredients

How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice in the Instant Pot?

Here’s how I made this delicious rice:

  • Start by rinsing the rice thoroughly in a colander until the water runs clear to remove any debris and surface starch from rice grains.
  • Add vegetable oil to the bottom of the pot, and spread it so it covers the pot very well.
  • Add the drained rice, salt, bay leaves, and water.
  • Stir everything together quickly, then cover the pot with the lid.
  • Press on MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK on high, and set at 4 minutes.
  • Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure and cook for 4 minutes, then naturally release the steam for 10 minutes. Carefully open the lid, and fluff the rice with a fork.
Steps showing how to make Cilantro Lime Rice in Instant Pot
  • Add chopped cilantro, lime juice, and lime zest to the cooked rice (while it is still in the instant pot).
  • Stir and fluff the rice again, and serve warm.
Fluffy Cilantro Lime Rice in an instant pot with a black serving spoon

What to Serve This Rice With?

This Cilantro Lime Rice is a great side dish to any Mexican meal, a great base to bowl recipes and an ingredient for burritos and tacos. This is why I always cook a batch of it in my Instant Pot. You can serve it with:

  • Quesadillas
  • Mexican Shredded Chicken
  • Tacos
  • Enchiladas
  • Creamy Salsa Chicken
  • Burrito Bowls
Cilantro Lime Rice served in a bowl with a wedge of lime

Storing Instructions

  • Fridge: You can store Cilantro Lime Rice in the fridge in a tightly-closed container for up to 5 days. 
  • Freezer: Avoid freezing Cilantro Lime Rice as cooked rice becomes hard when frozen and its texture becomes grainy. However, if you don’t mind the change in the texture, then you can freeze it after being completely cooled in a freezer-safe, airtight container. Therefore, in terms of food safety, it is totally fine to freeze rice up to 6 months. 
  • To reheat, defrost the rice in the fridge overnight before reheating. Then, add a bit of boiling water to the rice and stir for a few minutes until it warms up.

For more delicious and nourishing recipe ideas, click here. Also, make sure to check out my other Instant Pot recipes.

If you try this recipe, please don’t forget to rate it and share a picture on social media, tagging #NourishPlate in your posts. I would really love to see your creations. Bon appetit! 

Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice

Easy and flavorful Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice which turns out light and fluffy every single time.
5 from 43 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Western
Keyword: cilantro lime rice, instant pot rice
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 237kcal
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Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long-grain rice I used basmati
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cups water or enough water to cover the rice by ½ inch
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves lightly packed
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 lime zested

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice in a colander until the water runs clear.
  • Add vegetable oil to the bottom of the pot, and spread it so it covers the pot very well.
  • Add the rice, salt, bay leaves, followed by water. Add 3 cups of water (or enough water to cover the rice by ½ inch).
  • Stir everything together quickly, cover the pot with the lid.
  • Press on MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK on high, and set at 4 minutes.
  • Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure and cook for 4 minutes, then naturally release the steam for 10 minutes. Carefully open the lid, and fluff the rice with a fork.
  • Mix in chopped cilantro, lime juice, and lime zest. Mix well, and serve.

Notes

  • Rinse the rice thoroughly to remove any debris and surface starch from rice grains. 
  • Use cilantro leaves and tender stems
  • Rice to water ratio recommended for this recipe is 1 to 1.5. 

Nutrition

Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 392mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

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Filed Under: Instant Pot, Side Dish

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  1. Laura

    June 29, 2021 at 1:32 pm

    I don’t have an Instant pot, but have a rice cooker. Would you use the same ingredients & amounts in a rice cooker? TIA for any info.

    Reply
    • NourishPlate

      July 06, 2021 at 3:11 pm

      Hi Laura,

      I would just follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking basmati rice in the rice cooker.

      Reply
  2. Elle Tee

    June 24, 2021 at 8:04 pm

    You might want to correct the typo in the title of the recipe. Right now it reads “Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Juice”. “Juice” should be “rice”. The recipe looks yummy! I plan to make it tonight.

    Reply
    • NourishPlate

      July 06, 2021 at 3:19 pm

      Thank you so much for the heads up Elle! I just fixed it. I hope you enjoyed.

      Reply
  3. Natalie

    March 01, 2021 at 8:22 am

    Sorry, I see that you’ve answered a very similar question already. For some reason the other comments didn’t show up until after I’d posted mine!

    Reply
  4. Natalie

    March 01, 2021 at 8:20 am

    Can I ask why the oil is added? Genuinely curious as I too only now cook rice in the instant pot. I’ve cooked all sorts of variations in there but never with oil. The rice doesn’t ever seem to clump (as long as the timing is correct), so I’m just wondering what the oil adds? Love the idea of coriander and lime. Definitely trying it!

    Reply
    • Diana

      March 03, 2021 at 1:22 pm

      Hi Natalie, it’s to avoid clumping, gives a better taste, and makes sure that you don’t get a burn message. But you can definitely skip it if your rice always turns out fine.

      Reply
  5. Erin

    November 08, 2020 at 10:44 pm

    Curious about how much water to add if using 3qt instant pot. Any idea? I didn’t see what size you use (sorry if I missed,), but guessed 6qt. I have both sizes, but would like to use 3qt for rice. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Marianne

    August 09, 2020 at 1:44 pm

    How would you modify for brown rice?

    Reply
    • Diana

      August 09, 2020 at 10:23 pm

      Cook for 25 minutes with NPR, the water to rice ratio is 1:1. Enjoy!

      Reply
  7. Sue D

    August 02, 2020 at 2:59 pm

    Every time I make rice in the instant pot, it turns out sticky. I use Jasmine rice, rinse and rinse it well. 1:1 water/rice. I’ve tried NPR for the allotted time (with and without keep warm on), and QR. Same results every time, good but sticky. What am I doing wrong?

    Reply
    • Diana

      August 09, 2020 at 10:24 pm

      Hi Sue, Jasmine rice is meant to be sticky so if you want separated grains then go for basmati rice. Make sure that you wash it very well, and the keep warm setting should be off.

      Reply
  8. Jennifer

    July 08, 2020 at 7:25 pm

    Curious about use of vegetable oil, is it necessary? I’ve never cooked rice in oil unless I’m browning it first, does it make a difference to the end result?

    Reply
    • Diana

      July 09, 2020 at 9:36 pm

      It gives a better taste and to avoid getting a burn message if you have one of the new models of the Instant Pot. It’s not necessary though, you can try without it and see how it goes.

      Reply
  9. Stacey

    May 09, 2020 at 5:34 pm

    Hello! I was wondering if I could double this recipe in the instant pot? Would I need to adjust cook times?

    Reply
    • Diana

      May 09, 2020 at 10:27 pm

      Hello Stacey! Of course you can double it. But keep the cooking time the same. Enjoy!

      Reply
  10. Heather

    May 05, 2020 at 2:13 am

    5 stars
    This was so good. My husband and my 16 month old both loved it

    Reply
    • Diana

      May 05, 2020 at 6:11 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed that Heather! Thank you for that wonderful review!

      Reply
  11. Heather

    May 03, 2020 at 1:43 am

    5 stars
    Followed recipe exactly. Loved it! Thank you

    Reply
    • Diana

      May 03, 2020 at 10:30 pm

      Heather, I’m so happy to hear that the recipe was a hit! Thanks so much for letting me know.

      Reply
  12. Rebeca Toth

    April 22, 2020 at 1:23 am

    5 stars
    Love this recipe although I will leave out the lime zest next time as it was bitter but maybe just add a little!

    Reply
    • diana

      April 22, 2020 at 4:39 am

      I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it, Rebeca! Thank you for taking the time to leave this review!

      Reply

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