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Make this Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice for a fast side dish that the whole family will love! Made in a flash in a pressure cooker, this Chipotle copycat rice recipe is great for meal prep and pairs well with so many dishes.
Bright and flavorful, this copycat Chipotle rice will be added to your “must-keep” collection of recipes.
It’s easy to personalize to your family’s tastes and it’s so good in tons of dishes.
If you are new to pressure cooking and the Instant Pot, check out this post on recipes for Instant Pot beginners.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Rice in the Instant Pot?
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
Start by rinsing the rice under cool running water in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear. When you rinse your rice, you remove excess starch which can cause your rice to be sticky. If you prefer a sticky texture, skip the rinsing step.
In your instant pot, add: rice, water (or broth), salt, olive oil, lime zest, and minced garlic. Stir.
Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>5 minutes. It will take 5-8 minutes to get up to pressure.
When the rice has finished cooking, the Instant Pot will beep. Press the “keep warm/off” button to turn it to off.
Allow the Instant Pot to sit for 10 minutes and then flip the switch to “venting” to do a pressure release and remove any remaining pressure.
Carefully open the lid, add the fresh cilantro, and fluff the rice with a fork or rice scoop. Do a quick taste test and if desired, add fresh lime juice or more lime zest to taste.
How to store and reheat
Storing Leftovers: Allow the rice to cool and store covered leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Reheating Leftovers: To reheat, cover, and microwave individual servings for 35-60 seconds.
Freezing Leftovers: Rice freezes very well. Allow it to fully cool and then transfer to freezer-safe storage.
I love freezing leftover rice in these reusable silicone bags because you can actually microwave the frozen rice directly in the bag!
frequently asked questions
Depending on the texture you prefer your rice, 4-6 minutes works best.
If you like firmer, al dente rice, 4 minutes is perfect. If you want something a little softer, then 6 minutes is your best bet. I find 5 minutes makes the perfect texture every single time.
No matter how long you cook it, and how much rice you make, keep a 1:1 ratio of rice to liquid. For every 1 cup of rice you use, you’ll need 1 cup of broth or water.
Absolutely, but the cooking time and quantity of liquid will increase.
You’ll need to add an extra 1/8 cup of water/broth and cook for 17 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
Yes! If you double the recipe, all the ingredients will double, but the cooking time will remain the same. It will take longer to come to pressure and depressurize compared to the base recipe.
You can likely triple the recipe if you have an 8-quart Instant Pot. Just remember to not go above the max fill line.
Yes! You’ll want to follow the manufacturer’s directions for cooking time.
It is recommended to increase the cooking time by 5% for every 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet.
Since this recipe just needs 4-6 minutes of active cooking time, start by increasing the cooking time by 1 minute and then test to see if the rice is cooked to your liking.
You’ll also want to increase the liquid by 1-2 tbsp and make sure you perform the full 10-minute natural release before doing a quick release.
Yes! The cooking time will remain the same. Both jasmine and basmati rice are long-grain rice and will act similarly in this recipe.
While jasmine rice plumps up while cooked, basmati does not. From a taste perspective, both will work great in this copycat Chipotle rice recipe.
what to serve with cilantro rice
This Instant Pot cilantro lime rice is perfect with dishes like Air Fryer Fish Tacos, Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos, Air Fryer Mahi Mahi, Instant Pot Teriyaki Beef, Air Fryer Tofu, Sheet Pan Pork Fajitas, Pressure Cooker Chicken Tacos, or Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas.
Or use it as the base for making your favorite burrito bowl in a homemade Baked Tortilla Bowl topped with Mango Pico de Gallo.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- You can easily adjust the flavor to your preference. Love lime and cilantro? Feel free to add more to taste.
- Cooking time will remain the same no matter how much rice you make.
- Make sure to turn the Instant Pot off once it has finished cooking. This will prevent the rice from scorching while you wait for the pot to depressurize.
MORE GREAT INSTANT POT Rice RECIPES
- Check out all my Instant Pot Side Dish recipes
- Perfect Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
- Instant Pot Sushi Rice
- Garlic Butter Rice
- Instant Pot Basmati Rice
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice
- Instant Pot Brown Jasmine Rice
- Instant Pot Coconut Rice
Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups jasmine rice {uncooked}
- 2 cups water {or vegetable or chicken broth}
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lime zest {~1 small lime}
- 2 cloves garlic {finely minced}
- 1/3 cup cilantro {roughly chopped}
Instructions
- Rinse uncooked rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cool water until the water runs clear.2 cups jasmine rice
- In the insert of the Instant Pot, add rice, water (or broth), salt, olive oil, lime zest, and minced garlic. Stir.2 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lime zest, 2 cloves garlic
- Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”.
- Press Manual>High Pressure>5 minutes. It will take ~5-8 minutes to get up to pressure.
- When the rice has finished cooking, the Instant Pot will beep. Press the "keep warm/off" button to turn it to off.
- Allow it to sit for 10 minutes and then flip the switch to "venting" to remove any remaining pressure.
- Carefully open the lid, add the cilantro, and fluff the rice with a fork or rice scoop.1/3 cup cilantro
- If desired, add lime juice or more lime zest to taste.
Notes
- If you like firmer, al dente rice, 4 minutes is perfect. If you want something a little softer, then 6 minutes is your best bet.
- For Instant Pot Jasmine brown rice, you’ll need to add an extra 1/8 cup of water/broth and cook for 17 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
- You can easily adjust the flavor to your preference. Love lime and cilantro? Feel free to add more to taste.
- Cooking time will remain the same no matter how much rice you make.
- Make sure to turn the Instant Pot off once it has finished cooking. This will prevent the rice from scorching while you wait for the pot to depressurize.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We love this recipe, makes taco night even easier and so much tastier and my 2 year old will eat it even with green stuff in it, there is no higher compliment in this house!
Nothing makes me happier than when littles eat food with green stuff in it! I’m thrilled you all enjoy this one.
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