Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice
on Mar 26, 2019, Updated Apr 23, 2024
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This Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice packs a ton of bright, hearty flavors into a simple-to-make dish. Whether you use this rice with tacos, burritos, bowls, or nachos, it is sure to be a big hit!
If you’ve never been to Cafe Rio, run, don’t walk, to your nearest location (unless that requires you getting on an airplane, in which case, take if from the rest of us, this Mexican joint is GOOD). My entire family enjoys their flavor-filled entrees and appetizers, and I always appreciate a place that’s easy to get in, order, eat, and get out of in a timely manner.
If you’re craving the tastes of our beloved Cafe Rio at home, this cilantro lime rice recipe will leave you satisfied. Pair it with my recipes for sweet pork barbacoa and black beans, inspired by the same restaurant’s dishes, for the full Cafe-Rio-at-home experience!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The rice is full of delicious flavor.
- It is quick and easy to make.
- You can use this versatile rice in a variety of dishes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Rice—Uncooked. Any kind of rice will work.
- Garlic Cloves—Freshly minced.
- Lime Juice—Adds a nice zesty flavor to the rice.
- Lime Zest—Helps amplify the flavor of the lime juice.
- Chicken Bouillon—Brings flavor to the rice while it cooks.
- Water
- Granulated Sugar—Gives the rice a hint of sweetness to balance the bouillon.
- Cilantro—Freshly chopped.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How To Make Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice
- Add the water, rice, garlic, lime zest, and chicken bouillon to a pot.
- Heat the mixture until the water begins to bowl and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover the pot with a lid.
- Cook the rice until it is soft and tender.
- Whisk together the sugar, lime juice, and cilantro. Stir the cilantro mixture into the rice.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
You can use any rice you like in this recipe! I prefer brown rice most of the time, but you can have fun experimenting with white, Jasmine, long-grain, or short-grain rices, or even quinoa! Just adjust the water to accommodate the grain that you are using. The lime and cilantro elements are the things that really pack in freshness and flavor, and the rice is more of the base to house it all. So feel free to get creative!
If you have a family member or friend who’s a cilantro naysayer, make a portion the exact same way as the rest of recipe, and withhold the cilantro. The lime, garlic, and salt will still add a ton of flavor to the rice, and if you want, you can use parsley or oregano for a different type of herbal component.
Instant Pots are awesome for prepping food fast, without sacrificing deliciousness! If you’re an Instant Pot aficionado, simply follow the first recipe instruction step, and then hit the “rice” setting on your Instant Pot before carrying on with the rest of the recipe. Again, be mindful the the grain to water ratio, depending on what you have decided to cook.
Expert Tips
- Feel free to use any kind of rice in this recipe, just make sure you adjust the amount of liquid you use to match the kind of rice you use.
- You can cut down on your cook time by using a pressure cooker or instant pot if you have one.
- We like to use freshly squeezed lime juice, but bottled lime juice can be used as well.
- This rice goes great with grilled chicken, barbacoa, etc.
More Rice Recipes to Consider
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons lime zest, I do at least 2 and sometimes a little more… I love zest
- 1 cube chicken bouillon, or Better than Bouillon
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Add the rice, water, garlic, lime zest, and bullion to a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat.
- When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook until the rice is cooked through and all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl combine the lime juice, sugar, and cilantro.
- When the rice is done, fluff it with a fork, and then pour the lime juice mixture over hot cooked rice.
- Stir to combine and serve hot.
Notes
- This is a great recipe to double or simply scale up as needed to feed a crowd.
- You can use brown rice in this recipe if you prefer. Just adjust the water/bullion as needed.
- You can use fresh or bottled lime juice in this recipe, but fresh limes will give you the most flavor.
- Feel free to use any kind of rice in this recipe.
The flavors in this rice are so bright! It turned out great!!
Do you add an extra 1/2 cup of water per extra cup of brown rice? So if you double the recipe you would add an extra cup of water?
Yes! Thanks for asking.
This rice is wonderful!! I didn’t add the bouillon cube,we are watching sodium, and I squeezed the juice of the entire lime. Very flavorful.
So glad you liked it Debra! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Love that it is made in a rice cooker!!
Amen to not having the ” stovetop rice cooking” gift! I’m the. Worst. Rice cooker ever ( always crunchy, adding water, still crunchy,add more water, etc….) and I never remember to buy a rice cooker. 🙁 so we never eat rice….. I’m glad to know an amazing cook like you has my same issue 🙂
I don’t know what this Cafe Rio place is, but every recipe you have posted of theirs makes my mouth water! I love cilantro lime rice, but mine never turns out quite right. I have never tried making it with the added bullion and sugar though, I’ll have to give it a try!
That sounds so awesome! Looks good, too!!
It’s Me Again, Pamela