5-Minute Cilantro-Lime Rice

This cilantro-lime rice is so quick and easy. You only need a few ingredients to make it and it cooks in the microwave in just a few minutes. It’s one of my favorite fast side dish recipes.

photo of a bowl of cilantro-lime rice

A few posts ago I mentioned I could live on Mexican food or, I should say, Mexican-inspired dishes because I’m pretty sure my burrito bowls aren’t “authentic”. Delicious? Yes. A cultural phenom dating back centuries? Um, no.

When you’re hungry and have everything you need for a rice bowl, waiting for 30 minutes (or longer) for the rice to cook is such a drag. When you’re really, really hungry you might end up just ordering pizza, something I’ve done many times.

So, when you make as many burrito/fajita/taco bowls as I do you start looking for shortcuts and this cilantro-lime rice is a shortcut I’ve been taking for a long time.

I didn’t think to share it until now mostly because it’s so simple it’s barely a recipe. But, when I mentioned it to a friend she felt strongly that I should share this hack. So, here we are.

How to Make Cilantro-Lime Rice in the Microwave

It starts with frozen brown rice. There are different brands and I tend to buy Birds Eye because I see it everywhere and each bag has two servings.

photo collage showing before and after the rice is cooked

Place it in a microwave-safe bowl along with chopped cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, and kosher salt. Give it a stir and cover it with plastic wrap.

Pop it in the microwave for about two and half to three minutes. When it’s done keep it covered for a minute or so and then uncover it and give it another stir.

That’s it. That’s the whole thing. It’s the easiest side dish ever – you can serve this cilantro-lime rice with all kinds of main dishes, but I use it mostly for my burrito bowl obsession. It’s just too easy.

Happy Microwaving,

overhead photo of a bowl of rice

More Recipes to Try

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5-Minute Cilantro-Lime Rice

photo of a bowl of rice

This cilantro-lime rice is so quick and easy. You only need a few ingredients to make it and it cooks in the microwave in just a few minutes. It’s one of my favorite fast side dish recipes and is great for burrito and taco bowls.

  • Author: April Anderson
  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Microwave
  • Cuisine: Mexican-American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen brown rice (see note)
  • Juice and zest of 1 lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

Instructions

  1. Place the frozen rice, lime juice, zest, cilantro and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
  2. Cook the rice in the microwave for two and a half to three minutes. Keep the bowl covered and let it stand for a minute. Uncover, stir and serve.

Notes

The cooking time may vary depending on your microwave.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
  • Calories: 254
  • Sugar: 0.4g
  • Sodium: 301.5mg
  • Fat: 1.5g
  • Saturated Fat: 0g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 55.4g
  • Fiber: 2.1g
  • Protein: 0.1g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: easy cilantro lime rice, microwave cilantro-lime rice

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