if you like the brown rice at Chipotle, you’ll love this Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Brown Rice recipe! This popular copycat recipe is easy to make at home and makes a flavorful rice that’s a great side dish for any meal.
If you’ve ever had brown rice at Chipotle, then this brown rice recipe will be familiar!
I just love the cilantro lime flavor combination. The fresh cilantro and fresh lime brightens up the earthiness of the brown rice, making it the perfect side dish for so many meals.
And, I love using the electric pressure cooker – i.e. the Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi – for cooking rice. It’s such a great time saver, and I find the best results with this cooking method. I often use it for Instant Pot Basmati Rice recipe and our Instant Pot Garlic Rice recipe.
Now I’m excited to share this new Instant Pot rice recipe with you. Hope you love the big bold flavors of this Instant Pot cilantro lime rice recipe!
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🌟 Why this recipe works
Instant Pot cilantro lime brown rice is a vibrant and aromatic dish that tantalizes the senses with its enticing flavors and fragrant aromas.
Each forkful of this wholesome grain offers a delightful fusion of earthy nuttiness from the brown rice, the zesty brightness of fresh lime juice, and the herbaceous charm of cilantro leaves.
You’ll love this Instant Pot recipe!
- Easy – This is a truly easy rice recipe that anyone can make at home. No rice cooker needed! And, I think the rice turns out fluffier in an Instant Pot than any other cooking method.
- Simple – You just need a few simple ingredients that are easy to find in any grocery store.
- Hands off cooking – Thanks to the electric pressure cooker, most of the active cooking time is hands-off cooking done by the Instant Pot! So you can make the main course while this delicious side dish is cooking.
- Delicious – Forget boring and bland rice. This is an Instant Pot recipe that gives you big bold flavors.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Rice – This recipe is written for cooking brown rice in the Instant Pot. You can use the same recipe to make white rice, but for that type of rice, you’ll need to adjust the cooking times. White rice usually only needs about 4 minutes of pressure cooking time; brown rice needs about 22 minutes of pressure cook time.
- Broth or stock – To keep this recipe vegetarian and vegan, we use vegetable broth. You can use chicken stock or chicken broth if you don’t need it to be vegetarian or vegan.
- Lime – You’ll need both fresh lime juice and lime zest, which results in big amazing lime flavor throughout the cilantro-lime rice.
- Cilantro – Chop fresh cilantro leaves to add the fresh flavor of bright herbs in every bite.
- Salt – A little bit of kosher salt balances out the flavors.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
The full list of ingredients and detailed instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a visual step-by-step guide with photos of the process to help you make this simple recipe.
- Rinse the rice.
- Add the rice and vegetable broth or vegetable stock and the salt to the instant pot. Secure the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 22 minutes. At the end of 22 minutes, allow for natural release for 10 minutes.
3. Once the unit has done natural release for 10 minutes, carefully use a wooden spoon to move the pressure release valve over to the VENTING position for a Quick Release.
Once the pressure release pin has gone all the way down, carefully open the lid and add the lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro to the rice. Toss together and fluff up the rice with a wooden spoon and transfer the rice to a serving bowl.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Yes, but if you use white rice, adjust the cooking time to around 4 minutes instead of 22 minutes for brown rice. You can use jasmine rice, basmati rice, or any other long grain white rice with this recipe and that adjusted pressure cook time.
According to Healthline, brown rice has more fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals than white rice. Brown rice is also high in magnesium and fiber, which helps control blood sugar levels.
Allow the rice to cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days.
Yes, brown rice is gluten-free.
Any brown rice will work, including brown jasmine rice, brown basmati rice, and short grain and long grain brown rice.
🍽 Serving ideas
This cilantro lime rice is a great base for a delicious, easy dinner.
Top it with our Ground Turkey Teriyaki for a tasty rice bowl. Or use it in Salmon Teriyaki Bowls or Chicken Teriyaki Donburi (Chicken rice bowls). You can also use this rice in our Chorizo Breakfast Bowls and Instant Pot Vegetarian Burrito Bowls.
It’s an easy side dish that you can make to serve with Air Fryer Salmon Bites, Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks, or Instant Pot Fiesta Chicken.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you’ll need:
- Electric pressure cooker – I make this recipe in my Instant Pot or in my Ninja Foodi Deluxe XL Pressure Cooker.
- Wooden Spoon – Use a wooden spoon to fluff up the rice after adding the cilantro and lime.
More rice recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice
- 2½ cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 Tablespoons lime juce
- 1 Tablespoon lime zest
Instructions
- Rinse the brown rice over a strainer in a sink until the water runs clear, about 2 minutes.
- Place the rice into the Instant Pot.
- Pour in the broth/stock and olive oil, then sprinkle in the salt.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid with the vent in SEALING mode.
- Select High Pressure, and 22 minutes. The unit will take 6-10 minutes to come to pressure, then it will start pressure cooking and counting down.
- After 22 minutes, allow for Natural Pressure for 10 minutes. This means: do not do anything for 10 minutes. During this time, pressure will release naturally from the unit.
- After 10 minutes of Natural Release, use a wooden spoon or other utensil to carefully move the venting knob over to the VENTING position to do a Quick Release.
- Once all pressure is released, the pressure release pin will fall down, letting you know it is now safe to open the pressure cooker. When the pin is down, carefully twist open the lid.
- Add the cilantro, lime juice, and lime zest and stir to combine with the rice.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
