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overhead image of brown rice with chopped cilantro and lime wedges in a shallow bowl

Easy Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

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4.15 from 7 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield 3 cups (4 servings)
Category Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Author Lauren Grant

Description

A quick and versatile side dish for busy weeknights! Use as the base for Mexican rice bowls, with meatballs, or in burritos.

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry brown basmati rice
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced lime zest (1 lime)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ chopped fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup sliced scallions, optional

Instructions

  • Bring two cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Rinse rice, then stir into boiling water. Bring water back up to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 30–40 minutes until water has been absorbed and rice is plump. 
  • Fluff rice with a fork then stir in olive oil, zest, salt and pepper; let cool slightly. 
  • Stir in cilantro and scallions, if using, season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Notes

Zesting citrus: when zesting citrus, it's important to only zest the colored part. Avoid zesting the pith, or the tender white layer underneath the zest. The pith is very bitter and will change the flavor of the dish. I recommend using a microplane to mince the zest.

Nutrition

Serving: 3/4 cupCalories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 3.5gFat: 3.5gSaturated Fat: 0.5gSodium: 293mgFiber: 2g
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