Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice recipe is ready in less than 20 minutes with no effort from you. The fresh cilantro and lime flavors make for a great side dish, ingredient for Mexican or bowl recipes. Conventional recipe included.
Much like last week’s Quick Pickled Red Onion recipe, today’s Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice recipe is an easy staple to have in your recipe repertoire.
I make a batch of this Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice recipe almost weekly. It’s perfect for use as:
- a side dish for Mexican-themed dinners
- ingredient for tacos or burritos
- a base for bowls
- to serve with Asian-inspired grilled foods
The possibilities are limitless and it’s fast and easy!
Don’t have an Instant Pot? Check ‘More Rice Recipes You’ll Love‘ at the end of the blog post for a conventional (non Instant Pot) Cilantro Lime Rice recipe!
The base recipe is a perfect way to cook white rice in the Instant PotInstant Pot. You can stop there and be good!
The Best Way to make Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
After loads of experimenting this recipe is my favorite for the end flavor.
I’ve tried adding the lime zest or juice to the liquid in cooking. Combining chicken stock with water.
I’ve played with the times and always come back to this method: cooking the white rice and stirring in the lime and cilantro after it’s cooked makes the best tasting Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice recipe.
It leaves the rice perfectly cooked and the flavors of the cilantro and lime fresh and true.
This Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice recipe is so easy it’s almost embarrassing to call it a ‘recipe’!
The long grain white rice is rinsed until the water runs clear (do not soak it) and combined in the Instant Pot insert with the water.
It cooks for 3 minutes on high pressure, has a slow release of 10 minutes and the final pressure is released.
The rice is fluffed with the tool that came with the instant pot. The zest of one lime and the cilantro are stirred in (can do it right in the Instant Pot).
If desired add lime juice for a tangier lime flavor and drizzle a bit of vegetable oil into the rice for a ricer flavor. That’s it!
Lime Zest vs. Lime Juice: Which Has the Best Lime Flavor
As much as I love the tangy flavor of lime juice in a fresh-style margarita or Instant Pot Lime Cheesecake, it’s the lime flavor from the zest I feel gives this rice a wonderful flavor.
The oils in the lime skin impart a fragrant flavor of lime that is more about the essence than the tang. Does that make sense?
It doesn’t fight with other flavors by being too tart but definitely brings forward the lime ingredient.
Having said all of that, adding the flavors at the end of the recipe leaves you in the flavor driver’s seat.
If you love that tangy lime flavor, stir in some freshly squeezed lime juice to make the taste what you love best (included in recipe).
The rice is light and fluffy but if you want a richer flavor, stirring in a few teaspoons of your favorite neutral flavored vegetable oil will provide that (also in the recipe as an option).
A Note About Cooking Rice in the Instant Pot
I love cooking rice in the Instant Pot for the end result, the time and not having to pay attention to it.
Different types of rice require different time to cook AND the ratio of rice to water is different!
Brown rice could not just be swapped into this recipe or even a Basmati white rice, without changing the time and/or ratio of water to rice.
What I love about long grain white rice or Jasmine rice is the ratio of water to rice is always 1 to 1.
So, no matter how much you are making it’s easy to know how much water to use.
Supplies Needed to make Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
- Strainer or fine mesh Colander for rinsing the rice
- 6 quart Instant Pot
- Zester NOTE: this is my all time favorite zester. It has a cover to shield the zesting surface when stored, a measuring cover on the back to measure the amount of zest if needed (or can be removed to zest directing into the rice as I did for this recipe), non-stick surface for easy zesting and it does not zest into the pith. It’s one of my all time favorite kitchen tools! I’ve given several as gifts too!
- Large Knife
- Cutting Board
- Rice Paddle (one comes with the Instant Pot but it’s perfect for fluffing rice; see photos)
Mind-Blowing Instant Pot Tips You Need to Know!
After developing Instant Pot recipes for the past few years, I’ve uncovered some unexpected, useful tips I think you’ll want to know!
Sign-Up below and I’ll tell you all my Instant Pot secrets!
More Rice Recipes You’ll Love:
- Cilantro-Lime Rice (conventional non Instant Pot recipe)
- Instant Pot Coconut Lime Jasmine Rice
- Spicy Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice
Try These Recipes Too!
- Baked Spaghetti Squash Caprese
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Easy Instant Pot Recipesfor Every Meal of the Day
- Chicken Enchilada recipe
- Vegetable Beef soup
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
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How to make Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice – Step by Step:
Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe
This easy rice recipe is fresh flavored with cilantro and lime zest added at the end of the recipe. For a tangier flavor, lime juice may also be added as well as a drizzle of vegetable oil for a richness of flavor. Perfect side dish or added to Mexican-themed dishes like tacos, burritos and more.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Long Grain White Rice rinsed until water runs clear
- 2 cups Water
- Zest of 1 Lime
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped Cilantro
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeeze Lime Juice optional
- 1-2 teaspoons Vegetable Oil optional
Instructions
Place the rinsed rice in the Instant Pot insert. Pour in the water.
Seal the lid, move the pressure vent to SEALING, set the Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE and using the ‘+/-‘ buttons set 3 minutes cooking time.
When the cooking time is complete, allow a SLOW REALEASE for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes release the remaining pressure. Fluff the rice with the plastic rice paddle that came with the Instant Pot (or a spatula).
Stir in the lime zest and chopped cilantro. Taste; add lime juice and/or oil as desired. Serve immediately.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
NOTE: The time for the Instnat Pot to come to temperature is not included in the cooking time.
Kellie says
Can this recipe be tripled? If so, is the cooking time longer?
Thank you
Toni Dash says
Hi Kellie. I’ve only made the recipe as written. Rice can be tricky in the Instant Pot so I couldn’t provide guidance on your question from experience.
Colleen says
I’m making this for our holiday dinner today. Looks like it would go really well with my kabobs and corn on the cob that will be having with dinner. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Bryan says
I’m located in Denver and typically adjust my Instant Pot recipes for altitude. Is the cook time above what you used in Boulder? Thanks!
Toni Dash says
It is! The only recipe I’ve actually found I need to adjust is hard boiled eggs. This recipe works great at any altitude with the proper time adjustment: https://boulderlocavore.com/how-to-make-perfect-instant-pot-hard-boiled-eggs/
Hadia says
I have never made rice with an instant pot, but this should change. I guess the cilantro add such a pleasant dimemnsion to the rice!
susan | the wimpy vegetarian says
I would love to make this one in my Instant Pot. I love this kind of rice, and have had great success with making other rice in my IP.