Chipotle: Changing the Fast Food Landscape
You may love Chipotle and want that Chipotle Rice recipe, but did you know how it got started? Chipotle is what I like to call a “happy accident,” for if things didn’t fall out of place, we may never have had a boom so big in the fast food landscape that it would carve out its own little niche of fast-casual dining.
Chipotle was started by Steve Ells who had graduated from culinary school with sugar-plum dreams of opening his own fine dining establishment. Unfortunately, his lack of funds but those dreams on the backburner.
Instead, he opened up Chipotle in 1993 as a way to fund his fine dining ventures. Even Ells couldn’t see the success coming for him when literally everyone began going wild for Chipotle.
Why? Well, have you tasted it? Point made. 😋
Seriously though, the burritos were such a hit that within one month of opening that Chipotle, he was selling more than 1,000 burritos a day. Ells’ father helped invest a bit more into Chipotle, though when McDonald’s (yes, McDonald’s!) dropped a huge investment into the brand in 1998, there was no turning back from this success.
Chipotle was a hit because it was what we all needed. Something different. Something slightly exotic yet familiar. Take, for example, the Chipotle cilantro lime rice. Rice, a common staple, got a makeover with the addition of cilantro and lime, and we were all here for it.
Chipotle Secret Menu Items That Use Cilantro Lime Rice
Have you tried one of the secret menu items at Chipotle? I haven’t had the courage to ask, not because I fear being pelted with rice and beans, but because every time I’m in my local Chipotle, the employees are busy running up and down the line. It feels cruel to ask them to play Frankenstein with the menu.
One of the secret items a lot of people talk about is the quesarito. It’s a regular burrito that you wrap in a quesadilla. Legend has it that you can order your burrito the way you like it with your proteins, cilantro lime rice, and toppings, and a quesadilla and then open up the quesadilla to wrap around the burrito.
The Burritodilla is another secret menu option. It’s made by getting a quesadilla that is stuffed with about half of the toppings you’d get in a burrito. If you don’t want to stress out an already overworked team of burrito-slingers at your nearest Chipotle, you can simply make these secret items at home using this copycat Chipotle cilantro lime rice recipe.
RELATED: Top 15 Chipotle Secret Menu Hacks
Chipotle Rice Recipe: Choose Your Cooking Method
In my recipe below, you’ll see it’s very simple to make Chipotle cilantro lime rice in your own kitchen. You can use this rice as a more fun side for your dinners, especially if you’re doing an evening of Mexican cuisine. You can also use this copycat recipe to make your own burritos and rice bowls, or attempt to recreate those secret menu items.
It’s your choice, as is the cooking method. If you have a rice cooker, it is probably the best way to go about making copycat Chipotle cilantro lime rice. It’s foolproof, and if you’re busy making other stuff, it’s nice to turn to this appliance and let it do all the work for you.
If you don’t have a rice cooker though, you’ll have to make rice the old-fashioned way on the stovetop. I’ve got some tips below on how to do this just right, which I call the pasta method. Anyone that can cook pasta can cook rice this way, so scroll down and get started on your cilantro lime rice copycat recipe for dinner tonight!
Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Rice Cooker Use this for best results
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice unrinsed extra rinsed, use short grain if you love Japanese style rice although its not a copycat then.
- 1 bay leaf this is a must
- Mortons salt add to taste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or rice bran oil optional
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice from 1-2 limes
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1-2 lemons
- 2 cups Japanese short grain rice replace the basmati for this rice and you'll thank me later
Instructions
Rice Cooker Method:
- Honestly, the rice cooker method is such a game changer for me! It's super easy because all you need to do is press a button and it does everything for you. The rice cooker comes with a special cup for measuring rice that's a bit smaller than the cups we usually use. Just figure out how much rice you want, measure it, and then add water to the rice cooker until it reaches the line that matches the amount of rice you're using.
- First, rinse the rice, then add it to the rice cooker with water (just follow what the instructions say for how much to add), a bay leaf, some salt (I think a teaspoon is good), and a little oil if you like. Then, close the rice cooker, plug it in, and turn it on.2 cups basmati rice unrinsed, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon olive oil or rice bran oil, 2 cups Japanese short grain rice, Mortons salt
- Cook the rice like the instructions on the rice cooker say (it's really easy).
- Once the rice is done, take out the bay leaf. Mix in some cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. If you think it needs more salt, you can add a little more (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon). You can eat it while it's hot or let it cool to room temperature and eat it then.2 tablespoons fresh cilantro minced, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice from 1-2 limes, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1-2 lemons
Pasta Style Method:
- I've made Basmati rice the old-fashioned way before, where you measure out how much rice and water you need, boil it, cover it, and let it cook until the water's all gone. But then I found out about this different way to cook Basmati rice, and it's been a game-changer for me.
- If you've ever thought making rice was too hard, there's this easy method you should try. It's called the pasta method. Basically, if you know how to boil pasta, you can cook rice perfectly this way.
- To start, boil 8 cups of water in a big pot. Add your rice, a bay leaf, some oil if you like, and salt (I use 2 teaspoons). Mix it up and let it come back to a boil.
- Let it boil without a lid for about 10 to 12 minutes. I always wait 12 minutes, but some people have said their rice got too mushy after 12 minutes. So, just keep an eye on it.
- After boiling, take out the bay leaf and drain the rice in a strainer. Then rinse the rice with hot water.
- Next, add cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice to the rice. Add more salt if you think it needs it (I add about ¼ teaspoon more). You can eat it warm or let it cool to room temperature.
- Don't worry if you don't have Basmati rice. You can use any long-grain rice and still make a tasty Cilantro Lime Rice. Just make sure to rinse it first to get rid of extra starch.
- To rinse the rice, put it in a strainer under cold water and rinse until the water looks clear. Let it drain well before you cook it. Another way is to soak the rice in water for up to 30 minutes to remove starch and save water.
- For this part, boil 4 cups of water in a large pot. Add the rice, a bay leaf, some oil if you like, and salt (again, I use 2 teaspoons). Stir everything and let it boil again.
- Then, turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and let it cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and mix in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Add a little more salt if you'd like (I add about ¼ teaspoon). You can serve it hot or wait until it cools to room temperature.
Stove Top Method:
- First, boil 8 cups of water in a big pot. Add your rice, a bay leaf, some oil if you like, and salt (I use 2 teaspoons). Mix it all up and let it come back to a boil. Then, let it boil without a lid for about 10 to 12 minutes. I usually wait 12 minutes, but some people say their rice gets too soft if they wait that long. So, just watch your rice.
- Next, take out the bay leaf. Use a strainer to drain the rice and then rinse it with hot water. Put the rice into a big bowl after that.
- Now, mix in some cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice into the rice. Add a little more salt if you think it needs it (I add about ¼ teaspoon more). You can eat it while it's still hot, or let it cool to room temperature and eat it then.
- To cook another way, boil 4 cups of water in a large pot. Then add rice, a bay leaf, some oil if you're using it, and salt (again, I like 2 teaspoons). Stir everything and bring it to a boil again. This time, lower the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pot, and let it cook for 15 minutes.
- After that, remove the bay leaf. Mix in cilantro, lime juice, and lemon juice. Add a bit more salt to taste (I add an extra ¼ teaspoon). You can serve this rice hot or wait until it's cool to room temperature.
