This Green Mexican Rice (arroz con verde) is absolutely so, so yummy. Think: lime, cilantro, spinach, and garlic all blended up in to a delicious paste, tossed with flavorful rice and served with your favorite Mexican foods. You. Will. Love. This. Pair it with no-packet ground beef for an easy burrito bowl, or serve it next to fish tacos!
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Hello to all of our Mexican food lovers, and especially to all of the WAYS Mexican food can be so delicious. Hearty? Fresh? Mild? Spicy? I love it ALL.
In the American South there appears to be an agreement that Children will Eat Mexican Food At Least a Little, and we have 100% found that to be true in our house. We eat Mexican-inspired dinners nearly weekly, usually in the form of burrito bowls: some protein, some rice, all the toppings.
Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe Notes
- I have been making this cilantro lime rice recipe for YEARS, truly: the original version of this was posted in 2011. TWENTY-ELEVEN. That's how wonderful it is.
- This is one of the most loved side dishes that I make with Mexican food - it's a surprising twist on standard red Mexican rice that goes with EVERYTHING, and the hidden spinach makes it healthy, too! We basically make a spinach paste with garlic and herbs and stir it into cooked rice - delicious and easy!
- Yes yes yes there is lime rice at Chipotle and other fast-casual places, but I never find that the lime flavor comes through. The green paste we make for this rice is FRESH (bridesmaids style), with tons of cilantro, fresh lime juice, and fresh jalapeno. It's zippy in the best possible way, and we all need more zip, right?
- The best part is that you can make this right in the rice cooker or instant pot OR however you like to make rice - we're looking for cooked plain white rice, then we stir in the green paste right at the end to keep the green things, frankly, green. Let's say FRESH again just for good measure.
- This recipe is gluten free and vegan as written with no adjustments.
Ingredients
- cooked white rice (1 cup dry, 3-ish cups total. Leftovers work great too!). I use jasmine rice for almost everything, but any long grain white rice or even basmati rice works great for this recipe.
- fresh spinach leaves
- fresh cilantro, leaves and stems (it gets pureed, don't waste the stems!).
- jalapeno, with the seeds taken out unless you want this spicy - I like the taste of the pepper but in a mild format for this dish.
- garlic
- scallion
- lime, juice and zest (so don't cut it until you've zested it).
- olive oil
- salt + water to flavor and thin out the green paste.
Step by Step Instructions
This is so, so simple, honestly gathering up the ingredients and washing the produce takes the longest.
While the rice is cooking, add all of the other ingredients to a food processor. Puree the whole mess until it's nice and smooth, and taste it - omg omg omg so bright and zingy.
Add a bit more salt if you'd like, and that's it! Stir the green paste (yep, all of it!) into hot cooked rice. This is where a rice cooker or Instant Pot is helpful because it can keep the rice hot for you on the counter for awhile.
Stir the green paste gently into the rice and taste it again for flavor: maybe another pinch of salt if you aren't sure. It should taste REALLY good.
Serving Suggestions
This rice is delicious as is, but you can feel free to add even more flavor and texture with chopped fresh cilantro, sliced fresh jalapeno, and extra lime wedges on the side.
Serve this with any dinner you like! I love Mexican dishes with this, but even grilled chicken and broccoli or asparagus are delicious with this rice since it has so much flavor.
Here are some other ideas to make it a meal:
- Crock pot shredded beef.
- Green chicken enchiladas.
- Mexican ground beef (without a taco packet!).
- Sour cream guacamole.
- Saucy salsa chicken.
Prep and Make-Ahead
- Prep: I like to make the paste in advance and keep it in the fridge, then stir it into the hot rice right before serving. It'll keep in the fridge for 3-4 days no problem. I also do this when preparing to cook tacos or similar on vacation - it's fancy with zero effort once you're on the road!
- If you don't want to get out the food processor in advance, you can wash/prep the produce as you're making the rest of your meal, since many Mexican dishes will also feature lime, garlic, cilantro and jalapeno.
- Make-Ahead: I have made this entirely in advance and just microwaved it right before serving. It's fine that way, but honestly better fresh because the green paste doesn't get cooked in the reheating process.
Reheating and Leftover Storage
LOVE this as leftovers with extra ground beef or shredded chicken and any toppings you have leftover from a fiesta situation. I microwave it with a paper towel on top to keep it from drying out.
I hope you love this! Mexican red rice is classic and comforting and delicious, but green cilantro lime rice is the BEST and such a fun way to mix up your taco nights. Make it soon!
Recipe
Cilantro and Lime Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice, cooked to package directions (3 cups total cooked white rice)
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- ½ cup fresh cilantro (stems and leaves, use it all!)
- ½ jalapeno stems, seeds, and ribs removed stems, seeds, and ribs removed
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 1 scallion cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 whole lime zest and juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Cook the rice to the package instructions using a rice cooker, instant pot, or stovetop method.
- Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine the rest of the ingredients until smooth, scraping down the sides a few times if needed.
- Taste the cilantro mixture and add more salt if needed, it should be very flavorful to the point of being too salty - this is because we're adding it to plain white rice, so we need the seasoning.
- To the hot cooked rice, gently stir in all of the cilantro mixture. Taste once more for seasoning. Serve with your favorite Mexican meal!
Notes
- Make Ahead: The green paste is easy to make in advance; just keep it in the fridge in a storage container for 3-4 days until ready to use, then stir it into freshly cooked rice.
- Leftovers: Leftovers are yummy in the fridge for several days, just microwave them covered in a damp paper towel to reheat.
- This recipe is vegan and gluten free as written.
This is one of my absolute favorite longtime recipes - I first posted it here served in Jay's beloved Nanny's kitchen in November of 2011. Incidentally, 7 years to the day before Will was born, and rice is truly his favorite food. So, you never know.
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