Last week after I posted my guacamole recipe, I told you there was more Mexican food to come during the week. Well, I got caught up in other things and didn’t get around to posting Mexicana recipe numero dos until this morning (obviously).
There are many things we love around here in this household, but Mexican food always comes out on top every time. Neither one of us ever gets sick of tacos, enchiladas, or fajita vegetables. I never get sick of refried beans. The Husband can live without.
Our favorite place to get quick Mexican cuisine, however, is Chipotle. Can I get an ‘amen’ out there? Many Sundays after church, if we have to go to Costco, I always decide we “have to” go to Trader Joe’s — but only because we pass a Chipotle on the way back home. That means once our shopping is done, it’s Chipotle time for lunch! We eat ourselves into a stupor before heading home and taking a Sunday nap at some point during the day. It’s quite the way to spend a Sunday, I’ll tell you that much.
Sometimes though, it’s fun to try to make dishes that taste like your favorite meal you get at a restaurant. I typically make Spanish rice with tomatoes and spices such as chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. But I loooove the rice at Chipotle more than… a lot of things. (note: I did not want to say Starbuck’s, chocolate, or hummus so I decided to be vague about it) I especially love the fact that they now carry brown rice.
If in fact you live in a place where you are not near a Chipotle (heartbreaking!!!), you could just make this rice instead. It tastes just like the real deal!
Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice
- 1 cup short grain brown rice, dry
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- juice of 1 lime
Instructions:
- Cook your rice according to your package directions. (brown rice typically takes about 45 minutes to cook)
- Once the rice is done, remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Add in the 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup of cilantro, and juice of 1 lime.
- Enjoy!
What I did with this recipe was try to make my favorite bowl from Chipotle.
I ate it twice in 18 hours. That’s not weird at all or anything.
Question: Have you ever tried to recreate one of your favorite dishes from a restaurant?
{ 68 comments… read them below or add one }
I love using restaurant meals as inspiration! After tasting a delicious mac & cheese with truffles in a new restaurant here, I had no choice but to find a way to satisfy my craving for more truffles…enter truffle risotto
!
mac and cheese truffles? Yum!
I’ll definitely have to try this; I love anything & everything from Chipotle!
Twice in 18 hours? Nah, not weird at all!!
Glad you approve!
Chipotle for the win…always! Mexican food in general is always welcome in my life. Refried beans? I eat them by the spoonful. Weird? Not for me!
Me either! I can put a whole can back in one sitting. My poor husband!
Yum! I always like to try out new rice dishes
I never get tired of Mexican but I think my husband does - too bad for him!
Hate me if you will but I’m not huge on Chipotle or rice.
Off I go to cower in the corner and hope you will still have me in October.
Whaaaaat! You’re going to have to provide your own food.
JK!
Hello, I’m that girl that lives in the middle of nowhere…. whose brother in law is in LOVE with Chipotle (but only gets to it about once a year) so I’ll have to whip him up a batch. I’m sure he’ll thank you. He’s nice like that
…..Mmmmmm, Mexican food! My cravings for salsa on EVERYTHING are unreal!
I knew you would be one of those girls. I’m so sorry.
your dish looks just like a chipotle rice bowl!!! I’ve tried to re-create a chipotle salad and felt like it was pretty close!
I’ve seen those salads of yours - they look delicious!
Yum!!!! I love their rice (And everything else chipotle related) so much. I didn’t know they had brown rice now. Looks like a good excuse to “have” to go there.
Yeah, I think most locations have had the brown rice for about 6 months of so!
No chipotle near me!
But luckily I have this recipe I can try out! Thanks Chels!
That’s quite heartbreaking!!!
Yummm - sounds like a perfect Sunday, and looks like a perfect rice recipe!!
I am too amateur of a cook to make my own recipes! I adapt from written recipes, but I can not taste something and then recreate it. one day! This looks fabulous and super easy. My two favorite things!
i could’ve written this post myself… from the fact that mexican never grows old to loving refried beans to making any excuse to go to chipotle. yep, that’s totally us too. i need to make sure i tell my husband we’re NOT so alike and that you and your husband DON’T love as chipotle as much as we do, otherwise he’ll insist that we move to chicago… it’s his favorite city of all time, so he’d make any excuse he could to live there.
Come live next door to me!
LOVE Chipolte’s cilantro lime rice I am def. going to try this!!! I posted a mexican recipe yesterday as well maybe you would like to check it out! Mango-Peach Chicken Taco Cups! Either way can’t wait to try this
Those sound good! I would definitely give those a try (with tofu instead of chicken for me!)
I love Chipotle’s brown rice, and their burrito bowls! That’s sounds so good, but since I brought my lunch to work today, so I’ll just have to dream of it
.
There’s always today!
Chipotle is my favorite - the way they source their food is so refreshing too! I’m rarely a rice fan, but whatever they put into theirs (cough crack cough) is freaking amazing!
The crack is a ridiculous amount of salt. I’m okay with it.
I just found out that we have a Chipotle in Toronto which isn’t too far away from me, so I’m definitely going to need to check it out this summer!
Or just make this rice at home - it looks good!
That’s the best news ever!!!
Yum - LOVE Chipotle! This looks super easy and fun! I’m definitely going to try it out.
Great job on the recreation and cilantro and lime are perfect for spring and summer weather!
Why thanks!
I’m game for recreating ANYTHING from Chipotle! Mexican Monday is a go-to in our little apartment and this will make a great addition!!
Yes!!! I always recreate my Chipotle salad! My roommates would always make fun of me for making it instead of just going to buy it.
I am so over-the-top-in-love with chipotle’s rice. I used to just order bowls of it in high school during lunch. YOur version looks perfect!!
And we recreate chipotle bowls for dinner at least once a week.
You got to leave for lunch in high school? I’m jealous!
AMEN! Love Chipotle! Will have to try your version…I have a rice cooker that I absolutely love!
Chelsea, I am SO in love with you right now! Thanks for posting! The only real restaurant re-creation I’ve ever tried was Chipotle rice, and it came out terribly. I’m not sure what I did wrong, or even what I did (it was a while ago), but I’ll definitely be trying this soon.
I am planning to try to recreate a duck mac n cheese I had at a local restaurant. Fingers crossed that it turns out well!
Your welcome! I know it was a little delayed, but I hope you try it out!
Chipotle is a winner in my heart! It’s one of those place I want to get sick of, but I never can. Thanks for the recipe lady.
I don’t live near a Chipotle, but I have tried it once. I really did like the rice, so I’ll have to give this a try. I’m not good at recreating dishes at home. They never have quite the taste or texture of restaurant foods. But I have tried other copycat recipes and they are good!
Oh I absolutely love Mexican food too! And cilantro is one of my absolute favourite herbs
. Love love love!
My college boyfriend was Chipotle-obsessed! I’m not exaggerating when I say that he went there every day! I too, love me some Chipotle, but more like every few months! So excited that they have brown rice now though and can’t wait to make your version!
I want to be friends with him!
Our closest Chipotle is over 2 ours away, its horrible! I’ve tried recreating their burritos (yeah we go all out with the football sized burritos when we eat there!) but it just wasn’t quite the same. Although I’m sure much healthier so that counts for something!
I do like using restaurants as inspiration, but am always afraid to recreate it in case I hate it haha. This looks great though! Enjoy your Tuesday!
Is it weird that I am Mexican and don’t like cilantro? Dh thinks so. Maybe I will make this for him.
ha! I kind of love that!
ANYTHING out of our own kitchens would be much-much-much healthier/tastier than ANY Chipolte dive. Ugh. It is absolutely awful. I sure agree (above) with Lindsay.
Beware folks: the salt/sodium contents in EVERYTHING Chipolte serves will kill us all.
They sell drinks as self-serve because they want to encourage you to buy soda. It helps with all the sodium in their awful foods. Don’t fall for it people.
Some years back, I wrote letters letting management/ownership know and realize the health hazards people can (eventually & definitely) expect from overly salted meals. I mean, hey …. it is not necessary for every-single item to contain tons of sodium. This is insane. Our bodies do not need all that salt. The replies were: “well, we use our old and tested recipes.” “We cannot alter them.” Not selling points for us.
Their chips are good ….. freshly (in oil) cooked …. but, WITHOUT salt sprinkled all over them ….. duh. Usually they’ll (all the stores) make a huge fuss if you ask to prepare salt-free. Probably because it takes 15-20 minutes to fry up. We are/were always willing to wait though.
Bottom line …. none of our friends and family eat at C. Gave the place up many years ago. Thank goodness.
Be good to your bodies ….. easy-go on fast foods.
Homemade Mexican food is very easy+ healthy! You can do it in your own kitchens.
While I agree that chipotle’s food has a high sodium content, that’s pretty much true of most restaurants, regardless. I think Chipotle is on the right track with the ingredients that they use (no hormones, antibiotics,etc.). I believe in balance when it comes to eating (and just life in general) so having Chipotle a few times a month isn’t going to kill me! Thanks for sharing your opinions Marcee!
I am really excited to try this tonight!! Went to the grocery store at lunch to get home cilantro and limes!
Let me know how it turned out!
It was fantastic! I topped it with black beans, sauteed peppers and onions, and then some guac!
Wow, what a lovely meal! I love both salad and rice!
Gawd, I love Mexican. Can we please be sisters…and I’ll come eat Mexican with you AT LEAST once a week. I just started thinking about quesadillas and now that’s all I want for dinner. Unfortunately, I have non of the ingredients to make quesadillas…I wish my brain would know these things before forming amazing foods ideas!
Yes! We could definitely become sisters.
I looove the Chipotle rice bowls! I ate them all the time in college
I haven’t recreated them yet, but I want to make the chicken lettuce wraps from P.F. Changs. Delicious!
I do love PF Changs! They are delicious as well!
Love this! I made a corn and black bean salsa the other day … that salsa + this rice would be OUT of control! Yum!
I actually have not had Chipotle, but I love cilantro and I love rice … white and brown … I will try it with white rice and let you know … yum … I usually make 2 cups of rice for the family so I will try doubling cilantro and lime …
I’m sure that will work out perfectly!
I always try recreating restaurant meals!!!
it’s so much fun and awesome when they turn out even better 
Great recipe chick xo
I just got my first job at the new-ish Chipotle that opened up in my town! EEH so excited!
I’ve never tried the rice-I have to get on that! (employee discount, haha?)
That Chipotle bowl looks soo good!! Any chance you could post the recipe? I’ve never been and the closest one is 4 hours away
yum! I have a cilantro lime rice recipe as well (http://inherchucks.com/2012/02/08/cilantro-lime-rice/)…but of course your’s is a healthier choice with the brown rice…will have to substitute that for next time. You might like to pair your rice with these beans (http://inherchucks.com/2012/03/08/cuban-style-black-beans/)…Thanks for sharing
oh this looks great…definitely one to try…i love chipotle!
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