This flavorful Cilantro Lime Brown Rice recipe is packed with vibrant, refreshing flavors! Served with tender asparagus, this is a great healthy twist on a familiar side dish.
With just a few ingredients, this easy recipe is ideal for a weeknight dinner. You’ll love this zesty and delicious rice recipe that’s as nutritious as it is satisfying!
💚 About This Recipe
Packed with flavor and nutrients, this super simple and flavorful brown rice recipe is a weeknight dinner lifesaver! Pair this perfect side dish with a protein of your choice and you've got an easy meal the whole family will love in just 10 minutes of cooking time.
With fresh lime juice, tender asparagus, and fragrant cilantro, this easy brown rice recipe will quickly become a weekly staple. Serve it alongside some Shrimp in Butter Lime Sauce or a Cilantro Lime Chicken dinner for a filling and hearty dish any night of the week.
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- asparagus - I prefer to use fresh asparagus for this dish, but you could use frozen asparagus as well if it's more convenient.
- lime - fresh squeezed lime juice adds a pop of delicious citrus flavor.
- butter - for the perfect amount of rich, buttery goodness.
- sea salt - balances the acidity of the lime, creating a more harmonious flavor profile.
- brown rice - has a distinct nutty taste that complements the fresh flavors of cilantro and lime.
- cilantro - try to use the freshest cilantro possible for best results.
🔪 Instructions
- Steam the asparagus in the microwave for about a minute and a half.
- Meanwhile, zest the lime.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add fresh lime juice, lime zest, and salt.
- Add steamed asparagus and cook until coated in the sauce and warmed through, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Mix in the cooked brown rice and fresh chopped cilantro.
- Cook until hot and serve.
If you love flavorful rice dishes, try this amazing Carrot Rice. It's colorful, tasty, and easy to make! For another delicious asparagus dish, try this creamy White Asparagus Soup!
❔ FAQs
For most people, cilantro has a slightly lemony and peppery pungent herbal flavor. There are certain people who experience the flavor as more soap-like because of a difference in genetics.
In many ways, yes! Brown rice is more dense in nutrients and fiber, so you can eat less of it but feel more full. It's good to manage blood sugar levels and can even help with weight loss and management.
Avoid over-stirring while cooking and let it rest after cooking before fluffing.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Using fresh lime juice and lime zest offers the best flavor, but you could also use bottled lime juice for a more convenient option.
- Buy packets of brown rice that can easily be cooked in the microwave for a great time saver.
- To cook your own brown rice, bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil and add 1 cup of uncooked brown rice. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes, then drain excess liquid and allow the rice to sit for 10.
- Garnish with more fresh cilantro or any leftover lime wedges, or add some chopped green onion.
- Fresh herbs work the best for ideal flavor, but dried herbs can be used in a pinch. Use about ⅓ of the amount dried.
📌 This flavorful and easy rice recipe is perfect as a starting point for any healthy and filling weeknight meal! It turns plain brown rice or any kind of short grain rice into a flavorful side dish for an easy dinner.
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- To make this a full meal, mix in some shrimp or serve with a side of breaded butterfly shrimp or popcorn shrimp.
- Feel free to omit the cilantro if you're not a fan.
- This dish can also be made with another type of rice like white rice if you prefer--white rice can be a better option if you find it difficult to digest more fiber-rich foods. Other options are brown basmati rice or jasmine rice.
- For more flavor, use extra salt and black pepper.
- Lemon juice provides a similar result and can be used instead of the lime juice.
- Load up this great side dish with even more protein by mixing in some black beans.
🔊 What readers are saying...
"What a beautiful dish! I love the flavorful rice with the shrimp. So good!"
- Sarah
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Transfer leftover rice to an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You can also keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat in the microwave, or heat it in a pan over medium heat. A little drizzle of olive oil or avocado oil will prevent sticking. Allow frozen cilantro lime brown rice to thaw in the fridge before reheating.
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
This healthy side dish pairs well with a wide variety of main courses, like my Chipotle Shrimp Tacos, Crock Pot Turkey Legs, Simple Turkey Burger Sliders, or this easy but elegant Slow Cooker Cube Steak with Gravy.
✔️ More Rice Recipes You'll Love
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice - If you can't get enough of the cilantro lime flavor combo, make this tasty rice that's great for tacos, burrito bowls, and more!
- One Pot Rice and Beans - Great as a majorly affordable and filling meal or side dish.
- One Skillet Garlic Chicken and Rice - Pair this dish with an easy veggie for a quick and flavorful meal any night of the week.
- French Onion Rice Bake - This super tasty recipe from Butter Your Biscuit re-imagines the flavors of classic French onion soup into a baked rice dish!
Lime and Cilantro Rice with Asparagus
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📋 Recipe Card
Cilantro Lime Brown Rice With Asparagus
Ingredients
- ¾ pound fresh asparagus (cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces)
- 1 lime
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
- ½ cup cilantro (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Place the asparagus in a microwaveable bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave an opening for steam to vent. Microwave on high for 1 ½ minutes. Set aside.¾ pound fresh asparagus
- Zest the lime and set aside.1 lime
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the lime juice, salt, and lime zest. Stir until combined.3 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons lime juice, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the asparagus and stir until well-coated. Cook until hot, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the brown rice and cilantro and mix to combine. Cook until everything is hot.3 cups cooked brown rice, ½ cup cilantro
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- For the cooked rice, an easy shortcut is to buy packets of rice that can be cooked in 90 seconds in the microwave.
- If you have more time and want to save money, easily cook your own brown rice using this foolproof method:
- Heat 6 cups of water to boiling.
- Add 1 cup uncooked brown rice.
- Return to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Drain the excess liquid, re-cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- You can juice the lime after zesting it and use that juice in this dish, however as a shortcut you can use bottled lime juice. (Fresh always has the brightest flavor but the bottled juice is a good substitute.)
- Season with more salt if needed and if desired sprinkle in some pepper, too.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and/or lime wedges.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in March 2014, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in March 2024.
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CAZ says
Super tasty and easy. I love the flavor of cilantro and always look for ways to incorporate it, was a nice compliment to the brown rice.
KRistina says
This turned really good! To cook my rice I used the Instant Pot, then put the asparagus in the hot pressure cooker to steam when it was done. I mixed it with the seasonings as instructed and it turned out fabulous.
Anne says
Delicious!
Sharon says
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. I am always looking for ways to beef up the nutritional value of meals, and adding asparagus to the brown rice is genius. The cilantro also adds great flavor. I served this with fish tacos last night and my family loved it. Thank you for sharing!
Sharon
Giangi Townsend says
What a refreshing, delicious, and super easy recipe to make. Thank you. We made it to go along with some pork chops, and it was perfect.
Thank you!
Tayler says
Made this rice with dinner tonight and it was fabulous! The asparagus was a nice touch!
Kimberly says
This was such perfect timing because just yesterday I picked my first batch of asparagus of the season from my garden! This rice dish is delicious, I love the flavor combo and the addition of the asparagus!