I have not been back to Chipotle since the Great Queso Debacle of 2019—cheese-related heartbreak takes the longest to heal—but I still have a soft spot for their cilantro-lime rice. It is, fortunately, not very hard to replicate and home, and it can be made with cilantro stems.
This is part of Eating Trash With Claire, a Lifehacker series where Claire Lower convinces you to transform your kitchen scraps into something edible and delicious.
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Make Chipotle-Style Rice With Cilantro Stems |
Cilantro gets a lot of love (and hate) but it’s the leaves that usually get all the attention. However, the stems have a ton of flavor, and they can be used to flavor marinades, stocks, salsas, and—my personal favorite—rice. Just add a half a cup of finely chopped stems to three cups of uncooked rice, along with a teaspoon of salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and a bay leaf, then cook however you usually would. (If you don’t have a rice cooker, check out our stove-top guide to perfect rice.) Once the rice is done cooking, fluff with a fork, then toss with a quarter cup of fresh lime juice and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste, add a little more salt if needed, and use it to make your very own burrito bowl in the comfort of your kitchen. (I’d recommend using sous vide carnitas or this kimchi pork shoulder, with plenty of grilled, pickled corn.)
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