Cilantro Rice Recipe for Homemade Burrito Bowls

Cilantro rice is one of my favorite Mexican food side dishes. I love some burrito bowls but when I look at my credit card bill at the end of the month, I hate those $7 burrito bowls (C*******, I still love you). There is also a local chicken place, Juan Pollo, who makes the best rice I have ever had. It's yummy, delicious, and chickeny! I was super sad to find out that the local Juan Pollo location closed. The next closest one is over 45 miles away! So here we are… no rice from Juan Pollo and $7 burrito bowls that are bad for my budget. That's why we created this easy cilantro rice recipe.

RELATED RECIPE: Arroz Rojo – My Grandma's Recipe!

Now, rice is NOT paleo. Some people say you can eat it, some say you can't. Either way, this recipe is cleaner than most and home made. I love simple, easy, and not overly processed dishes and this one fits the bill.

RELATED RECIPE: Slow Cooker Mexican Pot Roast

You can use our Mexican-style pot roast recipe to make burrito bowls with this rice recipe – just set up the slow cooker in the morning and by evening, you'll be ready to make your own beef bowls. It will take about 30 minutes to cook the rice to go with the burrito bowls. Tomorrow, we'll be sharing how to use grilled, marinated chicken to make a “better bowl” that those fast food places.

RELATED RECIPE: Our best ground beef taco recipe, ever

You can also serve this rice dish instead of arroz rojo with your favorite Mexican food recipes, like our favorite tacos, linked above. Think about how yummy this rice would be in a beans, rice, and cheese burrito!

Cilantro Rice Recipe

This cilantro rice recipe is the perfect side dish for Mexican food recipes. I used this rice to make my own knock off burrito bowls … shh, they taste better than the real thing!

We created a printable version of this rice recipe so pin it, print it, or bookmark this link so you can make this at home!

Cilantro Rice Recipe

Print Recipe

Great for burrito bowls or as an alternative to arroz rojo.

• Author: Xaver Priest
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 cups 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: California

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups white rice
• 2.5 cups water
• 1 TBSP Knorr Caldo De Pollo
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 TBSP butter

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Instructions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan.
2. Add onions and cook until transparent.
3. Add rice and stir to coat in butter. Cook on high, stirring constantly, until the rice has a nutty smell and is toasted but not burnt.
4. Add water and chicken bouillon powder, stirring well to blend.
5. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes.
6. Add cilantro and stir until warmed. Serve.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 cup
• Calories: 76
• Sugar: 0.9 g
• Sodium: 15.9 mg
• Fat: 1.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 15.3 g
• Protein: 1.6 g
• Cholesterol: 4.3 mg

Keywords: Cilantro Rice

I also love this authentic arroz blanco recipe from Mexico In My Kitchen as another alternative to arroz rojo as a side for our Mexican food main dishes.

What's your favorite rice dish? If you make this dish, let us know how you served it!