Ordinary rice is transformed into a side dish worthy of any fiesta with the addition of pineapple, cilantro, lime, and jalapeno. This is not your average Cilantro Lime Rice–Pineapple Rice is slightly spicy, slightly sweet, slightly tart, and downright DELICIOUS!
While homemade salsa and guacamole always pair well with chips and Mexican entrees, this fresh and flavorful rice also makes a great accompaniment to dishes like Fish Tacos or as a base for Burrito Bowls.
Pineapple Cilantro Lime Rice
You have to be living under a rock to not know of Chipotle’s famous cilantro rice.
There are thousands of copycat recipes out there–in fact, I even have a version for Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice.
So what makes this recipe so special?
This version has been infused with pineapple and jalapeno for MORE flavor!
The jalapeno adds a kick to the rice and the pineapple for a sweet contrast that pairs perfectly with spicy Mexican dishes, like Chicken Fajitas.
Trust me, this is good. So good, you may skip the main course. But then again, pineapple cilantro lime rice will make your main course THAT much more appetizing.
Key Ingredients
- Pineapple Juice and Chunks: This recipe calls for pineapple juice and pineapple tidbits. You can certainly use fresh pineapple chunks but a money-saving tip is to use the juice of a 20 ounce can of pineapple chunks for the cooking liquid along with the chunks in the rice.
- Rice: This recipe is written for using brown rice. Feel free to use jasmine rice, white rice, or wild rice for the Pineapple Rice recipe. Just follow the package instructions for length of time to cook your rice.
- Jalapeno: I recommend deseeding and destemming a jalapeno before adding to the rice. This adds heat but does not overwhelm the rice. Omit the jalapeno to decrease the spiciness or leave the seeds in the jalapeno to kick up the level of spice.
- Lime: Because both the zest and the juice of the limes are used in this recipe, be sure to first zest the lime before cutting open the lime and juicing.
- Cilantro: If you do not like cilantro, leave it out. This rice will still be delicious.
How To Make Pineapple Rice
- Bring pineapple juice, water, and jalapeno to a boil.
- Stir in rice, cover, and reduce heat to a low simmer.
- Cook until rice is tender.
- Once the rice is cooked, remove the jalapeno.
- Stir in lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro.
- Serve.
Perfect Dishes to Serve with Pineapple Rice
Pineapple Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup water
- 1 jalapeno cut in half and seeded
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 lime zest and juice
- 1 bunch of cilantro stems discarded and leaves chopped
Instructions
- Bring pineapple juice, water, jalapeno, garlic and salt to a boil. Add in rice and lower to simmer. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes, or until rice is tender and absorbed.
- Remove jalapeno. Stir in zest and juice of the lime, fresh pineapple, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The addition of fresh pineapple in this lime brown rice is incredible, but you can certainly leave it out.
- Omit the jalapeno to decrease the spiciness of this cilantro rice, or leave the seeds in the jalapeno to kick up the level of spice.
- To get the most juice out of your lime, first, zest the skin and then microwave your lime for 30 seconds.
- Omit cilantro if you do not care for it.
- Feel free to use jasmine rice, white rice, or wild rice this recipe. Just follow the package instructions for length of time to cook your rice.
- Leftover rice will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
How many servings does this recipe creat and how much is considered a serving
Hi Nancy, there are 6 servings and each serving is about 1/2 cup. Enjoy.