Recently, a Chipotle Mexican Grill opened up near my house… Okay, it’s not actually that close, it’s about 20 minutes away. But, that’s close enough for me. Before that, I had to go to Baltimore or New York to get my Chipotle fix.
The thing is, it’s not entirely a good thing that Chipotle opened up. I now have a serious problem – I want to go there almost every day. It’s almost as bad as my Starbucks addiction. Interestingly enough, there’s a Starbucks right beside Chipotle – double trouble. So, I have promised myself that I will go to Chipotle no more than once a week.
Instead, I decided that I would make some burritos at home, in an attempt to save my weekly Chipotle visit for another day. I made my usual cilantro and lime marinated steak fajitas on the grill, but chicken, pork, or veggie fajitas would be great, too. Since the fajita burritos at Chipotle are made with a delicious cilantro lime rice, I decided I would try my hand at that, as well. Mine ended up being a bit stickier than theirs, although that didn’t bother me. You could add a bit of olive oil and use a little less water. Overall, the burritos turned out pretty well – and I’m pretty sure they were a bit healthier than the original at Chipotle. They are definitely worth a try if you are a Chipotle fan like I am. Here’s the recipe for the rice.
Cilantro Lime Rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Kosher salt
- Handful cilantro, chopped
Bring the water to a boil in a small sauce pan. Stir in the rice, lime juice, and lime zest. Season with salt. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, and add the chopped cilantro. Stir to mix with the rice and serve immediately. If you don’t want to make burritos, the rice would make a beautiful side dish garnished with cilantro and lime slices.
If you do choose to make burritos, place the tortillas between two damp paper towels and microwave for 10 – 15 seconds. Fill the tortillas with some of the sliced steak and vegetables. Top with the cilantro lime rice and your favorite fajita toppings. I added sour cream, lettuce, and tomato. Roll the burrito, tucking in the sides as you go. Serve immediately.
This looks like an excellent alternative to Chipotle. They are all over NYC and I stay FAR away from them.
Chipotle has got some good burritos. Good thing you can make them at home. Saves you time from having to go out and drive 20 minutes. Plus, Your homemade version is probably better than theirs anyway.
Does Chipotle still have those 5 pound burritos? (I’ve moved to a more rural area and haven’t been to one recently.) Yours look so much healthier and much easier to practice portion control too!
I’ve never been to a Chipotle Grill. I have been craving burritos though, and yours look excellent! Love the rice!
Oh I love the look of these – love the combination of cilantro and lime!!!
I know the feeling. I love Chipotle!
Never been to Chipotle but yours look good:)
These are awesome burritos! Love your lime cilantro rice!
Very cool! A chipotle just opened near us and I have to say, we are frequent customers at lunchtime!
Man, I miss my burritos. Here in London, if you ask for Mexican, people usually serve you tapas. Yeah, not so much the same (cuisine or continent). Yours looks fab!
those burritos look delicious! have to try them the rice so good. Nice blog i like your recipes :)
I can’t believe that there exists another food blogger (and assumedly a self proclaimed foodie) that is as crazy about Chipotle! This wonderful news! These look no less tasty than the real deal. I’m going to try this rice straight away, thanks for the recipe.
I prepare the whole thing.
Rice:
1 cup of rice
1 cup of boiling water
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of oil
1 clove of garlic (chopped or grind, or 1/4 teaspoon of dry garlic
2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
1/2 a lemon (green peel)
In a small pot add rice, water, garlic, salt and oil, mix well, boil it, change to low, the smallest flame of your stove, cover it and let it cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from stove, make it fluffy with a fork, put a cup of it in a bowl, mix with cilantro and lemon juice.
If you want the rest, just email me AKoslin77@aol.com