Coconut Lime Rice

If you’re looking for an easy side dish, this Coconut Lime Rice is it! It’s naturally gluten free and vegan, and it can be made low carb if you substitute cauliflower rice for the white rice! And I can’t forget to mention how delicious it is!

The origin of this Coconut Lime Rice is a funny story. We were trying to think of a side dish to compliment the crab cakes my husband’s aunt sent to us. Long story short, I said something about rice and coconut milk, my hubby started singing “you put the lime in the coconut,” and I headed straight to the kitchen and cooked up this recipe. I was on the phone with my mom while I was cooking and she suggested I sprinkle a little Chile Lime seasoning on the rice before serving it since I love that seasoning so much, and wow! Y’all just need to taste it to understand!

If you’re using white rice, you can use the kind in the packets or cook it on the stovetop. If using packets, you’re going to want to cook them according to the package directions. Then you’ll add the cooked rice to a medium saucepan with the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer until the coconut milk has been absorbed by the rice. This Coconut Lime Rice is a very quick side dish when you use packets of rice and cook them in the microwave.

If you make this Coconut Lime Rice and add Chile Lime seasoning to it, please let us know! We’d love to know if anyone else is as obsessed with Chile Lime seasoning as we are!

Let’s talk about dietary preferences:

This Coconut Lime Rice is naturally gluten free and vegan. But you can also make it low carb by using cauliflower rice instead of white rice. In case you aren’t aware, if a recipe is vegan, it is also dairy free.

What ingredients you need to make Coconut Lime Rice:

• White rice or cauliflower rice
• Lite coconut milk (canned)
• Lime juice and zest
• Salt
• Chile Lime seasoning, optional

How to make Coconut Lime Rice:

1. Add rice, can of coconut milk, lime juice, lime zest, and salt to a medium saucepan and turn heat to medium-high.
2. Bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, turn heat to low and cover with a lid.
3. Cook about 10 minutes on low, until the coconut milk has been absorbed by the rice. 
4. Add rice to your plate or bowl and sprinkle with Chile lime seasoning (optional)
5. Makes 4 servings
6. Pairs well with shrimp, fish, and chicken. You could even serve with tofu for a vegan dish. 

How to make Coconut Lime Rice with Cauliflower Rice:

1. Add fresh or frozen cauliflower rice to medium saucepan with coconut milk, lime juice, lime zest, and salt. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low once it starts to boil and cover. Let simmer until cauliflower rice has absorbed the coconut milk. This should take about 10-15 minutes, depending on your stove. 
3. Stir, sprinkle with Chile Lime seasoning (optional), and serve!
4. Pairs well with shrimp, fish, and chicken. You could even serve with tofu for a vegan or vegetarian dish. 

A few of my other favorite side dishes:

Keto Green Beans

Air Fryer Herbed Potatoes

Roasted Carrots and Brussels Sprouts 

Copycat KFC Coleslaw