Kelly JensenThis post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.
Jump to Recipe Watch Video PrintThis Chimichurri Rice recipe is bright, fresh, herby, and ready for your next taco night or burrito bowl! This recipe is cooked in your rice cooker or steamer, and makes perfectly zesty rice in about 30 minutes.
Serve chimichurri rice recipe with avocado black bean salad, black refried beans, or BBQ chickpea tacos. And, while it’s cooking, you have enough time to make a fresh mango margarita so treat yourself!
Chimichurri sauce has always been a favorite of mine, and I wanted to make a simple and tasty recipe by highlighting it as a side dish with rice. Chimichurri is a traditional Argentinian sauce made with fresh herbs (cilantro or fresh parsley), garlic, vinegar, and chili flakes. And honestly, it’s tangy flavor is great on just about anything – including mixed into plain rice!
I love adding delicious and flavorful rice to my burrito bowls, or serving it up with some refried beans. What I love about this easy rice dish is that everything comes together in about 30 minutes. Start by making a 5-minute homemade chimichurri sauce, toss with steamed rice, and enjoy. You can have a super flavorful and simple side dish for your next dinner!
This Chimichurri Rice Is:
- Bright
- Herby
- Fresh
- Zesty
- Loaded with Flavor
- Simple
- Vegan, Vegetarian, & Gluten Free
What’s In This Herby Chimichurri Rice Recipe?
- Fresh Cilantro, Garlic, Limes
- Jasmine Rice – I like to use this fantastic jasmine rice, which has a little extra flavor than normal white rice. The long grains are perfect for this too!
- Fresh lime juice
- Red Wine Vinegar – which gives the sauce it’s signature tang.
- Garlic Salt: for a little extra flavor than traditional salt. I like to use this garlic salt in my savory Italian dishes for that extra kick.
- Red Pepper Flakes: for a little heat! I like to add a few shakes to this recipe to give this dish a nice complex depth of flavor.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Other Rice Options To Try
While I usually use a jasmine rice for this recipe, you can mix it up by using a different variety. If you have leftover rice from takeout, you can use it and mix in the sauce the next day.
Basmati rice is a long-grain rice which works great. Or brown rice would be another wonderful option.
One Pot Rice Recipes For the Win!
I love serving this fresh chimichurri sauce rice recipe as a rice side dish or as a main dish with tender protein. It makes an easy weeknight meal, and a great side. It’s also wonderful to meal prep as a rice salad you can enjoy throughout the week.
This steamed rice with chimichurri recipe is the perfect one-pot quick meal! I love a good One Pot Meal, especially during these summer months when I don’t want a lot of burners going at once. Cooking everything in one pot is one of my favorite ways to get a meal on the table fast! And one pot makes cleaning up a breeze.
The rice cooker does all the work for this easy dinner side dish, so you can focus on other kitchen prep while the food cooks. One Pot meals are awesome for breakfast, lunch, or dinner – check out my link here to see other one-pot rice dishes that are ready in no time!
How To Make Chimichurri Rice
- In a food processor, add the cilantro leaves, garlic, red wine vinegar, black pepper, and salt. Mix to combine into a thick green sauce.
- Rinse the rice under cold water, until the water runs clear. Add the rice to the pot along with half of the green sauce.
- Set rice cooker to ‘White Rice’ or ‘Steam’ or whatever mode you would use for white rice (may vary by model, mine says ‘White Rice’ and usually takes about 30-40 minutes).
- Once the rice has finished cooking, fluff with a fork. Add the remainder of the chimichurri sauce, and stir well with a rice paddle to combine.
Easy Rice Cooker Recipes You May Enjoy
- Lentils in the Rice Cooker Recipe
- Rice Cooker Oatmeal Recipe
- Parsley Tabbouleh with Quinoa Recipe
- Rice Cooker Quinoa Recipe
- Rice Cooker Yellow Rice Recipe
Share this Rice Steamer Chimichurri Rice Recipe
If you loved this recipe, please feel free to share on Facebook or with your family & friends. Make sure to follow us on Instagram, YouTube & TikTok too – I’d love to connect with you there.
And let’s keep in touch – subscribe to my monthly newsletter to get free recipe inspiration.
Chimichurri Rice
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups jasmine rice uncooked
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 bunch cilantro stems removed
- 1 bunch parsley stems removed
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the rice under cold water, until the water runs clear. Add the rice to the pot, along with the lime juice, the garlic powder, and the water.
- Set rice cooker to 'White Rice' or 'Steam' or which ever mode you would use for white rice (may vary by model, mine says 'White Rice' and usually takes about 30-40 minutes).
- While the rice is cooking, add all the remaining chimichurri ingredients to a food processor. Pulse or blend until leaves have been chopped and the garlic has blended into a nice sauce. Set aside.
- Once the rice has finished cooking, fluff with a fork. Pour in the chimichurri sauce, and stir well with a rice paddle to combine.
- Serve with beans, in a burrito or burrito bowl, or with tacos – enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn from qualifying purchases from affiliate programs, at no additional cost to you. Please read our privacy policy for more information.
A great addition to many of my meals