Last week, my editor brought some too-good-to-be-true leftovers to the newsroom: homemade Chipotle cilantro-lime rice. He said the recipe was simple and tasted at least as good as the addictive version from everyone’s favorite burrito joint.

I was skeptical. Have you seen the line at the Chipotle on Route 1 recently? You could die of starvation waiting in it; it’s a good thing they offer online ordering now. Obviously, that place must sell food beyond a mere mortal’s ability to imitate.

So I went on Food.com and looked up a copycat recipe. Like Teddy said, the premise is simple: basmati rice, lime juice, fresh cilantro and a little vegetable oil. I whipped up a pot, ordered some rice from Chipotle for comparison, and gathered a few of my roommates for a blind taste test.

The verdict? The copycat recipe tastes better.

You heard that right. We beat Chipotle at its own game. Full disclosure, though, I didn’t use basmati rice. I think what I had on hand was the fluffier (and cheaper) jasmine rice, but I keep it in an unmarked tin. That said, my roommates liked the different rice better, so maybe we’re onto something.

Here’s the official review breakdown. I would cut back on the lime if I made the recipe again, but no one else agreed.

Chipotle Rice:

Alyssa kicked off the taste test by closing her eyes and accepting a bite of mystery rice (in this case, Chipotle’s recipe). “It’s … chewy,” she said after a couple of minutes, wrinkling her nose. Jane reached for the Chipotle rice and took a sample. “Yeah,” she agreed immediately, “It’s weird how chewy it is.” None of us had noticed this eating at Chipotle before, but now we’re not sure we’ll be able to un-notice it in our next burritos.

Homemade Rice:

We fed Alyssa a spoonful of the homemade recipe next, with much better results. “I like how strong the lime is,” she said with a nod, “and the texture is so much richer and better.” Jane, who didn’t quite buy it, also tried some. “It’s a lot stickier. It doesn’t taste like it’s been sitting out,” she said, drawing a laugh from all of us. Ruth, who was in the kitchen cooking her own lunch, tried both blind and agreed with Alyssa. “I like how sticky this is,” she said of the homemade version. “It has more flavor.”

So the verdict is unanimous; Chipotle has been dethroned. You can find the copycat recipe here if you want to taste it for yourself.