This easy Mexican Cauliflower Rice recipe is the perfect low-carb side dish! A flavorful and easy cauliflower rice dish that can be served alongside tacos, burrito bowls and more.
In most cultures, rice is the base of many recipes. That’s especially true with Mexican cuisine! As much as I love the classic Mexican rice, I like having an alternative, such as cauliflower rice. It’s a great way of adding more vegetables into your diet without being boring!
This Mexican cauliflower rice is a great low-carb option to Mexican rice or regular brown rice. It’s such a versatile Mexican side dish that can be used inside stuffed peppers, alongside meats like Carne Asada or vegetarian dishes like Halloumi Fajitas, or served with other Mexican sides like Guacamole and Avocado Salad.
Why this recipe works
- Low-Carb: For those following a low-carb diet or looking for a low-carb alternative to rice, cauliflower rice is a perfect side dish for you!
- Flavorful: Rather than just plain riced cauliflower which can be tasty but boring, this Mexican side dish recipe includes traditional ingredients like roma tomatoes, onion, cilantro and classic Mexican spices.
- Vegan
- Gluten free: cauliflower rice is naturally gluten free
Ingredient notes
Head of Cauliflower - If you’re not starting with pre-made cauliflower rice, I suggest purchasing a head of cauliflower instead of florets. This not only ensures the cauliflower is slightly more fresh (they stay better when together at the root) but you can also control how large you cut the florets. (This matters depending on what method you use; more information below!)
Tomatoes - To add extra flavor in this Mexican-style cauliflower rice, I like using roma tomatoes. This is the most common tomato used in Mexican cooking, but you can use any tomatoes that you like.
Onion - I suggest a white or yellow onion, but you can use red onion if you prefer.
Cilantro - This adds a light freshness to the recipe. Substitute for parsley, green onion or omit!
Mexican Spices - Although riced cauliflower is good on its own, I find the flavor to be slightly plain and boring. With common Mexican spices like cumin and chili powder, the rice has much more flavor. While you can omit these spices, I don’t recommend it!
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
4 Ways to Make Cauliflower Rice
There are four different techniques you can use to achieve this cauliflower rice recipe. The first step will be to make or buy riced cauliflower, then you can continue on with the Mexican flavors of this recipe!
1. Buying Store-Bought Cauliflower Rice
For the easiest, quickest way to get riced cauliflower - buy it! You can purchase fresh or frozen cauliflower rice from most grocery stores. It may be easier to find frozen versus fresh at your local store, but fresh cauliflower rice will usually come in a microwavable bag. You will find it where you would find microwavable rices and other grains.
2. Making Cauliflower Rice from Frozen
When you use frozen riced cauliflower, it can be easier to find but a little longer to cook down. To get the fluffiest, most rice-like texture, you will need to cook out the liquid from the frozen cauliflower rice. It will thaw while it cooks, and eventually the excess liquid will evaporate. Continue with the recipe as calls for, with experience it may take an extra few minutes to evaporate all of the excess moisture versus using fresh cauliflower rice.
You can also use frozen cauliflower florets to make rice. To do this, purchase frozen cauliflower florets and microwave them for 3-5 minutes in a microwave-safe bowl (or follow instructions on packaging). Once done and slightly cooled, make sure to drain any excess water and then add to the food processor (affiliate link) with the medium grater blade attachment (the same as you would use to grate cheese). After, make sure to place rice on a kitchen towel and squeeze out any additional excess liquid.
3. Making Cauliflower Rice with a Box Grater
To use a box grater, start with the largest sized holes, traditionally for cheese. If using the box grater method, I suggest cutting the cauliflower into larger chunks, making it easier to grate. I also suggest reserving some of the cauliflower’s stem so that you can use it as a make-shift handle when grating it. After finishing, place cauliflower rice onto a kitchen towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out the excess liquid.
Do not use frozen cauliflower florets with the box grater method, as they will be a little too difficult to handle and will create a mushier cauliflower rice.
4. Making Cauliflower Rice with a Food Processor
If you have a food processor (affiliate link) with a grater blade, you can blitz the cauliflower into small pieces about the size of rice. This is the easiest method to make cauliflower rice (if not purchasing it). If using the food processor, I suggest cutting the cauliflower into small and medium pieces. There’s no need to keep larger portions of the stem unlike the box grater method. After finishing, place cauliflower rice onto a kitchen towel or cheese cloth and drain out the excess liquid.
If using the food processor (affiliate link) method, you can also use frozen cauliflower florets. Simply microwave the cauliflower florets for 3-5 minutes and then add to the food processor once slightly cooled. Make sure to lay the rice onto a kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess moisture after doing so.
How to Make Mexican Cauliflower Rice
To make Mexican cauliflower rice, start with your riced cauliflower using one of the methods above.
Cut Cauliflower Florets
Depending on the method, cut the head of cauliflower into large (box grater) or medium (food processor (affiliate link)) florets.
Rice Cauliflower
Rice the cauliflower according to the methods above. The result should be a small sized "rice" about the size of traditional rice.
Prep All Ingredients
Start prepping once cauliflower rice is done. Chop the tomatoes, finely dice the white onion. Mince the garlic.
Add Tomatoes and Spices
Add the diced tomatoes and Mexican spices, stirring gently to combine flavors. Cooked down the tomatoes until softened.
Sauté Garlic and Onion
Slowly sauté diced onion until translucent and softened. Then add garlic to cook down for a few minutes.
Cook Cauliflower Rice
Add the cauliflower rice and cook until the rice is tender and cooked through. If using the frozen cauliflower rice this may take a few extra minutes.
Serving Suggestions
I suggest using this recipe in place of rice for any dish! Here are just a few recipes that partner well with this Mexican cauliflower rice:
- Enchiladas: I love adding rice to enchiladas to make it all-in-one! Try adding this cauliflower rice to my healthy ground beef enchiladas, or make vegan enchiladas with refried beans.
- Burritos: Try adding leftover Mexican cauliflower rice to burritos, like my carnitas burrito, to impart more flavor.
- Tacos: Tacos and rice is a staple pairing! Try pairing with fried fish tacos, cauliflower al pastor tacos, or beef barbacoa tacos.
- Other Mains: Other great pairings with rice are: carne asada, burrito bowls, halloumi fajitas or stuffed peppers.
If you’re looking to pair this flavorful rice dish with other healthy vegan Mexican sides, try: Mexican street corn, avocado salad, or a watermelon mint salad!
Variations
More Vegetables: To make a more substantial rice dish, or make it more of a veggie-fied dish, I suggest adding diced bell peppers, spinach, mushrooms, diced zucchini, or your other favorite veggies.
Spicy: For a spicier version, you can add fresh chili peppers (start with jalapeño for mild, or serrano for medium to hot). Alternatively, try drizzling my spicy salsa verde or spicy chimichurri on top of the Mexican cauliflower rice at the end.
Expert Tips
Store-Bought Cauliflower Rice: You can absolutely use store-bought cauliflower rice for this recipe. You can use either fresh or frozen cauliflower rice from your grocery store. If using frozen, you may need to cook out the moisture from the rice for a little longer than a fresh rice would take.
Using Frozen Cauliflower: You can either use frozen cauliflower florets or frozen cauliflower rice for this Mexican cauliflower rice recipe. When using frozen florets, microwave them for 3-5 minutes and then allow them to cool down. Once slightly cooled, drain any excess liquid and use the food processor (affiliate link) method. Make sure to squeeze excess moisture out after before continuing on with the recipe.
Squeeze Out the Excess Water: No matter what method you use (either food processor (affiliate link) or box grater), you must squeeze out the excess moisture from the riced cauliflower. This will make sure that the rice does not come out mushy.
Storage: To store, add cauliflower rice to an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for up to 3-5 days, but will be freshest within the first 2-3 days.
Reheating: To reheat, microwave the rice for 60-90 seconds, until warmed through. Alternatively, warm the Mexican cauliflower rice in a pan on the stove on medium heat for a few minutes, until the rice is warmed to preference.
Freezing: I suggest freezing the cauliflower rice raw, rather than the cooked cauliflower rice. Cooked cauliflower rice does not taste the same once frozen, so I really wouldn’t recommend it. Instead, make or purchase the cauliflower rice and then freeze. Once ready to make it, thaw the rice and then continue with the recipe.
To freeze, transfer into a resealable freezer bag, remove excess air, and then freeze flat. Label with the current date. While it can last up to 6 months, I recommend use within 2 months.
FAQs
You can freeze cauliflower rice either raw or cooked. For the sake of flavor and consistency of the rice, I highly recommend freezing rice prior to being cooked.
While cauliflower rice can be slightly soggier than traditional rice, a way to ensure it’s not soggy is to squeeze the leftover liquid out of the riced cauliflower. To do this, place cauliflower rice on a kitchen towel and squeeze out any liquid.
To squeeze out excess liquid from riced cauliflower, place the rice on a kitchen towel. Then gather the ends together forming a ball around the cauliflower rice. Squeeze the moisture out.
I do find cauliflower rice to be as filling as rice. However, cauliflower rice does have much fewer calories than traditional rice, so you may find yourself feeling not as full. It depends on the person.
Other Tasty Sides
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📖 Recipe
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Box Grater
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower substitute for 15-17 ounces riced cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 3 roma tomatoes diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro optional
- 1 lime cut into wedges optional
Instructions
Box Grater Method
- Cut cauliflower into large chunks, reserving some of the stem to use as a “handle” when grating the cauliflower.
- Using the largest holes of a box grater, grate the cauliflower onto a plate. Working in batches, lay the grated cauliflower out onto a dish towel, and squeeze excess water from the cauliflower. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the onion, and cook, stirring often, until it begins to become tender, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, and ground paprika to the pan, stirring to release the aromatics of the spices. Add the tomatoes, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Once the tomatoes are softened, add the cauliflower rice, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes, or until the “rice” is tender and lightly browned.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve with lime, if desired.
Food Processor Method
- Cut the cauliflower into small to medium sized pieces.
- Using the ricer attachment or grating attachment of the food processor, rice the cauliflower. Working in batches, lay the grated cauliflower out onto a dish towel, and squeeze excess water from the cauliflower. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the onion, and cook, stirring often, until it begins to become tender, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, and ground paprika to the pan, stirring to release the aromatics of the spices. Add the tomatoes, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Once the tomatoes are softened, add the cauliflower rice, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes, or until the “rice” is tender and lightly browned.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve with lime, if desired.
Frozen Cauliflower Florets Method
- Microwave frozen cauliflower florets in a microwave-safe bowl for 3-5 minutes (or follow instructions on packaging). Once done and slightly cooled, make sure to drain any excess water.
- Using the ricer attachment or grating attachment of the food processor, rice the cauliflower. Working in batches, lay the grated cauliflower out onto a dish towel, and squeeze excess water from the cauliflower. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the onion, and cook, stirring often, until it begins to become tender, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, and ground paprika to the pan, stirring to release the aromatics of the spices. Add the tomatoes, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Once the tomatoes are softened, add the cauliflower rice, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes, or until the “rice” is tender and lightly browned.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve with lime, if desired.
Store-Bought Cauliflower Rice Method
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the onion, and cook, stirring often, until it begins to become tender, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, and ground paprika to the pan, stirring to release the aromatics of the spices. Add the tomatoes, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Once the tomatoes are softened, add the store-bought cauliflower rice, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10-12 minutes, or until the “rice” is tender and lightly browned. If using frozen store-bought cauliflower rice, cook for a few additional minutes, until all excess moisture has evaporated.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve with lime, if desired.
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