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This Mexican Cauliflower Rice is a delicious and healthy low carb alternative to traditional Mexican rice. It’s ready in only 25 minutes and is naturally gluten free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, Whole30, and keto friendly!
One of my favorite ways to get more veggies into my diet is by making some Mexican cauliflower rice. Made with only a few simple ingredients like a head of cauliflower, tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices, this Mexican cauliflower rice is packed with all my favorite Mexican flavors without all the carbs.
It’s also perfect for meal prep and is great paired with meats, seafood, tacos and so many things!
This recipe is made with the exact same ingredients as my traditional authentic Mexican rice recipe, except instead of using long grain rice, I use riced cauliflower.
Two ways to make Riced Cauliflower
Making cauliflower rice is easy, but it does require some kitchen tools. Here are two different methods to “rice” your cauliflower so that it actually resembles the grain you know and love.
- Method 1: Use a box grater – This is the most inexpensive way, but it’s also more time consuming. All you need is a large box grater and some patience. Simply cut the the cauliflower into large florets and discard any of the green leaves and thick stalks. Then carefully grate as if you were grating cheese.
I recommend using a box grater with a comfortable handle like this one because you’ll be surprised how easily your hand starts to hurt. I’m also notorious for accidentally grating my fingers when the cauliflower is down to small pieces, so just be careful! - Method 2: Use a food processor – This is the easiest and least frustrating way to rice cauliflower, but it also requires a food processor which is way more expensive than a box grater. If you have both tools at your disposal, I recommend using the food processor. All you have to do is cut your cauliflower into small/medium florets and discard any of the green leaves and thick stalks. Add the florets into your food processor, close the lid and pulse a few times until the cauliflower resembles rice or cous cous. That’s it! It takes way less time and is much safer if you have a tendency to hurt your fingers on the grater like me.
If you don’t have a food processor, I highly recommend purchasing one. I use it all the time to make everything from sauces to pastry dough, and of course cauliflower rice. Here’s the food processor I have.
Cooking cauliflower rice is pretty straight forward. Once you’ve riced your cauliflower using one of the methods outlined above, here’s how to make it with all those delicious Mexican flavors!
How to Make Mexican cauliflower rice
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, tomato and garlic. Saute for 10 minutes, until onions are completely softened.
- Add broth, tomato paste, salt, paprika and cumin. Mix together until tomato paste has completely dissolved.
- Add riced cauliflower and stir to fully combine with the broth. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until cauliflower has softened. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.
What to Serve with Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- Serve as a side dish with carne asada, steak fajitas, and chile colorado
- Add it into burrito bowls
- Use it in stuffed peppers
Variations and Substitutions
- Want some heat? This recipe isn’t spicy at all, so if you want to give it a little kick, you can add some finely chopped jalapenos or serranos. You could also add a generous pinch of chili powder.
- Use frozen riced cauliflower. You can buy frozen riced cauliflower at the store. You’ll need 2 10-ounce bags of frozen riced cauliflower.
More Side Dish Recipes
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 roma tomato, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Cut cauliflower into small chunks. Remove any of the green leaves and thick stems. Rice cauliflower on food processor or grater.
- To make in a food processor: add cauliflower chunks into food processor and pulse until it resembles rice or couscous.To make with a box grater: carefully grate cauliflower into a large bowl.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, tomato and garlic. Saute for 10 minutes, until onions are completely softened.
- Add broth, tomato paste, salt, paprika and cumin. Mix together until tomato paste has completely dissolved.
- Add cauliflower rice and stir to fully combine with the broth. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until cauliflower has softened. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.
- Remove from heat and serve with chopped cilantro and fresh limes.
Video
Notes
- Want some heat? This recipe isn’t spicy at all, so if you want to give it a little kick, you can add some finely chopped jalapenos or serranos. You could also add a generous pinch of chili powder.
- Use frozen riced cauliflower. You can buy frozen riced cauliflower at the store. You’ll need 2 10-ounce bags of frozen riced cauliflower.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was really good and easy to make!
My hubby likes it with more heat so i substituted a can of rotelle hot diced tomatoes w chiles vs roma. Used the juice from can tomatoes +broth to equal 3/4 cup broth.
Hi Susie! That sounds great, thank you for sharing!
Thank You – I do have one of these Processors but never thought of pulsing the cauliflower heads to make the rice! I buy it by the bagfuls pre seasoned but it’s just seasoned with traditional spices! Plus I can pop it in the microwave as it’s in the freezer section at the stores & microwaveable! So with this method I can make larger baggies & freeze them! Thank You Very Much! I bought 10-8 oz bags just yesterday at the store! This will be a huge money saver & with it being Mexican Flavored I’m sure I’ll love it! 😊👍
Hi Jim! We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Sorry, Isabel, my “rice” turned into pureed. Better to use the grating attachment for a nice uniform rice-like bits. The pulse feature was too aggressive. The result didn’t look nice next to my enchiladas.
The best califlower rice recipe ever!!! I have looked high and low for a califlower rice recipe that was worth eating and nothing until I tried your recipe for mexican cali rice..
Thank you thank you so much!!!
Delicious! Made exactly as written, and next time will add some corn and hot chilis. I didn’t miss rice at all. It hit the spot as a side for zucchini quesadillas.
Made this tonight to be a base for shrimp tacos. It was so good. Will make again!
How would you adjust this for frozen rice cauliflower?
I used two packages of green giant frozen cauliflower rice. Cooked it in micro first then added
Thanks for the information about cooking it first. I never buy fresh cauliflower anymore.
Defrost the cauliflower rice and completely dry it. Place it in a cotton towel and squeeze all the moisture out before using it in the recipe.
Made this with Aidells habenero and green chile sausage cut up and mixed in. Soooo delicious and easy
Brilliant idea. I’ll add some chicken queso poblano sausage from my HEB.