Spanish Cauliflower Rice

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This Spanish Cauliflower Rice Recipe is very easy to make, and is ready to serve in just 20 minutes.

Spanish Cauliflower Rice

In our home, we enjoy Mexican dishes about once a week, and this Spanish Cauliflower Rice is the perfect side dish to accompany any of them, and it also tastes great as part of the filling for burritos or salads!

The guys get tired of the same old Mexican Rice Recipe that I use, yet they expect rice and beans with every mexican dish.

So, I’ve been trying out new variations of rice.

While they did realize that this wasn’t regular old rice, they DID like the way it tasted.

If you’re not normally a fan of Cauliflower, I encourage you to give this a try, and see if it wins you over.

Pulsing it and adding all the seasonings really disguise the plain cauliflower taste and texture.

This turned out to be a great substitute for regular rice, and it can be served as a side dish or even used in a casserole or other mexican dish (burritos, etc).

It’s a great way to reduce carbs, but still get some texture and added flavor to your meal.

Cauliflower Spanish Rice is full of delicious flavors and so very easy to make!

This recipe should fit within the guidelines of most diet plans, such as: Gluten-Free, Paleo, Vegan, Whole30, and Keto!

To being, I always suggest gathering your ingredients to double check that you have everything on hand.

Next, go ahead and chop, dice, mince, and pulse the necessary ingredients, to make preparation go quickly and smoothly.

I used the shredding attachment on my food processor (see below) that I got as a Christmas gift.

 I’ve used this exact model for almost 8 months now, and it works great for me.

It’s also affordably priced and has dishwasher safe parts – both big bonuses for me!

HOW DO I SELECT THE BEST CAULIFLOWER?

Cauliflower should be pale white in color. Try to avoid Cauliflower that has a lot of yellow or browning spots. Sometimes ALL of them have small spots, and those can easily be trimmed away.  

WHAT IS RICED CAULIFLOWER?

Riced cauliflower is cauliflower that has been finely diced or run through a food processor and resembles rice in its shape and texture after it’s chopped.

Riced cauliflower became popular when the Keto and Whole30 diets were increasing in popularity. The reason is because regular rice doesn’t always fit within the diet guidelines, so people turned to Cauliflower to fill the void, due to the similar shape and texture. Additionally, Cauliflower is full of nutrients. One cup contains 50% of your daily recommended value of vitamin C, it’s low in calories (about 25 per cup, cooked). Naturally, Cauliflower is gluten free, high in fiber, and low carb (about 5 per cup, cooked) – which fits the Keto Diet Plan.

CAN I USE ALREADY RICED CAULIFLOWER OR DO I HAVE TO MAKE MY OWN?

Yes, you can absolutely use pre-riced cauliflower!! You can find Riced Cauliflower in the produce section of the many grocery stores, or in the frozen vegetables section. It’s certainly a time saver, and not too expensive, though it’s certainly less expensive to rice your own.

For this recipe, you’d probably need 2 bags of frozen riced cauliflower.

CAN I USE FROZEN RICED CAULIFLOWER?

Yes, you can! You will likely need to add an additional 3-4 minutes to thaw the rice during the cook time.

I prefer to defrost the frozen cauliflower rice ahead of time, when I’m using frozen. I simply transfer from the freezer and into the refrigerator overnight. Additionally, you can defrost the cauliflower rice on defrost in the microwave, according to manufacturer’s directions (or the directions on the package/brand you are using).

Don’t forget that like many frozen vegetables, frozen cauliflower rice can add extra moisture to the recipe. You can pat some dry with a paper towel or add a few extra minutes cooking time to let it evaporate.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER SPANISH CAULIFLOWER RICE: 

Store leftover Spanish Cauliflower Rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for approximately 3-5 days.

Continue to Content

Yield: 6

Spanish Cauliflower Rice

Print

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ head of cauliflower pulsed in a food processor until rice-like
• 1 tomato diced (do not drain juice)
• ½ onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. chipotle chili pepper powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• dash of cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup cilantro chopped

Instructions

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in 1-2 teaspoons olive oil for 2 minutes.

Add cauliflower until slightly browned.

Add tomatoes, lime juice and spices.

Cook for 5-7 minutes.

Fold in cilantro.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 55Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 209mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment below & if you recreate this recipe, be sure to share a photo on Instagram. Tag me @when.is.dinner and hashtag #whenisdinner!

Here are a few items I find helpful in my own kitchen when preparing this Spanish Cauliflower Rice recipe:

Ninja Food Chopper Express Chop with 200-Watt, 16-Ounce Bowl for Mincing, Chopping, Grinding, Blending and Meal Prep (NJ110GR)OXO Good Grips Prep Cutting BoardZWILLING ProfessionalCali’flour Kitchen: 125 Cauliflower-Based Recipes for the Carbs You CraveCauliflower Cookbook: Swap Your Favorite Recipes With Nutrient Dense Cauliflower for Low Carb Healthy AlternativesCauliflower Rice Recipes: Replacing Traditional Rice with Low Carb Cauliflower Rice

Don’t miss these delicious Rice Recipes here at When Is Dinner:

• Red Beans & Rice
• Chicken & Rice Soup
• Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
• Chorizo Rice Stuffed Tomatoes
• Broccoli & Cheese Soup with Chicken and Rice