This Spanish cauliflower rice is a lightened up, paleo keto friendly and low-carb version of your favorite! It’s perfect in burrito bowls, tacos, salads and more.
I’m a big rice fan and nothing will ever be able to replace my favorite spanish rice and cilantro lime rice, but whenever I’m in the need for something lighter, this Spanish cauliflower rice is my go to.
It’s light and fresh and has just as much flavor as any other Mexican rice, but made completely from cauliflower!
If you’re not familiar with the concept of cauliflower rice, it’s basically just cauliflower that gets processed in a food processor until it takes on a shape similar to rice.
Cauliflower rice is not “real rice,” it’s just used in place of rice in various dishes for a low carb option. It tastes like whatever you season it with! It has a very mild and neutral flavor so it can be paired with simple things like butter, salt and pepper, or made into more elaborate dishes.
It’s a great paleo, keto, grain free and takes less than 20 minutes to prepare. It’s made in a skillet and features tomato paste, cilantro, fresh lime juice and fresh spices like paprika and cumin.
By the way! Mexican rice and Spanish rice are very similar dishes, but Spanish rice is usually made with saffron instead of cumin.
This cauliflower rice is made with cumin, hence the Mexican inspired, but you are welcome to use saffron instead to make this a Spanish cauliflower rice.
How to make cauliflower rice
Step 1: Chop the cauliflower into small florets and add to your food processor. You may need to do this in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your food processor, I did mine in 2.
Step 2: Pulse 25-30 times using the pulse function, don’t let it run on its own or it will get mushy! Just pulse until it’s well broken up and has a consistency that looks somewhat like rice.
Step 3: Into a large skillet, add the diced onion and olive oil. Saute for about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Add in the diced bell pepper and garlic. Saute an additional 5 or so minutes or until the garlic starts to brown.
Step 5: Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the cauliflower and mix well to combine. Add in the riced cauliflower and mix well to combine.
Step 5: Let simmer, uncovered, over low heat for about 10 minutes to allow the cauliflower to cook and all of the flavors to blend.
Leaving the lid off the pot is key to prevent the cauliflower from getting soggy. When it’s done, the cauliflower will be soft, but still have a slight crunch to it.
Step 6: Garnish with fresh cilantro and red pepper flakes.
Serving Suggestions
One of my favorite ways to serve this Spanish Cauliflower Rice is in my chili lime salmon bowls. The recipe calls for my cilantro lime rice, but I like to swap it out for this cauliflower rice for a lighter and paleo option!
You can also mix in some black beans once it’s done cooking for a take lighter on rice and beans! This recipe is also delicious with chicken, baked tofu or ground turkey.
How to store, freeze and reheat
Once prepared, this cauliflower rice will keep in the fridge for about 3 days. You want to store it in an air tight container for best results.
You can freeze it in a freezer safe bag or air tight container for up to 2 months, which makes it perfect for meal prep.
To reheat this recipe (whether from the fridge or freezer), just add to a skillet on the stove with a splash of olive oil and saute until warm.
Frozen cauliflower rice can get a bit soggy when reheated, so it’s best to avoid using too much oil since the cauliflower will release a lot of water as it cooks.
Do I need to use a food processor?
I highly recommend using a food processor over a high speed blender if you can! You run the risk of turning the cauliflower into mush in a blender, but if you process it in several small batches, you should be ok.
If you don’t have a food processor or a high speed blender, don’t worry! Most grocery stores sell frozen riced cauliflower and you can use that instead with no problem.
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Spanish Cauliflower Rice
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Instructions
- Chop the cauliflower into small florets (smaller is easier to process) and add to your food processor. You may need to do this in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your food processor, I did mine in 2.
- You may need to do this in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your food processor, I did mine in 2.
- Pulse 25-30 times using the pulse function, don't let it run on its own or it will get mushy! Just pulse until it's well broken up and has a consistency that looks somewhat like rice.
- Into a large skillet, add the diced onion and olive oil. Saute for about 5 minutes.
- Add in the diced bell pepper and garlic. Saute an additional 5 or so minutes or until the garlic starts to brown.
- Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the cauliflower and mix well to combine.
- Add in the riced cauliflower and mix well to combine.
- Let simmer, uncovered, over low heat for about 10 minutes to allow the cauliflower to cook and all of the flavors to blend.
- When it's done, the cauliflower will be soft, but still have a slight crunch to it. Taste and adjust flavors as desired. Feel free to add some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for some spice!
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and red pepper flakes.
Carol says
Made this tonight with a bag of frozen riced cauliflower, dried cilantro and bottled lime juice as I didn’t have these on hand fresh. It was still great! My family enjoyed it. I will for sure be making this again. Thanks for sharing.
Claire Cary says
Perfect, so glad it was a hit!
Jennifer M says
I made this recipe last night and it was a total hit! My husband and I both loved it. I put a little bit on the bottom layer of my tacos and had a little bit as a side dish as well. So easy to make and so tasty. If I didn’t know it was cauliflower, it would have totally fooled me. I will definitely be making this again! I also used frozen riced cauliflower to make it easier, and it worked perfectly. I cooked it first and then added it in to the pan when called for!
Claire Cary says
Perfect, thanks Jennifer! So glad it worked out with the frozen cauliflower!