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Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

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Cilantro Lime Cauliflower “Rice” is inspired by my Cilantro Lime Rice recipe, only made low-carb with riced cauliflower!

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice" is inspired by my Cilantro Lime Rice recipe, only made low-carb with riced cauliflower!

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Riced cauliflower makes a fantastic low-carb, stand in for rice when you need a little carb detox. You might be familiar with my Cauliflower Fried Rice, this veggie rice has more of a Latin flair to serve with Latin Recipes Burrito Bowls, Carne Bistec, Chicken Enchiladas and more!

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice" is inspired by my Cilantro Lime Rice recipe, only made low-carb with riced cauliflower!

You can season this any way you wish – here I brightened it up with lime and cilantro and served it with a broiled pork loin. It has a couscous-like texture, and is perfect with chicken, pork chops, steak or anything you would normally serve with rice.

Does it taste like cauliflower? Yes, it does so if you’re not a cauliflower fan (I love it!) this may not be for you. But if you’re a fan like me, you’ll love this side dish! Cauliflower “rice” is a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your meal and bonus, a lot less carbs.

How To Rice Cauliflower

Although you can find cauliflower rice frozen or in the produce department, I think it tastes best when you rice ir yourself just before cooking. To do this you’ll need a food processor or box grater.

  1. Coarsely chop cauliflower into florets
  2. Then place half of the cauliflower in a food processor. You’ll want to do this in small batches so you don’t over process it.
  3. Pulse until the cauliflower is small and has the texture of rice or couscous , don’t over process or it will get mushy.

More Cauliflower Rice Recipes

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice" is inspired by my Cilantro Lime Rice recipe, only made low-carb with riced cauliflower!

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Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice"

4.74 from 15 votes
1
Cals:61
Protein:2.5
Carbs:8
Fat:3
Grated cauliflower makes a fantastic low-carb, grain-free stand in for rice when you need a little carb detox. You can season this any way you wish – here I brightened it up with lime and cilantro and served it with a broiled pork loin. It has a couscous-like texture, and is perfect with chicken, pork chops, steak or anything you would normally serve with rice.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice" is inspired by my Cilantro Lime Rice recipe, only made low-carb with riced cauliflower!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Yield: 5 servings
Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head, about 24 oz cauliflower, rinsed
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 scallions, diced
  • kosher salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1-1/2 limes
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • Remove the core and let the cauliflower dry completely.
  • Coarsely chop into florets, then place half of the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is small and has the texture of rice or couscous – don't over process or it will get mushy.
  • Set aside and repeat with the remaining cauliflower.
  • Heat a large saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil, scallions and garlic and sauté about 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft.
  • Raise the heat to medium-high.
  • Add the cauliflower "rice" to the saute pan. Cover and cook approximately 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower is slightly crispy on the outside but tender on the inside. with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Remove from heat and place in a medium bowl; toss with fresh cilantro and lime juice to taste.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 cup, Calories: 61 kcal, Carbohydrates: 8 g, Protein: 2.5 g, Fat: 3 g, Sodium: 37 mg, Fiber: 3 g

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114 comments on “Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice”

  1. Riced Cilantro lime cauliflower is flavorful and a nice alternative if you’re looking to cut Carbohydrates. Used Frozen rice cauliflower, partially cooked it in the microwave then put it in a mesh strainer wirh papertowles to press out any excess moisture. Transfered the rice to a saute pan and with the garlic and Cumin and cooked about 5 minutes. Although I love a good Cilantro lime rice compared to the grain rice recipe at 194 kcals for 3/4 cup this riced cauliflower recipe allows you to 3x the amount servings 61 kcals per 1 Cup. Plus the sodium is greatly reduced.

  2. I’m so lazy, plus I wanted to make this 0 points so I could eat 1/2 of the shrimp/avocado salad over it for dinner (4 points on Blue for half the recipe). I took a bag of Birds Eye frozen cauliflower rice, nuked it as per directions, with the garlic and white part of the scallions added in, but no olive oil. Then I added the cilantro and green parts of the scallions. I think the fat from the shrimp salad dressing and avocado will suffice to add enough flavor. If I were having it as a side dish, I would make exactly as Gina wrote it.

    1. I made this with frozen riced cauliflower that was cooked in microwave then transferred to a skillet the onions and minced garlic where sautéed in. A delicious and quick side.

  3. Best tasting cauliflower rice I’ve made. I added 1 red fresno chili for pretty color and since I had them. For some reason it really seemed “fluffy” like real rice cooks up. I used the shredding disc on my Cuisinart.

  4. Yummy!  I don’t usually say that about a vegetable….I’ll say “delicious” or “tasty” but not yummy!  For those watching carbs, MAKE THIS in place of rice.  We had it for our Cinco de Mayo dinner with Honey Lime Salsa Chicken and will definitely make it again!

  5. What a great, healthy sub for rice – love it. And my husband, who loves rice, loves this. It’s a keeper!

  6. Avatar photo
    Fauziah P Court

    I substituted finely sliced birds eye chillies for the pepper and ate with a Thai style vegetable curry (green curry)

  7. Very good! Will be making again. Served with Cheesy Rotisserie Chicken Enchilada Skillet (another great Skinny Taste recipe!). Recommend adding the cilantro and lime juice a little at a time, to taste.

  8. Can you use frozen cauliflower rice and if so do you let it thaw out before you add the other ingredients or do you add them while it’s still frozen?

  9. Made this for dinner tonight…delicious. I will make it again!  Has anyone successfully froze the leftovers?  I’m the only one who will eat it and it would be great for meal prep. 

  10. Avatar photo
    Shari Dickerson

    Why are there only 5 reviews on this? It is INCREDIBLE!! My pickiest kid (who currently refuses most veggies) ate it without knowing what it was and loved it. You can’t get any better than this. Love it. Thanks so much for this website. My nutritionist suggested it and I’ve made meals off of it every night since learning about it. Thanks so much!

  11. I did not get 5 servings and I used a whole head of cauliflower. Only got 3 servings.  Anyone else have that issue?

    1. I buy my cauliflower already pre-riced either in the produce section or the frozen section. Saves time and I can measure the quantity more exact. Otherwise it depends on the size of the whole cauliflower.

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  13. Avatar photo
    Beth Billson

    There has been so much hype on”cauliflower” rice recipes lately.  We are trying to cut back on carbs and although I was hesitant to make this, it was delightful! The cilantro and lime gave this a fresh taste and the flavours popped! Loved it.

  14. Hi! If I use riced cauliflower, how much do I need to get the equivalent of the cauliflower called for in this recipe? Thanks~!

    1. The recipe calls for 24 oz of riced cauliflower. You would use the same amount whether it is pre-riced or not.

  15. Made this tonight to serve with the Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas. Tasty side! I used a bag of the frozen rice cauliflower from Costco and lime juice from a bottle and it still tasted great! Nice low carb side for the enchiladas.

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  17. Made this tonight with sautéed shrimp.  Didn’t have scallions and didn’t miss them.  Also, I substituted the cilantro for basil and it was so

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  20. I made this to go with mexican turkey meatballs and pico de gallo. OMG this is by far my favorite thing I have made on Whole30 (with the meatballs) It is on the rotation for sure! Thank you!

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  27. I won’t say epic fail because it did taste good however it was mushy! The only thing that got brown was the bottom of my sauté pan ????

    I purchased the already grated cauliflower from the grocer. It had tiny varied sizes of grain. 

    Where did I go wrong?? 

    Thanks 
    Liz

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  29. Does this recipe keep well in the fridge or freezer? I only cook for myself so was thinking I could use this as meal prep and freeze individual portions or keep in fridge for a couple days

  30. I made this today and it was wonderful and filling. Looking for healthy choices I think this wonderful dish will go with many entrées. I Mage it with beef fajitas , I like to try it with broccoli next time. Awesome recipe Ty 

  31. I’m late to the cauliflower “rice” scene… finally tried this tonight using Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower rice. It was heavenly, just loved it! Kids, too, and it was so easy.. Thanks so much for all your recipes!

  32. We made this tonight, and I thought it an interesting change as a side with tostadas. I’m curious to know if the lime flavor is supposed to be subtle or not. 

  33. Just made this using Trader Joes rices cauliflower, it was delicious. Wish I had made more. Thank you for the recipe. Forgot the salt and pepper, did not miss it.

  34. I didn't care for the taste of this on its own but it was great paired with the baked chicken with lime and Dijon mustard!

  35. Hi Gina! I don't have a food processor, but I do have a great blender. Would that work for the cauliflower? Usually I have some liquid in the blender, so I've never thrown in something solid like the cauliflower. Please let me know what you think.

    Thanks!!

  36. Wow we loved this! It really does not taste like cauliflower. I followed the recipe exactly. My 93 year-old grandma who is very picky and never wants to try new things LOVED it. She couldn't get over the idea that you could make "rice" from cauliflower! Thanks so much for this genius recipe.

  37. Avatar photo
    UrbanEmpress

    I made this tonight and goodness I want to eat the entire thing. I didn't have cilantro so I added parsley and dropped in a ton of cumin (I love cumin). It is so delicious!! I'm really tempted to eat the entire thing

  38. Avatar photo
    Jessica De La Garza

    I made this with grilled tilapia and baked asparagus and my boyfriend said it was the best meal I've ever made by far!

    <3 this recipe

  39. Avatar photo
    joyelle reeves-netter

    I don't have a grater or food processor… so my only option is finely chopping it huh? Any specific technique to get desired results?

  40. Avatar photo
    Patti Hinton

    I use the grater disc for my food processor for much better results. This and other versions have become a weekly staple in my diet. I love it!

  41. I'm not a big fan of cauliflower but I loved this cauliflower "rice"! I made it with your Slow Cooked Pernil. The "rice" was even better the second day! Thank you for all your amazing recipes!!

  42. made as a side last night and loved it! it didn't even taste SO like cauliflower to me! thank you!

  43. Does cauliflower rice keep well over a few days? Seems like an ideal dish to make a huge batch of and use for a few dinners, if it keeps well!

  44. I'm trying to eat more vegetarian meals and would love to make this my main course for lunch but am trying to think of a way to add some protien to it… any suggestions? Black beans maybe?

  45. This is an over the top, delicious recipe. Served it with roast beef and mushroom gravy. Didn't even miss the carbs. Plan on having the leftover cauliflower in an egg white omelet.

  46. This recipe is FABULOUS …I have done it with cauliflower, broccoli…and my FAVORITE….CELERIAC (ROOT)!!!

    Thanks for continuous skinny culinary genius Gina!

  47. Avatar photo
    Andrea Quigley Maynard

    This was so good and such a different way to use cauliflower! My husband always feels he needs to have a starch/grain with every meal (and I don't) and this was a great way us to compromise.

  48. This was delicious (as I am finding all of Gina's recipes are)! It was also very easy to make. The combination of the garlic, scalions, lime and cilantro was perfection. I had this last night with the pork barbacoa. It felt so decadent but really was very healthy. Thanks, Gina!

  49. My husband is huge rice fan and we are trying to come up with healthier alternatives. I saw this and we made it last night for dinner. It was soo simple and flavorful. It really had the consistency and similar flavor to rice. My husband was shocked at how much he enjoyed it. The only variation we made is we didn't use 1 1/2 lime juice we only needed half a lime's juice.

  50. Jen….to stretch any amount of servings into MORE servings….just decrease the amount you use for each serving. Example: 2 cups of this, using 1/2 cup as a serving size…would serve 4 people. If, however, you reduce the serving size to 1/3 cup…you will increase the total servings to 6!

  51. I didn't feel like dragging out the food processor so I boiled the cauliflower, mashed it in the pot and let it sit on a burner set to low, until it dried out a bit. Then I added it to the skillet and cooked as described. It was amazing.

    1. Avatar photo
      joyelle reeves-netter

      Thanks! I don't have a grater, food processor, or blender so I am going to try it this way definitely! Thank you!

  52. This was amazing. I didn't have cilantro so I used regular parsley, I am sure it will be even better with cilantro! Thank you for making a veggie dish, us WW's know that you can never have too many veggie dishes, this is a clever way to fit in yet another. Keep rocking the veggies!

  53. I am happy to report that this was DELICIOUS and went perfectly with the Cuban Picadillo recipe– you simply must try it with this recipe!! There was something so satisfying about the texture and flavor of this "rice"… a great way to get some more veggies in. This one is going to be a keeper for me. Bravo, and thank you, Gina!!!

    1. I soooo want to try the cuban picadillo ASAP. Must make this with it, thanks for commenting on it!

  54. Why does it have 2 points per serving? The only thing that has points is the Olive Oil (3 points for the whole recipe). You say this is 5 servings, so eating the whole thing would be 10 points? I'm confused.

  55. I made this last night (even went to the store just to buy a food processor so I could make it) and WOW. It is absolutely delicious! I will be making this again, and again, and again. 🙂 Thank you!!

      1. If you are lucky enough to have inherited your mom’s or grandmother’s potato ricer are you in heaven or what? You can even fix this on a camping trip!

  56. Avatar photo
    Maria Hernandez

    so delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bet if you add a little jalapeno for some heat, I bet it would be pretty good as well. Thanks GIna, this was awesome.

    1. Avatar photo
      Lauren Rabadi

      Brocoli won't work as well since the florets aren't solid like in cauliflower. Even though it won't be the same, I'm sure it'll still be delicious!

  57. Looks great, but I am trying to figure out why it is 2pts+…..The ONLY ingredient that contains weight watcher points is the oil…1 T oil = 3 Pts+, this recipe makes 4 servings…..

    1. Also, when I looked up nutrional info on cauliflower, I am finding for one cup of cauliflower there are only 6g of carbs. You are showing 8g.

    2. I've asked this question in my WW class. When creating a recipe, using "recipe builder", it looks at the nutrition value of the whole recipe to figure the points plus. That is why zero fruits and veggies in a recipe may show points+ values in the recipe but do not have points plus values if not in the recipe.

  58. Can you use a few bags of frozen cauliflower florets for this? (drained and dried very well of course)

      1. Do you cook the cauliflower rice since it’s frozen or do you throw it in the pan frozen?

    1. no way!
      if you want a short cut, use TJ’s FROZEN
       cauliflower rice. it is fantastic and has the perfect texture.  a fav in our house.
      🙂

      1. you can use any portion of the bag you want.  clip any unused frozen rice
        shut and replace in freezer.

  59. Avatar photo
    Caitlin Kenney

    Great idea! I made cauliflower mash this weekend and it's just so good! I almost like it better than the potato version. Love the idea of ricing it as well.