Cilantro Lime Cauliflower “Rice” is inspired by my Cilantro Lime Rice recipe, only made low-carb with riced cauliflower!
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Grated 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!
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.
- Coarsely chop cauliflower into florets
- 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.
- 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
- Mexican Cauliflower “Rice”
- Cauliflower Fried “Rice
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower “Rice”
- Cauliflower Rice Biryani
- Cauliflower Rice Arancini
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice"
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.
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.
Are the garlic cloves left whole ?
Could you make this recipe with frozen riced cauliflower or would it be too mushy?
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.
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!
What a great, healthy sub for rice – love it. And my husband, who loves rice, loves this. It’s a keeper!
I substituted finely sliced birds eye chillies for the pepper and ate with a Thai style vegetable curry (green curry)
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.
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?
I am planning on this tonight with frozen cauliflower rice. How did it turn out. ?
I used frozen riced cauliflower and did not thaw it out and it turned out great!
Made this for supper tonight. Delious
Horrible, just tastes like wilted cilantro and lime juice. Had to rescue it work other ingredients.
WILL DEFINITELY BE MAKING THIS AGAIN !!
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.
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!
I did not get 5 servings and I used a whole head of cauliflower. Only got 3 servings. Anyone else have that issue?
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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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.
I added some pineapple to this and it was outstanding.
Hi! If I use riced cauliflower, how much do I need to get the equivalent of the cauliflower called for in this recipe? Thanks~!
The recipe calls for 24 oz of riced cauliflower. You would use the same amount whether it is pre-riced or not.
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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