Hello from Barcelona! I hope you’re all following my adventures on Instagram because so far this trip has been incredible!
Today we’re off to explore the olive groves and learn about how to make olive oil. Sounds dreamy, right?
Today though, we’re here to talk about my new favorite low-carb side dish: cauliflower rice! Yes, rice made from a beautiful vegetable. Have you tried it yet?
If not, it’s time to see and learn exactly how to make cauliflower rice, what you can add to it for flavor and all the recipes you can incorporate it into. Look, I know there are plenty of store-bought cauliflower rice recipes, but why do that when it’s SO easy to make your own — plus that way you’ll know how fresh it is!
Fall in love with cauliflower rice
Yes, I love cooking with fluffy basmati rice and brown rice, but sometimes cauliflower rice just hits the spot! It’s:
- An easy way to pack in sneaky veggies, fiber, and nutrients
- Super versatile and can be used in place of rice in most recipes
- A great way to bulk up lunches and dinners
- A perfect low carb, gluten free and grain free option
Everything you’ll need to make homemade cauliflower rice
Trust me when I say cauliflower rice is easier to make than you think! You’ll just need a few kitchen tools and, of course, cauliflower.
- 1 head of cauliflower
- Cooking oil (I like to use coconut oil)
- Salt & pepper
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Box grater or food processor
- Dish towel
- Large skillet or pan
How to make cauliflower rice with a food processor
This is my favorite easy way to make cauliflower rice:
- Remove all greens from 1 medium cauliflower and break into florets or large chunks. Add half of the cauliflower florets to a bowl of the food processor with a blade attachment. Pulse until cauliflower resembles rice.
- Add in remaining florets and process again until cauliflower becomes rice-like.
- Transfer to a large, clean dish towel and squeeze all the excess moisture out of the cauliflower. Set aside in a large bowl until ready to cook.
No food processor? No problem
You can easily make cauliflower rice without a food processor by using a box grater (AKA a cheese grater) instead! here’s how to do it:
- Remove all greens from the head of your cauliflower and break it into smaller chunks. Use a box grater to grate the smaller cauliflower heads into rice-looking bits. Do this until all of your cauliflower has been “riced.”
- Transfer to a large, clean dish towel and squeeze all the moisture out of the cauliflower. Set aside in a large bowl until ready to cook.
How to cook cauliflower rice
The great thing about cauliflower rice is how easy it is to cook and incorporate into recipes. Instead of eating raw cauliflower rice, I recommend adding a bit of olive or coconut oil to a skillet over medium heat and cooking your cauliflower rice for just about 5 minutes until it’s slightly tender. Season it with salt and black pepper and serve it as you would any regular rice.
Feel free to top your cauliflower rice with fresh herbs and garnishes like lime juice, parsley, or cilantro!
Storing tips
Store your cauliflower rice in an airtight container or freezer bags for 3-5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months – just defrost it before cooking! Easy, right?
Our favorite ways to use cauliflower rice
Most cauliflower can be used as a low carb substitute for rice in recipes. To flavor cauliflower rice, be sure to add a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil, butter or toasted sesame oil when cooking. And don’t forget salt and pepper. Maybe a little garlic or garlic powder, too? Why not! Personally, cauliflower rice is my favorite in fried rice & stir fry recipes:
- Ginger Cashew Chicken Stir Fry with Coconut Cauliflower Rice
- Sweet & Spicy Sesame Chicken Meatball Bowls
- Vegan Mango Black Bean Green Rice Burrito Bowls
- One Pan Ginger Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce
- Slow Cooker Yellow Chicken Curry
Get all of my recipes using rice here, and feel free to swap with cauliflower rice!
I hope you love this delicious cauliflower rice recipe and find some fun, creative ways to use it! If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and rate the recipe below so others know how you liked it. Thank you for your readership! xo.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
How to Make Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 head of cauliflower
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Remove all greens from cauliflower and break into florets. You can either use a box grater, or a food processor to process the cauliflower into rice. If using a food processor (the easier method), simply add half of cauliflower florets to bowl of the food processor with a blade attachment. Pulse until cauliflower resembles rice.
- Add in remaining florets and process again until cauliflower becomes rice-like.
- Transfer to a large, clean dish towel and squeeze all the moisture out of the cauliflower. You don't have to do this step but I think it makes the rice a little bit better.
- To cook your cauliflower rice: add ½ tablespoon coconut oil to a separate large skillet and place over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in cauliflower rice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
6 comments
I love cauliflower rice, I fry in a dry non stick pan with chopped onions, peas and garlic. I like the rice to be a bit toasted. YUM!
Sounds amazing! Love that combo 🙂
Legitimately OBSESSED with cauliflower rice. LOVE it as fried rice with tons of turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, curry powder, paprika, tamari, and of course, all the veggies and the tempeh or tofu in the world! Thank you so much for this easy tutorial–it’d be exciting to see more recipes with cauliflower rice from you!
YUM that sounds amazing! I love using it in lots of my regular recipes that use rice, too 🙂 Enjoy!
I’ve been so intrigued by Cauliflower rice and wondered how to make it, then this post popped up and I know it’s a winner, because anything you post Monique is AMAZING! I can’t wait to give it a go later this week!
Perfect timing!! Let me know how it goes when you make it 🙂