Home » Side Dishes » Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Published: September 26, 2019Updated: October 4, 2019Author: Jenn Laughlin
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Mexican Cauliflower Rice is loaded with veggies and spiced to perfection! This zesty and flavorful riced cauliflower is a great side dish for taco night and makes the most tasty base for burrito bowls too!
I’m still cauliflower ricing it up over here and la la loving it.
If you’re new to the concept of cauliflower rice, it’s basically shredded bits-o-cauliflower that resemble grains of rice in texture. They’re a fantastic low-caloriealternative to rice and a great way to eat more veggies!
Most grocery store offer pre-riced bags of cauliflower in the produce section if you’re looking for a shortcut but it’s also relatively easy to make at home!
I’ll add my homemade cauliflower rice tips and tricks to the bottom of this post if you need ’em!
Though I usually add a bit of Asian flair to my cauliflower rice, I thought it would be fun to Tex-Mex it up for a change.
The result pretty much knocked my socks off. Each delicious bite is loaded with veggies and full of flavor!
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
This easy peasy recipe is low-carb, vegetarian, gluten-free, and grain-free.
A total one-pot wonder, it’s made in just one pan!
The only dairy is in the optional sriracha ranch sauce so feel free to skip it or swap around the ingredients to make it keto, vegan, dairy-free, paleo and whole30 friendly – which is super easy to do!
serving suggestions
We love this zesty cauliflower rice as a side dish for tacos, quesadillas, burritos, and more.
It can also be paired with your favorite protein for a simple but satisfying lunch dinner. You could even use this combo to prep some meal prep lunches for the week to heat up at work.
Another tasty option is to serve it up as the base for a “rice bowl” by mixing your favorite protein right in with the cauliflower rice and topping it with all your fiesta favorites. Jarred salsa, guacamole, sour cream, corn salsa, etc… all make tasty toppings.
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Mexican Cauliflower Rice is loaded with veggies and spiced to perfection! This zesty and flavorful riced cauliflower is a great side dish for taco night and makes the most tasty base for burrito bowls too!
4.75 from 16 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex, Vegetarian
Keyword: Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Jenn Laughlin – Peas and Crayons
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh riced cauliflower (approx. 4 cups)
- 2 TBSP avocado oil or olive oil
- 1.5 cups chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
- 1 roma tomato, chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt plus extra to taste
- ⅛ tsp paprika (mild) or cayenne pepper (hot) plus extra to taste
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 1 TBSP tomato paste
- ½ lime
- 2-3 TBSP fresh cilantro to garnish
SRIRACHA RANCH SAUCE
- ¼ cup ranch dressing (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 TBSP sour cream
- 2-3 tsp Sriracha
Instructions
Chop your veggies and prep ingredients. Combine spices in a small bowl and mix. Whisk together Sriracha ranch ingredients in a seperate bowl and set aside.
Making your cauliflower rice from scratch? See post for methods and instructions and cauli rice it up! To save time I used a 12 oz bag of fresh cauliflower rice from the produce section.
Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat with 2 TBSP oil.
Add onion, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until tender.
Add half the spice blend along with the broth and tomato paste. Mix well and cook for one additional minute
Add cauliflower rice and cook until desired texture is reached. Approx. 3 minutes for al dente rice or 5 minutes for more tender rice. Add a squeeze of lime juice (optional but delicious) and any aditional seasoning to taste. I added an extra pinch of salt.
Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and drizzle with Sriracha Ranch Sauce if desired – SO GOOD!
Notes
To save on time, I used fresh cauliflower rice from my grocery store. See the blog post for two super easy methods on making cauliflower rice from a full head of cauliflower at home. It’s a few more minutes of prep-work but super simple to make.
Nutrition Facts below are estimated for the cauliflower rice *and* optional sauce using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 142kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 333mg, Potassium: 312mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 619IU, Vitamin C: 54mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?I want to see! Tag @peasandcrayons on Instagram and Facebook!
how to make riced cauliflower:
If you’re new to the concept of cauliflower rice, it’s basically shredded bits-o-cauliflower that resemble grains of rice in texture. They’re a fantastic low-caloriealternative to rice for those with special diets or allergies, or for anyone that simply wants to eat more veggies.
Most grocery store offer pre-riced bags of cauli rice in the produce section if you’re looking for a shortcut but it’s also relatively easy to make at home!
To make cauliflower rice, remove the stem and leaves from a head of cauliflower. Then…
1. FOOD PROCESSOR cauliflower rice
Roughly chop into small florets. Use the food processor’s grater disc to transform the florets into “rice” or make it without the attachment by working in three batches. Working in small batches will help you get even texture. Simply pulse until the mixture appears minced/shredded and you’re good to go.
2. BOX GRATER cauliflower rice
Break into large pieces for easy handling and grate using the coarse side of your grater. As you run out of space for your fingers to grip the florets, simply mince any remaining pieces with a knife.
If you get a chance to try this Mexican Cauliflower Rice recipe, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
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About The Author:
Jenn Laughlin
Hi! I’m Jenn and I’m here to help you eat your veggies! It'll be fun, painless, and pretty darn delicious as I teach you to plan your meals around fresh, seasonal produce with a little help from healthy freezer and pantry staples.
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