Cauliflower rice is a great low carb recipe that fits nearly any meal plan (keto, paleo, Whole30, vegan)! It's easy to make a big batch—and stock your refrigerator or freezer with a ready-to-cook, 5-minute side dish that goes with just about anything. Here's how to make cauliflower rice for multiple meals.
It sounds too good to be true, right? Nope! Believe it! Cauliflower rice is amazing stuff! From one simple vegetable comes a base that mimics the taste and texture of white rice. This is a game-changing food discovery for many people. It's perfect for stir-fries, makes excellent fried rice, and can be enjoyed for any meal (even breakfast)!
The easiest way to rice cauliflower
When you’re ready to make your rice, you don’t need much: a medium-sized head of cauliflower and you’re ready to go. The fastest and easiest way to make it is with a food processor.
Most recipes call for pulsing the cauliflower, working in batches. It couldn't be simpler, just pulse the raw cauliflower with the chopping blade until it's as small as rice (this method is demonstrated in the video).
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To get the best texture you’ll need to use the grater blade or shredding disc in the food processor. It takes just a few seconds to grate the whole head of cauliflower and will give you more uniform size "rice" pieces.
How to make it without a food processor
To make cauliflower rice without a food processor, you can simply grate by hand with a box grater. Cut the head of cauliflower into large pieces and then grate it on the course shred (largest) side of the grater to rice it.
A word to the wise: If you grate your cauliflower by hand you may want to work over a rimmed baking sheet. Making cauliflower rice can get a bit messy, particularly when you’re using a box grater. Fortunately, a baking sheet will make cleanup a breeze.
Once the cauliflower is riced, just cook what you need---or use it as directed in another cauli-rice recipe. A head of cauliflower makes many servings, so prepare only the amount of cooked cauliflower you’ll need for your upcoming meal, and store the rest, uncooked, in the refrigerator or freezer.
How to freeze it
I like to keep a big bowl of riced cauliflower in the refrigerator. It lasts for a few days, and it's easy to just scoop out a couple of cups to cook with dinner. If you need to keep it longer, it freezes beautifully.
Here's how to freeze cauliflower rice:
- Freeze it before cooking it in one or two cup portions in a reusable bag or freezer-safe glass storage dish. I always freeze it raw since it thaws and cooks so quickly.
- To use it frozen, just pull as much as you need out of the freezer. You can add it to the pan frozen and you'll only have to cook it a few minutes longer than if you were using fresh or thawed cauliflower rice.
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How to cook it
My favorite way to cook cauli-rice is a quick saute in my cast iron pan. The only essential ingredients are a little bit of cooking fat, salt, and pepper. You can cook as much, or as little as you need. And add whatever flavorings you like. I like it al dente, so I cook it for about 5 minutes in a large skillet over medium heat.
Lately, I've been adding a drizzle of truffle olive oil at the end and topping the cauli rice with fried eggs for a low-carb breakfast. (I told you—enjoy it for every meal!). Of course, you could also do scrambled eggs if you prefer for a quick take on fried rice. It's a great way to get more vegetables into your day.
Cauliflower rice topped with crockpot pulled pork is an easy weeknight dinner and a favorite at our house. With this rice swap, the sky's the limit! Any dishes you love with regular rice or couscous, work perfectly served with cauli rice. Indian, Mexican, or Asian meals all pair seamlessly with cauliflower rice as the base. There are plenty of meal ideas for using it—even sushi!
So, if you’re ready for a great low-carb rice swap, give this simple recipe a try. It’s a fast and easy weeknight side, especially if you rice the cauliflower ahead of time. Keep some on hand and you may start to wonder how you ever managed without it!
Easy Cauliflower Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon olive oil ghee, or bacon fat
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into large florets.
- Pulse cauliflower in a food processor with the chopping blade, rice cauliflower using the shredding blade on the food processor, or grate by hand on a box grater.
- Heat fat in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add cauliflower rice and saute until just cooked through (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
More Easy Recipes Using Cauliflower
Crock Pot Cauliflower Chicken Chili
Jessy @ The Life Jolie
Thanks for sharing this- I need to make some big changes and make healthier decisions! Pinning!
Jessica
Oh wow! I really thought this was rice! Such a great healthy alternative to rice. Thanks for this little tip! 🙂
Tovar Gioconda
Easy and delicious! I did add cayenne pepper for a kick and cilantro while serving.
Virginia
Loved it! I wasn't too excited about it but very curious and since I've been looking for healthier alternatives to my regular food choices I decided to give it a try, and surprise surprise!. It is very delicious and quite filling too!. Thank you for sharing.
Lisa
Yay! I'm so glad you loved it, Virginia!
Jo Ann
Could you shred the cauliflower and freeze some? I have a one person household and that would be alot of servings for me.
Lisa
Yes, you can freeze it, Jo Ann. I freeze it in 1 or 2 cup portions so it's easy to pull just as much as I need out of the freezer.
victoria
But do u cook it before freezing thericed cauliflower
Lisa
Hi Victoria, I freeze it raw. And I cook it straight from the freezer. It cooks so quickly you don't need to thaw it first. Hope this helps!
Yvonne
I was beginning to think I was the only one who uses the grater attachment on my food processor to make cauliflower rice! All th other recipes use the chopper blade which takes twice as long as you have to do it in batches if you are doing a big weekly cook up. Spread the word!
Amanda
Could you use a manual ricer (normally used for potatoes to make mashed potatoes) for this instead of a food processor?
Lisa
Hi Amanda, I haven't tried this. If you do, let me know how it turns out!
Ihndz
I do not recommend a potatoe ricer for cauliflower "rice", it would change the texture to a mashed consistency plus the cauliflower rice is grated raw. If you want a mashed potatoe texture then that ricer might wirk but the cauliflower neefs to be cooked first..good luck
Rachel
So easy, healthy and darn delicious. This was a lifesaver for my low carb diet. Now I can serve my sauced recipes over this. Thanks! My only complaint is the mess grinding in the food processor creates but it's worth it!
LaDell
You mention steaming it when cooking from frozen. Does that mean you add some liquid? And when would you add the oil if that is necessary?
madison
Oh! Wow! It looks light and fluffy. Actually this is new to me, but simply deliciously good to looked at. Thank you for sharing your amazing recipe!
Cecilia
Hi! Would I be able to do this using my son's baby bullet processor? It's just sitting there and I'm really trying to start a low carb diet and I'd rather not buy a processor if I can use the one I already have! Thank you!
Lisa
Hi Cecilia, I have not used a baby bullet processor so I can't tell you if it will work. If you try it let me know how it works for you!
Nina
It come out great! I love the texture and taste both
Cat
Do you have to use some sort of fat, or would olive oil work?
Lisa
Yes, you can use olive oil!
Darla
Can I use a bag of cauliflower that are in small pieces