Pop, pungent, and wholly loaded with authentic flavours, this healthy, high fibre, low carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice recipe will kill your love-hate relationship with cauliflower once and for all.
Because after eating it once, you will love making and eating cauliflower recipes all the more. Here is how to make it.
Mexican food is one of the delectable world cuisines that I have ever had.
It is easy to make and is filled with different flavors.
Out of most of the world cuisines that I have made at my WhiskAffair kitchen, Mexican food happens to be the most accessible and easy to grasp.
For the uninitiated, let me share that Mexican cuisine is just not limited to Salsa, Tacos, Churros but it also includes a plethora of recipes of side dishes such as Mexican Rice, carb recipes like Mushroom Bell Pepper Pizzadilla.
This Spinach Tortilla is my favorite variation of the classic Mexican Tortilla and I use it a lot for making a quesadilla, Burrito, etc.
Other than these recipes, I have an absolute favorite, which is also a regular at home, Mexican Rice.
But this time, I wanted to make something similar but didn’t want to touch rice too, so I made this delicious Cauliflower Mexican Rice. The best part, it gets ready in just 30 minutes!
This rice is made using cauliflower and then sautéed with all the other Mexican ingredients.
Today, I am going to share my detailed experience of making Mexican Cauliflower Rice from scratch following some really easy steps.
All in all, making this flavourful cauliflower rice doesn’t take more than 30 minutes. So, serving it this on a lazy weekend day or for a busy weekday is surely a great idea.
It is also low in carbs, thus great for those weight watchers.
So if you have fresh cauliflower florets and bell peppers at home, Don’t wait and get the ball rolling to make this delicious recipe.
This Cauli Rice recipe just as the name states is a wholesome dish with a refined taste of all the good Mexican food. Roll up your sleeves to stir-fry it already then?
Want to try some more Mexican recipes? Then, try these ones – Refried Bean Dip, Moist Mexican Cornbread, Mexican Couscous, One Pan Mexican Quinoa, and Salsa Chicken.
What is Mexican Cauliflower Rice?
Cauliflower Rice is basically cauliflower florets chopped into fine pieces that resemble rice grains.
It is a healthy, high in fiber and low carb alternative to regular rice and can be used to make preparations in which rice is used.
You can use cauliflower rice to make various recipes such as Asian Cauliflower Rice, Lemon Cauliflower Rice, Cauliflower Rice Biryani, etc.
Now that we know what is Cauliflower Rice, let’s talk about the Mexican version of the same.
In this recipe, the finely grated or chopped Cauliflower is sautéed along with garlic, onion, Jalapeno pepper, bell peppers, peas, corn, carrot, tomato puree, salt, pepper powder, cumin powder, and paprika.
It hardly takes any time to prepare this dish, and thus it is great for your everyday dinner meals.
You can even pack it in your Lunch Box.
This Cauliflower Rice is
- Low Carb
- Grain-Free
- Vegan
- Keto-friendly
- Paleo
- Customizable
- Super easy to make
- Quick to make
How to make it at home?
Although these days, you get packed cauliflower rice ready to be cooked in most grocery stores, it’s super easy and very economical to make it at home.
All you need is a cauliflower head and a food processor. Cut the cauliflower in small florets.
Heat water in a large pot and bring it to a boil. Add the florets in boiling water and drain them in a minute.
This will make sure that if there are any insects hidden inside the florets, they die and float on top of the water. You can then remove them and drain the water.
Add the florets in the food processor and pulse until they cut into very small, rice-sized pieces.
Is it good for you?
Cauliflower rice is a high fiber and low carb alternative to the regular rice.
It is packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
People following vegan, paleo, whole 30 diets can also have it.
You should read about this cauliflower recipe to know more about it.
Can it be frozen?
You can make the rice in bulk and freeze in freezer-safe bags. Before using, just thaw for an hour.
You can then use it to make whichever flavor you want to make.
Some stores have started to sell readymade frozen cauliflower rice.
So you can pick that as well if you want the process even faster.
Does it taste good?
To be frank, I was a little skeptical about the taste when I made this Asian Cauliflower Rice, but one spoonful, and I was in love with this concept.
So cauliflower rice tastes good surprisingly.
You have to try it once to believe it. This is all I can say!
Can it be reheated?
It can be easily reheated in a microwave. You can even heat this in a pan with a little oil.
How to make it without a food processor?
If you don’t have a food processor, fret not. You can easily make it using a simple grater.
Just grate the cauliflower on the medium grate and you are good to go.
I suggest not using a blender to make it because it will make a paste of the cauliflower which we don’t want.
How to make it with Ground Beef (Keto Version)?
To make a Keto Version of Mexican Cauliflower Rice, heat oil in a skillet and brown the ground beef.
Then follow the recipe as mentioned below. At last, sprinkle some grated cheese on top and let the rice cook until the cheese melts.
You can use any ground meat of your choice in place of beef.
You can also choose to skip the cheese if you want rice with only meat.
Pro Tips by Neha
Use a food processor or a grater to make the cauliflower rice. Using these will ensure that the result is rice-like and not a paste of cauliflower.
You can increase or decrease the amount of paprika according to your liking.
You can add Shrimps, shredded chicken, or eggs to your rice if you wish to.
Tools required
You should have a food processor or a grater to make Cauliflower Rice.
Serving Suggestions
This rice is a one-pot meal that tastes delicious in itself, but you can use it as a base to top with a spicy stew or curry, use it in tacos or burritos, or even in a fajita salad.
You can even make Cabbage Tacos and fill this Cauliflower Rice into the cabbages.
You can also serve it along with a piece of grilled chicken, shrimps, or avocado.
To make this rice more filling, you can top it with a half fried egg, avocados, blistered corn, and tomatoes.
A dollop of sour cream goes a long way.
A little garnish of Jalapeno and cilantro makes it even more inviting.
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Step by Step Recipe
Cut the cauliflower into small florets and wash them well. Put it in a food processor and pulse until it is broken down into rice-like pieces.
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Once the oil is hot, add garlic and onion and fry till onion turns pinkish.
Add the riced cauliflower and fry for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring gently.
Add Jalapeno pepper, bell peppers, peas, corn, and carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Now add tomato puree, salt, pepper powder, cumin powder, and paprika.
Cover the pan and cook the cauliflower rice on low heat for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cook for 5 minutes.
Mexican Cauliflower Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium Cauliflower
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tsp Garlic (Finely Chopped)
- 1 cup Onion (Chopped)
- 1 Pickled jalapeno (Chopped)
- 1/4 cup Red Bell pepper (Chopped)
- 1/4 cup Yellow Bell Pepper (Chopped)
- 1/4 cup Peas
- 1/4 cup Corn
- 1/4 cup Carrot (Chopped)
- 1/4 cup Tomato (Puree)
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into small florets and wash it well.
- Put it in a food processor and pulse until it is broken down into rice like pieces.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add garlic and onion and fry till onion turns pinkish.
- Add the riced cauliflower and fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Keep stirring gently.
- Add Jalapeno pepper, bell peppers, peas, corn and carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add tomato puree, salt, pepper powder, cumin powder and paprika.
- Cover the pan and cook the cauliflower rice on low heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Top with fried egg, cilantro and sour cream.
- Serve hot.
Meena
Delicious
Neha Mathur
Thnx 🙂