Mexican Cauliflower Rice (Vegan, Low Carb)

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 would love making and eating cauliflower recipes all the more. The best is it’s vegan, whole 30 and paleo too. Here is how to make Mexican Cauliflower Rice.

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?

Mexican food is one of the delectable world cuisines that I have ever had. 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 dish such as Mexican Rice, carb recipes like Mushroom Bell Pepper Pizzadilla.

This Spinach Tortilla is my favourite variation of the classic Mexican Tortilla and I use it a lot for making quesadilla, Burrito etc.

And today, I am going to share my detailed experience about 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 weekend is surely a great idea.

You can also serve this Spicy Baked Basa along with this cauliflower rice for a wholesome meal.

Got fresh cauliflower florets at home and bell peppers? Then just get the ball rolling to make this delicious recipe.

This Mexican Cauliflower Rice is

• Low Carb
• Grain Free
• Vegan
• Keto
• Paleo
• Customisable
• Super easy to make
• Quick to make

What is Cauliflower Rice?

Cauliflower rice is basically cauliflower florets chopped into fine pieces which resembles rice grains. It is a healthy, high fibre and low carb alternative to regular rice and can be used to make preparations in which rice is used.

How to make cauliflower rice at home?

Although these days, you get packed cauliflower rice ready to be cooked in most grocery store, 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 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 Cauliflower rice good for you?

Cauliflower rice is a high fibre and low carb alternative to the regular rice. It is packed with vitamins and anti oxidants. People following vegan, paloe, whole 30 diets can also have it. You should read this article to know more about it.

Can Cauliflower Rice 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 flavour 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 more fast.

Does Cauliflower rice 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 Infact it taste very very good. You have to try it once to believe it. This is all I can say.

Can Cauliflower rice be reheated?

It can be easily reheated in a microwave.

How to make Cauliflower rice 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 Mexican Cauliflower Rice 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 cheese if you want the rice with only meat.

Tips to make best Mexican Cauliflower rice

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 you liking.

You can add Shrimps, shredded chicken or eggs to your rice if you wish to.

Tools required to make Cauliflower Rice

You should have a food processor or a grater to make cauliflower rice.

What to serve this Mexican Cauliflower Rice with?

This rice is a one pot meal which taste 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 also serve it along a pieces 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.

How to make Mexican Cauliflower Rice?

Prepared by using cauliflower that is grated rice like in a food processor, Mexican Cauliflower Rice even has the goodness and flavours of garlic, corn, carrots, bell peppers, jalapenos, peas and onion like veggies. It gets its signature taste from spices like cumin powder, paprika et al.

I did add a bit of tomato puree, chicken stock to give a nice texture so that all the ingredients blend well. Once all the ingredients are sautéed well and cooked on a closed lid for 4-5 minutes, Mexican Cauliflower Rice gets ready to be served with a dollop of sour cream, fried egg and cilantro.

You can also add Shrimps, chicken or egg to your Mexican Cauliflower Rice if you wish to.

For me, Mexican Cauliflower Rice is a very healthy substitute rice dish to make for parties, lunches, dinners or just while we trio are chilling and Netflixing. It is surely going to be made often in my kitchen. How about yours? Give a look to my recipe and take a call, guys?

You might also like

Basil Walnut Pesto

Tomato Zucchini Tart

Persian Saffron Rice

Horchata

Shrimp Chow Mein

Cucumber Salsa

How to make Mexican Cauliflower Rice Step by Step

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.

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

4.5 from 6 votes

Print

Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Pop, pungent and wholly loaded with authentic flavours, this healthy, high fibre, low carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice recipe is a must try.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 146 kcal

Author Neha Mathur

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

1. Cut the cauliflower into small florets and wash it well.

2. Put it in a food processor and pulse until it is broken down into rice like pieces.

3. Heat olive oil in a large pan.

4. Once the oil is hot, add garlic and onion and fry till onion turns pinkish.

5. Add the riced cauliflower and fry for 3-4 minutes.

6. Keep stirring gently.

7. Add Jalapeno pepper, bell peppers, peas, corn and carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes.

8. Add tomato puree, salt, pepper powder, cumin powder and paprika.

9. Cover the pan and cook the cauliflower rice on low heat for 4-5 minutes.

10. Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes.

11. Top with fried egg, cilantro and sour cream.

12. Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts

Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 146 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 7g 11%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Sodium 58mg 2%

Potassium 628mg 18%

Total Carbohydrates 17g 6%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20%

Sugars 6g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 39.2%

Vitamin C 132.3%

Calcium 4.7%

Iron 6.2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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