How to Make Cauliflower Rice

Follow this easy tutorial to make your own cauliflower rice, plus bonus tips to make it crispy and delicious! This cauli rice is quick and easy, and it’s a great low-carb option for the Whole30, paleo, or keto. Don’t forget to make extra cauliflower rice to freeze!

I have a confession.

I am not a big fan of cauliflower.

On its own, it kind of makes me wrinkle my nose, and it’s not my first choice for what I want to put on my plate.

But I’ve experimented with it in the past, and in Creamy Cauliflower Sauce, it’s delicious!

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower? I actually like it.

I still don’t eat raw cauliflower on its own.

But crispy cauliflower rice? I’ll scoop that on my plate any time.

CAULIFLOWER RICE MYTHS

Cauliflower rice was all the rage not too long ago and seems to be the saving grace for those who can’t have grains for one reason or another. I learned how to make it early on in the Whole30, but before I show you how to make rice with cauliflower, let me bust a few myths out there on this dish.

1. First, it doesn’t taste like rice. Let’s just get that out of the way. While it is a decent rice substitute for some meals, it isn’t 100% the same.
2. Second, it doesn’t absorb liquid like rice does. If you’re looking for something to sop up the juices from your Whole30-compliant Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli, this won’t do it.

If you’re looking for a side dish that has a similar texture to rice, and something that complements the flavors of your favorite Stir Fry, then look no further. This is the perfect cauliflower rice recipe for you.

CAULIFLOWER RICE RECIPE

When you can’t have regular rice, easy cauliflower rice recipes are going to be the next best thing. And given the fact that we’ve been including Whole30 meals in our meal plans well past the 30-day mark, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to make cauliflower rice. I love cauliflower rice because it’s:

• Quick and easy
• Whole30, paleo, and keto-friendly
• Freezer-friendly
• Crispy outside, light and fluffy inside
• An easy way to add an extra veggie in recipes!

HOW TO MAKE RICE WITH CAULIFLOWER

You can make cauliflower rice in several ways. The result is tiny pieces of cauliflower that are similar in size to grains of rice.

• Use a knife and a cutting board. This way DOES work, but it takes the most time, and it’s still pretty difficult to get your cauliflower rice chopped evenly.
• Box grater or cheese grater. This is my favorite method, and it’s the one I use the most. Using a big hole grater blade works best for this method.
• Food processor. If you have a food processor, use the large-hole grater attachment and feed the food processor the cauliflower florets. This is a good method for making large amounts of riced cauliflower at once.
• Blender. I’ve never done this method myself, but you can put roughly chopped cauliflower in a blender, fill it to the max line with water, pulse it until the cauliflower is in tiny bits, and drain it well. With my high-powered Blendtec, I think I might end up with cauliflower sauce instead, which is yummy on Pasta Primavera, but not what we’re trying to accomplish here.

HOW TO MAKE CAULIFLOWER RICE USING A BOX GRATER

I use a box grater to make my cauliflower rice. Not only is grating the cauliflower CRAZY EASY, but it is so much quicker than any other method.

Plus, the cauliflower pieces truly get as small as pieces of regular rice, AND it doesn’t make nearly as much of a mess as the knife and cutting board method, which leaves me with large chunks.

Here’s how to make rice with cauliflower using a box grater:

Step 1. As best as you can, pull off all the green leaves and stems from the cauliflower.

Step 2. Wash and dry the cauliflower.

Step 3. Placing the stem of the cauliflower on a cutting board, cut the cauliflower in half, from the top down, so that you have part of the stem attached to each half.

Step 4. Holding the cauliflower by the stem, grate only the cauliflower florets using the big hole of a box grater (the hole you’d use to shred cheddar cheese).

Step 5. Rotate the cauliflower as needed until you’ve grated all the florets off. When you start getting big pieces of cauliflower all over, stop. That’s the stem, and you don’t want those for this dish.

Note: I also learned – via the box grater method – that it tastes SO MUCH BETTER if you only use the florets and not the stems. Grating the cauliflower is the easiest way to make this happen.

I recommend using the stems to make Creamy Cauliflower Sauce or steaming them as a side dish with other veggies (just don’t waste them!).

HOW TO COOK CAULIFLOWER RICE

Once you have riced cauliflower, it’s time to cook it. I started thinking about how to make cauliflower rice CRISPY, and I struck gold. The key here is to use a shallow, wide pan with very hot oil and stir constantly. (My large cast iron pan worked great!)

It kind of sounds like deep-frying cauliflower, but I promise you’re not. It’s more akin to the idea of cooking in a wok using high heat, where the food doesn’t have a chance to sit in one spot for very long. This means the food cooks without burning, and it cooks rather quickly because of the high heat.

Note: I definitely prefer this method to using a sheet pan in the oven to make cauli rice (which I do not recommend at all), or in a saucepan on the stove (which is like steaming, essentially, and can come out a bit mushy and really brings out that cauliflower smell).

HOW TO COOK CRISPY CAULIFLOWER RICE DISHES

Follow these step-by-step instructions:

Step 1. Place a large skillet over medium heat.

Step 2. When you can easily feel the heat coming off the pan, add the uncooked cauliflower rice to the pan and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. I like to make one big “round the pan” motion and then move side to side as I cross the pan, then repeat this over and over.

Step 3. Cook cauliflower rice until it is light to medium golden brown and tender, or as desired. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. A dash of lemon juice or red pepper flakes adds some pizzazz!

Note: If you’re serving this instead of rice in a saucy dish, I recommend serving cauli rice NEXT TO the dish, rather than layering underneath.

CAULI RICE RECIPE TIPS

• Cook in batches if you have a lot of cauliflower rice. Overcrowding the pan makes it harder to crisp up.
• Don’t cover the pan while cooking the cauliflower rice! This traps the steam, and you’ll end up with mushy rice and a strong cauliflower odor.
• There’s another trick to making crispy cauliflower rice – getting rid of the excess moisture.
  • Once you’ve grated all the cauliflower, put it on a couple of paper towels or a kitchen towel and press down to release as much moisture as you can.
  • In a typical dinner situation, I’d rice the cauliflower first, absorb the moisture, and let it sit out on the paper towels while I prepped and cooked almost everything else. Then I’d blot it again and cook it up at the very end since it cooks fast.
• Raw cauliflower rice develops a fairly strong smell. Either cook it right away or follow my steps here for Frozen Cauliflower Rice!
• For storage of extra cooked cauli rice, place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• If you are using riced cauliflower in place of brown or white rice in a recipe, use cooked cauliflower rice. You may also need to adjust the liquid in the recipe since cauliflower rice won’t absorb additional liquid like brown or white rice would.
• Mix up the flavors by making cilantro lime cauliflower rice, adding minced garlic and fresh herbs, or other spice mixes!

HOW TO SERVE RICED CAULIFLOWER

This cauliflower rice is the perfect side dish for these great recipes!

• 30-Minute Cashew Chicken
• Kung Pao Chicken with Vegetables
• Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
• Chinese 5-Spice Chicken
• Sweet and Sticky Chicken

Or go for a totally different flavor and add some taco toppings on top for a burrito bowl!

This recipe is featured in my FREE Budget-Friendly Whole30 Meal Plan!

MACRO-FRIENDLY CAULIFLOWER RICE

Cauliflower rice is a great option if you’re trying to make a meal low in carbohydrates, with only 3-5 grams of carbs per cup, compared to over 40 grams in the same amount of traditional rice.

This makes it perfect for pairing with the two P’s: protein and produce.

Whether you’re in a deficit actively trying to lose weight, or just looking for a healthy way to balance your macros, including cauliflower rice along with lean protein and plenty of veggies is an easy way to feel satisfied while sticking to your nutrition goals.

CAULIFLOWER AND RICE FAQS

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