Cauliflower rice is the perfect keto and paleo substitute for white rice. You can start with this basic recipe and adjust it to your liking.
The leftovers keep well for several days in the fridge, and you can also freeze them and reheat them directly from frozen.
I've been making this delicious side dish at least once a week over the past ten years. It amazes me how well it works as a substitute for white rice! It's not just delicious, but also very similar in its mouthfeel and texture to the real thing.
Even my kids are happy to eat cauliflower rice - especially when I use it as a bed for saucy main dishes such as butter chicken or pulled chicken.
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Ingredients
The list of ingredients needed to make this recipe is delightfully short. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Fresh cauliflower: You can use a whole head or buy pre-washed florets.
- Oil: Either a neutral-tasting avocado oil or flavorful extra-virgin olive oil. Butter is also an option.
- To season: Kosher salt and black pepper.
- Minced garlic: Mince it yourself, or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Both work, although freshly minced garlic does taste better.
Variations
In the basic recipe, used as a bed for stir-fries and saucy dishes, I use neutral-tasting avocado oil and add salt, pepper, and garlic. This basic recipe is delicious, so you can simply serve it as a side dish, just as it is.
But if you make it as a side dish, and not as a bed for saucy main courses, it doesn't have to be neutral-tasting. In this case, by all means, go ahead and make it more interesting!
For example, you can cook the cauliflower in flavorful olive oil instead of neutral avocado oil. You can also cook it in butter, and when it's done, take it off the heat and mix in two tablespoons of grated parmesan and a pinch of dried thyme.
Another great variation is to make cauliflower fried rice.
Instructions
The detailed instructions for making this recipe are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
Place the cauliflower in your food processor and process it into tiny "grains." Alternatively, you can buy it pre-riced.
Saute the cauliflower in oil until it's tender but not mushy.
Add salt, pepper, and garlic, then serve.
Expert Tip
Try not to overcook the cauliflower. You don't want it to be raw, but you don't want it mushy, either. It should have a "bite," much like al-dente pasta. So make sure to remove it from the heat as soon as it's no longer raw.
Recipe FAQs
It does not taste like real rice, but it does have a surprisingly similar texture and mouthfeel. I think it's delicious, but obviously, this is a matter of personal taste, and you'll need to try and decide for yourself.
Yes, and you can cook it directly from its frozen state. When I first started making this recipe, back in 2013, I had to process the cauliflower in the food processor.
Fast forward a few years, and you can now buy it pre-riced at the grocery store, fresh or frozen. I now frequently opt for convenient store-bought packages.
It doesn't need to be! The frozen packages are relatively pricey. Pre-shredded fresh riced cauliflower is a bit more expensive than a whole cauliflower head. But you can simply buy a head of cauliflower and chop it finely in your food processor. It's easy and affordable.
Serving Suggestions
Cauliflower rice is the perfect bed for saucy dishes that you would normally serve on top of white rice. It pairs well with stir-fry dishes such as steak stir-fry, shrimp stir-fry, pork stir-fry, and chicken stir-fry.
It also goes well with saucy dishes such as:
- Meatballs with tomato sauce
- Chicken curry
- Sloppy joes
- Goulash
- Moroccan chicken
- Baked scallops
- Pork stew
- Korean ground beef
Sometimes, I use it to make a lovely bowl for lunch. In the photo below, I topped it with an egg, an avocado, and kimchi:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
More Cauliflower Recipes
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Recipe Card
Quick Cauliflower Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
Instructions
- Trim the cauliflower and coarsely chop it. Place the chopped cauliflower in your food processor and process, in a few batches if needed, until it has the texture of rice. You should have about 1 pound of riced cauliflower, which is about 4 cups.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until almost tender, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, 1 more minute.
- Remove immediately from the heat and serve.
Video
Notes
- Variations: You can cook the cauliflower in flavorful olive oil instead of neutral avocado oil. You can also cook it in butter, and when it's done, take it off the heat and mix in two tablespoons of grated parmesan and a pinch of dried thyme.
- Try not to overcook the cauliflower. You don't want it to be raw, but you don't want it mushy, either. It should have a "bite," much like al-dente pasta. So make sure to remove it from the heat as soon as it's no longer raw.
- You can use packaged riced cauliflower, fresh or frozen. There's no need to thaw it first of using frozen.Â
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Liam
Avocado oil is bland so I use butter. No other changes. Great recipe. Wife likes it too.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you and your wife enjoy this recipe, Liam! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Denise Charron
Hi, I love your recipes. Most are quite easy and quick to make. I usually buy a large, fresh package of riced cauliflower. How many cups would be in a medium head of cauliflower? Thank you.
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Denise,
I'm so glad you find my recipes useful! You can use 4 cups of riced cauliflower in this recipe.
Thank you for this question - I'll go ahead and add this info to the recipe card.
Damiana Ferreras
Hello, thank you for sharing your recipes. I have a question.Could I use the frozen Cauliflower.
Thank you
Damiana Ferreras
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Damiana,
Frozen riced cauliflower works well in this recipe.
If you have frozen cauliflower florets, I haven't tried those. They should work if your food processor is powerful enough to rice them. I don't think mine would be able to handle this task!