How to Make Cauliflower Rice

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Dec 15, 2023

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Cauliflower rice is a wonderful low-carb and grain-free rice alternative. Plus, it’s a sneaky way to get more vegetables into your diet. Serve it up as a tasty side dish or use it as the base for macros bowls!

A bowl of cauliflower rice. — *Photo: Gayle McLeod*

Cauliflower rice (lovingly called “cauli rice”) is a staple in my healthy meal prep routine. Now, I don’t necessarily follow a low-carb diet — I do eat white rice and other grains. But, I always try to incorporate extra veggies into my meals when I can, just like broccoli rice.

And while cauliflower rice has surged in popularity these past few years and you can now buy bags of riced cauliflower at the market, my homemade version is still a great option. Here’s why:

It’s easy to make! All you need is a food processor (or blender) and a sauté pan to make this in under 30 minutes. Then, you have the option of freezing it for later.
There’s added flavor. Plain cauliflower is a bit bland in flavor, which is why I’ve added sautéed onions, salt, and black pepper. Those little additions really give it a boost! I’ve also got several more ideas on how to flavor your rice below.

Cauliflower Rice Ingredients

Cauliflower: One large head of cauliflower is all you need. But if you’re feeding more than a couple of people, grab two!
Onion: I highly recommend it for an extra punch of savoriness. After all, who doesn’t love onions in a sauté?
Seasoning: Salt and black pepper are all you need, but feel free to add dried herbs or other seasonings for extra flavor.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How To Make Cauliflower Rice

Prep the cauliflower. Remove the cauliflower florets from the head of the cauliflower with a knife. Then, rinse the florets and make sure to pat them dry.

Grate the cauliflower. If you have a food processor, use the grater attachment to grate the cauliflower. If not, you can also use a box grater. It will just take a bit longer. And if you have a Vitamix (or other high-powered blender), I have instructions for that below.

Food processor tip: You can use the chopper attachment on your food processor (the one you probably use most often) instead of the grater attachment, but I find that the cauliflower grains are much more consistent with the grater attachment. The chopper attachment tends to mush the florets on the bottom and not chop the florets higher up.

Cook the onion. Sauté half an onion with a little olive oil in a pan to add delicious flavor to the cauliflower rice. Trust me, it’s a step you won’t want to skip!

Cook the cauliflower. Add the grated cauliflower to the pan and sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes. The cauliflower should be warmed through and slightly tender. Season with salt and black pepper, or add some of the tasty flavor enhancements mentioned below.

Common Questions

Can I make cauliflower rice in a blender?

Yes! What you’ll do is slice the cauliflower into small pieces and place them into the Vitamix (no more than ⅔ full). Fill the Vitamix with water until the cauliflower lifts above the blade and pulse until desired consistency, about 6 to 8 times. Then, pour the mixture through a sieve and pat the cauliflower dry.

What pairs well with cauliflower rice?

Pretty much any kind of meal you would normally eat rice with! A few favorites of mine for a healthy meal are crispy baked chicken thighs, slow cooker pulled pork, or this slow cooker rotisserie chicken. But also, you can use cauliflower rice to make this delicious cauliflower pizza crust!

Tasty Cauliflower Rice Recipes

Cauliflower Fried Rice: A delicious, low-carb twist on classic fried rice!
Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh: Traditional tabbouleh swaps bulgar with cauliflower rice for added veggies. Plus, it’s gluten-free.
Asian Cauliflower Rice with Ginger Shrimp: This is a bowl full of flavorful goodness with creamy avocado, and spicy shrimp.
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice: If you’ve got a Mexican meal planned for, this cilantro lime rice is the perfect addition.
Mexican Cauliflower Rice: Follow the below recipe, then stir fry 2 cloves of minced garlic after sautéing the onions. Cook the cauliflower rice for 5 minutes, then add 2 tomatoes (finely diced), 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 jalapeño pepper (seeds removed and finely diced), 1/2 tsp cumin, juice from 1 lime, and finely chopped fresh cilantro. Stir it all together for a couple of minutes then serve.
Cauliflower rice is also used as the base in my cauliflower pizza crust recipe!

Storage Tips

Storing cooked cauliflower rice: This will last up to 4 days in the fridge stored in a sealed container. When ready to enjoy, just microwave it or reheat it back in the pan to warm through.
Freezing cauliflower rice: Once you’ve riced the cauliflower, divide it into storage bags or containers. It’ll stay good for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to eat it, just toss it frozen into a sauté pan as per the instructions below and cook for a few additional minutes until warmed through. Note: I don’t recommend freezing cooked cauliflower rice as it’ll turn mushy once thawed.

More Cauliflower Recipes

Mashed Cauliflower: The best low-carb alternative to regular mashed potatoes!
Air Fryer Cauliflower: Achieve perfectly cooked florets in under 25 minutes.
Roasted Cauliflower Soup: A soup that’s savory and cozy, but won’t weigh you down.
Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower: The za’atar spices make this a special side dish!

I hope you enjoy this cauliflower rice recipe! If you make it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this recipe and what you paired with it in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.

How to Make Cauliflower Rice – Easy Recipe!

5 from 25 votes

Prep: 15

Cook: 10

Total: 25

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Lisa Bryan

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Description

Cauliflower rice is a great grain-free rice alternative. It provides a healthy, veggie base for so many meal options and tastes delicious. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!

Video

Equipment

KitchenAid Food Processor My favorite food processor for large quantities!

Ingredients

▢ 1 head of cauliflower
▢ ½ medium yellow onion, diced
▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
▢ kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Remove the florets. Slice the cauliflower head in half and use a knife to remove all the florets. Cut some of the larger florets into smaller pieces so they'll fit within the chute of your food processor.
Grate the cauliflower. Insert the grater adapter into your food processor and start feeding the cauliflower florets through the top. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may have to empty it halfway through.
Sauté the onion. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat and sauté the onion for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened and translucent.
Sauté the cauliflower. Add the cauliflower rice to the pan and sauté for another 5 to 7 minutes, until warmed through and slightly tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve. Serve immediately while warm as a healthy side dish.

Nutrition

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cauliflower rice, cauliflower rice recipes, how to make cauliflower rice

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Recipe originally posted October 2016, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!

About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.