Mexican Cauliflower Rice
This Whole30 Mexican Cauliflower Rice is so easy to make and full of flavour. It is the perfect base for any Mexican dish or wonderful on its own topped with salsa and avocado. It’s Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Low Carb.
Over the years, this Mexican cauliflower rice has played a supporting role in a variety of recipes I’ve shared on this site including Mexican Stewed Beef and Mexican Rice and Chicken Stuffed Peppers. I finally decided that this rice dish is just too good to keep hidden amongst other recipes and deserves its very own post.
If you are a fan of Mexican food this will quickly become a staple in your kitchen, it takes less than 20 minutes to make and is so delicious.
You can use this Whole30 Mexican Cauliflower rice in just about anything. I love mixing into a fajita salad for added substance, putting it in tacos or as a base to top with stewed beef or meatballs. It is also fantastic on its own, topped with shredded chicken or grilled prawns, salsa and avocado.
Once you make this rice you will realize that the options for its use are really endless. Leftovers will last a couple of days in the fridge and are great as a packed lunch you can take to work and eat warm or cold.
Here are a few more cauliflower rice recipes that you might enjoy!
- Beef & Cauliflower Rice Mexican Casserole
- Chicken & Cauliflower Rice Soup
- Broccoli, Chicken & Cauliflower Rice Casserole
- Coconut Cauliflower Rice
- Cauliflower Rice Paella
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 small head cauliflower (approx 4 cups cauliflower rice)
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- pinch cayenne
Optional Toppings
- chopped avocado
- salsa
- shredded chicken
- jalapeños
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into large chunks and place in a food processor. Pulse for 5 to 6 seconds until the cauliflower has broken down into small rice sized pieces.
- In a pan on medium heat, sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes until the onions soften. Add in the cauliflower rice, salt and chopped tomatoes, cover with a lid and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cauliflower rice has begun to soften in texture.
- Add in the cumin, paprika, lime juice and cayenne. Continue to cook until the cauliflower becomes tender but not mushy. Stir in the chopped cilantro just before serving.
Nutrition
I have made this a few times now. It is always delicious. The first couple of times I made the recipe as written, but it never looked the same as the photo. The last time I added a drained small can of Rotel tomatoes, corn, black beans and 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste. Very tasty.
Loved it! So easy to make. I added Mexican corn niblets to add a nice crunch to the texture.
I absolutely loved this dish. We topped it with homemade salsa I made this summer and my husband also added cheese. Considering he isn’t a fan of cauliflower I’d say this is a great replacement for Spanish Rice.
This was delicious! We threw on some grilled chicken, guac, and shredded lettuce. Hubby also had shredded cheese and sour cream. better than Chipotle, and I know exactly what was in the food. Thank you!
That sounds like such a delicious meal!! So happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Can I make this recipe using frozen cauliflower rice?
Yes definitely!
I would say about 1 1/4 cups of the drained tomatoes, maybe slightly less depending on how tomato-y you want it to be
Drained canned tomatoes ok?? How much?
Please disregard. For some reason I thought it had chicken as part of the recipe. Thanks again.
No worries! If you are ever looking for the nutrition of recipes you have adjusted I recommend downloading the app RecipeIQ, you can just input a link to the webpage and it calculates everything for you 🙂
Hello. I made this without the chicken. Do you have the nutrient count without the chicken? It is very good by the way. Thank you for the recipe.
I made this and used salsa instead of the tomatoes and threw in some ground beef. It was amazing with and without meat and both my kids ate it including my teen! I’m still totally shocked. This will be on the menu weekly.
Oohh love the idea of adding ground beef! That sounds so good!
Your response to Mandy was well worded. I’m not sure I would have been so indifferent, and I mean that in the post positive way 🙂 It sounds delicious!!
Haha thank you! I’ve had a lot of practice responding to those kind of comments ???? Let me know if you make the cauliflower rice (with or without chicken ????)
Delicious! Even my picky (veggie phobic) son liked it which, seriously, is a top rating! Still delicious re-heated and can be enjoyd cold as well.
I always get so excited when I hear that children enjoy a recipe because I know just how hard they can be to please! So happy that you liked the Cauliflower Rice!
Since when is chicken vegan
The recipe for the cauliflower rice is vegan and then as you can see I have included optional toppings for both vegans and meat eaters.
Wow, thanks! I made this tonight. We are on week 2 of Whole30 and we love Mexican. I added a little red pepper with the onion, and when I added the herbs I also added some shredded rotisserie chicken. Then, of course jalapeño. Served with sliced avocado. So easy, so good.
Yea!! I’m so happy to hear that you liked it! Its great as a side dish, or base for just about any Mexican dish. Good luck on your Whole30!
If I were using pre-prepared cauliflower rice, how many cups would equal your small head of cauliflower do you think?
1 small head cauliflower should be approx 3 1/2 cups cauliflower rice