Mexican Cauliflower Rice is loaded with veggies and spiced to perfection! This zesty and flavorful riced cauliflower is a great side dish for taco night and makes the most tasty base for burrito bowls too!
I’m still cauliflower ricing it up over here and la la loving it.
If you’re new to the concept of cauliflower rice, it’s basically shredded bits-o-cauliflower that resemble grains of rice in texture. They’re a fantastic low-calorie alternative to rice and a great way to eat more veggies!
Most grocery store offer pre-riced bags of cauliflower in the produce section if you’re looking for a shortcut but it’s also relatively easy to make at home!
I’ll add my homemade cauliflower rice tips and tricks to the bottom of this post if you need ’em!
Though I usually add a bit of Asian flair to my cauliflower rice, I thought it would be fun to Tex-Mex it up for a change.
The result pretty much knocked my socks off. Each delicious bite is loaded with veggies and full of flavor!
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
This easy peasy recipe is low-carb, vegetarian, gluten-free, and grain-free.
A total one-pot wonder, it’s made in just one pan!
The only dairy is in the optional sriracha ranch sauce so feel free to skip it or swap around the ingredients to make it keto, vegan, dairy-free, paleo and whole30 friendly – which is super easy to do!
serving suggestions
We love this zesty cauliflower rice as a side dish for tacos, quesadillas, burritos, and more.
It can also be paired with your favorite protein for a simple but satisfying lunch dinner. You could even use this combo to prep some meal prep lunches for the week to heat up at work.
Another tasty option is to serve it up as the base for a “rice bowl” by mixing your favorite protein right in with the cauliflower rice and topping it with all your fiesta favorites. Jarred salsa, guacamole, sour cream, corn salsa, etc… all make tasty toppings.
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh riced cauliflower (approx. 4 cups)
- 2 TBSP avocado oil or olive oil
- 1.5 cups chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
- 1 roma tomato, chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt plus extra to taste
- 1/8 tsp paprika (mild) or cayenne pepper (hot) plus extra to taste
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 TBSP tomato paste
- 1/2 lime
- 2-3 TBSP fresh cilantro to garnish
SRIRACHA RANCH SAUCE
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 TBSP sour cream
- 2-3 tsp Sriracha
Instructions
- Chop your veggies and prep ingredients. Combine spices in a small bowl and mix. Whisk together Sriracha ranch ingredients in a seperate bowl and set aside.
- Making your cauliflower rice from scratch? See post for methods and instructions and cauli rice it up! To save time I used a 12 oz bag of fresh cauliflower rice from the produce section.
- Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat with 2 TBSP oil.
- Add onion, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until tender.
- Add half the spice blend along with the broth and tomato paste. Mix well and cook for one additional minute
- Add cauliflower rice and cook until desired texture is reached. Approx. 3 minutes for al dente rice or 5 minutes for more tender rice. Add a squeeze of lime juice (optional but delicious) and any aditional seasoning to taste. I added an extra pinch of salt.
- Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and drizzle with Sriracha Ranch Sauce if desired – SO GOOD!
Notes
Nutrition
how to make riced cauliflower:
If you’re new to the concept of cauliflower rice, it’s basically shredded bits-o-cauliflower that resemble grains of rice in texture. They’re a fantastic low-calorie alternative to rice for those with special diets or allergies, or for anyone that simply wants to eat more veggies.
Most grocery store offer pre-riced bags of cauli rice in the produce section if you’re looking for a shortcut but it’s also relatively easy to make at home!
To make cauliflower rice, remove the stem and leaves from a head of cauliflower. Then…
1. FOOD PROCESSOR cauliflower rice
Roughly chop into small florets. Use the food processor’s grater disc to transform the florets into “rice” or make it without the attachment by working in three batches. Working in small batches will help you get even texture. Simply pulse until the mixture appears minced/shredded and you’re good to go.
2. BOX GRATER cauliflower rice
Break into large pieces for easy handling and grate using the coarse side of your grater. As you run out of space for your fingers to grip the florets, simply mince any remaining pieces with a knife.
If you get a chance to try this Mexican Cauliflower Rice recipe, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
I’ve made this several times. Presentation is exactly like the picture. Taste is awesome. Simple to make.
Delicious, hubby gave it thumbs up. We don’t like things too spicy and this was just right. I didn’t add all the spice blend. I did add kidney beans and topped it with a salad blend, sour cream, avocado and a squeeze of more lemon.
We loved this. It was so flavorful!
This was so quick and easy to make! Great flavors, will be making again!
Even with all of the spice and extra salt, this was bland. It should have been better with the great ingredients, but it just wasn’t.
Can you use frozen cauliflower rice?
Hi Madi! I haven’t had a chance to buy some to experiment with but I’d imagine you could totally try!
This was absolutely scrumptious! I added all the spice mixture at once, though? No mention of the second half, so figured it wouldn’t hurt. Also used a bit more liquid. I poached some eggs to put on top and I may eat this every day for the rest of my life.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Corinne – thank you! I have the spice mixture halved so everyone can season to taste and add exactly what they’d like. The remainder goes in at step 6 but you’re welcome to just add it all in right away (I do as well!)
OMG! I have been following the keto diet for one year now and have lost about 25lbs. I have grown used to the taste of cauliflower rice and have accepted that it will never be the Arroz con habichuelas (Spanish rice and beans). My husband however doesn’t like the taste of CAuliflower, that is until tonight. This Mexican rice recipe was DELICIOUS! My husband said this will be the ONLY way he eats cauliflower rice. I did add 1/2 tsp of Trader Joes Chili Lime seasoning to the spice mixture and it made it even more flavorful!
Thank you so much Ches! I’m so stoked that you’re both loving the recipe! The chili lime seasoning addition sounds lovely!
This was really easy and delicious! I made it to accompany a low carb chili rellenos casserole and it made a perfect meal Thank you for posting it!
I’m totally craving chili rellenos now omg! Sounds like the perfect pairing!
Great recipe I made it tonight and was surprised to find a keto Mexican rice recipe that tasted great i did change a few thing as I always do but a good base. Thank you
What would be the net carbs for this recipe??? I wanna make it it for dinner tonight, it sounds amazing !
Hi Katelyn! So for net carbs you subtract the fiber (3g) from the total carbohydrates (11g) right? If so it should be 8 grams of net carbs per 1 cup serving with sauce. If you use a keto/paleo dressing for the sauce it may be a bit lower too I believe so for sure look into that. I absolutely LOVE this healthy veggie packed recipe and hope you do too! xoxo
Jenn Im not going to use the sauce only because I don’t have those ingredients. Would you know how many carbs we would subtract from the 8 ?
Is the tomato paste a must? If it is, what can I use instead?
Hi Lisa! I haven’t ever made it without the tomato paste but I’m sure you could alter the recipe a bit based on what you have on hand! The results will be a little different but what I would do is add some of your favorite red salsa in it’s place. It will thinner in consistency than the paste so maybe compensate by subtracting a tablespoon of the broth? You can always add it in after if needed/desired. xoxo
I used 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of Rotell tomatoes. It turned out great. I also added habanero peppers for more spice
what an awesome recipe for cauliflower , I wish I saw this before I steamed my head so off to the market to get another one a must try!
I’m so stoked for you to try it Claudia! xo
This is always a great side dish for dinner!
Totally!