Learn how to make Cauliflower Rice from scratch, and store or freeze it for meal prep. This versatile vegetable makes for a delicious, low-calorie, low-carb side dish that can be substituted for rice, and tastes great with dal, curries, stir-fries, burritos, and in salad bowls!
Cauliflower is perhaps one of the most versatile vegetables on the planet! You can eat it raw in salads, roast it, stir-fry it, add it to curries, and my most favorite way- rice it!
My hubby and I prefer to eat a low-carb diet most days of the week. Given my love for Indian and Asian recipes in which rice is a huge component, this recipe works as the easiest and tastiest substitute for rice for us.
Even though you can find it in the supermarket these days, nothing beats freshly grated, homemade riced cauliflower. Today, I'm sharing this easy 15-minute recipe, that's easy to customize and can be refrigerated, or frozen for later use!
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What is Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower rice is whole head of cauliflower that has been grated into small, rice-shaped pieces in a food processor or with a grater. It can be made fresh at home or found in the produce or freezer section of most grocery stores.
Fun Fact: As per popular belief, riced cauliflower was invented in 1998 by Harrison Ford's son, Ben Ford, a chef in California. Except that he called his creation cauliflower 'couscous'!
So, how healthy is cauliflower rice? While enjoying this delicious side, in addition to saving calories and carbs, we also end up adding a good amount of fiber and nutrients to our meal. Now thats a win-win!
Is Cauliflower Rice Better than Rice?
The answer is "Yes!" A cup of cauliflower rice contains 3 grams of net carbs as compared to 45 grams in white rice, and 41 grams in brown rice. Similarly, a cup of riced cauliflower is only 27 calories as compared to 210 calories in white rice, and 216 in brown rice. Take a look at the following numbers and see for yourself:
| Rice Type (Cooked) | Net Carbs per 1 cup | Calories per 1 Cup |
| White Rice (Basmati) | 45 g | 210 |
| Brown Rice (Basmati) | 41 g | 216 |
| Cauliflower Rice | 3 g | 27 |
Benefits of Cauliflower & Why Make it at Home
I rice cauliflower on a regular basis. In fact, it's part of my Sunday meal-prep. Here are some health benefits of this cruciferous vegetable, along with reasons why I love making it at home:
- It is a low-calorie - low-carb side dish, which works well with a variety of diets like Keto, Low-Carb, Whole30, Paleo, just to name a few.
- With 3 grams of fiber in one cup of cauliflower, it is a great source of fiber, which is great for gut health.
- Cauliflower is rich in antioxidants, which aid in reducing inflammation and protecting against several chronic diseases. It is also a great source of Vitamin C, with a cup of chopped cauliflower containing 85% of our daily intake.
- When you make cauli rice at home, you get to control the texture of the grind. Make it as fine or as coarse as you like.
- Home made cauli rice doesn't have that 'funky sulfur smell' and lasts longer than store-ready riced cauliflower.
How much does one head make: A large head of cauliflower yields about 3 ½- 4 cups riced cauliflower.
How to Make Cauliflower Rice
Wash and dry the cauliflower ahead of time so it's ready to process. To do that, soak the entire head in a bowl of tap cold water for a few minutes. Then rinse it and air dry on the counter. Let's see the step by step instructions on how to rice cauliflower:
Step 1:How to Cut Cauliflower
Start by cutting the cauliflower head into florets. To do that, cut the cauliflower into quarters through the middle. Lay each segment flat on the cutting board, and cut at an 45 degrees angle to separate the stem. Now separate the florets. Here's a detailed post on How to Cut Cauliflower for reference.
Step 2: Rice Cauliflower- 3 ways
Method 1: Using the 'S' Blade in Food processor (my preferred way): Use the basic 'S' shaped blade that comes as default with most food processors. Add the florets in the food processor in 2-3 batches. Close the lid and pulse 8-10 times, or until you reach your desired texture. (pic 3 & 4)
Method 2: Using the 'Grater' blade in Food processor: Attach the 'grater' blade in your food processor. Close the lid, start the machine and add the cauliflower florets into the feeder tube. You may have to cut the bigger florets into half to fit them in (pic 1 & 2). Continue till all the cauliflower florets have been shredded.
Method 3: Using a Box-Grater: Don't have a food processor, no problem! Use the medium-sized holes in a box grater, start with the floret side and grate it into 'rice-like' shreds.
How to Cook Cauliflower Rice
This is the easy part. It takes about 5-7 minutes to turn your grated cauliflower into a gourmet 'low-carb' side dish.
- Simply heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat.
- Stir in the riced cauliflower. Stir and sauté for 5 minutes, until it becomes tender.
- Add your choice of seasoning and stir another minute.
- Turn off the heat and garnish your chopped cilantro, parsley or any fresh herb of choice.
Recipes: Try this delicious Indian Cauliflower rice with your curries and dal, or this Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice to add to your Mexican Fiesta!
Serving Suggestion
Riced cauliflower goes great with anything you might like rice with! Enjoy it with dals and curries, Thai curries, grilled chicken, burritos or add it to salads! Here are some recipes I love pairing it with:
How to Store
Cauliflower rice tastes (and smells) better when stored in the refrigerator 'after' cooking. Raw grated cauliflower tends to develop a sulfuric smell which can be off-putting. Store cooked cauliflower rice in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
On the other hand, cooked cauli rice doesn't freeze well after cooking, so I recommend freezing it uncooked. To do that, spread the riced cauliflower on a baking sheet and freeze it for a few hours. After a while, scrape and transfer it into a freezer safe container and freeze up to 1 month.
How to Cook Frozen Cauliflower Rice
Frozen riced cauliflower is a real lifesaver for me on weeknights. These days you can find it in the freezer produce section in most supermarkets, right next to peas and corn.
The beauty of frozen cauli rice is that you can cook it straight from the freezer. For best results, do not thaw it. Heat oil in the skillet, stir in frozen rice. Break it up with the spatula and saute for 5 minutes, or until thawed and dried. Add your favorite seasoning and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Done!
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Recipe Tips & Notes
- Start with dry cauliflower to prevent it from turning mushy and soggy. Wash and dry cauliflower ahead of time to prevent excess moisture.
- Shred in batches. Don't over stuff your food processor as that will result in an uneven grind.
- Store cooked cauliflower rice in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Cooked riced cauliflower doesn't taste the same after freezing, so freeze it uncooked instead, following the directions below.
- To freeze uncooked cauli rice, spread it on a large plate or baking sheet. Freeze it for a couple of hours, then scrape and transfer it to any freeze-safe container, and store up to a month.
- For cooking frozen cauli rice, don't thaw it. Add it to the skillet straight from the freezer and saute on medium-high heat until it thaws and crisps up.
FAQs
Cauliflower rice is rich in antioxidants (anti-inflammatory properties), Vitamin C (immune-boosting), Folate (promotes healthy cell growth), also much lower in calories and net carbs as compared to white rice.
Being a cruciferous vegetable, cauliflower contains sulfur compounds that create an unpleasant odor if left raw for long after cutting or cooking.
Yes! Cauliflower rice is low in calories and carbohydrates, which can aid in weight loss. 1 cup of cooked cauliflower rice contains only 27 calories and 3 grams net carbs as compared to 210 calories and 41 grams of net carbs in 1 up cooked white rice.
You can use a box grater to make cauli rice. Alternatively, you can use the pulse setting in your blender and make cauliflower rice.
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📖 Recipe
How to Make Cauliflower Rice
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower washed and dried
Instructions
Cut and Rice Cauliflower Florets
- cut the cauliflower into quarters through the middle. Lay each segment flat on the cutting board, and cut at an 45° angle to separate the stem. Now using your hands, separate the florets. Follow this detailed post on How to Cut Cauliflower for reference.
- Attach the S-blade that comes with most food processors. Add the florets in the food processor in a single layer (no stacking). Close the lid and pulse 8-10 times, or until you reach your desired texture of Cauli rice. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in 2-3 batches.
- Attach the 'grater' blade in your food processor. Close the lid, start the machine and add the cauliflower florets into the feeder tube. You may have to cut the bigger florets into half to fit them in. Continue till all the cauliflower florets have been shredded.
- Use the large or medium-sized holes, start with the floret side and grate it into 'rice-like' shreds.
Cook Cauliflower Rice
- Simply heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat.Stir in the riced cauliflower. Stir and sauté for 5 minutes, until it becomes tender.
- Add your choice of seasoning and stir another minute.Turn off the heat and garnish your chopped cilantro, parsley or any fresh herb of choice.
Video
Notes
- Start with dry cauliflower to prevent it from turning mushy and soggy. Wash and dry cauliflower ahead of time to prevent excess moisture.
- Shred in batches. Don't over stuff your food processor as that will result in an uneven grind.
- Store cooked cauliflower rice in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Cooked riced cauliflower doesn't taste the same after freezing, so freeze it uncooked instead, following the directions below.
- To freeze uncooked cauli rice, spread it on a large plate or baking sheet. Freeze it for a couple of hours, then scrape and transfer it to any freeze-safe container, and store up to a month.
- For cooking frozen cauliflower rice, don't thaw it. Add it to the skillet straight from the freezer and saute on medium-high heat until it thaws and crisps up.
Patti Ryan says
Thanks. I never imagined it was so simple to make riced cauliflower. I will make and freeze some, too. No more costly store bought bags for me! I'll store in meal-sized portions so it's easy to make as a side dish or add to a stir fry.
Aneesha says
Super, that's awesome. Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe!
Shannon says
Thank you, Great recipe!
You should join this Instant Pot Tips & Recipes Facebook group. I got a lot of new ideas and recipes. highly recommended! Here is a link to the group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/434020724110015/
Aneesha says
Thank you! Will do.