Cauliflower Rice Recipe – How to Cook Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower rice is a healthy substitute for rice and has low carbs and fewer calories. It is made with the head of cauliflower with or without a food processor. Cauliflower rice is better than rice in many ways. It’s good keto rice to try out.

Riced cauliflower can be stir-fried, steamed, boiled, or cooked just like the normal brown and white rice. If you want to see the various ways on how to make riced cauliflower, then read on for all the steps you need, the recipe, and the health benefits plus the nutrition/calories.

Table of Contents

What is Cauliflower rice?

Cauliflower rice can be defined as grated cauliflower head that can be substituted with regular rice; it is also termed as riced cauliflower.  You can use it in many recipes that call for use of rice. It is more nutritious and healthier than rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 head of Cauliflower
  • A pinch of Salt
  • 1/4 tsp of White Pepper
  • 2 tbsp of Olive oil

How to Make Cauliflower Rice without Food Processor

  • Cut off the green leaves from the cauliflower. You can use the green leaves by steaming them and adding them to rice recipes. But the greenish leaves are not used for making riced cauliflower. The rice is supposed to be white, adding the greenish leaves makes it greenish. Remember, we want the riced cauliflower to look like the usual white rice.
  • Add some vinegar to water and deep the cauliflower into the water.
  • Ensure the cauliflower is fully immersed in the water containing the vinegar. The vinegar helps to destroy microorganisms on the cauliflower.
  • Allow it to sit in the water for at least 5 minutes and then drain the water off.
  • Using a hand grater, grate the cauliflower into small strands like rice. The medium-sized holes of the grater would be perfect for this. This is a perfect alternative to using a food processor. The grated cauliflower can be called Riced Cauliflower.
  • You can pad the riced cauliflower with a paper towel to further reduce some water content in it.

Using a food processor for grating the Cauliflower

If you are going to use a food processor, then use the cheese grater to grate the cauliflower into small even pieces. Ensure you chop the head of the cauliflower into small golf-ball sizes before adding to the food processor. You can also use the regular blade attachment but the disadvantage of using this blade is that the sizes of the riced cauliflower may not be the same.

How to Cook Cauliflower Rice

  • After making the riced cauliflower, place a pan on the stovetop.
  • To the pan, add 2 tbsp of olive oil; allow the oil to heat up, and then go in with the riced cauliflower.
  • You can cover and steam the rice for 5 minutes on low heat while stirring intermittently.
  • Once it is slightly cooked, add a pinch of salt and some white pepper. Other seasonings can be added to your taste.
  • Remove from heat and serve it just the same way as you serve parboiled white rice.

Step by Step on How to Make Cauliflower Rice from Scratch with Pictures

  • Cut the green leaves from the head of the cauliflower

Cut off the green leaves from the head of the cauliflower
Cut the green leaves of the cauliflower. You need the cauliflower rice to be white. The green leaves are not useless, you can use them as vegetables in another recipe.

Leave only the head of the cauliflower which is white and it is the part we need.

Use a knife to cut off the greenish leaves of the cauliflower leaving only the white head
Use a knife to remove any greenish part of the cauliflower leaving only the white head.

Wash the cauliflower in water mixed with vinegar

Soak the cauliflower in water mixed with vinegar
Add about 2 tbsp of vinegar to about 2 liters of water and soak the head of the cauliflower in the water. Let the water completely cover the cauliflower.
Vinegar helps to destroy any microorganisms. You can use salt instead of vinegar.
Completely immerse the cauliflower in the vinegar-water mixture for at least 2 minutes. The longer the better.
  • Wash the cauliflower over running water

wash the cauliflower over running water
After soaking in vinegar and water mixture, wash it completely over running water and then allow the water to drain completely.
  • Grate the cauliflower head

grate the cauliflower head into rice like sizes
Use the medium sizes of holes of the grater and grate your cauliflower into small rice-like strands

When completed, your riced cauliflower should look like white grains of rice.

Riced Cauliflower using a hand grater
Riced cauliflower with a hand grater.
  • Pad the riced cauliflower with a paper towel

Pad it dry with a paper towel
Place One paper towel under and another over the riced cauliflower. The paper towel helps to get rid of some water content of the riced cauliflower.
Allowing too much water in the grated cauliflower (riced cauliflower) would make it soggy when cooked.

How to Cook Cauliflower Rice

  • Stir fry the riced cauliflower

Stir fry the riced cauliflower
Place a pan on the heat and add 2 tbsp of olive oil.
Stir fry the riced cauliflower while stirring continuously.
  • Cook for 5 minutes

Cook the cauliflower rice for 5 minutes
Cover and cook the cauliflower rice for 5 minutes while stirring intermittently to prevent it from burning.
  • Season it

Season with salt and pepper and any other seasoning of choice you need in the cauliflower rice
Season with salt and pepper and any other seasoning of choice. Stir and cook further for a minute and turn off the heat.

Remove from heat and serve just the same way as you serve parboiled white rice.

Cauliflower rice garnished with parsley
Your Homemade Cauliflower rice is ready.
Cooked cauliflower rice

Cauliflower Rice Recipe

Avatar photo Razi Brown
Cauliflower rice is a healthy substitute for rice and has low carbs and fewer calories. It is made with the head of cauliflower with or without a food processor. Cauliflower rice is better than rice in many ways. It's good keto rice to try out.
Riced cauliflower can be stir-fried, steamed, boiled, or cooked just like the normal brown and white rice. If you want to see the various ways on how to make cauliflower rice, then read on for all the steps you need, the recipe, and the health benefits plus the nutrition/calories.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Worldwide
Servings 3
Calories 23 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole Cauliflower
  • tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp White Pepper
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions
 

  • Cut off the green leaves from the cauliflower using a knife. You don't need it in this recipe.
  • Add some vinegar to water and deep the cauliflower into the water. Make sure the head of the cauliflower is completely immersed in the water containing the vinegar.
  • Allow it to sit in the water for at least 5 minutes and then drain the water off. To be more effective, soak the cauliflower in the water with the vinegar for 1 hour prior to cooking it. That way, the vinegar has more time to destroy the bacteria and germs.
  • Allow the water to drain before grating.
  • Using the medium-sized holes of a hand grater, grate the cauliflower into small strands like rice.
  • Place a pan on the stovetop and add 2 tbsp of olive oil.
  • Allow the oil to heat up and then go in with the riced cauliflower. We need to stir fry it first. This helps to reduce the water content in the cauliflower rice and gives it a texture that is close to that of usual rice.
  • Stir continuously on low heat for 3 minutes to prevent it from burning.
  • Once it is slightly cooked, add a pinch of salt and some white pepper. Stir to combine, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Other seasonings can be added as you like.
  • Remove from the heat and your homemade cauliflower rice is ready.

Video

Notes

I first stir-fried the cauliflower rice before cooking. In cooking it, no need of adding water because it contains much water content itself. Stir-frying helps to reduce the water content and also makes it firmer, giving it a texture similar to but not as firm as normal rice.
Riced Cauliflower can be served with some stew, soup, or stir fried chicken. You can also eat cauliflower rice with some roasted vegetables, sauce, or anything that calls for white rice.
 The first time I tasted cauliflower rice, I knew I had the perfect substitute for white rice that is healthier, has fewer calories, and low in carbs. To crown it all, it is tastier for me even more than white rice. The benefits of cauliflower rice are many and are listed below.
Keyword Cauliflower rice, Cauliflower Rice Recipe, Riced Cauliflower

Other Cauliflower rice recipes

There are many other recipes you can make with riced cauliflower; these are made almost the same way you would use regular rice. The only difference is the substitution of regular rice with cauliflower rice. These recipes include:

  1. Cauliflower fried rice
  2. Jambalaya with riced cauliflower
  3. Cilantro lime cauliflower rice
  4. Mexican riced cauliflower
  5. Risotto
  6. Kimchi rice bowl

Benefits of Cauliflower rice over white rice

  1. Cauliflower rice contains fiber that helps in digestion and intestinal motility; this prevents constipation.
  2. It is gluten-free
  3. Cauliflower helps to prevent cancer because it is high in antioxidants which prevent damage to cells.
  4. It contains a substance known as choline which helps in learning and memory.
  5. Cauliflower contains fewer calories and low carbs which helps in weight loss.
  6. Very good for diabetics

The health benefits are the same as that of cauliflower.

Nutrition and Calories

Cauliflower is packed with lots of nutrition especially for those who want to lose weight. Therefore, eating cauliflower rice can help with weight loss. Below are the nutrients you can get from:

Cauliflower rice calories

There are about 23 calories in 100 grams of Cauliflower rice. When compared with normal white rice, cauliflower rice has far fewer calories. Cooked white rice contains 130 calories per 100 gram; this shows that by eating cauliflower rice, you are cutting down 82% of calories you would have gotten from white rice. This is the reason why riced cauliflower is better and healthier and very effective for weight loss.

Carbs in Cauliflower rice

The carbs in cauliflower rice are very low. Every 100 grams of Cauliflower rice contains 2.8 grams of carbs; this is very low compared to 100 grams of white rice which contains about 28 grams of carbs.

Because of the low carbs and low calories, it makes good keto rice to consider in your ketogenic diet.

Top Questions Answered

Why does cauliflower rice smell so bad?

When left uncooked, cauliflower rice can go bad within a day and develop a bad smell. This is because of the sulfur content in cauliflower. To increase the shelflife, cook itand then freeze it instead of refrigerating it.  It can last for 10 to 12 months when frozen but only a few days in the fridge. The best thing is to make and eat your cauliflower rice fresh!

Can cauliflower rice be frozen?

It can be frozen and can last for about a month. Place it in a ziplock bag and freeze it until needed.

Can I use frozen cauliflower to make rice?

Frozen cauliflower can be used the same way as fresh cauliflower for making riced cauliflower.