Mexican Cauliflower Rice

This Mexican cauliflower rice recipe tastes just like your favorite red rice from a Mexican restaurant. It lights up your taste buds and it's made with veggies! It's a win-win.

Wowsa… Y’all really love the cauliflower rice. After the recent cauliflower fried rice recipe, lots of requests came in for other ways to mix up this healthy side dish.

Craving Mexican rice a couple of nights ago but not wanting to tack on too many more calories to my meal, I ended up whipping up this simple version of traditional Mexican rice using riced cauliflower.

I left out the peas since they are pretty carbohydrate-heavy for folks on a low-carb diet, but you could easily work them back in. Also, one tip for if you find yourself eating cauliflower rice a lot... make up a big batch and freeze it! It can be slightly annoying to make, so tackle a big batch in one sitting and then freeze individual or family-size portions for a quick side dish.

Key Ingredients For Mexican Cauliflower Rice

If you recently made tacos, chili, or burritos, then you probably have most of these ingredients in your refrigerator. If not, they are really easy to find. I used familiar and fresh ingredients in this Mexican cauliflower rice.

• Cauliflower: It takes an entire head of cauliflower, and that makes enough for 4-6 servings. If you don't need this much rice, you can grab some pre-chopped cauliflower florets and use that instead. You can also make this with frozen cauliflower rice or shelf stable cauliflower rice. It's a great shortcut. 
• Olive Oil: You need a healthy type of oil for sauteing cauliflower and garlic. Use either olive oil, ghee, or avocado oil.
• Garlic Cloves: Whole garlic cloves have a much bigger flavor than garlic powder. Use garlic cloves in this recipe if you can but garlic powder also works if needed.
• Onion: Use either white or yellow onion. You can also swap in onion powder in a pinch or some sliced green onions.
• Jalapeno Pepper: Remove the seeds and dice them up really small. For even more heat, you can use serrano peppers!
• Broth: Use either low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth to cook the cauliflower rice. This adds flavor to the rice. Chicken bouillon can work if you don't have broth.
• Tomato Paste: You don't need very much, so it won't increase the calories too much. This adds that rich tomato flavor and color that is common in Mexican rice. 
• Spices: The combination of cumin, paprika, and oregano is amazing! For a little more heat, you can sprinkle in some red pepper flakes or chili powder. You can also use taco seasoning for this recipe, just know it will have a stronger flavor.
• Lime Juice: Squeezing fresh juice from a lime tastes slightly sweeter than jarred lime juice. In a pinch, fresh-squeeze lemon juice can also work as a substitute.
• Cilantro: I used cilantro as a garnish. If you really love cilantro, use more! If you don't like cilantro, you can use parsley instead or just leave it out entirely.

Note: For a full list of ingredients and detailed instructions on how to make this Mexican cauliflower rice, take a look at the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!

What To Serve With Keto Mexican Rice

This Mexican cauliflower rice has a bold flavor, so serve it on the side with other Tex-Mex or Mexican recipes that you make. It's perfect on Taco Tuesday.

These steak tacos have a lot of the same flavors, so serve them with this rice. It also tastes divine with this slow cooker beef machaca. Need another side dish idea with it? Serve some chips and homemade pico de gallo. Yum!

Recipe Tips And Ideas For Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Follow these tips to make sure that this Mexican rice turns out with tons of flavor every single time!

• Trust me - a food processor will be your best friend! It contains the mess and chops the cauliflower up in a matter of seconds!
• No food processor? No problem! Use a box grater instead.
• Be very careful and don't overcook the cauliflower rice. It's way too easy to do! Just heat it in the spicy sauce until it is still crisp-tender.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions I frequently get asked about by some readers...

Is this rice dish spicy?

The jalapenos give the rice a little bit of a kick. If you want to make it milder, just leave the jalapenos out. On the other hand, if you prefer really spicy foods, you might want to use more jalapenos. I tried to make it middle-of-the-road with heat.

Can I freeze Mexican cauliflower rice?

Yes, you can freeze it. In fact, freezing it is a budget-friendly way to make a huge batch and save it for later. It reduces food waste and saves you money at the same time.

Here's how to freeze Mexican cauliflower rice:

• Follow the direction and make it.
• Then, let it cool completely.
• When it cools down, place it in a plastic resealable freezer-safe food storage bag.
• Lay the bag flat on a baking sheet and put the baking sheet in the freezer.
• After the bag is completely frozen, you can take it off of the baking sheet.

Using a baking sheet to "flash freeze" the Mexican cauliflower rice first prevents it from freezing around other items in your freezer.

How do I store leftover Mexican-style cauliflower rice?

The best way to store leftover Mexican cauliflower rice is in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days. After five days, the texture of the rice will soak up the moisture from the other ingredients and begin to taste a lot softer.

Can I use frozen riced cauliflower?

This is definitely a tempting option! Yes, you can use frozen cauliflower rice. My only word of warning is that when you heat up the frozen cauliflower rice, it will have a softer texture than if you made it homemade.