How to Make Cauliflower Rice !!
Cauliflower can shine in many forms. This recipe shows how simple it is to turn the florets into a healthy, low-carb meal or side dish.
- 1 medium head of cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- juice of 1/2 lime
- Kosher salt
- pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped optional
Wash and thoroughly dry cauliflower, then remove all greens.
Transfer to a clean towel or paper towel and press to remove any excess moisture, which can make your dish soggy.
Make sure your cauliflower is fully dry. Chop the cauliflower into large pieces. You can include the cores, but discard the leaves or save for another use. Place the cauliflower pieces in a food processor and pulse until it has the texture of rice. Work in batches if necessary and don’t over process or it will get mushy. Use in any recipe that calls specifically for riced cauliflower. Continue following that recipe’s instructions.
If you plan to serve your cauliflower as a side dish or use it in place of regular rice, I recommend lightly cooking it and seasoning it to take off the raw bite. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and cauliflower and sauté until heated through, about 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice to help remove any bitterness from the raw cauliflower.
Cauliflower Rice Notes & Tips
The key to making great cauliflower rice is to wring excess moisture from the cauliflower rice before cooking.
That way, the “rice” can caramelize in places and yield major flavor bonus points. Otherwise, the rice just steams in the pan, and we all know how compelling plain steamed vegetables are (heh). Cauliflower can vary tremendously in moisture levels, so this step may or may not seem necessary in the moment. Trust me, sometimes you really need it.
The best way to make cauliflower rice is in a food processor with the S-blade.
I tried making the cauliflower rice a few different ways—grated by hand, then in the food processor with the grating attachment, and again in the food processor with the S-blade. I was able to squeeze out the most moisture from the cauliflower rice that I made with the S-blade.
Buy store-bought cauliflower rice to make this recipe more quickly, with less mess.
Fair warning: No matter how I grated the cauliflower, I made a mess. Freshly-made cauliflower rice tastes fresher, however. Properly stored frozen cauliflower rice seems more reliably fresh than refrigerated cauliflower rice. You’ll find details on how to thaw frozen cauliflower rice in the recipe notes.
Stovetop-cooked cauliflower rice tastes better than roasted cauliflower rice.
I tried roasting the cauliflower rice in the oven, and I didn’t love the results. By the time the rice was golden, it had lost a ton of volume and offered a strangely spongey texture. The stovetop rice was tastier, fluffier, and ready sooner! 