Green Cauliflower Rice

Green cauliflower rice is the best low carb side dish that goes best with Mexican meals! This green cauliflower rice is easy to make and ready in under 15 minutes! Naturally gluten free, grain free, low carb, Whole30 and keto friendly.

Why you are going to love this recipe

• Green cauliflower rice is made green by adding a simple chimichurri sauce to cooked cauliflower rice, making it the perfect side dish to any Mexican meals or even great for breakfast with eggs.
• Cauliflower rice is the perfect low carb side dish! It’s easy to make, super filling and can be prepped ahead of time, making it perfect for weeknight meals!
• Pair with your favorite meals! This green cauliflower rice would be perfect with skillet taco chicken or Cajun salmon for a simple yet filling weeknight meal!
• Great for crowds too! You can easily double this recipe and serve a crowd! This recipe reheats really well and is great for meal prep too!

How do you make cauliflower rice from scratch?

Cauliflower rice is made by cutting up fresh cauliflower florets up into little pieces so that it resembles rice. There are 2 ways to make cauliflower rice from scratch:

• Food Processor: This is the easiest of the two methods. Simply cut the florets from the stalk and add them to a large food processor. Process on high until the cauliflower resembles rice. You likely will need to do this in batches.
• Hand grater: If you don’t have a food processor, you can also grate the cauliflower by hand. To do this, keep the cauliflower whole (don’t break it into florets) and grate it on the hand grater like you would cheese.

Once the fresh cauliflower has been riced, it can be cooked immediately, stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen.

Can you freeze cauliflower rice?

Yes! You don’t need to cook the cauliflower before freezing!

Once you rice fresh cauliflower, simply add it to a freezer safe bag and take the time to remove all the excess air from the bag. The less oxygen in the bag the better. This also helps the bag lay flat during freezing, allowing it to take up less room in the freezer.

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Be sure to date your frozen cauliflower rice and indicate how much is in the bag.

Fresh cauliflower rice can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.

When you finally do want to cook the frozen cauliflower rice, saute it in a skillet over medium heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Why would you want to cook cauliflower rice before freezing it?

If you plan on using your cauliflower rice in smoothies, it might be beneficial for you to first steam the riced cauliflower first, since you will be adding it frozen to your smoothies.

If you do steam the cauliflower rice (cook in the microwave 5 minutes on high heat or cook in a skillet with a lid and about 2 tablespoons of water over medium heat 5 minutes), be sure to allow the cauliflower rice to cool completely before bagging it and sealing it.

How to make the green sauce for green cauliflower rice:

This green sauce is just like chimichurri and can be made in your food processor in about 2 minutes.

First blend up the fresh Italian parsley, cilantro, lime juice and avocado oil in the food processor until the herbs are broken down.

Next add the salt, garlic powder and walnuts (or pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts or cashews) to the food processor and process on high until well combined and the mixture forms a sauce. If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to help thin it out.

Store in the fridge for up to 3 days ahead of time in a well-sealed container.

How to make green cauliflower rice?

Step 1: Saute fresh or frozen cauliflower rice in a large skillet for 5-7 minutes over medium heat. This will help dry out the cauliflower a bit so it’s not watered down.

Step 2: Make the green sauce (chimichurri sauce) in the food processor while the cauliflower rice cooks.

Step 3: Add the green sauce to the cauliflower rice. Stir well.

Step 4: Serve hot or cold.

Can you use frozen cauliflower rice?

Yes! I actually prefer to use store bought frozen cauliflower rice that I buy from Trader Joe’s or Aldi foods.

Although cauliflower rice is easy to make yourself, it can be a bit messy. Frozen cauliflower rice is inexpensive and super convenient.

What to serve with green cauliflower rice:

• Cajun Crockpot Chicken
• Everything Bagel Salmon
• Healthy baked drumsticks
• Mexican Vegetarian Zucchini Boats
• 5 Ingredient Black Bean Burgers
• Oven Poached Eggs
• Curry Salmon Cakes

FAQ’s

How long can this be stored in the fridge?

You can store this vegan green cauliflower rice in the fridge for up to 4 days after cooking.

Can you freeze this after cooking?

Yes! You an freeze green cauliflower rice after cooking. Freeze in a freezer safe bag (get out as much of the air as possible) for up to 2 months.

To defrost, simply store in the fridge overnight or defrost in the microwave or on the stove.

You will want to cook this for a few minutes in a hot skillet after defrosting, as there will be some excess liquid from defrosting that you will want to cook off.

Substitutions:

Cauliflower rice: You can also make this recipe with cooked rice or even riced broccoli in place of cauliflower rice.

Lime juice: you can use lemon juice or even red wine vinegar in place of lime juice. The flavor will be slightly different but it’s a great twist!

Walnuts: you can also use hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds (shelled), sunflower seeds, cashews or even almonds in place of the walnuts.

Garlic powder: you can use 1 clove fresh garlic in place of garlic powder, however I like that the garlic is not too overpowering in this recipe.

If you love this recipe, you should try:

• Cauliflower Dirty Rice
• Mexican Cauliflower Rice
• Cauliflower Potato Salad
• Mashed Garlic Cauliflower
• Roasted Cauliflower Hummus
• Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Drizzle

What do you need to make this recipe:

• Food processor
• Large cast iron skillet or stainless steel skillet

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!

Green Cauliflower Rice

Green cauliflower rice is the perfect low carb side dish, great with Mexican meals or even for breakfast with eggs! This simple dish is ready in under 15 minutes and is naturally gluten free, vegan, Whole30 and keto friendly.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chimichurri rice, green cauliflower rice, mexican cauliflower rice

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 7 mins

Total Time: 12 mins

Servings: 4

Author: Samantha Rowland

Ingredients

• 2 package frozen cauliflower rice – 1 large cauliflower, riced in food processor2 package frozen cauliflower rice – 1 large cauliflower, riced in food processor
• 1 cup kale – or baby spinach1 cup kale – or baby spinach
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp avocado oil1 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 small limes, juiced2 small limes, juiced
• 1 tsp garlic powder1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2-3/4 tsp salt1/2-3/4 tsp salt
• 2-3 tbsp. walnuts – see notes for substitutions2-3 tbsp. walnuts – see notes for substitutions
• 2-3 tbsp water – optional2-3 tbsp water – optional

Instructions

• In a large skillet, heat cauliflower rice over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until defrosted and most of the water has cooked off.
• While cauliflower rice is cooking, make the green sauce in the food processor.
• First blend up the kale, fresh Italian parsley, cilantro, lime juice and avocado oil in the food processor until the herbs are broken down.
• Next add the salt, garlic powder and walnuts to the food processor and process on high until well combined and the mixture forms a sauce. If needed, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to help thin it out.
• Take rice off of heat and add the green sauce to the skillet. Stir well to fully incorporate.
• Serve with your favorite protein or use it as a base for a yummy veggie bowl.

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Notes

How long can this be stored in the fridge?

You can store this vegan green cauliflower rice in the fridge for up to 4 days after cooking.

Can you freeze green cauliflower rice?

Yes! You an freeze green cauliflower rice after cooking. Freeze in a freezer safe bag (get out as much of the air as possible) for up to 2 months.

To defrost, simply store in the fridge overnight or defrost in the microwave or on the stove.

You will want to cook this for a few minutes in a hot skillet after defrosting, as there will be some excess liquid from defrosting that you will want to cook off.

Substitutions:

• Cauliflower rice: You can also make this recipe with cooked rice or even riced broccoli in place of cauliflower rice.
• Lime juice: you can use lemon juice or even red wine vinegar in place of lime juice. The flavor will be slightly different but it’s a great twist!
• Walnuts: you can also use hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds (shelled), sunflower seeds, cashews or even almonds in place of the walnuts.
• Garlic powder: you can use 1 clove fresh garlic in place of garlic powder, however I like that the garlic is not too overpowering in this recipe.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Green Cauliflower Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 96 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g

Carbohydrates 6g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 1g

Protein 4g

*

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in July of 2015, but was published again in February 2020 to include step by step directions, recipe notes and new photos.