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!

Ingredients

• Cauliflower rice
• Kale
• Flat Leaf Parsley
• Cilantro
• Avocado oil or olive oil
• Lime Juice
• Garlic powder
• Walnuts
• Salt
• Water

How to make green cauliflower rice

Check out the step by step instructions on how to make chimichurri cauliflower rice.

Step 1: Sauté 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.

How to make the green sauce:

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.

What to serve with chimichurri cauliflower rice

• Cajun Crockpot Chicken
• Everything Bagel Salmon
• Healthy baked drumsticks
• 5 Ingredient Black Bean Burgers
• Oven Poached Eggs
• Curry Salmon Cakes
• Vegan Walnut Taco Meat
• Mexican Shredded Chicken (Instant Pot)

FAQ’s

How do you make cauliflower rice at home?

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.

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, sauté it in a skillet over medium heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Can you use frozen cauliflower rice?

Yes! I actually prefer to use store bought frozen cauliflower rice over fresh. You can buy frozen cauliflower rice from Trader Joe’s, Aldi or Whole Foods.

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

Storage:

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

If you love this recipe, you should try:

• Cauliflower Dirty Rice
• Mexican Cauliflower Rice
• Cauliflower Potato Salad
• Mashed Garlic Cauliflower
• Roasted Cauliflower Hummus
• Italian Cauliflower Rice
• Cauliflower Rice Stuffing
• Pesto Cauliflower Rice

What do you need to make this recipe:

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

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.