Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Mexican cauliflower rice is packed with flavor and is so easy to make. The perfect side dish for any Mexican or Tex-Mex inspired meal, this Mexican cauliflower recipe is ready in just 10 minutes and made with simple pantry ingredients.

If you love cauliflower rice, you should try Cajun Cauliflower Rice or Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice for your next meal!

Ingredients

• Avocado oil or olive oil – Oil is used to sauté the veggies. If you want to reduce the fat, you could also simply spray the pan with avocado oil spray or olive oil spray.
• Onions – onions help to give the dish a deep, savory flavor and are the base of the recipe. White onions, yellow onions or red onions can be used. Omit if you are short on time or cannot tolerate onions.
• Cauliflower rice (frozen is preferred) – frozen cauliflower rice is preferred since it’s so easy to keep on hand, easy to find and doesn’t add any prep time to the dish. You could also use fresh cauliflower rice or make your own cauliflower rice (see the tips below).
• Spices: Salt, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder – these spices help to create the Mexican seasoning. The ground cumin and smoked paprika create a smoky flavor. The garlic powder gives the dish a umami quality. Salt helps amplify the flavor of the lime juice and cilantro and seasons the cauliflower rice.
• Lime juice – lime juice provides a bright, fresh flavor and balances out the slightly bitter flavor from the cauliflower rice.
• Cilantro – cilantro pairs well with the Mexican spices and lime juice and adds a fresh pop of flavor to the dish.

How to make Mexican cauliflower rice

Start by heating a skillet over medium heat. Add avocado oil and the white onion. Cook 2-3 minutes to soften the onion.

Add the frozen cauliflower to the skillet and cook 5-7 minutes until fully defrosted. Stir often.

Once soft and fluffy, turn off the heat and add the spices to the skillet.

Add the lime juice and chopped cilantro off the heat and stir well. 

Top tips

• Break up any large chunks of frozen cauliflower rice before pouring it into the hot skillet. Typically I will press down with the heel of my hand with pressure on the countertop to try to break up any large chunks.
• Use a large skillet – use your largest skillet (I would recommend at least 12 inches) so that there is a lot of surface area for the cauliflower rice to cook on. This will allow the water to evaporate quickly and give you fluffy cauliflower rice, instead of it getting mushy.
• Add the frozen cauliflower rice to a hot skillet (cook over medium high heat) and cook it long enough to ensure all the water that cooks off the cauliflower as it defrosts evaporates.
• Don’t cook the cauliflower rice too long or it will get mushy.
• If you are cooking fresh cauliflower rice, cook covered for the first 4 minutes for the best texture.
• If you are short on time, skip cooking the onions and add 1-2 teaspoons of dried onion flakes in place of the onion for a similar flavor!

Recommended kitchen tools

• Cast iron skillet or stainless steel skillet
• Lime juicer
• Food processor (optional)

How to make spicy cauliflower rice

If you love a spicy cauliflower rice recipe, you can add one or two of the following items to add more heat:

• Sliced jalapenos (fresh or jarred)
• Red pepper flakes
• Cayenne pepper
• Chipotle powder

Ways to serve Tex-Mex Cauliflower rice

This Tex-Mex cauliflower rice would be a great replacement for rice in any of your favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex inspired dishes including:

• Burritos or burrito bowls
• Stuffed in tacos or on the side
• Use instead of rice in rice and beans as a side for fajitas or tacos
• Taco Salad
• Mexican Cauliflower Rice Bowls – Mexican cauliflower rice, seasoned black beans, Tex-Mex chicken and shredded slaw with Tahini Cilantro Sauce)
• As a side for eggs for a veggie packed breakfast

Common questions

How to make cauliflower rice from cauliflower

There are different ways to make cauliflower rice at home (but I almost always recommend buying it frozen):

1. Pulsed in a food processor (see below for directions)
2. Grated by hand with a hand grater (very messy, I don’t recommend this method)

To make this dish in under 10 minutes, I prefer to use store bought frozen cauliflower rice. It’s easy to keep stored in the freezer and I don’t to worry about it spoiling in the fridge.

How to make cauliflower rice in the food processor

1. Start by removing the green outer leaves as well as the thick stem.
2. Place the cauliflower head on the counter and slice 1 inch thick steaks of cauliflower or chop into florets. You don’t need to worry about this looking pretty.
   
   
   
3. Add about ½ of the cauliflower to the food processor and process on high until it resembles rice (takes about 20-30 seconds).
   
   
   
4. Repeat with the rest of the cauliflower.
   
   
   
5. Store in the fridge in a well-sealed container for up to 3 days before cooking or freeze for up to 2 months in a freezer safe container.

How to make cauliflower rice without food processor

1. Remove the green leaves but keep the stem.
2. Using a box grater, grate the cauliflower around the stem using the largest grater holes.

Tip: Work on one side of the cauliflower until you reach the stem. Don’t keep turning the cauliflower as you are grating it, it is harder to work with this way.

Where to buy cauliflower rice

Most stores now carry cauliflower rice in the frozen food section. Bird’s Eye and Green Giant both have frozen riced cauliflower in most grocery stores.

You can also find store brands at Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Target, and Whole Foods in the frozen section.

In many stores, fresh cauliflower rice crumbles are sold in the fresh produce section. CeCe’s Veggie Co, Eat Smart, Green Giant brands can be found at most stores. Also, you can usually find fresh riced cauliflower at Trader Joe’s and Costco as well.

How to store leftover taco cauliflower rice

Fridge: This taco cauliflower rice lasts in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure you store in a well sealed container.

Freezer: Cooked cauliflower rice can be frozen and stored in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or in the microwave or on the stove.

More Mexican Cauliflower Recipes

• Cilantro and Lime Cauliflower Rice
• Chimichurri Cauliflower Rice
• Black Bean and Cauliflower Tacos
• Mexican Cauliflower Soup
• Lentil and Cauliflower Tacos