Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
This Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice has incredible flavor, and is the perfect side dish for many types of meals like Carne Asada and Ground Beef Tacos. It’s healthy, light, and takes less than 15 minutes to make.
If you’re a cauliflower rice fan, this cilantro lime version is a must-try.
And if you’re not a cauliflower rice fan yet, this is the version that might convert you! It’s so good.
We eat a ton of cauliflower rice in our house, as it is one of the few vegetables that our 2-year old son James will actually eat.
And by eat, I mean DEVOUR. He will eats bowls and bowls of cauliflower rice. It’s awesome and I feel like I’m winning at mom life.
Plain cauliflower rice with butter and a little salt and pepper is delicious, but this Cilantro Lime version is my absolute favorite. The aromatics are off the charts, and I can eat a big bowl of it knowing that it’s full of nutrition and good ingredients.
It’s also a fantastic side dish that works with lots of main dishes, like Pork Carnitas, Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef, Mango Cilantro Chicken, and Honey Lime Chicken Thighs.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice:
To get started, we’re going to cook some aromatics.
Add a couple tablespoons of avocado oil, olive oil, or butter to a skillet, and add chopped jalapeños, garlic, and scallions:
This will give the cauliflower rice tons of flavor!
Cook the aromatics for a couple minutes until everything softens. You don’t want to have crunchy bits of jalapeño in there:
Next, add 6 cups of cauliflower rice to the pan.
Here’s a post on How to Make Cauliflower Rice using a fresh head of cauliflower. It takes less than 5 minutes to make, and it tastes much better than the caulirice you buy at the store (but you can use store-bought cauliflower rice if you prefer).
Cook the cauliflower rice for about 5-8 minutes, until it has lost its raw flavor and softened a bit, but isn’t mushy. That’s the sweet spot you’re aiming for.
Then turn off the heat and add freshly chopped cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice:
Toss it all together to warm up the flavors from the cilantro, and also season the cauliflower rice to taste with salt and pepper. The reason we season at the end is because we don’t want the salt to draw out too much moisture at the beginning of cooking.
Enjoy! I also recommend Cauliflower Fried Rice, which is just like an Asian fried rice but with Cauliflower Rice subbed in for white rice, and Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes, which is a low carb and healthier version of mashed potatoes.
This is wonderful served with Pan Seared Steak, Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, and Honey Lime Chicken Thighs.
Cauliflower Rice Tips:
- How long does cauliflower rice last? Uncooked, about 3 days, and cooked 4-5 days.
- Is cauliflower rice healthy? Yes, it’s a vegetable side and is low carb, Whole30, paleo, and gluten-free.
- Can cauliflower rice be frozen? Yes. Let cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
More Vegetable Side Dishes:
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp avocado oil, olive oil, or butter
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup sliced scallions
- 1 large jalapeno chopped (about 1/3 cup)
- 6 cups cauliflower rice*
- 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 to 2 tbsp fresh lime juice**
- sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium high heat, then add the garlic, scallions, and jalapeno. Season with 1/4 tsp sea salt.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly softened.
- Add the cauliflower rice and cook, stirring frequently for about 5-8 minutes, until the rice is soft and has lost its raw taste, but isn't mushy or overcooked. You want the heat high enough that any water being cooked out of the rice evaporates quickly. If you see any water pooling in the pan, turn the heat higher.
- Once the cauliflower rice is cooked, turn the heat off and add the cilantro, lime juice, and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of sea salt, to taste. Adjust any seasoning as desired (perhaps you'd like more lime juice, or more salt).
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
3 Comments on “Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice”
Wow! I have a difficult time with cauliflower’s funky flavor, and I’m bored with steamed florets with butter and salt. I was looking for something more interesting as a side for our Whole30 meals and this is now a favorite!
It’s easy to make and the garlic adds just the right amount of nuttiness, while the jalapeño, lime and cilantro provide the brightness. It’s light and packed with flavor!
This was delicious! Thank you. Could you tell us what the serving portion is? I couldn’t seem to find it. I see that it yields 4 servings, 108cals per serving.
Glad you enjoyed it! Each serving should end up around 1 cup after everything has cooked down, but I think it’s best to divide the whole batch into 4 if you want to be truly precise about it.