Mexican Cauliflower Rice

With a light, fluffy texture and all the traditional flavors, this Mexican Cauliflower Rice stands in beautifully for the original version of this classic Mexican restaurant side dish. It's made quick and easy on your stovetop - less than 30 minutes start to finish.

Mexican food is all about fresh, vibrant ingredients prepared simply. Tender cauliflower rice, mildly sweet white onion, tangy roma tomatoes, spicy jalapeños, pungent garlic, earthy cumin, and rich tomato paste unite for an authentic tasting Mexican restaurant-style cauliflower rice. A scatter of chopped cilantro and squeeze of fresh lime juice guarantee a dish that's tastier than the sum of its parts.

Ingredients You Need to Make Mexican Cauliflower Rice

• Cauliflower: large head or store-bought cauliflower rice
• Onion: Ideally a white onion, but a yellow onion will also work.
• Tomatoes: fresh, ripe Roma tomatoes (You can use plum tomatoes, but they're less firm and won't hold their shape as well.)
• Tomato Paste: Instead of a can, look for tomato paste sold in a tube that you can store in your refrigerator. It's a convenient way to have it on hand for recipes that require a small amount.
• Garlic: Look for a plump, firm head with smooth, silvery-white skin.
• Jalapeños: Look for deeply green, firm, smooth-skinned fresh jalapeños. Leave the seeds intact for a spicier dish.
• Chicken Broth: or vegetable broth or water
• Cumin: ground cumin
• Oil: neutral flavored, high heat vegetable oil like avocado oil
• Chipotle Chili Powder: Note that this is not standard chili powder, which is a blend of spices. It's purely dried and ground chipotle chiles that add a smoky flavor to the dish.
• Cilantro: for finishing plus more for garnish if desired
• Lime(s): fresh lime juice for finishing the dish plus additional wedges for serving if desired
• Kosher Salt

How to Make Uniform Cauliflower Rice

Though you can use store-bought cauliflower rice, it's simple and fresher to make your own. If you have one, a food processor makes quick work of making riced cauliflower with a similar texture to regular rice. Many recipes call for using the standard S blade to rice cauliflower florets, but I find that it's easy to over-process them and end up with something more like cauliflower couscous.

The shredding disc provides more reliable results. First remove the stem from a head of cauliflower and separate / cut into small florets. Then, with the food processor running, push florets through the shoot onto the shredding disc for uniform cauliflower rice. If you don't have a food processor, you can shred cauliflower florets by hand on a box grater. It will take a bit longer to make, but it's worth the effort.

This lightened-up version of the classic Mexican dish is great for gluten free, low carb / keto diets. An excellent low-carb side dish for Cinco de Mayo! Swap in water or vegetable broth for the chicken broth to make it vegan / vegetarian. With the essential Mexican flavors and authentic texture, you won't have to sacrifice a thing.

Serve With

• Shrimp Tacos or Grilled Shrimp Tacos
• Carne Asada or Carne Asada Tacos
• Pork Carnitas Tacos
• Chorizo Tacos
• Pulled Pork Quesadillas
• Rice Cooker Mexican Rice (for those who prefer the traditional version)
• Calabacitas
• Tortilla Chips with Pico de Gallo or Salsa Guacamole
• Classic or Virgin Margaritas

How to Make Mexican Cauliflower Rice

In a large, non-stick skillet cook cauliflower rice in hot oil until tender and lightly toasted. Transfer to a clean bowl. 

To same skillet add oil and swirl to coat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeños and salt and cook until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin and chipotle chili powder and cook and until tomatoes are softened. Stir in tomato paste.

Return cauliflower rice to skillet; cook and stir until cauliflower is fluffy, tender and heated through. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and fresh lime juice. Season to taste with salt, garnish with more cilantro and serve with lime wedges if desired.