A super flavorful cilantro lime cauliflower rice. Sauteed in garlic then cooked in coconut milk for added deliciousness! Easy, healthy, & addictingly good!
Cauliflower “rice” is an increasingly popular health trend thanks to big name diets like Paleo and Whole30 cutting out grains and rices.
Despite its popularity, my first tastes of cauliflower rice left a lot to be desired. It can be notoriously bland because well…it tastes like cauliflower.
This recipe fixes my biggest gripe with cauliflower rice, the flavor (or lack thereof) so that I can enjoy some of the health bonuses it offers over normal rice.
This recipe is absolutely full of flavor and reminiscent of that delicious cilantro lime rice from your favorite burrito chain. It’s perfect for fresh Mexican dishes!
Related: Authentic Vegan Carnitas Tacos
Why Cauliflower Rice?
I’ve seen a lot of mention that cauliflower rice is a low-carb alternative to regular rice.
While cauliflower does offers a huge reduction in carbs over normal rice, and carbs often get a bad wrap, it turns out they’re actually a part of a healthy diet.
We need carbohydrates to function, they’re broken down into glucose – our bodies fuel source. [1]
So if not to lower carb intake, why eat cauliflower “rice” over normal rice?
Cauliflower rice offers a few main benefits over normal rice:
- Cauliflower rice is accepted in popular anti-inflammatory diets like Paleo or Whole30.
- Cauliflower rice has about 1/9 the calories of brown rice making it a great option for weight loss.
Cauliflower Rice vs. Brown Rice
Here’s a quick nutritional breakdown between 1 cup of cauliflower rice vs. 1 cup of brown rice (one of the healthiest options for rice).
Cauliflower Rice:
- Calories: 25
- Protein: 1.9g
- Fiber: 2g
- Vitamin C: 80% DV
Brown Rice:
- Calories: 218
- Protein: 4.5g
- Fiber: 3.5g
- Vitamin C: 0% DV
How To Make
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Wash and dry the medium cauliflower head. Remove the core then cut the cauliflower into florets. Add cauliflower to a food processor.
Pulse the cauliflower in the food processor until it is broken up into fine pieces and the texture resembles rice. Do not over process the cauliflower or your rice will be mushy!
Fresh Tip: You can pat the “riced” cauliflower with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. This will help ensure that the rice doesn’t come out soggy after cooking.
Remove cilantro leaves from the stems then roughly chop the leaves until you have about 1/4 cup. Zest the lime until you have 1 tsp of zest then cut into halves.
Heat a pot with 1 tbsp coconut oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute, stirring continuously until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cauliflower rice to the pot with garlic. Cook until slightly crispy on the outside about 3-4 minutes. Add the coconut milk to pot and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and drain any excess liquid.
Add lime zest, cilantro, and juice from the lime to pot then toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
A super flavorful cilantro lime cauliflower rice. Sauteed in garlic then cooked in coconut milk for added deliciousness! Easy, healthy, & addictingly good!
Ingredients
- 1 medium head Cauliflower (about 24 oz), core removed and cut into florets
- 1 Lime, zested then halved
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1/4 cup Coconut Milk
- pinch of Salt and Pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Remove the cauliflower core then cut into florets. Add cauliflower to a food processor.
- Pulse the cauliflower in the food processor until it is broken up into small pieces with a texture that resembles rice. (See pictures above for guidance)
- Zest the lime until you have about 1 tsp of zest, then halve the lime.
- Remove cilantro leaves from stems then roughly chop leaves until you have 1/4 cup. Discard the stems.
- Heat a pot over medium heat, add coconut oil and garlic, sauté garlic stirring continuously until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Increase the heat to medium high and add the cauliflower rice to pot with garlic. Add a small drizzle of coconut oil if needed. Cook the rice, stirring frequently, until slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add coconut milk to the pot with rice and bring to a simmer. Cover pot and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and drain any excess liquid.
- Add the lime zest, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice from the halves (about 1 tbsp), toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy!
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: cilantro lime cauliflower rice, coconut cauliflower rice
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