Low carb & paleo friendly Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice – make it in 20 minutes or less for a healthy & filling side dish! Gluten Free + Whole30 + Vegan
Where do you sit on the whole cauliflower rice thing? Are you pro or against?
I’ve come to learn that people on the internet have very strong opinions when it comes to vegetables imitating grains. Like….aggressively so. And I get it! I really do! Sometimes you just need a bowl of carb-y, delicious pasta or rice to get you through the day.
I’m not going to say that zoodles have no detectable differences from actual spaghetti and cauliflower rice is the exact same as rice. But really – you’re missing out on a whole lot of delicious tasting foods if you’re not on board!
Foods that are
✔️Delicious
✔️Filling
✔️Healthy
✔️Versatile
✔️& EASY
And if that isn’t enough to convince you that’s cool – more lasagna spirals for me!
How to Make: Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
This recipe is pretty simple requiring just 10 ingredients.
You start off with a full head of cauliflower which you’ll need to make into a more rice-like texture. You can do this a couple different ways:
- Cut the head into florets and then pulse in a blender or food processor a couple of seconds at a time. If you do this in a blender you may need to work in batches.
- If you don’t own a blender/food processor you can use a box grater and grate the cauliflower using the large holes normally used to grate cheese.
From this point on it’s an easy process – just sauté your onion, garlic and jalapeño until soft. Stir in the cauliflower and then mix in some vegetable stock for added flavour along with the cilantro & lime. Im getting hungry again just thinking about it!
The whole thing takes 20 minutes at most to make and makes for a perfect side dish!
If you’re on the lookout for Whole30 meal ideas this would be a great side to my Coconut Lime Chicken or Taco Stuffed Peppers.
For a couple of meatless options you could serve this alongside my Sweet Potato Enchiladas/Enchilada Casserole.
Whatever way you have it – I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Low carb & paleo friendly Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice - make it in 20 minutes or less for a healthy & filling side dish! Gluten Free + Whole30 + Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
- 1 large clove garlic (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 green jalapeño deseeded & chopped (optional)
- 3 cups riced cauliflower (about 1 medium head)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or as needed)
- zest from 1/2 lime
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped and divided
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot add the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes on a medium heat or until they become soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic jalapeño and cook for a minute until the garlic becomes fragrant. Stir the whole time.
- Add the cauliflower to the skillet. Stir to mix everything together well.
- Stir in the vegetable stock, about half the cilantro salt and zest. Turn the heat up to high and cook for another minute. The high heat will draw out excess moisture in the cauliflower so it doesn't get too mushy. Lower the heat again and add the lime juice. Mix in to the rice well.
- Taste and season with more salt as needed. Stir in the remaining cilantro. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-4 days.
Tara says
Looks great. We are a family who loves riced cauliflower. We will be trying this recipe soon. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah says
Hope you guys like it!
Mileah says
Just had this tonight: YUM!!! I added baked tofu and some black beans to make it a whole meal. Also used bagged cauliflower “rice” to make it super easy. My veggie kindergartner and my omnivorous husband both loved it, too! This is definitely going to be in our regular rotation! Thanks for sharing!
Sarah says
Oooh – I’m adding black beans next time I make this! So glad everyone enjoyed it – thanks so much for coming back to share 🙂
Terry says
I made this last night for a family dinner. Everyone raved about it! I bought the pre packed pearl rice to save me a step. It wasn’t soggy at all. Loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
Sarah says
Yay! So glad to hear you guys enjoyed it – thanks so much for coming back to let me know what you guys thought!
Tina says
Is there a carb count for this?
Sarah says
Hi Tina! There are 6 carbs!
Kim says
But net carbs are only 1… carbs minus fiber and sugar :). I am getting ready to partially start Whole 30 to help make my way to the Keto Diet. This recipe should work with both and I am excited to try it. Thanks for sharing.
Sarah says
Thanks Kim! Good luck on your Whole30! I hope you like this one as much as we do!
Karen says
Excellent caulirice dish…added a dash of cumin and chipotle chili powder for some extra kick. LOVE THIS!
Sarah says
Thanks, Karen! A little extra heat is always a good idea!
Mary says
Very tasty! I added some goat cheese and a slice of avocado making it a meal instead of a side. Thanks!
Sarah says
Oooh that sounds delicious! I’m totally going to get some goats cheese for this – thanks for the idea! Also – thanks for coming back to leave a comment/review letting me know how it went!
Kathy says
I always wash everything before cooking. Do you wash your cauliflower first?
Sarah says
Yes!
JMC says
So I cheated and used the caulirice steamer bag because this was a last minute decision,..and I cheated and added jalapeños from a jar. Well, even without fresh ingredients this was so good! My picky husband even agreed. I can’t imagine how good this would be with fresher options then I had on hand.
Sarah says
I would totally cheat with a pre riced cauliflower rice if I could ever remember to buy it 😀 SO glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment/review!
Lise says
Can’t wait to try it! Small typo at step no. 4 “chicken sotock” instead of vegetable stock.
Sarah says
Oops! Habit! Thanks for pointing that out to me and I hope you like it as much as we do 🙂
Trent says
Hi there, looks amazing. Do you drain any of the moisture from the cauliflower before cooking? Mine always comes out a little soggy. Thanks!
Sarah says
Hi Trent! I don’t usually have that issue (at least if I do I don’t notice enough to mind it) but you can always squeeze out the excess water water before cooking just to be on the safe side!