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Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Name: Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 medium head cauliflower (~20 oz); 1 tbsp avocado oil; 1 small jalapeño (~10g), finely chopped; 2 tsp minced garlic; 2 small roma tomatoes (~140g), diced; 1 1/4 tsp cumin; 3/4 tsp chili powder; 1/2 tsp paprika; 1/4 tsp salt; 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped; 1/2 small lime, cut into wedges, juiced; 3/4 avocado (~150g), diced

Published:09/06/18Updated:09/03/21

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This Mexican Cauliflower Rice is a simple, nutrient-dense, and delicious side dish option that is low-carb, paleo, Whole30-compliant, and vegan!

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Rice is one of the tastiest side dishes, but it can often be on the heavy-carb side. This recipe solves that problem by substituting cauliflower for traditional rice, making it the PERFECT low-carb side dish!

Completely keto and Whole30-compliant, this rice dish is full of nutrients that are often left out of traditional rice recipes.

You will LOVE this keto Mexican Cauliflower Rice!

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Absolutely mouth-watering, this recipe puts a twist on the traditional stuff by incorporating waaaay more veggies and leaving out a lot of unnecessary carbs.

When used in a food processor, cauliflower is truly a great substitute for rice because it is so hard to tell the difference between it and regular rice! An entire cup of cauliflower only has 25 calories, whereas a cup of traditional rice can have upward of 240. You can’t possibly beat that swap!

Cauliflower is so nutrient-dense!

The benefits of cauliflower extend far beyond its low-calorie properties. The veggie is full of so many nutrients, that it makes adding it to your diet a no-brainer.

Cauliflower is a great source of fiber! A cup of cauliflower supplies 10% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of fiber. On top of that, cauliflower also contains a ton of Vitamin C. One cup contains 77% of the RDI! Vitamin C is such an important nutrient, as it has great sickness-fighting properties and has been shown to be a great antioxidant for reducing the risk of cancer.

Cauliflower is also a great source of magnesium, potassium, and Vitamin K, which are all important nutrients for maintaining good health!

The best Whole30 Mexican Cauliflower Rice

If you are someone following a Whole30 diet and are really longing for a rice-type dish, this Mexican Cauliflower Rice is perfect for you! Filled with all of the benefits that vegetables offer, it is completely compliant with a Whole30 diet as it is free from gluten, grains, dairy, soy, MSG, and added sugar!

Want more low-carb Whole30 recipes? You can find a bunch of yummy ideas here!

Making this Mexican Cauliflower Rice is SO easy!

Chop cauliflower into florets.

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Pulse cauliflower florets in food processor until riced. Set aside.

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To a large pan over medium heat, add chopped jalapeño and minced garlic and saute until fragrant.

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Add tomatoes and spices, stir, and saute for 3 minutes.

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Add cauliflower rice, cover pan with lid, and saute until cauliflower softens, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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And, voilà! The final product!

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Top with desired garnishes and serve! YUM!

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This Mexican style Cauliflower Rice is compliant with SO many diets!

This dish is great for SO many types of diets and allergies.

Low-Carb and Keto: One serving contains only 4.6 grams of net carbs, which all come from nutritious, nutrient-dense, and whole-food ingredients!
Nut-Free: This rice is nut-free and safe to consume for those with nut allergies or nut intolerances.
Dairy-Free: This is a dairy-free keto recipe as it is made without any milk, cheese, or cream.
Paleo: This easy rice recipe is compliant with a paleo diet as it is free from gluten, grains, soy, MSG, and refined sugar.
Gluten-Free and Grain-Free: This is a gluten-free recipe, as well as being free from grains, and is safe to consume for those with Celiac disease.
Vegetarian: This is a vegetarian rice recipe.
Vegan: This Mexican rice dish is completely vegan and uses no animal products.
Refined-Sugar-Free: This dish does not use any sugar!

A delicious low-carb recipe

Substituting cauliflower for rice is a great way to keep the carb content low! This dish contains only 4.6 grams of net carbs per serving and the recipe yields approximately 6 side dish servings.

Cauliflower dishes are so tasty and easy!

I absolutely love incorporating cauliflower into my diet, because the benefits are truly so great! Another one of my favorite cauliflower rice dishes is a yummy cilantro-lime version, which you can find here!