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Real Balanced

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Home Recipes Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Mexican Cauliflower Rice

Net Carbs:4.6g
Published:09/06/18Updated:09/03/21
2 Comments This post contains affiliate links.
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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!

close-up-overhead-shot-of-mexican-cauliflower-rice-in-white-bowls-on-marble-board

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! 

close-up-side-view-mexican-cauliflower-rice-in-white-bowls-on-marble-board

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.

cauliflower-rice-in-stainless-steel-bowl-on-marble-board

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.

chopped-jalapenos-and-garlic-and-tomatoes-and-spices-in-black-pan-on-marble-board

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!

More flavorful keto recipes

Try these tasty dishes!

  • Keto Chicken Shawarma Kebabs
  • Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad
  • Slow Cooker Low Carb Mexican Casserole
  • Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Salad
  • Keto Cauliflower Risotto
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Mexican Cauliflower Rice


  • Author: Sara Nelson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This Mexican Cauliflower Rice is a flavorful low-carb and vegan side dish recipe! This cauliflower rice recipe is low-carb, keto, dairy-free, paleo, Whole30-compliant, nut-free, egg-free, coconut-free, gluten-free, grain-free, and sugar-free!


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

Optional garnishes

  • 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 small lime, cut into wedges, juiced
  • 3/4 avocado (~150g), diced

Instructions

  1. Chop cauliflower into florets and pulse florets in food processor until riced. Set aside.
  2. To a large pan over medium heat, add jalapeño and garlic and saute until fragrant. Add tomatoes and spices, stir, and saute for 3 minutes. Add cauliflower rice, cover pan with lid, and saute until cauliflower softens, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Top with desired garnishes and serve.

Keywords: cauliflower rice, mexican cauliflower rice, keto cauliflower rice, whole30 cauliflower rice

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Tag me on Instagram at @realbalanced or leave me a comment & rating below.

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2 Comments

  1. sean says

    September 8, 2019 at 12:35 pm

    Looks yummy and I’m trying this recipe today. It says it’s 6 servings, but don’t see serving size. Did I miss it somewhere?

    Reply
    • Sara Nelson says

      September 8, 2019 at 12:47 pm

      It’s so yummy! Thanks, Sean! I just updated the nutrition label to include that; thanks for asking! Each serving is roughly 3/4 cup (~4 oz) cauliflower rice.

      Reply

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