This cilantro lime cauliflower rice is my copycat of the cauliflower rice at Chipotle. I pulse a head of cauliflower in the food processor until it looks like rice, then soften chopped onion and jalapeño in avocado oil and add garlic. The cauliflower goes in with chicken broth, salt, pepper, and half of the cilantro for just 1 minute on high heat, so it stays tender-crisp instead of mushy. Off the heat, I stir in the rest of the cilantro with the lime zest and lime juice. It tastes fresh and bright, with a little heat from the jalapeño if you use it. The recipe takes about 20 minutes and makes 4 servings.
Make this side dish and serve it alongside Pollo Asado or Green Chile Chicken.
Cauliflower rice is a constant in my kitchen. Along with this cilantro lime version, we love these other cauliflower rice recipes: Cauliflower Risotto, Creamy Ground Beef And Cauliflower Rice Skillet, and Meal Prep Tuscan Chicken.
Because it copies Chipotle cauliflower rice, it also works as the base of a homemade burrito bowl.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Made in only 20 minutes.
- A lower-carb stand-in for cilantro lime rice.
- Simple ingredients that are easily accessible at most grocery stores.
- Works with store-bought fresh or frozen cauliflower rice if you would rather skip the food processor.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make this cilantro lime cauliflower rice recipe
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pulse Cauliflower: To a food processor, add cauliflower florets and pulse until riced. (Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to divide the florets into 2 batches.) Set aside.
- Saute Onion And Jalapeño: In a hot, oiled large skillet over medium heat, add in your chopped onion and, optionally, jalapeño and cook until those have softened, which should take about 3 minutes.
- Add Minced Garlic: Then, add in some minced garlic and stir until that’s fragrant, which should take about 30-60 seconds.
- Cook Cauliflower Rice: Increase the stovetop heat to high, add in the cauliflower rice, half of your cilantro, chicken broth, salt, and pepper, and stir until combined. Cook that on high heat for 1 minute.
- Final Steps And Serve: Remove the pan from the stovetop heat, stir in the remaining chopped cilantro leaves, lime zest, and lime juice, then serve.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Cauliflower: Use store-bought pre-packaged fresh or frozen cauliflower rice. Note that if you use frozen cauliflower rice, it’ll be a little mushier.
- Avocado Oil: Olive oil can be subbed here.
- White Onion: Use yellow onion or shallots.
- Minced Garlic: Finely chop up 3-4 garlic cloves to yield the 1 Tablespoon minced garlic that you’ll need for this recipe. Alternatively, use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder; if you go this route, only allow the garlic powder to saute in the pan for about 20-30 seconds to avoid burning.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth: Use vegetable broth to make this recipe vegetarian-friendly and vegan. You can also use chicken stock, beef broth, or beef stock. If you don’t have low-sodium or unsalted broth, omit the added salt from the recipe, taste the dish before serving, and, if needed, stir in a little added salt.
✨ Variations
- If you don’t like the flavor of cilantro, use roughly chopped fresh parsley or fresh chives.
- Sprinkle in a little ground cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and/or cumin for added flavor. Add these in when you add the minced garlic.
〰️ How to serve
- Burritos: Use as a base for a copycat Chipotle burrito bowl with pollo asado, black beans, corn, salsa, guacamole, fresh cilantro, and sour cream. It also works as a burrito filling.
- Chicken: Plate alongside green chile chicken, air fryer chicken fried steak, Chinese bourbon chicken, or Crock Pot chicken verde with potatoes.
- Savory Dishes: Serve with vegan butter chicken or coconut curry Thai turkey meatballs.
➜ Cooking and recipe tips
- Use a box grater instead of a food processor, if needed. If you don’t have a food processor, no problem. Use a box grater and carefully grate the cauliflower until riced.
- You can use the stems and the leaves from the cilantro. The stems are edible and add a lot of flavor.
- Avoid soggy cauliflower rice. Cook on high heat, don’t overcook the cauliflower, and don’t cover the dish with a lid while it’s cooking. Cooking it on high heat will ensure excess moisture will be drawn out. Cooking it too long will yield soggy cauliflower rice. Covering the dish with a lid while it cooks will lead to it steaming and the rice will be watery.
💬 FAQs
Can I make cilantro lime cauliflower rice with frozen cauliflower rice?
Yes, instead of pulsing the cauliflower florets in a food processor, you can use pre-riced frozen cauliflower rice. I like the steamable frozen cauliflower rice from Green Giant. Note that the cauliflower rice in the resulting dish will be a little mushier.
How should cilantro lime cauliflower rice be stored?
Store the cauliflower rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How do I reheat cilantro lime cauliflower rice?
Reheat leftover cilantro lime cauliflower rice in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed throughout.
📚 More cauliflower recipes
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Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil, 30 milliliters
- ½ medium white onion, chopped
- 1 small jalapeño, de-seeded, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 15 grams
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro, divided
- 2 Tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth for vegetarian and vegan
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 lime, zested then juiced
Instructions
- Pulse Cauliflower: To a food processor, add cauliflower florets and pulse until riced. (Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to divide the florets into 2 batches.) Set aside.
- Saute Onion And Jalapeño: In a large pan over medium heat, add oil. Once hot, add in onion and, optionally, jalapeño and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add Minced Garlic: Add in minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
- Cook Cauliflower Rice: Increase stovetop heat to high, add in cauliflower rice, half of the cilantro, chicken broth, salt, and pepper, and stir until combined. Cook on high heat for 1 minute, until the cauliflower rice is hot but still a little crisp.
- Final Steps And Serve: Remove pan from heat, then stir in remaining cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice.
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