Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice is a quick and healthy recipe to get that Chipotle favorite at home. Simply sauté riced cauliflower with onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime, and you have a delicious side in under 10 minutes. Replace traditional rice in your favorite Mexican dishes with this low-carb, keto version without missing the flavor.

I love Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice so much, I recreated it at home.

So when I recently tried their cauliflower version, I was immediately hooked! I just had to figure out how to make it.

After several iterations of trying different amounts of seasonings, I landed on this recipe.

Y’all, it is SO good! And the best part is you can eat this cauliflower rice guilt-free! It is a veggie, so it’s perfect for low-carb, gluten-free, keto, vegan, and Whole30 meal plans.

I promise you, after you try this, you might not want to go back to traditional rice for a side dish.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

You can also try this Cauliflower Dirty Rice and this Cauliflower Fried Rice if you can’t get enough of this healthy alternative.

Ingredients

The simple ingredients you need to make this Cauliflower Cilantro Lime Rice recipe include:

• Cauliflower rice. To make your own, you need about one pound, which yields around 3 ½ to 4 cups. Learn How to Make Cauliflower Rice at home. You can opt for frozen, but make sure to thaw it and thoroughly drain before using.
• Oil. Avocado is recommended, but olive oil will work, as well.
• Onion. This adds an earthy and savory flavor to the rice. A white onion is used, but you can sub in sweet or yellow.
• Garlic. Finely minced garlic adds a depth to this recipe, but you can use ¼ teaspoon garlic powder in a pinch.
• Cilantro. This fresh herb gives this rice a pop of color and so much flavor. Be sure to measure after chopping the leaves, though.
• Lime. Both juice and zest are used in this recipe.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

These are the steps to follow to make this cauliflower rice recipe:

Rice the Cauliflower

If you aren’t using a frozen bag, you need to prep the head of cauliflower.

First, remove the leaves and stalk. Then, chop the head into smaller pieces.

You can use the grating attachment on your food processor and then pulse with the S-blade for a finer texture. Or, simply grate using a box grater. Either way works fine.

Whether you make your own or use a frozen bag, you need to remove any excess moisture. Use a hand towel to gently squeeze the riced cauliflower until no more liquid runs out.

See here for How to Make Cauliflower Rice.

Sauté the Onion

Pour the oil into a large skillet or pan and turn the stove to medium or medium-high heat.

Add in the diced onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the garlic and continue sautéing for another 30 seconds or so, until it is quite fragrant.

Add the Cauliflower

Once the onion is translucent and the garlic is soft, add in the riced cauliflower florets, salt, and pepper. Cook while stirring occasionally for 6 to 8 minutes.

Be sure to watch the pan so the cauliflower doesn’t burn to the bottom.

Serve

Zest the lime into a small bowl. Then, slice it and juice it.

Once the cauliflower rice is cooked, pour in the lime zest and juice along with the chopped fresh cilantro. Give the entire mixture a good stir.

Now you’re ready to enjoy this side dish in burritos or burrito bowls, tacos, and more!

Meal Prep and Storage

• To Prep-Ahead: You can easily rice the cauliflower the day before, just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to use. Chop the onions, garlic, and cilantro ahead of time, as well.
• To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.
• To Freeze: Use freezer-safe bags to store individual-sized portions in the freezer for up to 6 months.
• To Reheat: For the best results, warm up this cauli rice in a skillet on the stove. If you’re in a hurry, you can use the microwave.

FAQs

Expert Tips and Tricks

• DIY. It is so simple and affordable to make your own cauliflower rice, so skip the frozen bag.
• Give it a squeeze. If you don’t remove the extra moisture from the cauliflower, your rice might get mushy.
• Get it fragrant. Cook the onions and garlic just until you get that savory smell in the air before adding in the riced cauliflower.
• Chop first. Be sure to cut up the cilantro BEFORE measuring.
• Zest and squeeze. You will use both parts of the lime, so zest first and then cut it up to juice it.

Make it a Meal

This cilantro lime cauliflower rice recipe is the perfect addition to any of these meals:

• Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Oven-Baked Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
• Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
• Cilantro Lime Chicken
• Barbacoa Tacos
• Air Fryer Fish Tacos

More Cauliflower Recipes

If you’re looking for more ways to utilize this healthy and versatile veggie, try one of these next:

• Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Air Fryer Cauliflower
• Cauliflower Soup
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
• Roasted Cauliflower