Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

This cilantro lime cauliflower rice recipe is always a sure bet. It's a easy, healthy, and flavorful dish that will brighten up your dinner. And this recipe pairs so well with creamy recipes!

If you love cauliflower recipes, try my creamy mashed cauliflower recipe for the best garlic, buttery, and creamy mashed cauliflower.

⭐ Cauliflower Rice

I realized to create an amazing cauliflower rice recipe, you have to go beyond the salt and pepper basics. As far as side dishes recipes go, this iconic cauliflower rice combined perfectly with my:

• Creamy Ranch Pork Chops - fantastic combination
• 40 Minute Butter Chicken - ready in 40 minutes
• Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry - with garlic and your choice of protein
• Smothered Pork Chops - creamy, delightful and perfect with cauliflower rice

You'll love this low-carb recipe! The cilantro and lime ingredient combination gives the cauliflower rice a unique but balanced flavor.

🍽 What you need

When it comes to lime, use fresh lime juice instead of a bottled one. Fresh lime juice brings a much brighter and more intense flavor than the bottled one. But just use one to avoid overpowering your cauliflower rice recipe with lime flavor.

🔪 How to make

This is one of my favorite side dishes because it is super easy and a fail-proof recipe. And when using frozen cauliflower, I can have this recipe ready in 10 minutes or less.

Preparing the cauliflower rice

Start by cutting the head cauliflower into quarters or large batches. Using your knife, cut the large florets into small pieces, then load them into a blender or food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower has a fine, rice-like texture.

You may get a bowl of waterier cauliflower rice when using a food processor. Simply wrap the side dish in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze a little to draw out the moisture. If you don't have a food processor or blender, use a box grater. It needs more muscle and can create a bit of a mess, but it almost resembles the 'real' rice texture. Use whatever option you feel like.

After you're done preparing the cauliflower rice, you're basically half way there. The next step is heating the lime cauliflower rice cilantro! There are three ways to go about this; roasting cauliflower rice in the oven, steaming in the microwave, and sautéing in a skillet.

Putting it all together

For this cauliflower rice cilantro lime recipe, we'll sauté in a skillet.

1. Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. You can as well use butter, coconut oil, or avocado oil if you so wish. When the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes on medium heat or until they become soft and translucent.
2. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or until the garlic becomes soft and fragrant, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the cauliflower rice to the skillet. Stir to mix everything together. Be careful not to overmix however, as the cauliflower rice might get mushy.
4. Stir in the vegetable stock, about half the cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. You can add your favorite seasoning, if desired. Turn the heat up to high and cook for another minute. Lower the heat again, add the lime juice and stir to mix well.
5. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the remaining cilantro for a minute, then remove from heat.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Don't be afraid to experiment. Throw in cheese, fresh herbs, lime zest, and spices towards the end of cooking for a more distinct flavor. Be careful not to overdo it.

💭 Quick tips

While this cauliflower rice recipe is as simple as they come, things can still get messy real quick. Here're the most common blunders and easy tips.

1. Overcooking. All your efforts will go in vain if you overcook cauliflower in this recipe. Besides losing its super nutritious value, the vegetable gets crumbly, mushy and a little too intense in taste. If this happens, you don't have to throw it away. Instead, get creative and make some cauliflower soup. You can also spice things up and make garlic butter mashed cauliflower.
2. Avoid using iron or aluminum pan/skillet when cooking cauliflower. The organo-sulfur compounds found in this cruciferous vegetable will react with the metals and discolor the head of cauliflower. Non-stick and stainless steel skillets are the best options for cauliflower rice cilantro lime.
3. Forgetting to remove excess moisture from the cauliflower and ending up with a mushy low carb rice (no one likes the mushy mess, right?). If you missed it, check my How to cook Frozen Cauliflower Rice above.
4. Under-seasoning your cilantro lime rice. While some people prefer the cilantro lime cauliflower rice plain, being adventurous with spices, herbs and even sauces really transforms this side dish into something irresistible. Don't be afraid to make this meal your own.

🥗 What to serve with

Let's face it, as healthy as cilantro lime cauliflower rice is, serving it plainly won't just cut it. To be totally honest, it might be a bit boring. That's why most people consider it as a side dish, just like rice. But when it comes to easy side dish recipes, specially prepared in the Mediterranean style, it's superb.

If you have no idea what to serve this rice cilantro lime cauliflower with, here are a few more options;

• Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops oven-baked to perfection, these boneless pork chops are impressive.
• Ranch Pork Chops is one of my famous pork chop recipes, and for a good reason. These smothered pork chops pair perfectly with cauliflower rice. Any time I have extra ranch sauce left, I always finish it up with my cauliflower rice.
• Bottom Round Roast is a tender roast beef option combined with cauliflower for a lovely dinner combination.

🥫 Storage options

If you prepared more than enough of this super nutritious veggie, you can either refrigerate or freeze.

Lime cauliflower rice cilantro can last up to 4 days in a fridge while up to 2 months when frozen. It works exactly the same as buying frozen cauliflower.

Make sure the meal is cool before freezing or refrigerating. When freezing, it's best to divide the cauliflower rice into portions. You can either use resalable freezer bags or freeze-safe containers.

Don't forget to label the bag. Also, remove as much air as you can out of the bag before sealing.

When you're ready to eat, follow "How to cook Frozen Cauliflower Rice" above.

Can I use frozen cauliflower rice?

Yes! I always have frozen cauliflower rice in my freezer. And I regularly buy two bags of Via Emilia Organic Frozen Riced Cauliflower which contains four 12 oz bags of perfectly riced cauliflower for $5.99 or $0.12 per once. Another great option is Costco's organic riced cauliflower.

How to cook frozen cauliflower rice?

Take a large non-stick pan, add a splash of olive oil and turn the burner to high. I use a gas stove and prepare frozen cauliflower rice on maximum heat. Add your frozen cauliflower rice and break up the frozen chunks with a wooden spatula. Stir every 30 seconds to allow the cauliflower to cook evenly and avoid burning.

We do this to remove as much moisture from the cauliflower as possible.

How to buy fresh cauliflower?

Always go for thick, compact cauliflower florets. Avoid blemished cauliflower or florets that appear light tan, brown or dark brown. It's a sign that the cauliflower head is starting to decay.

There's also another convenient route most people are taking nowadays, and that is buying frozen riced cauliflower. It's convenient if making cauliflower rice on busy days.

🍳 Related Easy Recipes

For more vegetable alternatives as side dish, check how to cook spaguetti squash in four ways; in the oven, microwave, instant pot and airfryer!

Also try my cauliflower shepperd's pie and my cheesy cauliflower casserole which are fantastic quick and easy dinners.

What do you think about cauliflower rice?

Let us know if you want more cauliflower rice recipes. We also have a pretty extensive recipe choice for any occasion; just browse through our website recipe collection.

Looking for more side dishes ideas? I got you covered with this collection of 21 best side dishes to pair with chicken piccata or any meal.

📋 Recipe

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

This delicious and easy to make cilantro lime cauliflower rice recipe can be enjoyed on its own as a side dish or as a base for a favorite Mexican recipe.

4.82 from 11 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 42kcal

Author: Kim Grabinski

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup white onion - chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 cups riced cauliflower - frozen is fine
• 2 tablespoons vegetable stock
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ cup fresh cilantro - chopped and divided
• juice of 1 lime

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 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 and the salt and cumin. Turn the heat up to high and cook for another minute. 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. Continue to stir until warmed. 
• Serve and enjoy!

Notes

1. Overcooking. All your efforts will go in vain if you overcook cauliflower in this recipe. Besides losing its super nutritious value, the vegetable gets crumbly, mushy and a little too intense in taste. If this happens, you don't have to throw it away. Instead, get creative and make some cauliflower soup. You can also spice things up and make garlic butter mashed cauliflower.
2. Avoid using iron or aluminum pan/skillet when cooking cauliflower. The organo-sulfur compounds found in this cruciferous vegetable will react with the metals and discolor the head of cauliflower. Non-stick and stainless steel skillets are the best options for cauliflower rice cilantro lime.
3. Forgetting to remove excess moisture from the cauliflower and ending up with a mushy low carb rice (no one likes the mushy mess, right?). If you missed it, check my How to cook Frozen Cauliflower Rice above.
4. Under-seasoning your cilantro lime rice. While some people prefer the cilantro lime cauliflower rice plain, being adventurous with spices, herbs and even sauces really transforms this side dish into something irresistible. Don't be afraid to make this meal your own.

Nutrition

Calories: 42kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 231mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 27.5mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.3mg