Tired of empty-calorie, high carb foods filling your plate?
My Cauliflower Mexican Rice recipe is a fantastic nutrient-dense side dish that will rock your low carb world.
Cauliflower Mexican Rice One Pot Meal
Better yet? Throw in some leftover chicken to make Cauliflower Mexican Rice a one-pot meal.
Is Cauliflower Low in Carbohydrates?
For those avoiding starchy foods such as white rice, cauliflower is a wonderful alternative packed with vitamins, minerals, and a wealth of antioxidants.
| Calories | Carbs | Fiber | Net Carbs | Protein | Fat | |
| Cauliflower, cooked (3 oz) | 20 | 4g | 1g | 2g | 2g | 0g |
| White Rice, cooked (1/2 cup) | 102 | 23g | 1g | 22g | 2g | 0g |
Carbs in Cauli
I’ve been substituting cauliflower rice in place of white rice since I went on a grain-free diet more than twenty years ago in 2001.
Easy Recipe for Dirty Rice
And my boys have enjoyed eating this healthy way too! They love Cauliflower Mexican Rice, though they call it dirty rice.
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Back in the day, before they went to college, we had this spicy low carb side dish with the Herbed Turkey Loaf recipe from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. They and their friends went wild for this healthy dinner.
I hope you love this healthy Cauliflower Mexican Rice recipe as much as we do!
Cauliflower Mexican Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 cup yellow pepper, diced
- 1 cup red pepper, diced
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped
- 3 cups cauliflower, riced with your food processor or box grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 2 cups Chicken Stock
Instructions
Cajun Rice Recipe with Cauliflower
With garlic, onion, peppers, and an array of Cajun spices like chili and cumin, this is one healthy side dish the whole family will love.
Is Cauliflower Good For You?
The health benefits of cauliflower are numerous.
First, cauliflower belongs to the brassica family, along with broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, and more, also known as cruciferous vegetables.
Health Benefits Cauliflower
Cruciferous vegetables are full of fiber, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds that contain a number of substances that both nourish and detoxify the body.
One particularly exciting thing about cruciferous vegetables is that they contain indole 3-carbinol (IC3) which activates detoxification pathways in the gut and liver potentially lowering cancer risk.
Due to the benefits of IC3, I take at least one DIM capsule per day and eat as many helpings of brassica vegetables as I can each week.
Cauliflower Nutrients
In addition to being a great detoxifier, cauliflower is packed with a number of nutrients including:
- Vitamin C
- Iron
- Calcium
- Magnesium
Keto Diet Healthy Recipes
Because it is both nutritious and low-carb, cauliflower is a great food if you are on a keto diet. For more low-carb recipes see my Keto Diet Healthy Recipes page.
Low Carb Alternatives to Rice
Did you know that you can use cauliflower as a healthy substitute for rice in many dishes?
And if you’re looking for more amazing low carb substitutes for starchy fare, check out my article on Low Carb Pasta: Healthy Low Carb Swaps for Noodles.
Recipes for Riced Cauliflower
After I created my Basic Cauliflower Rice recipe, I received many requests for flavored cauliflower rice recipes.
When I saw that Paleo Comfort Foods had a recipe for Dirty Rice, I knew I’d have to make my own version. My Cauliflower Mexican Rice is based on theirs.
Cauliflower Low Carb Recipes
Mexican Chicken and Rice
If you love my Mexican Cauliflower Rice you’ll want to check out my skillet Mexican Chicken and Rice which elevates this one pot dish to a new level.
Roasted Cauliflower Oven with Carrots and Zucchini
Love cauliflower but want to bring some other roasted vegetables to the table?
My Roasted Cauliflower Carrots and Zucchini is made with those three delicious vegetables. Sprinkle with oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary and you’re good to go!
Recipe for Mashed Cauliflower
I don’t know about you, but as the days get cooler I crave my recipe for Mashed Cauliflower which is also the perfect Thanksgiving side dish.
This recipe for Mashed Cauliflower is made with only three ingredients: cauliflower, olive oil, and salt. If you’ve been wondering how to make cauli mash you’ll be so happy you found this dish.
Cauliflower Soup Roasted
My Roasted Cauliflower Soup contains a mere five ingredients. All you need to make it is cauliflower, olive oil, salt, onion, and bone broth –you couldn’t have a shorter grocery list for delicious homemade soup.
No Potato Salad Homemade
Can’t eat potatoes but miss potato salad? I have the perfect solution for you.
My No Potato Salad is the perfect low-carb potato salad alternative for picnics, barbecues, and dinner any old night of the week.
You won’t miss the real thing and will be hooked on this healthy new salad!
Cauliflower Recipes Easy
I hope you enjoy all of my easy, healthy cauliflower recipes. What’s your favorite way to eat cauliflower?
Leave a comment and let me know!
This post is an oldie but goodie from the archives, I first published Cauliflower Mexican Rice in 2011.
Lisa says
This was delicious – my husband was doubtful, but it is now his favorite side dish. Even our 8 year old loved it. Very flavorful and easy. Thanks!
Elana says
Lisa, so glad to hear that this is your husband’s favorite side dish!
Susan says
I’m really excited to try this. Making healthy changes in my eating. Going completely Paleo almost impossible due to my daughter’s coconut allergy and the fact that a TON of Paleo recipes use coconut or coconut derivatives (ie. Coconut sugar, coconut flour, coconut milk, coconut oil, etc), and trying to make substitutions for all of it is exhausting. But, this one is definitely doable.
Oh…and just a little tidbit of information…One piece of celery is a rib. A stalk is the entire bunch. When writing a recipe fornothers to use, i feel it’s important to use the correct terminology. Okay…that sounds snotty…lol. But it’s not meant that way. Sorry…I need coffee. Lol.
Oge | Tortilleria Nixtamal says
Elena, this went just perfectly with your spicy chicken with grilled lemon! Thanks for the great recipes!
Tonya says
Tried this last week and loved it! My picky children didn’t like it as much as my husband and I but they will just have to learn to love it because we will be having this again soon and often!
Mendee says
Hi Elana,
I tried your dirty rice recipe today for Thanksgiving because I wanted to do something resembling dressing but can’t have any kind of grain. I followed your recipe loosely and then seasoned it up like the dressing my family has cooked for years. Not only was it divine, even the texture was remarkably similar to real cornbread dressing. I was thrilled!!! My family raved about it too. Thanks for the recipe!
Martha says
How do you “rice” the cauliflower? I have a smaller (large) food processor with pulse and on….do you blanch the cauliflower prior to “ricing” it?
Liese says
Love this recipe. Made it and the family raved!
It doesn’t say. But do you put a lid on it while it’s simmering?
diana says
Very interesting receipes i like it i am having fun with new receipes and enjoying and losing weight at the same time… :-) thanks
Diana Esqueda
Tess says
I’ve made this recipe 5 or 6 times now. I have served it with chicken and shrimp or just served it by itself. It is DELICIOUS and completely fool proof. Thank you!
Amber says
I was surprised by this recipe! My husband and I both liked it quite a bit, and he is a professed cauliflower hater.
The texture of mine very much resembled couscous (perhaps I pulsed the cauliflower in the food processor a bit too much) and I made a couple substitutions based on what I had on hand (oregano instead of thyme, red and yellow bell peppers instead of green) but I thought the flavor was quite nice. I really would not call it a substitute for rice — the flavor of the cauliflower is mild and works well with the spices, but it is still cauliflower — but that being said it is a delicious cauliflower dish, and could easily be adapted for many other spices and flavors.
Thank you, Elena!