Julie Clark
Updated:
Steamed Cauliflower Rice
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
It may sound strange, but Steamed Cauliflower Rice is a great alternative for rice in a low-carb, grain-free diet! Tips on how to make easy cauliflower rice.
So….have you ever heard of cauliflower rice? I’ll admit that up until 6 months ago, the only time I ate cauliflower was if it was cut up small and smothered in ranch dip.
I truly have come a long way.
Is cauliflower rice better than rice?
After we set out on our Whole30 journey, I found something called Steamed Cauliflower Rice. So is this vegetable rice better than regular rice? Although it can be used interchangeably in recipes, they definitely don’t taste the same. It is lower in carbs and grain free so in that way is “better”.
I’m at the point now where in most recipes I can say that I like it about the same as regular rice. But please prepare your mind that it is not the same texture or taste as rice.
How does cauliflower rice taste?
I’ll have to say that we were all pleasantly surprised. I really thought it would have a weird taste, but it doesn’t. Sometimes the rice has a stronger”veggie” aroma than other times, but I have a fairly sensitive nose and this has never turned me off from eating it. It’s similar to when I fix steamed broccoli.
If you add seasonings such as stir-fry sauces, butter or a coconut milk gravy or your other favorite flavors the cauliflower taste will mostly be masked. Loaded cauliflower casseroles are delicious!
Is cauliflower rice Keto?
Yes. Steamed cauliflower rice is keto friendly and it is a great substitute to add a low carb rice option to your dinners on low carb diets.
Cooking cauliflower rice also fits into gluten free, sugar free, paleo and Whole30 eating plans.
How to Steam Cauliflower Rice
You’ll need a washed head of cauliflower, a food processor and a Zip & Steam bag.
- Use a knife to cut off the cauliflower florets. Take the large chunks and cut or break them into small pieces. Put the cauliflower pieces into your food processor. We love our Ninja…you can buy one here. You might have to do one batch at a time since that food processor is small. Note…if you don’t have a food processor, you can use a box grater or cheese grater to grate tiny pieces of cauliflower. You’ll want the pieces about the size of pieces of rice.
- Process that cauliflower until you have little rice-size pieces.
- Take the raw cauliflower rice and empty into a Zip & Steam bag. If you’ve never used one of these bags, you’re missing out. It makes steamed veggies so easy! Whatever type of veggies you love, just throw them into the bag.
- Seal the bag. Microwave for 3-6 minutes. The exact time will depend on how much rice is in the bag. Open the bag carefully to let out any excess moisture and steam. I cook about 1 ½ cups of cauliflower for about 3 minutes in our microwave. It really doesn’t take long!
It is so simple that there’s really no excuse why you can’t be eating steamed veggies! You can find these where the Ziploc bags are in the store or you can purchase them here.
Steamed Cauliflower Rice in a Pan
Don’t want to use a microwave? Here’s how to steam cauliflower without a steamer.
- Place the riced cauliflower in a skillet with a touch of olive oil over medium heat. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Cover the skillet and steam for 5-7 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Add it to any recipe calling for rice (we often add it to stuffed peppers).
How do you season cauliflower rice?
We recommend seasoning steamed cauliflower rice based on the recipe you are making it with.
- For Mexican cauliflower rice: add a touch of lime juice and fresh snipped cilantro.
- For Fried Asian rice: Drizzle with coconut aminos or soy sauce and a touch of ginger.
- For Italian rice: Toss with garlic, parsley and parmesan cheese.
Honestly, any fresh herbs, a simple sprinkling of salt and pepper goes a long way to add flavor.
Recipes with Steamed Cauliflower Rice
Give yourself time to get used to the change by adding in just a little bit of cauli rice when you make normal grain rice. Then slowly replace more of the grain rice with cauliflower until you’ve completely switched over.
So what do you use cauliflower rice for? This low carb rice is simple to make, and we’ve used it in so many of our standard recipes that call for rice. Our favorite times to use the rice is when we have pork burritos or for making fried rice. Here are a few other ideas:
How to Freeze Cauliflower Rice
Yes! After you rice the cauliflower, blot it dry with a paper towel so there is not extra moisture. Then place it in the portion sizes you’d like in a freezer bag. Seal and freeze for up to 6 months. This makes meal prepping for your Whole30 so easy!
Have you ever tried mashed cauliflower in place of potatoes? Try our low carb mashed cauliflower bake or bacon thyme mashed cauliflower. You may also love our cauliflower steaks.
Steamed Cauliflower Rice
It may sound strange, but Steamed Cauliflower Rice is a great alternative for rice in a low-carb, grain-free diet! Tips on how to make easy cauliflower rice.
Servings 4 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Total Time 14 minutes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- food processor
- 1 Ziploc Zip & Steam bag
Instructions
- Wash and cut the cauliflower into small pieces.
- Put the cauliflower pieces into your food processor and process it until it is in rice-size pieces.
- Put the rice into a Ziploc Zip & Steam bag and cook in the microwave for about 3 minutes, or according to the directions on the bag.
- Serve the cauliflower rice as you would normally serve rice.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Calories: 40kcal
I did not make this recipe, but I have made cauliflower Christ before. My concern with the recipe is that we have such an addiction to plastic and there is no reason to put anything in the ziplock bag anymore. We need to start using reusable environmentally friendly, reusable containers and find other ways to steaming other than using a ziplock bag.
Thank you for the recipe. I just ask that we all make an effort to protect our mother earth for generations to come
Can you freeze the cooked caulirice?
I have been working on and tirelessly (sp?) Researching paleo eating habits for myself and am always amazed at all of the “out-of-the-box” thinking that I am coming across. I am definitely going to try the cauliflower rice. Keep those ideas flowing.
I really need to give this a try! Love the idea of more veggies 🙂
I love cauliflower rice! I need to give microwaving it a try, one less pan to clean, LOL
My sister made this for me. I use turmeric, and other seasonings, fresh herbs, to jazz it up too. Yum
I’ve used it in veggie fried “rice”. Turns out great!
All I can say is those chicken recipes look yummy
Cauliflower rice is a pretty ingenious idea! Congrats on your Whole 30. We did one last summer and are about to start another one! Thanks for stopping by!
I love this idea. My hubby is anti vegetable and I too have to hide veggies. Thanks for sharing!