You are going to love this cilantro lime cauliflower rice recipe. This cauliflower rice is full of flavour and you'll love how easy it is to make in just one pan. This healthy side dish is also Whole30, low carb, keto, gluten free, vegan and paleo!
Is there anything that cauliflower can't do? You can make it into cauliflower cheese sauce, cauliflower Alfredo sauce and cauliflower rice including Spanish cauliflower rice. It's a pretty versatile vegetable and the caulirice recipe I am sharing with you today is so good!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- The flavour! This is no boring cauliflower rice recipe. The flavours of lime and cilantro are so good together!
- It is so quick and easy to make and takes less than 10 minutes to cook.
- This lime and cilantro cauliflower rice is healthy, paleo, AIP, Whole30, vegan, low carb, keto, sugar free, gluten free and dairy free.
- It can be used in so many different ways including as a healthy side dish and as a base for Mexican dishes like burrito bowls and tacos, just like healthy sweet potato rice.
If you love the flavours of cilantro and lime together you will also love creamy cilantro lime dressing.
Ingredients and substitutions:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card.
- Cauliflower rice - you can either rice your own cauliflower florets or buy pre-riced cauliflower rice.
- Limes - fresh limes are used for both the lime zest and lime juice to give this lime cauliflower rice the perfect refreshing taste.
- Cilantro - fresh cilantro adds a unique flavour to this cilantro cauliflower rice. You can add as much or as little as you like depending on how much you like cilantro.
- Coconut oil - this cooking oil helps make this caulirice so soft and tender when it's fried and gives it a subtle coconut flavour. Instead of coconut oil you could use avocado oil or olive oil.
- Onion - you can use white onion, yellow onion or sweet onion to make this healthy rice recipe.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- This recipe is very flexible - if you don't like cilantro, you can use less. If you don't like lime flavour, add less lime zest and skip the lime juice.
- If you can't find pre-packaged cauliflower rice you can make your own by either grating fresh cauliflower florets on a cheese grater or box grater, or using a food processor to chopped it into fine, rice sized pieces.
- You can easily double or triple this Mexican cauliflower rice recipe if you are serving a crowd.
- To change up the flavour you can add other seasonings such as garlic powder, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, or onion powder.
How to make cilantro lime cauliflower rice:
- Step 1: First, place a large pan or large skillet on the stovetop on medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is melted, add the chopped onion and cook it for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Step 2: Add the cauliflower rice to the pan and stir everything well to combine. Cook the rice for 5-6 minutes (stirring frequently), until the cauliflower has a rice-like texture and the texture you prefer.
- Step 3: Add the lime zest, salt and chopped cilantro to the cauliflower rice and stir everything well to combine. Cook it for another minute or so.
- Step 4: Taste the cauliflower rice, and if it is to your liking, serve now. If you want it to have a bit more lime flavour, squeeze a little fresh lime juice over it and stir it all together.
Top tips - how to prevent cauliflower rice from getting soggy!
- Use fresh rather than frozen cauliflower rice.
- If you washed the cauliflower be sure to dry it completely before cooking.
- Leave the lid off the pan when you cook cauliflower rice (if you put the lid on it traps moisture inside the pan which can make the cauliflower soggy).
- Don't add too many liquids to the cauliflower rice when you cook it or fry it.
Serving ideas:
You can serve this easy cilantro lime cauliflower rice in so many ways. Here are a few ideas:
- As a base for burrito bowls, burritos or tacos.
- Serve this cilantro rice as a side dish with grilled chicken, fish, shrimp or steak. I love serving it with my blackened Mahi Mahi, blackened cod and healthy air fryer salmon cakes.
- Use it in place of regular rice to make rice and black beans or rice and beans.
Cilantro lime cauliflower rice FAQs:
You can, but just note that frozen cauliflower rice tends to get a bit soggy when it cooks so you are better off using fresh cauliflower rice.
Yes, cauliflower rice is a great option for a low carb or keto diet as it is naturally low in carbs and sugar so is a great replacement for traditional sides like white rice or brown rice.
You can but I don't recommend it. Cauliflower rice will get a bit mushy when reheated after it's been frozen, so it is better to serve fresh or shortly after it's been made.
Store any leftover cauliflower rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
I do not recommend trying to freeze this rice. If you freeze it, when it gets reheated it tends to get a bit mushy.
Other rice recipes and info you will love:
Recipe
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- 1 package cauliflower rice (340 grams)
- 2 limes, for zest and juice (approximately 2 tablespoon of lime zest)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (more or less to taste)
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Place a large pan on the stove on medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is melted, add the chopped onion and cook it for a few minutes, until it's translucent.
- Add the cauliflower rice to the pan and stir to combine. Cook everything for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the cauliflower has the texture you prefer.
- Stir in the lime zest, chopped cilantro and salt and cook for another minute or so.
- Taste the cauliflower rice, and if it is to your liking, serve it now. If you want it to have a bit more lime flavour, squeeze a little fresh lime juice over it and stir it all together.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can either rice your own cauliflower or use pre-packaged cauliflower rice.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
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