This Spanish cauliflower rice with shrimp recipe is such an easy, delicious meal. Ready in under 30 minutes this healthy Mexican inspired dish is packed with flavour and is gluten free, dairy free, low carb and paleo!
Vegetable rice recipes like cilantro lime cauliflower rice, gluten free cauliflower fried rice and sweet potato rice are such a fun alternative to traditional rice recipes, and I can't wait for you to try the caulirice recipe that I am sharing with you today!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- This Mexican cauliflower rice has the most incredible flavour!
- It's so quick and easy to make and is ready in less than 30 minutes. The clean up is also so simple.
- This healthy cauliflower rice recipe makes a complete meal that the whole family will love.
- This Spanish caulirice makes great leftovers and is perfect for meal prep.
- This Spanish rice recipe is healthy, low in carbs, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, Whole30 compliant, and keto.
- You can make this easy recipe with either fresh or frozen cauliflower rice.
- It's very versatile! If you don't like shrimp feel free to leave it out or to substitute it with another protein such as chicken, ground beef, pork, tofu or beans.
If you love shrimp recipes you will also love pan seared shrimp and air fryer frozen shrimp.
Ingredient notes:
- Riced cauliflower – you can either use fresh or frozen cauliflower rice for making this recipe. You can also rice your own cauliflower using a food processor or a cheese grater, or use store bought, pre-made riced cauliflower.
- Diced tomatoes – It wouldn’t be Spanish rice without the tomatoes! I use canned, diced tomatoes to add delicious flavour while keeping this recipe really easy to make.
- Tomato paste – to help thicken the sauce on this Mexican rice recipe and add more delicious flavour.
- Onion – onion adds more flavour and texture to this Whole30 cauliflower rice recipe. You can use white onion, yellow onion or sweet onion.
- Seasoning and spices: ground cumin, sea salt and ground black pepper all combine to give this simple dish the best Mexican inspired flavour.
- Shrimp – shrimp is a healthy protein that turns this Spanish rice into a complete meal. You could easily swap the shrimp for another protein such as cooked chicken, ground beef, tofu, pork or beans.
- Cooking oil - you can use either olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil to cook the shrimp and rice.
- Fresh lime juice - a little fresh lime juice helps give the shrimp in this recipe a delicious taste.
How to make (step-by-step):
Step one:
First, place a large pan or large skillet on the stove on medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is melted add the chopped onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
Step two:
Next, add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices to the pan and let cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Step three:
Now add the cauliflower rice and stir everything well to combine. Cook for an additional 7-10 minutes, until the cauliflower rice has the consistency that you like. While the cauliflower rice is cooking, cook the shrimp (see the next step).
Step four:
While the rice is simmering you can cook the shrimp by placing a small pan on the stove on low heat and adding all the ingredients. Cook the shrimp for a 3-5 minutes, until warmed throughout.
Step five:
Transfer the warmed shrimp to the pan with the caulirice and stir well to combine. Remove everything from the heat and serve and enjoy!
Top Tips:
- To rice your own cauliflower place fresh cauliflower florets into a food processor and process until you have rice sized pieces. Alternatively you could grate the raw cauliflower on a cheese grater.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- If you are vegan or vegetarian, omit the shrimp from this recipe or use cooked tofu or beans instead.
- Instead of shrimp you could add cooked chicken, ground beef, or pork instead.
- Feel free to add other vegetables such as chopped peppers or celery.
- Top this dish with fresh cilantro, chopped green onion or avocado.
- You could add other spices such as garlic powder, taco seasonings, chili flakes or red pepper flakes or onion powder.
- If you are serving a crowd or want leftovers you can easily double or triple this recipe.
How to store:
Store any leftover cauliflower rice with shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This rice recipe also freezes really well for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions:
Yes! You can use either fresh or frozen cauliflower rice to make this dish. You will just have to sauté the frozen cauliflower rice a little longer to remove the excess liquid.
This Spanish cauliflower rice recipe has 11 grams of net carbs per serving, so as long as you watch your carb count with your other meals this would be a keto cauliflower rice recipe.
The key to making cauliflower rice that is not soggy is to not add too many liquids, and to not over cook it. It only takes a few minutes to cook cauliflower rice so be sure to watch it closely so that it doesn’t get mushy or soggy.
To make cauliflower rice less bitter, add spices such as cumin, salt and pepper as well as other vegetables such as onion or garlic. You can also add other ingredients such as tomatoes or tomato sauce to make it sweeter tasting.
Other recipes you will love:
- Blackened Cod
- Spinach and Artichoke Dip
- Whole30 Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli
- Beef Curry Stew
- Healthy Sloppy Joes
- Whole30 Potato Salad
Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star review before you go!
Recipe
Spanish Cauliflower Rice with Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
Spanish Cauliflower Rice Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 680 grams riced cauliflower (equivalent to ~ 3.5 cups)
Shrimp Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil or avocado oil
- juice from one fresh lime
- 300 grams cooked and peeled wild shrimp (I used frozen and thawed it before hand)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place a large pan on the stove on medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is melted add the chopped onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and spices to the pan and let cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower rice and stir well to combine. Cook for an additional 7-10 minutes, until it has the consistency that you desire.
- While the rice is simmering you can cook the shrimp by placing a small pan on the stove on low heat and adding all the ingredients. Cook the shrimp for a 3-5 minutes, until warmed throughout.
- Transfer the shrimp to the pan with the rice and stir to combine. Remove everything from the heat and serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This cauliflower rice makes great leftovers and keeps well in the fridge for 3 days.
- You can use either fresh or frozen riced cauliflower to make this recipe.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Kristie
So yummy!
Erin Carter
Even Dad liked this one :p