How to Make Cauliflower Rice
Make perfect cauliflower rice with this recipe! Learn one key tip for preparing delicious cauliflower rice, plus flavor variations, too.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Have you tried cauliflower rice? It’s a perfectly versatile, light side dish. I was skeptical of the concept at first, but now I’ll admit that it can be awesome. I’ll share all my tricks with you today.
If you, like me, are craving lighter meals as the weather warms up, try serving cauliflower rice instead of white or brown rice. It’s similar in texture, with a nice savory flavor, and it’s pure vegetables! I’ve been trying to fill half of my plate with veggies lately, so cauliflower rice is just the ticket.
There is an art to cauliflower rice. If you haven’t enjoyed it in the past, it probably wasn’t prepared optimally. In fact, I just ordered the new cauliflower rice option at my favorite chain burrito place (you probably know it), and I was disappointed. It was far too salty and way too watery. It can be so much better.
Here is a basic primer on how to prepare cauliflower rice. This recipe is simple and yields perfectly fluffy, lightly seared cauliflower rice. You’ll also learn how to adjust the recipe to suit many different meals. Off we go!
Cauliflower Rice Notes & Tips
The key to making great cauliflower rice is to wring excess moisture from the cauliflower rice before cooking.
That way, the “rice” can caramelize in places and yield major flavor bonus points. Otherwise, the rice just steams in the pan, and we all know how compelling plain steamed vegetables are (heh). Cauliflower’s moisture levels can vary tremendously, so this step may or may not seem necessary in the moment. Trust me, sometimes you really need it.
The best way to make cauliflower rice is in a food processor with the S-blade.
I tried making the cauliflower rice a few different ways—grated by hand, then in the food processor with the grating attachment, and again in the food processor with the S-blade. I was able to squeeze out the most moisture from the cauliflower rice that I made with the S-blade.
Buy store-bought cauliflower rice to make this recipe more quickly, with less mess.
Fair warning: No matter how I grated the cauliflower, I made a mess. Freshly made cauliflower rice tastes fresher, however. Properly stored frozen cauliflower rice seems more reliably fresh than refrigerated cauliflower rice. The recipe notes provide details on how to thaw frozen cauliflower rice.
Stovetop-cooked cauliflower rice tastes better than roasted cauliflower rice.
I tried roasting the cauliflower rice in the oven but didn’t love the results. By the time the rice was golden, it had lost a ton of volume and offered a strangely spongey texture. The stovetop rice was tastier, fluffier, and ready sooner!
Watch How to Make Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower Rice Flavor Variations
I like to tailor this rice to my meal by adding some fresh herbs and maybe a squeeze of citrus. Here are some suggestions:
Parsley and a squeeze of lemon
Parsley and lemon lend this dish a Mediterranean or Italian vibe. This variation would be lovely with:
- Grilled main dishes, generally speaking
- Crispy Falafel
- Jessica’s Marinated Chickpeas or Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Dill
Check out my full recipe for Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice with Toasted Almonds here.
Cilantro and a squeeze of lime
Cilantro and lime suit Mexican and Indian dishes, as well as Thai curries. This version reminds me of my cilantro-lime rice recipe. Serve it with:
- Tacos, burritos and enchiladas
- Fresh Black Bean Burrito Bowls
- Quick Chana Masala and Dal Makhani
- Thai curries: Green Thai Curry, Red Thai Curry, and Panang Curry
Please let me know how your cauliflower rice turns out in the comments! I really love hearing from you and look forward to your serving suggestions.
How to Make Cauliflower Rice
Make perfect cauliflower rice with this recipe! This light side dish is low carb, vegan and gluten free, too. Recipe yields 4 side servings.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-to-large head cauliflower or 16 ounces store-bought cauliflower rice*
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro
- Optional: Squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- If you’re working with a head of cauliflower (if using store-bought, skip to the next step), cut it into medium chunks (see photo) and discard the core. Working in batches, pulse the chunks in a food processor with the S-blade until they’re broken into tiny pieces, just bigger than couscous. (See recipe notes if you don’t have a food processor.)
- Wrap the cauliflower rice in a clean tea towel or paper towels, twist, and squeeze as much water as possible from the rice—you might be surprised by how much water you can wring out, or you might not be. Cauliflower varies quite a bit in its moisture level, and this step ensures that it cooks well.
- Warm the skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, followed by the garlic. Cook while stirring just until the garlic is fragrant, about 10 to 20 seconds. Add the cauliflower rice and salt, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring just every minute or so, until the cauliflower rice is hot and turning golden in places, about 6 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the chopped fresh herbs and citrus, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm. Leftover cauliflower rice will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Gently reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop before serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice.
*Store-bought cauliflower rice: Fresh or frozen cauliflower rice will work well for this recipe. If frozen, let the rice defrost in the refrigerator for several hours in advance. Or, you may be able to defrost the frozen rice more quickly in a fine-mesh sieve under cool running water. Be sure to squeeze out excess water as indicated in step two.
If you don’t have a food processor: Slice the cauliflower into even quarters. Grate one quarter at a time on the medium holes of a cheese grater.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I just wipe the cauliflower with kitchen towel and use the food processor to blitz. I then cook it on top of cooker by frying some garlic and onion with it. I add some parsley – dash of line and a tablespoon of liquid aminos (which gives a lovely flavour and has lo salt. Oh a also add a teaspoon of cumin and it turns out delicious.
Thank you for sharing, Brid!
Dear Cookie,
Please pass this on to one of your humans.
I use a potato ricer to squeeze liquid out of things, especially thawed spinach.
If the cauliflower bits aren’t too tiny, a ricer might work. Gives you a bunch of leverage.
Regards,
Joe
Thank you, Joe!
Easy and delicious, very well explained, thank you! I wasn’t all that careful about squeezing the excess water out and it turned out fine–i think it evaporated when cooking. It browned nicely as described:) love you website!
I’m glad you hear you enjoy it, Alex!
How would cauliflower rice be used in a chicken &veg stir fry
Hi Gina, you would serve the chicken and the veggies just over the cauliflower rice, like you would regular rice.
Sounds good. I think I’ll add the garlic in just after the cauliflower starts turning brown to avoid overcooking the garlic, making it bitter. Been there and done that too manytimes. LOL
I hope you love it!
Definitely going to try this one. I know what you mean about the cauliflower going spongy if you bake it in the oven.
Hi Kate,
SO looking forward to making this, but, I don’t use fat or oil only a little water sprinkled when the pan is that it is just hot for caramelizing. I do all my veg this way and never usually have a problem. I know what you’re saying about wringing out the water well and understand why. Is there a way of cooking it without fat?
Looking forward to making your recipes!
Barbara
Hi Barbara, I hope you love it! I haven’t tried it without oil. If you have a very well seasoned pan, it may work ok and not stick. Not sure you will get the best results. Let me know what you try and how it goes!
Kate,
Our family enjoys your recipes immensely. I just read your cauliflower rice recipe. I want to share with you I make it by steaming a head of cauliflower then I just use a ricer. A foley food mill is the best if you can ever get one. I look for them at estate sale of the elderly.I tried the expensive All Clad one and it was a huge disappointment. A 25.00 food mill from ACE. Hardware did the job in the end.
Try it!
Thank you for sharing, Mary!
Hello! I made this recipe and I really like it. I didn’t have any garlic but next time I’ll make sure to add it. Just for kicks I’m going to add fresh ginger the next time I make this.
I’m so glad, thanks Sharon! Ginger sounds like a tasty addition!
I followed this recipe exactly, and it was delicious. The ricing process – using a food processor and squeezing excess water – was laborious and messy. I almost gave up. But glad I didn’t. I will definitely make again. It exceeded my expectations.
Thank you, Tamara! Frozen defrosted works well, too, and it’s quicker if you’re in a hurry.
I made this tonight as a side dish. It was delicious!!! Thanks for another great recipe!!!
Hooray! Thank you, Jennifer.
Your cooktop recipe is first cauliflower rice I liked. I made 2 other cauliflower rice dishes. one mixed with separetly oven roasted cauliflower, bell peppers, and onion pieces. Cumin, curry spices. Second batch was cook top prepared in olive oil, with onions, garlic, cherry tomato halves, Gardein crumbles, chopped Chile pepper. preserved lemon, bell peppers, some veg broth, and red kidney beans. Spices were freshly roasted and ground coriander, cumin, and cardamom seeds. Both were great and your cauliflower rice is a great base for creations. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing! Those dishes sound so flavorful and fun. So glad this method is working well for you.
I am going to use this for the cauliflower I got in my veggie box this week. I was thinking a lot of people get produce boxes or CSAs these days and it might be interesting to take a box and suggest a week (or several days) of menus from a sample box. It is sometimes a little overwhelming when you open the box and a plan for using them before they go to veggie heaven would be wonderful.
Hey Sally! I hope you love the cauliflower rice. That’s a really fun idea. I have always wanted to subscribe to a CSA box, but with recipe development, I tend to need precise amounts/types of produce any given week. Since those CSA boxes vary so much by region, it might work best to search for the type of produce in my search bar.
Hello Kate! I used your recipe to make cauliflower rice and it turned out amazing. I didn’t use cauliflower from the shop but the one I have grown in my garden, to be precise – Early Snowball variety. I wanted to ask you if every variety will be good to do this? I’d like to try it with the one cauliflower which is purple. I have found it on this site https://gardenseedsmarket.com/broccoli-and-cauliflower-seeds-en/ and I cannot find if it is accurate for this type of dish. I suppose it may just differ in taste. Maybe you have any idea?
Hey Blair! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe. How fun to use your home-grown cauliflower! I’m trying to garden more this year myself. I want to say that this technique would work well for all cauliflower (just haven’t tried to be sure). I believe I’ve tried purple cauli before and thought it tasted about the same, with a similar texture, so I think that would be fine! Would love to hear how your purple rice turns out if you try it.
Love your recipes and use them often! I make cauliflower rice all the time and my family can’t even tell it’s not rice ( and we are talking teenagers and hubby). I wizz up the cauliflower in a thermomix not to fine, and simply cook it in a wok on high with some oil. I have never ever squeezed out the water first and to be honest there is no need to as it fried up perfect in a wok on high, never wet. I also freeze bags of the raw rice and when time to use I break up the frozen cauliflower rice chunks with a hammer and throw straight into a hot wok still frozen. I say never ever defrost the frozen cauliflower as it is then a soggy wet mess before frying. Once cooked to my liking ( do t over cook the rice so it’s too soft), I then add whatever already cooked fried rice ingredients and sauces for perfect low carb fried rice. I make Korean kimichi rice, use in burrito bowls and a heap of rice dishes perfectly. Because this is all veggie I occasionally add into the final cooked batch of cauliflower rice, a packet of store bought white or brown microwave rice, just to bulk it a little with more carbs for my husband. If you had small kids, doing this would trick them completely and they would have no idea their fried rice is 1/2-3/4 cauliflower!
Amanda – thank you for the idea to make fried rice with this! We have a simple recipe that calls for egg, green onions and rice – but I can’t have rice right now, so this could be the ticket. Much appreciated! (I haven’t made this recipe yet, but it’s next on my list. :)
Love your recipes and use them often! I make cauliflower rice all the time and my family can’t even tell it’s not rice ( and we are talking teenagers and hubby). I wizz up the cauliflower in a thermomix not to fine, and simply cook it in a wok on high with some oil. I have never ever squeezed out the water first and to be honest there is no need to as it fried up perfect in a wok on high, never wet. I also freeze bags of the raw rice and when time to use I break up the frozen cauliflower rice chunks with a hammer and throw straight into a hot wok still frozen. I never ever defrost the frozen cauliflower as it is then a soggy wet mess before frying. Once cooked to my liking ( dont over cook the rice so it’s too soft), I then add whatever already cooked fried rice ingredients and sauces for perfect low carb fried rice. I make Korean kimichi rice, use in burrito bowls and a heap of rice dishes perfectly. Because this is all veggie I occasionally add into the final cooked batch of cauliflower rice, a packet of store bought white or brown microwave rice, just to bulk it a little with more carbs for my husband. If you had small kids, doing this would trick them completely and they would have no idea their fried rice is 1/2-3/4 cauliflower!
Would it be possible to make cauliflower rice in an instant pot? Any recommendations for how to go about doing that?
Hi! Sorry, I don’t have recommendations for an instant pot. This really doesn’t take much time (especially if you use frozen). What really makes it delicious is the sauté that you can’t quite get in an instant pot.
Just a note in the event no one has tried a great way of prepping the cauliflower for ricing. I cut into smaller pieces, rinsed real well and then used my salad spinner which did a fantastic job of completely removing all liquid. Then using my Kitchen Aid chopper which resulted in the finest riced cauli. Then I sauteed with olive oil and vegs as suggested. Wow, abs amazing! Looking forward to trying your recipes! ❤️❤️❤️
hi there! Do I need to ring water out of fresh store-bought cauliflower rice? I have read through everything and I’m just not sure if you meant you only need to squeeze water out of the frozen and freshly home made… Thanks for what I hope is a great recipe :-)
Hi! I would try it. The water content varies, so you may get a lot or you may not. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hi! New to cauliflower rice over here, and I just tried a recipe for the first time but the ‘rice’ had a crunch to it. Is well-cooked cauliflower rice supposed to have a crunch, or should it be pretty tender like normal rice? Did I undercook it?
Hi Lex, if it’s cooked it should be softer. You likely need to cook it longer.
This was tasty! I’ve had an unopened bag of frozen riced cauliflower from Trader Joe’s in the back of my freezer for quite some time, and have been trying to do a pseudo-pantry challenge to use up that sort of thing. I followed the recipe as you wrote, it, but then following another commenter, I tossed in some spinach. I also had some feta cheese and dried cranberries so gave that a try, and the flavors were all so good together!
This was so easy to make with your great detailed instructions! Turned out fantastic with our chicken stir fry….more veggies for a win! (And more easily digestable.) =) I don’t have a food processor, but the grater was messy but easy.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
Hi Kate, this looks delicious! Do you think it might work with frozen cauliflower florets?
Hi Precia, I haven’t tried ricing frozen cauliflower so I’m not sure. It tends to soften once frozen, so I don’t know how you would be able to rice it. If you try it, let me know!
For a more Asian style fried rice I like to add a little Sesame oil at the end and some chopped up cooked egg and veg.
I have been putting off trying this, and when I finally needed to use up a cauliflower I had bought at our local Farmer’s Market, I decided it was time. I cooked it in my wok for about 5 minutes and it was perfect and topped it off with the vegetable curry I had made the day before. I will definitely be making this again.
That’s great, Colleen! Thank you for you review.
The first time I made this with a fresh head of cauliflower, a little more work, but delicious. The second time I used a 12 oz bag of supermarket cauliflower rice, added some minced ginger as well as the garlic, and it was also delicious. But you were right about the water, as I wasn’t able to squeeze even a drop out of the fresh cauliflower, but several tablespoons out of the purchased rice. Thanks for all your recipes, they never fail me, always so good.
What is an S-blade?
It is a type of blade on your food processor. Your manual will be able to tell you. I hope you love it!
Another winner recipe, Kate- thank you! Question: can you prep (chop/grate) the rice the day before and then cook the next day?
Thank you, Lisa! I’m happy you enjoy it. I haven’t tried it. Although, it may work since you can buy it already riced from the grocery store.
Just tried your recipe and I added onion mushrooms & peppers WOW it was sooooo tasty … First time with cauliflower rice, won’t be the last
Thank you
Are you saying that the cauliflower should be squeezed in a towel after being processed?
thank you
Yes, it can retain moisture that won’t allow it to cook the best in the pan. Let me know if you try!
I was very happy with the flavor and texture of this recipe for cauliflower rice. So much water was removed by using the tee-towel method you suggest and resulted in a fluffy, very tasty “rice.” At first I was afraid that squeezing the riced cauliflower would cause it to be mushy but I trusted your recipe and was not disappointed! Thank you for all your delicious, easy recipes.
Hi Karoline, thanks for sharing your experience! I’m glad it resulted in your desired texture.