How To Cook Homemade Cauliflower Rice

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Making homemade cauliflower rice sounds like a hard task but it really is not! In todays blog we will show you an easy guide on how to cook your own cauliflower rice with a food processor and on a stovetop. Be prepared to look at cauliflower in a whole new way.
This easy guide to cooking cauliflower rice will change the way you look at cauliflower. Trust me it has changed the way I look at cauliflower.
homemade cauliflower rice in three steps:
Are you ready? Let's go. Time to prepare some delicious cauliflower rice.
Step 1 For Riced Cauliflower: Rinse & Cut Florets
Firstly, I like to remove the stems from the cauliflower. Rinse the cauliflower thoroughly. Even if you think the cauliflower is clean and organic, I still recommend that you rinse it. I have found tiny bugs in my cauliflower before. Yes, I know it sounds disgusting, but face it, if its grown organically, its a good sign to find tiny bugs. So let's make sure to rinse it properly in order to get a nice and clean cauliflower before you start to cook it. No one wants bugs in their rice!
Well maybe some people do.
After that you will want to chop the cauliflower head into florets. I like to cut the cauliflower in halves until I have a small enough florets to fit in my food processor.
The florets don't have to be super small, but just make sure that they will fit into the chute of the food processor (this is a link to the food processor I use) if using the shredder blade (which I highly recommend vs the regular S blades - which I will explain below). The shredder blade is great for riced cauliflower because it gives it the rice like texture that we are aiming for.
The shredder blade is a round circular blade that most-likely came with your food processor, but if you're anything like me you most-likely stored it away in a dark deep corner of one of your most unopened kitchen cabinet shelves never to be seen again (guilty)..See below for a picture of the blade.
Now a days Im putting this blade into a lot of use. After you taste this healthy cauliflower rice you will be using the blade a lot as well.
If you don't have a shredder blade (or can't find it), then your next option is to process the florets using the regular blade, but make sure not to over-process the cauliflower because you will accidentally turn it into a wet soft mush if you're not careful.
Step 2 For Riced Cauliflower: Run Through Food Processor
Time for the fun part. With the blade set all you have to do is turn on your food processor.
However, if you dont have any special blades you can just use the standard blade. What I like to do is basically run the food processor for just a little bit. Then open up the lid of the food processor and check in on your cauliflower rice. Is the rice to big? Good, then turn back on the processor and check in again until you get a texture that is rice-like.
What you don't want to do is run the food processor too long if not you will end up with cauliflower mash potatoes and not cauliflower rice. I actually love me some cauliflower mash potatoes too but let's not get off track here.
*You can also run it through a food box grater manually but I like using my processor as it is easier and quicker.
Step 3 For Delicious Cauliflower Rice: Cook It on Stovetop
Yes, you can eat cauliflower rice raw, however, I like the cooked taste way more!
Set up your stovetop on low to medium heat, depending on the strength of your stovetop appliance. While the heat starts going you can add some healthy cooking oils like extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil.
I like to take this time to season my cauliflower rice. I like to add about 1/2 teaspoon of healthy Himalayan pink salt or sea salt. Don't use standard processed salt as that is not good for your health. Go for a natural salt for your rice and add nutrition to it with all the minerals it contains. You can go to the end of this page for more on the recipe.
Now its time to cook the cauliflower for about 15 minutes until its soft and tender. You can also put a lid over the pan to make the cauliflower steam more and be softer. Some people like soft rice and others like hard rice so you have your options.
Remember that everyones stovetop heats up differently so be on top of the rice the first time you cook it so that it is rice like. Another thing I love to add to my cauliflower rice is coconut aminos. You can find them at most health food stores and it takes the tastiness to another level!
You can also add other herbs and seasoning that you normally would use with regular white rice. Some people like to add onion or garlic powder. Today (or more like, everyday) my little heart desires coconut aminos (affiliate link) onion, garlic, and salt.. but feel free to experiment with your own flavor profiles. See the end product below...
That's all folks..
Simple, easy, and satisfying.
Reasons why I'm loving this cauliflower rice lately:
A. extremely easy to make - like, done-in-three-steps easy.
B. tastes incredibly delicious - like, I-don't-miss-rice-anymore delicious.
C. super versatile - like, endless-possibilities-i-want-to-eat-cauli-rice-with-everything versatile.
D. baked lentil falafel summer bliss bowl ← because this rice and that bowl, too good to even describe in words.
Catch my drift? 😉
So Why Incorporate Cauliflower Rice To Your Diet?
Cauliflower rice is way healthier for you than regular rice. You get to eat your daily serving of vegetables and not hate it. You can even trick your kids into eating healthy by serving them this cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.
Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable and has been shown to have a vast amount of benefits. It has a boatload of vitamin c, vitamin k, folate, zinc and more minerals! Cauliflower is loaded with antioxidants that is great for your immune system. Read this study on the benefits of cauliflower. Its also full of fiber which helps with digestion. You can't say that about regular rice. Its also a food that is gentle for your gut and helps feed the good gut bacteria in your stomach. Some people find discomfort when eating regular rice, so give this cauliflower a try and see if you react better to it.
Its also a low calorie food and not high in carbs. With a lot of people now trying the keto diet for health, cauliflower rice is a no brainer as a rice replacement. I love the fact that I can eat it almost everyday and not get tired of it. It goes great with just about any dish. You can also use it for meal prepping. You can freeze this rice and have it ready to go whenever you are hungry.
Another benefit of cooked cauliflower over raw cauliflower rice is that the cooked version will last longer in your fridge without the need to freeze it. Just make sure to remove any moisture before you go ahead and freeze it. You can actually buy organic frozen cauliflower rice in the store. Before you purchase it at the store, make sure that there are no unhealthy additives. I like the one that whole foods sells that you can you find in the frozen section. This is great if you are in a time pinch and have no frozen cauliflower rice of your own.
If you know of someone trying to lower their carb consumption, recommend this for them. I have seen people with diabetes love this rice because it does not raise their blood sugar like regular rice does. Its such a great thing to see when people start making some little changes that lead to big healthy results.
We hope these steps were easy to read and encourage you to make your own homemade cauliflower rice at home. Let us know all the different ways you use cauliflower in your life and share any questions or comments you have with us below.
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Want to see more cauliflower recipes?
Try this spicy vegan buffalo cauliflower casserole or these sweet and sour spicy cauliflower wings.
with love + gratitude,
Jen ♥
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homemade cauliflower rice

Super easy homemade cauliflower rice – a great grain-free alternative to traditional rice or quinoa.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 2–3 tablespoons of coconut aminos
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of himalayan salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp of onion powder and garlic powder (optional for flavor)
You can keep the cauliflower rice as simple as you’d like – or you can get creative and try different flavor combinations!
Instructions
- Cut cauliflower head into florets and shred using food processor with shredder blade*.
- Heat a non stick pan over medium heat with a tiny bit of oil or vegetable broth. Add shredded cauliflower and the rest of the ingredients. Mix to combine. Cook until cauliflower is soft and tender (usually takes 15 minutes).
- Serve with your favorite meal.
Notes
- For meal prepping: You can shred cauliflower ahead of time and store in an airtight container and store in fridge (or freezer if not using within the next 2-3 days).
- This is my go-to cauliflower rice flavor combination but feel free to experiment with your favorite spices and herbs.
- If you do not have a shredder blade – you can use the regular food processor ‘s’ blades but make sure not to over-process the cauliflower and accidentally turn it into a soft mush!
Keywords: cauliflower rice, cauliflower, grain free, paleo, vegan, plant based
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