How to Cook Cauliflower Rice

posted by Steamy Kitchen September 30, 2020

Starting from raw or frozen, master how to cook cauliflower rice to throw into a variety of dishes, whether you’re using a microwave, oven, or stovetop.

Head’s up: prepare to make a big batch of this cauliflower rice so you have plenty in the freezer. Yes…you can be stubborn about your love for rice and carbs AND wanna scoop up multiple helpings of cauli-rice.

Cauliflower: from Raw to Rice

1. Rinse and pat dry a large head of cauliflower and strip away its green outer leaves.
2. Time to chop it up! Use one of these easy methods to get rice-like pieces!

Food processor:

Roughly chop cauliflower into small florets. Working in batches, pulse the florets into even granules. Make sure to not over-process or you might end up with cauliflour. If you’re in need of a laugh, continue the downhill trend with these baked cauliflower fries!

Or use a high-speed blender, pushing the cauliflower down with the tamp to distribute it.

Box grater:

Chop cauliflower into large sections you can easily work with, and grate them through medium-sized holes. Test and see if you’re getting the right size of grains you want before going full throttle with the grating!

Knife:

Pull out your best chef’s knife. For this method, you’re probably better off discarding most of the stem. Proceed to mince the cauliflower!

How to cook cauliflower rice – 3 Ways

Steam it in the microwave

Place 1 serving of cauliflower rice in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a plate. Microwave on High for about 3 minutes.

On the stovetop

Stir-fry over medium-high heat with oil and salt. This could be the beginning of some fried rice. Or skip the oil for a plain version!

In the oven

Here’s probably the most flavorful method! Toss cauliflower rice with olive oil and salt and spread it into a single layer on a baking sheet, then roast at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), 10 to 15 minutes, tossing it again halfway through.

Freezing and defrosting cauliflower

Frozen cauliflower rice is ready for anything! Defrost it in the microwave on Low for 2-3 minutes before adding it to any fried “rice,” rice pilaf, or another dish on the “drier” spectrum (as opposed to moist steamed rice or boiled porridge).

The freezing and defrosting process makes the florets more tender and perfect for fried “rice.”

When you use frozen cauliflower florets, you don’t have to trim, cut, boil, drain, and chill the cauliflower, which could add 15 minutes to prep and cooking time.

Important tip: Before throwing it into a pan for fried “rice,” blot the cauliflower dry with a paper towel to achieve that dry rice grain texture. Wet cauliflower will “steam” and not stir-fry well.

Now that you’ve got the cauliflower rice fundamentals down, let us know in the comments how it turned out!

Can’t get enough cauliflower? Try these recipes.

Use it as a base for one of these one-bowl meals!

Fried rice time?!

Other handy how-to’s

Learn how to steam, microwave, and roast cauliflower rice starting from fresh or frozen cauliflower florets.

Course:

Side Dish

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

rice

Servings: 4

Calories: 61 kcal

Author: Steamy Kitchen

• 1
  large head
  cauliflower
• Salt to taste
• Cooking oil, as needed
  (optional)

1. Rinse and pat dry the head of cauliflower and strip away its green outer leaves.

2. Cut cauliflower into sections; individual florets if using a food processor or high-speed blender, larger chunks if using a box grater or chopping by hand. If chopping by hand, remove most of the stem.

3. Dice cauliflower sections using method of choice to create even-sized rice-like granules.

To cook cauliflower rice in the microwave:

1. Place 1 serving of cauliflower rice in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a plate. Microwave on High until heated through, about 3 minutes.

On the stovetop:

1. Stir-fry cauli-rice over medium-high heat, with oil and salt if desired.

In the oven:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Toss cauliflower rice with olive oil and salt and spread it into a single layer on a baking sheet, then roast until “rice” is dry, stirring halfway, about 12 minutes.

Freeze raw cauliflower rice for up to 3 months in resealable zip-top bag. To defrost, microwave on low in a heat-proof bowl.

Nutrition Facts

How to Make Cauliflower Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 61
Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 73mg3%

Potassium 628mg18%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin C 101mg122%

Calcium 46mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.