Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
This Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice is light, tasty and bursting with the fresh flavors of cilantro and lime! It’s a low carb side dish that’s quick and easy to make using store bought frozen cauliflower rice! Use it in burrito bowls, or serve as a side dish to your favorite Mexican entrees or grilled meats!
I love creating low carb options to enjoy that are still satisfying and taste great. While my family and I love my cilantro lime rice recipe, I thought it would be fun to a low carb twist on it using riced cauliflower.
This Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice captures the original recipe perfectly with the fresh flavors of cilantro and lime, yet it’s so much lighter.
While I can bust out my food processor and rice a head of fresh cauliflower myself, I prefer to use pre-made frozen cauliflower rice from the grocery store because it’s a huge time saver and it’s very budget-friendly.
There’s no need to thaw the frozen riced cauliflower. Simply cook some garlic, then add it straight to the pan and it cooks up in about 5 minutes.
Once cooked, stir in fresh lime juice, lime zest and chopped cilantro, and the dish is ready.
We love using this Mexican-inspired cauliflower rice as a base for chicken burrito bowls, but it’s equally delicious as a side dish for tacos, enchiladas, grilled chicken, and more.
It’s quick, easy and perfect in every way. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s a quick recipe that takes advantage of pre-packaged frozen cauliflower rice to save you time and money.
- You need just three basic ingredients to make cauliflower rice that’s bursting with fresh Mexican flavors.
- Cauliflower rice can be meal prepped ahead of time and reheated throughout the week with your favorite grilled or baked proteins.
- It’s naturally low-carb but will fill you up and leave you feeling satisfied.
Recipe ingredients
If you’ve never cooked with frozen cauliflower rice before, this recipe will show you just how easy it is to prepare!
- Frozen cauliflower rice. I purchase organic frozen cauliflower rice, which of course you can find in the freezer section of your supermarket. A 24-ounce bag ranges in price from $3.99 and up depending which brand you purchase and where you shop.
- Limes. You’ll need (2) limes for this recipe. Be sure to zest one, which adds big lime flavor to the dish, and use the remaining for the rice. For best results, start with 2 tablespoons of lime juice and add more according to your taste.
- Garlic. Adds aromatic flavor. Sub with 1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand.
- Fresh cilantro. You can use more or less cilantro than the recipe calls for depending on how much you love this herb.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make cilantro lime riced cauliflower
This is one of the easiest side dishes you’ll ever make. Using frozen cauliflower rice doesn’t impact the texture or flavor in the slightest, and it’s bursting with the flavors of fresh lime and cilantro.
Pro tip: Frozen cauliflower rice is a huge time saver and it’s budget friendly. Thaw it slightly before adding it to the pan to make it easier to break up into chunks as necessary.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Recipe FAQs
You can cook the cauliflower rice from frozen, no need to thaw it first. If you wish to use fresh riced cauliflower you can, it will just take a few minutes longer to cook.
I strongly suggest using fresh cilantro for this recipe. It will deliver a much fresher, brighter flavor than dried cilantro.
Serving suggestions
Serve this dish just like you would regular cilantro lime rice!
- Serve it as a side dish for ground beef tacos, baked turkey tacos, or chicken enchiladas.
- Pair it will grilled proteins like tequila lime chicken or shrimp skewers.
- Use as the base for chicken burrito bowls or fish taco bowls.
- Serve it with your favorite Mexican side dishes, like homemade guacamole, mango avocado salsa, and Instant Pot black beans.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Frozen cauliflower rice is a huge time saver and it’s budget friendly. Thaw it slightly before adding it to the pan to make it easier to break up into chunks as necessary.
- The amount of lime and cilantro is a personal preference. I suggest you add the amount listed, and add more according to your taste.
- Add seasonings for more depth of flavor if you like. Dried cumin, smoked paprika and onion powder are all great options.
- Store leftover cilantro lime cauliflower rice in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
More easy rice recipes you’ll love
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced; add more for extra garlic flavor
- 24 ounces frozen cauliflower rice see note 1
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice add an additional tablespoon as desired
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until golden and fragrant.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the frozen cauliflower rice to the pan and break up into chunks with a wooden spoon. You can thaw it out slightly before using to make breaking it up even easier. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the riced cauliflower is cooked but not mushy.24 ounces frozen cauliflower rice
- Remove from heat and stir in the lime zest, lime juice and chopped cilantro. Taste and season with the desired amount of salt and pepper. Serve warm and enjoy!1 tablespoon lime zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, salt and pepper
Notes
- Pro tip: Frozen cauliflower rice is a huge time saver and it’s budget friendly. Thaw it slightly before adding it to the pan to make it easier to break up into chunks as necessary.
- The amount of lime and cilantro is a personal preference. I suggest you add the amount listed, and add more according to your taste.
- Add seasonings for more depth of flavor if you like. Dried cumin, smoked paprika and onion powder are all great options.
- Store leftover cilantro lime cauliflower rice in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
