Quick Mexican Cauliflower Rice Recipe That Brings The Spice

We are big fans of substituting in cauliflower rice as often as possible, but, well, let's be honest: The same old cauliflower rice can get a little dull. You feel us? If so, you'll absolutely love this recipe for Mexican cauliflower rice, developed by Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge. As far as Olayinka's inspiration for this recipe is concerned, she says, "I love cauliflower rice. It's a great alternative in our house to get more vegetables into our diet. I also love Mexican spices, so I thought the two would make a great pair!"

So, try spicing up your cauliflower rice with this dish that calls for cumin, paprika, and coriander. And if you need a little assistance as far as what to pair this tasty side with, Olayinka has you covered. "This will serve very well with some grilled meat, like chicken or beef, or meat on skewers. If you are vegan or vegetarian, [try serving with] some black beans." There you have it. Consider your next dinner, saved.

Head to your spice drawer before making this easy dish to see if you have the following required spiced: coriander, salt, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili flakes. Worried this Mexican cauliflower rice will be a bit too hot for you to handle? Olayinka assures that her dish is not super spicy, but she does note, "The only ingredient that is spicy, is the chili flakes, but [home cooks] can choose to omit this."

For the rice, you will also need a head of cauliflower, and three bell peppers — one red, one yellow, and one green. Finally, grab from your cupboards or shop for a vegetable stock cube, vegetable oil, a lime, and a red onion. Optionally, you can garnish the rice with cilantro and jalapeño to really boost the flavor and heat factors, and turn out a truly authentic Mexican meal.

Step one in making Mexican cauliflower rice is to grate your head of cauliflower into rice. Of course, you can always buy cauliflower rice if you want to save time. But if you are ricing your own cauliflower, Olayinka notes you will stop grating at the stem. 

The next step is essential. Get a clean tea towel or cheesecloth. You will put your cauliflower rice in the towel, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Do not skip this, because otherwise, you will end up with soggy cauliflower rice, and no one wants that! 

Next, you will cook your rice, but first, if you want, you can dice up your peppers and onion, and set them aside. Cooking the cauliflower is an active process that requires a wee bit of babysitting, so don't step away to prep those veggies while it's cooking, or you may end up with a burnt dish. And that's about as unappealing as a soggy one.

Pour 2 tablespoons of your vegetable oil into a pan, heating it to medium-high heat. You will add the grated cauliflower, and cook it for two to three minutes, with Olayinka instructing home cooks to stir the rice consistently.

Next, add your spices — the garlic powder, onion powder, chili flakes, salt, etc. You will also add the vegetable stock cube, mixing all of the ingredients together to combine them. At this point, go ahead and remove the cauliflower rice, placing it into a bowl, and setting it aside for now. It'll hit the pan again in a few minutes, but first, you are going to cook your bell peppers and onion.

Add the other 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan, and then add in the chopped bell peppers and onions. Cook the veggies on medium-high heat for another two to three minutes. 

At this point, you are going to take one more step to ensure you do not end up with soggy cauliflower rice. Place the veggies in a bowl, and squeeze out the excess water from the veggies by pressing them down with a silicone spatula. 

Now, back in the pan they go — although Olayinka recommends first wiping the pan clean — and add in the cauliflower rice. Gently mix the veggies and rice together, and serve with lime juice. You can add even more heat to this dish with chopped jalapeños and cilantro, or skip this step. Either way, you will never say that eating cauliflower rice is boring again! Just be sure to bookmark this recipe so you can enjoy an easy, healthy side whenever you'd like.