Want to learn how to make cauliflower rice? This low-carb dish is simple to prepare, taking only minutes, and is very versatile. We love it with Cincinnati Chili, Easy Chicken Korma, or as an easy side dish.

Cauliflower rice is simply cauliflower chopped into small bits (riced). There are a few different ways to get the cauliflower into small bits, just in case you were wondering. There are two ways it can be prepared: sautéd or microwaved; we’ll get to that in a bit. I cheat and buy it at Costco, already riced and frozen. Don’t have a membership? Not a problem, it is also most likely available in you local grocers frozen foods section, just make sure the only ingredient is cauliflower, as there are flavored options to choose from that may have ingredients that a low-carb lifestyler doesn’t want. Many also carry it fresh in the produce section, bagged and ready to go.

Buying it pre-riced is the easy way, the less easy way is to use a food processor. Buy a head of cauliflower, remove just the end of the stem, and cut it into pieces small enough to fit through the neck of the processor (use the grating blade). Before cauliflower rice was ‘a thing’ and it wasn’t readily available pre-riced I used the food processor method, I would buy 4 or 5 heads and rice them all; cauliflower freezes beautifully. A hand chopper can also be used, or a knife and cutting board, if you have the extra time and energy. The goal is to end up with bits that are only slightly larger than a grain of rice.

Whichever way you go about it, once it’s riced, it’s now ready to be frozen for later use, or cooked. As I mentioned, there are a couple of ways to prepare it. My favorite way is to sauté it, but you can also microwave it.

Sauté method:
This recipe is the yields: 4- 1⁄2 cup servings, but can easily be scaled.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups riced cauliflower
2 tablespoons coconut oil, ghee, avocado oil, bacon drippings, or unsalted butter if not dairy-sensitive.
Fine sea salt
Pepper (optional)

If using frozen, it should be thawed first. It doesn’t need to sit in the fridge overnight though, you can just put the bag on the counter for an hour or so, or microwave it for 3-4 minutes. If it’s fresh, you’re good to go.

In a non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. I would go with one of the oils mentioned due to their high smoke point and neutral flavor profile. Check the healthy fats page for other options. When hot, add the riced cauliflower and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally, until the cauliflower is softened. I do mine a little longer because I like it to brown a little, but that’s my preference. Season with salt to taste, and pepper if desired. That’s it, pretty simple.

Microwave method:

If you followed my lead and cheated by purchasing frozen, but want to go the easier route and microwave, follow the directions on the bag. It is usually something like, microwave this side down for 4 -5 minutes and let sit for one minute, then carefully remove from microwave as contents will be hot.

If it’s fresh cauliflower that you’ve riced yourself, place it in a glass covered microwaveable dish and microwave on high about five minutes, season to taste. If it’s fresh pre-riced cauliflower that you purchased in a bag, check on the bag, typically you can microwave it right in the bag. I do recommend the sauté method though, but there’s no shame in simplicity.