This delicious coconut cauliflower rice is made with just five ingredients. It’s super versatile and easy to make, cooked in a skillet and toasted to perfection with TONS of flavor! Best of all, it’s Whole30, Keto, Vegan, and Gluten Free friendly!
🧑🍳 About
Say goodbye to boring side dishes! This coconut cauliflower rice is light and flavorful with lots of texture. It goes great with pretty much anything AND it’s Whole30 compatible, Keto, Vegan, and Gluten Free friendly!
If you aren’t a fan of cauliflower rice, hear me out, because this is totally different. When you make this recipe, it will not be mushy, soggy, and bland. Instead, it’s bright, light, crispy, and just plain wonderful.
Why? Well it’s because the method we use to cook it is pretty quick, so the cauliflower is basically just pan roasted, allowing as much moisture as possible to escape.
But also, there’s no extra liquid added in this recipe. Cauliflower already contains an incredible amount of liquid, so we want to allow it to release and maintain its crispy texture, not add more to it.
Lastly, because we add dried coconut flakes to the mixture, it adds even more flavor and texture and totally holds up to the cooking heat. Match it with this Sweet Hawaiian Chicken and you have a perfect pairing!
You can use fresh or frozen cauliflower, making this an incredibly easy and budget friendly dish to throw together with whichever one you have on hand, without having to take an extra trip to the store. And since there are only five ingredients TOTAL, I have a feeling you’ll be coming back to this time and time again, just like I do!
Truthfully, it’s the perfect side dish for pretty much any main course, especially anything inspired by Mexican, Indian, or Asian recipes and flavors. Some of my favorites to serve it with are Grilled Halibut, Pineapple Pork Chops, Blackened Flounder, and Thai Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps.
🥥 Ingredients
- Fresh Cauliflower or Frozen Cauliflower Rice. You can make your own with a head of cauliflower or use store bought frozen cauliflower rice. Honestly, store-bought, frozen cauliflower rice is just as good as homemade and very inexpensive, not to mention it saves you time and mess! I make it both ways, and both are simply fabulous!
- Coconut flakes. Make sure you get unsweetened coconut flakes. They’re found in most grocery stores like Kroger and Walmart, but they’re usually found in the baking aisle with the specialty flours.
- Other ingredients: Lime (juice and zest) and salt and pepper. Optionally, you can include cilantro if you like it (I do!).
Note: No oil is needed for this recipe, because you really don’t need it! The flaked coconut actually contains oils and will release it a bit as it cooks, but if you’d prefer to use a tablespoon or two of oil to prevent sticking, feel free!
You may also like: Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower, Air Fryer Zucchini and Onions.
🔪 Instructions
Okay, now it’s time to walk through the steps to make the cauliflower absolutely perfect. There are some tips and tricks, so follow along! Here’s how to do it:
🍚 Make the Cauliflower Rice
If using whole fresh cauliflower: Cut the head of cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. In batches, add them to your food processor and pulse until broken down into rice-sized pieces. If you overcrowd your food processor, you’ll wind up with uneven pieces, so just do a small amount at a time.
Transfer the riced cauliflower to a bowl while you do the next batch. Along with one of the batches of cauliflower, add in the coconut flakes and pulse to break the pieces down a bit until they’re slightly smaller than grain sized.
If using frozen cauliflower rice: Break apart any pieces that are stuck together by gently hitting the bag.
🥘 Cook the dish
Transfer the broken down cauliflower and coconut to a large skillet. Turn the burner to medium heat and cook, stirring and turning often and using a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape any pieces that stick to the pan.
Note: You want to let as much moisture as possible release from the cauliflower rice, so while you stir, you almost want to be fluffing the mixture and separating the pieces to allow it to escape. So don’t smush the pieces down when you stir, and instead treat it like real rice! This helps make sure it doesn’t get soggy.
It usually takes 10-15 minutes to cook. When the coconut begins to toast and the cauliflower is browning, it’s ready. Stir in the salt and pepper, lime zest, and lime juice, and remove from the heat.
Transfer the finished coconut cauliflower rice to a bowl. I like to garnish the dish with slices of lime and cilantro to make it look pretty, but that’s completely optional!
✍️ FAQ & Notes
Cauliflower is very healthy. It’s high in folate, vitamin C, and fiber, and it’s low in calories, sodium, and fat. Cauliflower rice is a great option for anyone avoiding grains, gluten, or just looking to add more vegetables to their diet. I use it to make Cauliflower Tabbouleh!
Yes, cauliflower rice is a great choice if you’re following a Keto way of eating. One cup of riced cauliflower contains just 3 net carbs, while regular rice contains about 45 net carbs per cup.
Transfer the cauliflower to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, per USDA.
Well, all that’s left now is to get cooking!
I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Drop a star rating below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom and I will share!
Coconut Cauliflower Rice – Whole30, Keto
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower or 10-12 oz. frozen riced cauliflower
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
Instructions
Make the Cauliflower Rice
- Fresh cauliflower: Remove the large stem and leaves from the cauliflower, and cut the head of cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.Co your food processor doesn't get overfilled, add about a third to half of the cauliflower to your food processor. Pulse until broken down into rice-sized pieces. Transfer the riced cauliflower to a bowl while you do the next batch. Add in the coconut flakes with the last batch of cauliflower, or add it alone to your food processor. Pulse to break the pieces down, just until the pieces are slightly smaller than grain sized. Frozen cauliflower rice: Break apart any pieces that are stuck together by gently hitting the bag. Don't defrost the cauliflower.
Cook the Dish
- Transfer the riced cauliflower and coconut to a large, heavy bottomed skillet. Turn the burner to medium heat. Stir and turn the mixture often with a spatula or wooden spoon, and scrape the bottom well to make sure no pieces get stuck.While you stir, you almost want to be fluffing the mixture and separating the pieces to allow it to escape.After about 10 to 15 minutes, the coconut should begins to toast and the cauliflower should look like it's starting to brown. Stir in the salt, pepper, lime zest, and lime juice, and remove from the heat. Transfer the finished cauliflower rice to a bowl and add any garnishes you like, like slices of lime and cilantro.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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