Spicy Mexican cauliflower rice is low carb/keto-friendly, vegan, and cooked in just 5 minutes!
A few months ago, I shared 7 Cauliflower Rice Recipes, and now this Spicy Mexican Cauliflower Rice is getting its very own post!
If you think cauliflower rice is boring, you have got to try this recipe! It is spicy, flavorful, and super versatile!
Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!
This spicy Mexican cauliflower rice
- is low carb, vegan, gluten-free and paleo
- has 6 simple ingredients
- can be cooked up in under 5 minutes if you pre-rice your cauliflower
How to makeit
Like my favorite Mexican rice recipe, I use a shortcut for this cauliflower rice version that saves on prep time: jarred salsa.
Using jarred salsa adds a ton of flavor to this recipe and also makes it easier for you to customize the spice level.
NOTE- this recipe was tested with homemade cauliflower rice. Store-bought cauliflower rice can vary in size and you may need to adjust the cook time accordingly.
For more nitty gritty details and video tutorial for making and storing cauliflower rice, see my How To Make Cauliflower Rice Post!
Here's how to make it:
- Heat olive oil in pan. Add the riced cauliflower, cumin, chipotle chili powder and salt.
- Sautee 3-5 minutes, or until the cauliflower rice is done to your liking.
- Stir in salsa and top with chopped cilantro if you'd like. Enjoy!
Can I made this recipe ahead and store it? Absolutely! This recipe keeps great in the fridge for up to 4 days and we love using it in meal prep recipes or reheating for dinner. We also love pre-ricing our cauliflower, which makes this recipe so simple to throw together at dinner time.
Serve it with:
- Baked Chicken Breast– It goes really well with the flavors of this Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade or this Chipotle Chicken Marinade.
- Salmon– the Mexican flavors would go perfectly with this Chili Rubbed Salmon with Avocado Salsa
- Side salad– we love it with a simple side salad drizzled with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Tacos– serve it in tacos made with Homemade Taco Seasoning or Tofu Taco Meat
Tips & equipment
- I used my 7 Cup Food Processor
to rice my cauliflower, but you can also use a box grater and do it by hand - This is my ceramic non-stick greenpan
- Looking for more cauliflower rice recipes? Check out this Coconut Cauliflower Rice, this Lemon Garlic Cauliflower Rice and this Sesame Ginger Cauliflower Rice
- Find my Easy Mexican Rice Recipe here, and 7 Easy Rice Recipes here!
to rice my cauliflower, but you can also use 
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 4 cups riced cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
After cooking
- 1 cup salsa
Instructions
To rice cauliflower
- Wash cauliflower and pat dry.
- Remove outer leaves; break down the head of cauliflower into uniform pieces (1-2 inch florets). Include stems!
- Working in 2-3 batches, place florets into a 7 cup food processor fitted with a steel blade.
- Pulse 10-15 times, until cauliflower is in small rice-sized pieces. Remove any full florets that may remain.
To cook cauliflower rice recipes
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Add the riced cauliflower, ground cumin, chipotle chili powder and salt.
- Cook for around 5 minutes, until cauliflower is slightly soft but not mushy.
- Stir in the salsa, and enjoy!
Storage
- You can store riced cauliflower (uncookefor up to 10 days in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
- You can store cooked cauliflower rice in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nick
This recipe was awesome, I'm interested in making it to freeze with a stir fry and diced chicken. Some of your articles say freezing cauliflower rice is tricky. Can I cook the cauliflower rice and freeze it with the stir fry and chicken in smaller or containers. Or do you think I would be better off freezing the uncooked cauliflower rice with cooked chicken and veggies and then reheating it all in a pan for 5min and adding the salsa, cumin, and chili powder then? Thanks
Denise Bustard
Hi Nick! I have had success in freezing some cauliflower rice recipes, however this one is definitely wetter than the others...so the rice comes out softer. I would recommend following the recipe, but undercooking it before freezing. Hope this helps, and apologies for my late reply!
Annie
Another WONDERFUL recipe plus, unbelievably quick too. Also—thank you—I was able to use up 3 jars of salsa with about 1/3 c. sitting in the bottom...yay! 🥳
Denise Bustard
Hi Annie! Woo hoo! Those last bits of salsa can be a pain to use up. Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, and I appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a review!