This light, spicy Mexican cauliflower rice is made with salsa, chipotle chili and cumin for lots of heat and flavor! It is low carb and keto-friendly, vegan, and cooks up in just 5 minutes.
Just like our easy Mexican-inspired rice, this Mexican cauliflower rice is packed with spicy flavor! This is just one of 7 cauliflower rice recipes that we know you are going to love!
Unlike traditional Mexican rice which includes onions, jalapeno, and garlic - this spicy Mexican cauliflower rice is easy to prepare, with just a few simple ingredients.
Using jarred salsa saves time and chopping, yet this recipe is packed with flavor and spices! Best of all, it is low carb, keto-friendly, vegan, and pairs well as a side dish to many recipes.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- it has just the right amount of spices and flavor thanks to the chipotle chili powder, cumin, and salsa
- it is low carb, keto, vegan, gluten-free, and paleo
- easy to prepare with just 6 simple ingredients, and can be cooked up in under 5 minutes!
What Is Cauliflower Rice?
While not an exact replica of real rice, cauliflower rice is an amazing rice alternative to serve with stir-fries, curries, and more! Because cauliflower is lower in carbs (5 g carbs per 1 cup of cauliflower rice), it is a popular choice amongst keto and low carb dieters, but also works for those avoiding grains and following the paleo diet.
It's also a great way to squeeze some extra veggies into your diet, which is why we personally love it!
Ingredient Notes
- Cauliflower - this recipe was tested with homemade cauliflower rice. Store-bought cauliflower rice can vary in size and you may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Spices - chipotle chili powder and cumin add lots of traditional Mexican flavor to this recipe. Be sure to choose chipotle chili powder, not regular paprika-based chili powder for more spice!
- Olive oil - can be swapped for coconut oil or butter
- Salsa - using jarred salsa adds a ton of flavor to this recipe without the need to chop anything and also makes it easier for you to customize the spice level
Step By Step Directions
Prepare Cauliflower
Wash cauliflower and pat dry. Remove outer leaves; break down the head of cauliflower into uniform pieces (1-2 inch florets). Include stems!
TIP- cut cauliflower into roughly equal-sized florets. This helps them break down into even-sized 'rice' in the food processor
Process
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 large chunks or florets that may remain.
Cook
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!
Denise's Tips for success
- use a food processor- a food processor is the best way to get evenly-sized cauliflower rice; in a pinch you can use a box grater but it is quite messy.
- uniform pieces- cut florets into uniform pieces before processing as this helps them process into evenly-sized cauliflower rice
- work in batches- do not overfill the food processor as this can cause pieces to get stuck and not riced properly
- do not overcook- 3-5 minutes is a guideline but depending on the size of your riced cauliflower, you may want to add or subtract time. Cook until it is *just* softened, and slightly al dente
FAQ
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
One head of cauliflower makes 5-10 cups of rice. Since cauliflower heads vary greatly in size, this can vary. If you end up with extra, don't forget that you can store it in the fridge or freezer (directions are below).
We tested this option, and while it did make the cauliflower rice more fluffy and similar to regular rice, it was not worth the effort. But, you can try it if you would like! To do this method, wring out the cauliflower rice using cheesecloth before cooking to press out some of the liquid.
No, that is not necessary. The first time the cauliflower cooks is when you saute it in the pan! It cooks up quite quickly.
Storage + reheating
Fridge
- Raw - store raw/ uncooked cauliflower rice in the fridge for 7-10 days in an air tight container.
- Cooked - store cooked Mexican cauliflower rice in the fridge for up to 4 days in an air tight container.
Freezer
- Raw - store raw cauliflower rice in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Cooked - cool completely, then portion out into a reusable silicone bag, plastic freezer bag, or meal prep container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat
- Stovetop - reheat in a frying pan for a few minutes until warmed through.
- Microwave - does not work as well as it leaves the cauliflower rice wet and soggy. We recommend undercooking the cauliflower if you intend to reheat it in the microwave.
- Cook from frozen - even if the rice freezes in a big clump, it cooks up really well from frozen! Place a pan on low heat with the cauliflower rice. Use a lid to cover until you can break the rice apart. Then, cook with the lid off until warmed through and liquids evaporated.
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 4 cups riced cauliflower riced; small head or half large head; see note 1
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
After cooking
- 1 cup salsa
Instructions
- Prepare cauliflower - Wash cauliflower and pat dry. Remove outer leaves; break down the head of cauliflower into uniform pieces (1-2 inch florets). Include stems!
- Process - 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.
- Cook - 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!
Tips:
- One small or half a large head of cauliflower yields roughly 5 cups rice. This recipe was tested using homemade cauliflower rice. If using store-bought cauliflower rice, it can come in larger pieces and you will likely need to increase the cook time. If using frozen cauliflower rice, throw it right into the pan frozen and cook until heated through and softened.
- Raw - store raw/ uncooked cauliflower rice in the fridge for 7-10 days in an air tight container.
- Cooked - store cooked coconut cauliflower rice in the fridge for up to 4 days in an air tight container
- Raw - store raw cauliflower rice in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Cooked - cool completely, then portion out into a reusable silicone bag, plastic freezer bag, or meal prep container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Stovetop - reheat in a frying pan for a few minutes until warmed through.
- Microwave - does not work as well as it leaves the cauliflower rice wet and soggy.
- Cook from frozen - even if the rice freezes in a big clump, it cooks up really well from frozen! Place a pan on low heat with the cauliflower rice. Use a lid to cover until you can break the rice apart. Then, cook with the lid off until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
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Nick says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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!