Parmesan cauliflower rice is a simple but flavor-packed side dish! Simple to prepare, low carb, gluten-free and pairs well with Italian flavors.
Cauliflower rice is a great side dish recipe, and a fun way to enjoy cauliflower! While I'm not 100% convinced that it's a great rice subsitute, I love how creative you can get with it. From cilantro lime to Mexican-inspired cauliflower rice, to these 7 cauliflower rice flavors, there are a ton of ways you can play around with it.
This parmesan cauliflower rice doesn't look like much, but it delivers huge on flavor! With just 5 simple ingredients, it would be perfect served with crispy baked chicken thighs and broccolini.
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Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
- the parmesan cheese adds a ton of flavor to the cauliflower rice while also making it slightly creamy
- it is low carb and gluten-free
- you can rice the cauliflower ahead making this a 5 minute meal when it comes time to cook
Ingredient notes
- cauliflower- you can use a head of cauliflower and rice it yourself (directions below), or you can make this recipe with pre-riced cauliflower.
- parmesan cheese- use freshly grated parmesan cheese and skip the shelf-stable, powdery stuff for this recipe
- garlic powder- while the recipe calls for garlic powder, you could easily swap for 2 cloves of freshly minced garlic
How to rice cauliflower
Cauliflower rice is simply cauliflower cut into small, rice-sized pieces. There are multiple ways to make it! Here are three options for you:
1. Food processor
The best method involves using a food processor fitted with an S-shaped steel blade.
- a. wash and dry cauliflower.
- b. cut into 1-2 inch florets. Try to get them uniformly sized.
- c. pulse 10-15 times until broken down into rice-sized pieces.
- d. if you have random large cauliflower florets, simply pick them out.
TIPS
- work in batches (2-3 batches/ head of cauliflower)
- do not overfill the food processor as it will not process them evenly
2. Box Grater
You can also make rice by 'grating' the cauliflower on a box grater. This is messy and time consuming but gets the job done.
3. Knife
You could also just chop the cauliflower really finely using a knife. The only issue is that it can be a challenge to get uniformly sized pieces of rice and it might not cook evenly.
How to cook it
- Heat oil in pan. Add the riced cauliflower, salt and garlic powder.
- Sautee 3-5 minutes, or until the cauliflower rice is done to your liking.
- Stir in parmesan cheese until melted. Enjoy!
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.
FAQ
Yes. I would stick to cheese similar to parmesan. Pecorino Romano and Grana Padano are two options I enjoy.
Yes and no. It doesn't fill you up the same way regular rice does, and it doesn't have the same texture. However it does work well as a side dish, and as a new way to enjoy cauliflower!
Yes you can, follow the directions on the bag, and do not thaw before cooking. You will need to adjust the cook time and it may come out slightly softer than fresh cauliflower rice but will still taste great!
Serve it with
- Instant Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Breast
- Herb Crusted Broiled Salmon
- Balsamic Vinaigrette drizzled onto a green salad
- Honey Roasted Carrots
More cauliflower recipes
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Parmesan Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 4 cups riced cauliflower roughly ½ head; see note 1
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder see note 2
After cooking
- ½ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated; see note 3
Instructions
To rice cauliflower
- Prep cauliflower- Wash cauliflower and pat dry. Remove outer leaves; break down the head of cauliflower into uniform pieces (1-2 inch florets). Include stems! Fill a food processor fitted with a steel blade ¾ full.
- Pulse- Pulse 10-15 times, until cauliflower is in small rice-sized pieces. Remove any full florets that may remain.
To cook cauliflower rice
- Heat- Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add riced cauliflower, salt and garlic powder to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until cauliflower is slightly soft but not mushy.
- Parmesan- Stir in the parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
Tips:
Nutrition Information
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Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
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