Sesame ginger cauliflower rice is a simple way to add extra flavor to your cauliflower rice! Made with fresh ginger, sesame oil, and sesame seeds, this easy low carb side dish cooks up in under 5 minutes.
One of 7 cauliflower rice recipes, this sesame ginger cauliflower rice is paleo, vegan, gluten-free, and low carb.
This sesame ginger cauliflower rice is a low carb side dish that pairs well with Asian flavors, and works great for meal prep! The sesame oil and fresh ginger infuse so much flavor into the cauliflower - which easily takes on flavors as it cooks. Topped with toasted sesame seeds, this simple recipe is veggie-packed, easy to prepare, and contains lots of fiber.
Reasons you'll love this recipe
- the ginger and sesame add delicious flavor to this light, veggie packed side dish
- you only need 5 ingredients, and it cooks up in less than 5 minutes!
- can be cooked ahead and enjoyed in meal prep recipes
Ingredient Notes
- Cauliflower - for this recipe we're using fresh cauliflower, making our own homemade cauliflower rice using a food processor. Note that store-bought cauliflower rice can vary in size, and you may need to adjust the cook time accordingly. For more nitty gritty details and a video tutorial for making and storing cauliflower rice, see this how to make cauliflower rice post!
- Ginger - this recipe calls for powdered ginger so that you don't have to cut anything up on cook day, however you may use ยฝ tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger instead
- Sesame oil - we've used un-toasted sesame oil for this recipe; if you use toasted, the flavor may end up more intense. Try adding half the amount, and make up the difference with olive oil.
- Sesame seeds - you can use a mix of white and black sesame seeds as we did for these photos, or choose your favorite color variety! Take the time to toast your sesame seeds to enhance flavors, or purchase them pre-toasted.
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 larger chunks or florets that may remain.
Cook
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Heat sesame oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add riced cauliflower, salt, and ginger to the pan. Cook for 3- 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is slightly soft but not mushy.
TIP- frozen cauliflower rice can be used (throw it right into the pan frozen); cook time should be adjusted. Expect it to come out softer than fresh cauliflower rice.
Serve
Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve. We used a mix of regular and black sesame seeds for these photos!
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- expect a mess!
- 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 after cooking 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. See the storage section for more info on storing raw or cooked cauliflower rice.
No, that is not necessary. The first time the cauliflower cooks is when you saute it in the pan! It cooks up quite quickly.
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).
Storage + Meal Prep
Fridge
- Raw - store raw/ uncooked cauliflower rice in the fridge for 7-10 days in an air tight container.
- Cooked - store cooked 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.
- 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.
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Sesame Ginger Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil note 1
- 4 cups riced cauliflower note 2
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger or ยฝ tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds to serve; note 3
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 large pieces or florets that may remain.
- Cook - Heat sesame oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add riced cauliflower, salt, and ginger to the pan. Cook for 3- 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is slightly soft but not mushy.
- Serve - Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve. We used a mix of regular and black sesame seeds for these photos!
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Tips:
- if using toasted sesame oil, the flavor may come out more intense. Try using ยฝ tablespoon of toasted sesame oil, and ยฝ tablespoon of olive oil
- 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.
- toasted sesame seeds add the best flavor; either toast your own or purchase pre-toasted seeds.
- Rawย - store raw/ uncooked cauliflower rice in the fridge for 7-10 days in an air tight container.
- Cookedย - store cooked cauliflower rice in the fridge for up to 4 days in an air tight container.
- Rawย - store raw cauliflower rice in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Cookedย - cool completely, then portion out into a reusable silicone bag, plastic freezer bag, or meal prep container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
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Elea L Mont-Eton says
Would this be good with edamame rice
Denise Bustard says
Hi Elea, I'm afraid I don't know what edamame rice is.
ALICIA C. says
Used frozen riced cauliflower, 3tsp of frozen ginger and the aroma is devine. Served with precooked, frozen teriyaki chicken thighs and veggies. Seems to be a hit, we'd grown tired of fried riced cauliflower.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Alicia, thanks so much for sharing your review! Sounds delicious with the chicken thighs and veggies. Glad you were inspired to try cauliflower rice again!