8-ingredient, Copycat Chipotle Cauliflower Rice is a healthy rice recipe that comes together in just 20 minutes. The perfect gluten-free and vegan side dish for Taco Tuesday!
This Copycat Chipotle Cauliflower Rice is such a simple and tasty side dish. It’s perfect for those who are looking to stay vegan, low carb or gluten-free. You can serve it up with your favorite taco or Mexican Inspire dish. Taco bowl style is my favorite way to eat this up!
Cauliflower seems to be all the rage these days. It’s such a versatile ingredient. It can even become pizza crust! It’s the perfect lower calorie substitute for rice, especially if you are looking to get in some extra veggies. This recipe is bursting with cilantro and lime flavor. I can tell you, the rice will not be missed.
You will only need 8 ingredients and 20 minutes for this one so get cooking!
Ingredient Notes:
- Cauliflower – I generally try to find a larger head of cauliflower for this recipe. However, medium to large will work.
- Yellow Onion– White onion would work as well for this recipe.
- Garlic – Use fresh and mince it up fine or use a garlic press.
- Lime – This is a key ingredient! You will need the zest and juice of an entire large lime.
- Cilantro – There really isn’t a great substitute for cilantro as it has a very distinct flavor. If you do not have any on hand I would likely just leave it out. Parsley would work but keep in mind the flavor will be much different.
- Olive Oil – Any neutral tasting oil will work. If you want to make this oil free you could use vegetable stock instead. Simply add a few tablespoons at a time during the cooking process to ensure nothing sticks to the pan.
- Salt & Pepper – I like to use sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
How To Make:
Dice onion, mince garlic, chop cilantro, zest lime and set these ingredients aside.
Cut the cauliflower florets from the stems and place them into a food processor. Pulse until your cauliflower becomes a fine rice like texture.
Into a large skillet over medium heat add your olive oil. Once hot add garlic and onion to the skillet and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Add cauliflower, zest, lime juice, salt and pepper to the skillet and incorporate everything together.
Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the cauliflower has softened.
Serve with an extra squeeze of lime and sprinkle of chopped cilantro to make it extra special.
Enjoy!
Tips For Success:
- Don’t over pulse. Make sure not to over process your cauliflower. It is easy to do if you turn the food processor on and let it go. I recommend using the pulse function so you have more control. Once you see a rice like texture stop pulsing. It is very easy to turn this into cauliflower puree, which is definitely not what we are going for.
- Zest the entire lime. Make sure to only zest the green off the lime but zest the entire lime. You do not want the white part underneath the green skin. The zest will add a punch of flavor along with the juice.
- Incorporate well. Make sure to incorporate all of the ingredients together well. You’ll want the cilantro, lime juice and zest dispersed throughout all of the riced cauliflower to ensure flavor in every bite. I find it best to use a very large sauté pan so I can easily mix the ingredients together.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze cauliflower rice in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Entrees To Go With Your Rice:
- Shredded Jackfruit Tacos
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Baked Taquitos (Flautas)
- Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos
If you try this recipe make sure to let me know! Leave a comment, rate it and if you take a photo use #feeninforgreens on instagram. I love seeing photos of your recreations!
Copycat Chipotle Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- Large handful fresh cilantro chopped (about 1/2 a cup)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. ground pepper
Instructions
- Dice onion, mince garlic, chop cilantro, zest lime and set these ingredients aside.
- Cut the cauliflower florets from the stems and place them into a food processor. Pulse until your cauliflower becomes a fine rice like texture.
- Into a large skillet over medium heat add your olive oil. Once hot add garlic and onion to the skillet and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add cauliflower, zest, lime juice, salt and pepper to the skillet and incorporate everything together.
- Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the cauliflower has softened.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure not to over pulse your cauliflower as it can turn into more of a paste like texture versus rice if you allow it to process for too long.
- If you do not have a food processor your could mince the cauliflower very fine to achieve a rice like texture or use your blender to pulse small amounts at a time.
- To make this oil free you could use vegetable broth. Just splash a few tablespoons as needed to ensure nothing sticks to the pan.