How to Make Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower rice is one of the most useful things a low carb cook can learn. It goes under fajita chicken, into fried rice and next to a saucy stir-fry. It also takes about ten minutes. The trick is not the cutting. It is getting rid of the water so the grains brown instead of steam.
Pick a good head
Look for a head that feels heavy for its size, with tight, creamy white florets. Skip heads with soft brown spots or a strong cabbage smell. The green leaves should look fresh, not limp. One medium head makes enough rice for about four side servings.
For the numbers: raw cauliflower lists 4.97 g carbs and 2 g fiber per 100 g, USDA FoodData Central. That works out to about 3.0 g net carbs per 100 g.
Prep the cauliflower
- Pull off the leaves and cut out the thick core.
- Break or cut the head into florets about the size of a golf ball.
- Rinse the florets, then dry them well. Spin them in a salad spinner or roll them in a clean towel. Wet florets make wet rice.
You can rice the core too. Trim off the tough outer layer and chop the tender center into chunks.
Box grater or food processor?
Box grater
Use the large holes. Hold a floret by its stem and grate the top in short strokes. Stop when you get down to the stem and save the stems for soup.
Good for: one head, a small kitchen, or the fluffiest, most even grains. Downside: it is slower and it scatters little bits across the counter. Grate over a large sheet pan or a big bowl to catch them.
Food processor
Fit the standard S-blade. Fill the bowl no more than halfway with florets. Pulse in short bursts, eight to ten times, until most pieces look like rice. Check after every few pulses. Dump the batch out and repeat with the next one.
Good for: two or more heads, or prepping for the week. Downside: it is easy to overdo. Hold the button down and you get cauliflower paste. Pick out any large chunks that did not break down and pulse them in the next batch.
Some processors have a grating disc. It works too, but the shreds come out longer, more like slaw than rice.
Dry it before you cook it
Spread the rice on a clean kitchen towel or a double layer of paper towels. Fold the towel over and press. You will see damp spots right away. For fried rice or anything you want crisp at the edges, let it air-dry on a sheet pan for 15 minutes as well.
Do not salt the raw rice ahead of time. Salt pulls water out and you end up back where you started. Salt it in the pan, near the end.
Four ways to cook it
Skillet sauté (our default)
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the rice in a thin layer. Crowding is the enemy, so cook in two batches if needed.
- Leave it alone for a minute, then stir. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, until tender with a few golden spots.
- Keep the lid off. A lid traps steam and turns it soft.
- Season with salt and pepper at the end.
Oven roasted
Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the rice with oil and spread it thin on a large rimmed sheet pan. Roast 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once halfway. You get drier grains and more toasty flavor. This is the best method for big batches.
Microwave
Put the rice in a microwave-safe bowl with no added water. Cover loosely and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring once. It comes out softer and paler. It works fine under a saucy dish where browning does not matter.
Stir-fried
For fried rice, get the pan very hot. Cook the vegetables and egg first, push them aside, then add the dry rice and let it sit long enough to toast. Add tamari and sesame oil in the last minute so they coat the grains instead of soaking in.
Flavor ideas
- Cilantro lime: lime juice, chopped cilantro and a little garlic. Great under fajita chicken.
- Garlic butter: butter, minced garlic and parsley.
- Parmesan: stir in grated parmesan and black pepper off the heat.
- Fried rice style: tamari, toasted sesame oil, green onions and a fried egg.
- Mexican style: a spoonful of salsa, cumin and chili powder, cooked until the salsa dries out.
Storing and freezing
In the fridge
Raw riced cauliflower keeps a few days in a covered container lined with a paper towel to catch moisture. Cooked cauliflower rice is a leftover. Refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking and eat it within 3 to 4 days. Keep your fridge at 40°F or below.
In the freezer
Freeze it raw. Spread the riced cauliflower on a sheet pan in a thin layer and freeze until firm, about an hour. Then move it to a freezer bag, press out the air and label it with the date. Freezing it flat first stops it from setting into one big block.
Cook it straight from frozen. Do not thaw it first or it turns to mush. Add it to a hot skillet with the lid off and give it a few extra minutes so the extra water can cook away. Store-bought frozen cauliflower rice works the same way.
Quick fixes
- Mushy rice: the pan was crowded, covered, or the rice was wet. Dry it more and cook in batches.
- Strong cabbage smell: it cooked too long. Pull it while it still has a little bite.
- Bland: it needs more salt and fat than you think, plus something sharp like lime or tamari.
