• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to footer left navigation
  • Skip to footer right navigation
  • Skip to footer bottom navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Contact
Display Search Bar
Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Twitter! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Instagram!
  • Reader Favorites Explore

Wholesomelicious

Wholesome recipes, delicious food

  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Grilling
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
      • Soups
    • Sides
      • Vegetables
      • Miscellaneous
    • Apps/Snacks
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Desserts
    • All Recipes
  • Special Diets
    • Gluten Free
    • Keto
    • Paleo
    • Vegan
    • Whole30
  • Cookbooks

Jan 13

Cauliflower Spanish Rice

Last updated March 23, 2021
5 from 30 votes
Keto
Paleo
Whole30
Vegan
Gluten Free
Less than 30 minutes
Keto
Paleo
Whole30
Vegan
Gluten Free
Less than 30 minutes
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

The perfect compliment to your Mexican side dishes! This Cauliflower Spanish Rice is full of flavor and super easy to make! Such a great and healthy alternative to rice, and one that is packed with nutrients. Only 10 minutes of prep time and 10 minutes of cook time! Gluten-Free, Paleo, Vegan, Whole30, and Keto.

Bowl of Spanish flavored cauliflower rice with cilantro on top and a gold spoon.

Why Cauliflower Spanish Rice?

As a nutritionist, I am always looking for ways to add in more fiber for digestive health. Cauliflower Spanish Rice is basically checking all of these boxes for me: flavor, nutrition, ease, and texture!

Spanish rice will forever have a place in my heart as my most favorite food as a child. Kind of weird, right? I use to devour by the bowl full. Forget the beans. I just wanted the rice.

Now as an adult who doesn’t eat grains very often, I make a lot of my favorite rice flavors into cauliflower rice recipes! A few of my favorites include:

  • Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
  • Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh
  • Hibachi Steak Bowls with Cauliflower Fried Rice
Bowl of red riced cauliflower in a white bowl with cilantro on top.

What do I need to make Cauliflower Spanish Rice?

This cauliflower rice comes together with a few simple ingredients:

  • Cauliflower (duh)
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Cumin
  • Salt
  • Tomato paste
  • Vegetable or chicken broth
  • Add in some additional fresh cilantro and lime for an even tastier treat!
cauliflower florets, onion, cumin, garlic, cilantro, and tomato paste on a white background.

How to make the easiest and most flavorful Cauliflower Spanish Rice:

We start by chopping up the cauliflower into florets and discarding the base. This will make the pulsing in a food processor so much easier!

bowl of cauliflower florets with cilantro and onion in the background

Next, pulse in a blender or a food processor. And by pulse, PULSE!!! If you keep the blender on, you may end up with mush. In my Vitamix, it only requires a few pulses (3-5). A food processor is actually better to use for pulsing cauliflower. Either way, you will most likely need to do this in a few batches! Stop when you get that “rice” like texture.

Bowl of riced cauliflower in a black bowl.

Now we work on the saute portion. Heat a large skillet to medium heat, then add oil, onion, and garlic. Saute for a total of 4-5 minutes. Then we add in the riced cauliflower and let it saute for another 5 minutes. Let it soften and get the onion flavor. Stir in cumin, salt, tomato paste, and broth. Give it a nice stir and cover. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. It should be ready to devour when the rice is softened and the flavor has been evenly distributed.

Pan with red riced cauliflower and wooden spoon.

Can I use already riced cauliflower?

Absolutely!! I do this sometimes when I’m lazy. Most stores actually have already riced cauliflower in the produce section. Or you can also buy in the frozen section. Trader Joe’s sells the organic cauliflower rice frozen at $2!!! This will alter the cooking time a bit, and release more water. So you won’t need as much broth, if any at all.

I prefer to pulse my own cauliflower, mainly because a large head of cauliflower produces more rice then I can get in the frozen section. You will most likely need 2 bags of the frozen!

Serving and Storing:

Squeeze a little lime juice and add some cilantro for a more fantastic flavor! Taco Tuesday is going to be so much better with the addition of this rice. It’s perfect to just add in a protein, and toppings for a complete meal! You can also store in the fridge and it will keep for an additional few days.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes to serve over my Cauliflower Spanish Rice:

  • Instant Pot Chicken Tinga
  • Sheet Pan Chipotle Steak Fajitas
  • Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Creamy Southwest Chicken
  • Sheet Pan Shrimp Tacos

Be sure to rate the recipe below and comment if you make it! Also, tag me on Instagram @wholesomelicious with your creations. I love to see them!

Hungry for More? Subscribe to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! And be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Cauliflower Spanish Rice

Cauliflower Spanish Rice is the best side dish to any of your Mexican dishes! So simple to make with 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cook time. Paleo, Vegan, Keto, and Whole30.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 94 kcal
Author Amy Rains
5 from 30 votes
Print

Ingredients

  • 1 large head of cauliflower*
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt + more to taste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • Fresh cilantro for garnish optional
  • 1 lime, juiced optional

Instructions

  1. Cut your cauliflower in half and in half again. Remove stem and discard. Chop the head of the cauliflower into chunks (1-2 inch pieces). Place inside a food processor and pulse. You probably need to do this in 2-3 batches. Between each batch, remove and set aside.
  2. Heat up a large skillet to medium heat. Coat the pan with oil. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes, then add garlic and saute another 1-2 minutes.

  3. Add in riced cauliflower and saute for another 4-5 minutes. salt, and cumin. Stir around the veggie mixture to coat.

  4. Now add in cumin, salt, tomato paste, then 1/4 cup broth (you might not need broth with frozen rice as it produces enough moisture). Bump up heat to medium high. Continue to stir around until the tomato paste dissolves in the mixture. If the mixture is too dry, add in more broth by the tablespoon. If the mixture is slightly wet, continue to cook until the liquid dissolves.

  5. Serve hot with garnished cilantro, lime juice, and added salt to taste.

Recipe Notes

*You can also use the 12 oz bag of frozen Trader Joe’s in place of the head of cauliflower. You will most likely need two bags for this recipe.

Calories 94kcal
Fat 4g
Saturated fat 1g
Sodium 561mg
Potassium 610mg
Carbohydrates 13g
Fiber 4g
Sugar 5g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A 138%
Vitamin C 81%
Calcium 56%
Iron 1%
Pin102K
Share3K
Tweet
104K Shares
Share this Post
Pin102K
Share3K
Tweet
104K Shares

Weekly Meal Plans

Sign Up
  • Nutritious Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice
  • Ground Turkey Taco Bowls with Cauliflower Spanish Rice
  • Spanish Rice
  • Cauliflower Rice Chicken Biryani
< Previous Post
Next Post >

Reader Interactions

View Comments
Join the Conversation
  1. Aimee @ like mother like daughter says

    January 26, 2017 at 9:38 pm

    I’ve been noting Ryan cauliflower rice, this looks like the perfect recipe to start with!

    Reply
    • Aimee @ like mother like daughter says

      January 26, 2017 at 9:39 pm

      Wanting to try*

      Reply
      • amy@wholesomelicious.com says

        January 26, 2017 at 10:03 pm

        Thanks Aimee! Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
        • Catherine Shroyer says

          April 17, 2017 at 8:44 pm

          If using frozen cauliflower rice do you saute it frozen?

          Reply
          • amy@wholesomelicious.com says

            April 17, 2017 at 10:41 pm

            You can do either one! I usually defrost for a bit, but if you do frozen you’ll increase the cook time for an extra 3-5 minutes.

        • Nate says

          September 23, 2017 at 3:43 pm

          Hi I was wondering if you have the macros for this? Thanks!

          Reply
  2. Renee Kohley says

    February 6, 2017 at 9:27 pm

    5 stars
    So pretty! I grew up with a lot of Spanish rice so this is very nostalgic for me! I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
    • amy@wholesomelicious.com says

      February 7, 2017 at 5:05 am

      Me too! I used to eat spanish rice all the time, but need a healthier variation 🙂

      Reply
  3. Tina says

    February 7, 2017 at 10:33 pm

    Mmmmmmmm…. can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  4. Cristina Curp says

    February 7, 2017 at 11:45 pm

    Bello!!! What a lovely color and I;m sure it tastes divine too.

    Reply
  5. Keven says

    February 8, 2017 at 2:01 am

    Can you heat this up the next day?

    Reply
    • amy@wholesomelicious.com says

      February 8, 2017 at 3:02 am

      Hi Keven, Yes you could easily re-heat the next day. I prefer to eat it within 2 days!

      Reply
  6. ChihYu says

    February 8, 2017 at 11:24 pm

    5 stars
    I love cauliflower rice and now I have new flavor that I can try this coming weekend. Thank you !

    Reply
    • amy@wholesomelicious.com says

      February 9, 2017 at 5:02 am

      You’re welcome!!

      Reply
  7. Michele Spring says

    February 9, 2017 at 1:15 am

    What a convenient recipe – we love spanish rice but needed a Paleo equivalent to go with our Mexican-inspired dishes. This will be perfect!

    Reply
    • amy@wholesomelicious.com says

      February 9, 2017 at 5:02 am

      Exactly! We make it all the time now!

      Reply
  8. Katja says

    February 9, 2017 at 10:03 pm

    I love cauliflower rice, and I have to try this! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  9. Hannah Healy says

    February 13, 2017 at 12:57 am

    Oh my! I want to make this now!

    Reply
    • amy@wholesomelicious.com says

      February 13, 2017 at 3:23 am

      Yes, you should!

      Reply
  10. Carrie Forrest says

    February 13, 2017 at 1:00 am

    What a great recipe idea!

    Reply
    • amy@wholesomelicious.com says

      February 13, 2017 at 3:23 am

      Thank you, Carrie!

      Reply
  11. Jessica DeMay says

    February 13, 2017 at 2:51 am

    I love this! I grew up on spanish rice (from a box!!) so this is a great healthy version. It looks so delicious!

    Reply
    • amy@wholesomelicious.com says

      February 13, 2017 at 3:22 am

      Me too, spanish rice in a box!! Haha, this one is way better 🙂

      Reply
  12. Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says

    February 13, 2017 at 2:53 am

    This sounds so good! I love Spanish flavors.

    Reply
  13. Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says

    February 13, 2017 at 3:57 am

    This sounds so good!!! I love Spanish rice but never make it because my body doesn’t do well with grains. What a great idea to make it with cauli rice!

    Reply
  14. Taesha Butler (The Natural Nurturer) says

    February 13, 2017 at 5:40 am

    This looks so incredible and easy! I love super healthy dishes that remind me of a childhood favorite!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      January 28, 2021 at 9:50 pm

      This recipe is delicious. It doesn’t taste like cauliflower at all. It says 76 calories. How much is a serving size or how many does the recipe serve?

      Reply
  15. Erin Carter says

    February 13, 2017 at 5:59 am

    This sounds so tasty!

    Reply
  16. Kari - Get Inspired Everyday! says

    February 13, 2017 at 4:35 pm

    5 stars
    I love Spanish rice, but I’ve never thought to make it with cauliflower before – thank you for such a great idea, this is going into the regular rotation!

    Reply
  17. Stacey Crawford says

    February 13, 2017 at 5:59 pm

    5 stars
    This is fantastic! I always get so envious at restaurants when people are eating the Spanish rice 🙂

    Reply
  18. Georgina Young says

    February 13, 2017 at 6:16 pm

    This is literally the sexiest cauli rice that I have seen yet! Love it!

    Reply
  19. Rachel says

    February 15, 2017 at 4:24 am

    5 stars
    Totally looking this back up next time I make paleo paella. 🙂

    Reply
  20. Emily says

    April 4, 2017 at 11:23 pm

    My grocery store sells riced cauliflower! About how many cups of rice does a large head of cauliflower produce?

    Reply
    • amy@wholesomelicious.com says

      April 5, 2017 at 12:55 am

      Yay!! Makes things so easy! It normally makes around 3 cups. But 2 cups would also be fine, just cut back a bit on the chicken broth 🙂

      Reply
  21. Rebecca says

    April 21, 2017 at 4:46 pm

    5 stars
    Can you share the Calories per 1/2 cup serving and any Fat, Protein, and Carb macros?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      December 12, 2019 at 6:31 pm

      5 stars
      They are updated in the notes of the recipe!

      Reply
  22. jodie says

    July 10, 2017 at 9:27 pm

    Can i use tomato juice If I don’t have tomato paste

    Reply
    • amy@wholesomelicious.com says

      July 10, 2017 at 9:52 pm

      I would use canned diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes in it’s place.

      Reply
  23. Anna says

    October 7, 2017 at 12:18 am

    I added a jalepeno and lots of fresh lime and a 1/2 teaspoon “Mexican spice” from thw spice aisle!! I also added shrimp to the rice. Was amazing. Sat down and ate the entire thing and then did it again the next night!

    Reply
  24. Gina Bringetto says

    January 3, 2018 at 10:20 am

    Do you have the nutrition facts of this?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      January 3, 2018 at 5:44 pm

      Hi Gina, I just added the nutrition facts to the bottom of the post in the recipe box. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  25. SLLW says

    January 30, 2018 at 4:08 pm

    Has anyone actually made and eaten this recipe instead of just looking at it?? If so, what is your review of the flavor, texture, etc.?

    Reply
    • Cheri says

      February 6, 2018 at 9:29 pm

      I’m going to make it tonight, so I’ll post again after we try it!

      Reply
      • Amy says

        February 6, 2018 at 11:07 pm

        Great!!

        Reply
    • Elissa says

      February 13, 2018 at 11:12 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this tonight and my husband and I ate it up! I make Spanish rice frequently and have wanted to find a healthier alternative. I was nervous about how the texture would turn out but it was so good! Very flavorful!

      Reply
    • Laura Seibel says

      April 19, 2018 at 3:06 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made this and it tastes just like regular Spanish rice. Both my husband and I loved it. It reheats well too. I used frozen cauliflower and thawed it in the microwave first. I used a paper towel to absorb the excess water.

      Reply
      • Amy says

        June 20, 2019 at 10:59 am

        5 stars
        YAY!!! Glad you loved it!

        Reply
  26. Tess says

    August 27, 2018 at 4:24 pm

    5 stars
    Awesome recipe! My picky eater boyfriend didn’t know the difference between this and real rice! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 20, 2019 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      You’re welcome! Glad you loved it!

      Reply
  27. Cassandra says

    January 17, 2019 at 2:22 am

    Could I make this cauliflower verde by subbing tomatillos for the tomato paste?

    Reply
    • Amy says

      January 17, 2019 at 7:53 am

      Of course!

      Reply
  28. Linda says

    February 25, 2019 at 10:26 pm

    How long do you cook it after you add in the cauliflower? I don’t see any time in the instructions.

    Reply
  29. Katrina Bolanos says

    March 24, 2019 at 4:43 pm

    5 stars
    I used frozen roasted garlic cauliflower rice and this turned out AMAZING!!!
    I doubled the recipe and only used 1tsp of salt since I think there was salt in the cauliflower rice that I had. I also used frozen onions and bell peppers and cooked those until the liquid was gone. My family and I LOVED this!! THANK YOU!!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Amy says

      March 25, 2019 at 2:24 pm

      5 stars
      Yay!! happy to hear!!

      Reply
  30. Mckenzie Woods says

    April 24, 2019 at 12:27 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious. Ate it in shrimp tacos and the whole family loved it!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      June 20, 2019 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      Yes!!! Love hearing that!

      Reply
  31. OMAR SARA says

    June 25, 2019 at 6:35 am

    5 stars
    This sounds very delicious!!. Thank you AMY

    Reply
  32. Jodie says

    December 31, 2019 at 11:03 am

    Absolutely scrumptious! I’m already craving my next bowl of this. Thankyou ????

    Reply
  33. Taylor says

    April 26, 2020 at 1:02 pm

    5 stars
    Absolute favorite side for Mexican dishes or just with leftover chicken breast, so yummy and healthy!

    Reply
  34. Kara says

    May 17, 2020 at 6:20 am

    5 stars
    This is so amazing. I was surprised how good this was! Tastes exactly like Spanish rice. Love it.

    Reply
  35. Elise says

    July 2, 2020 at 9:24 pm

    5 stars
    This is so tasty!! It turned out great and my family loved it. An amazing low-cal alternative to the much loved classic Spanish rice recipe. You should make a cauliflower rice paella recipe!

    Reply
  36. Jess says

    August 3, 2020 at 10:58 am

    What is the serving size for the 76 cake? I’m counting and would just like to be sure! Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      August 3, 2020 at 6:10 pm

      Hi Jess, serving size is around 1 cup. I am not sure what 76 cake is, but I hope that answers your question!

      Reply
  37. Melissa from Texas! says

    November 24, 2020 at 7:23 pm

    5 stars
    I can’t believe I got my very Latina mom to eat this and say it was GOOD! We’re on a journey to grain-free (so hard to say see you later to white flour/corn tortillas!) and it was an absolute favorite for now! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Amy says

      January 4, 2021 at 10:19 pm

      5 stars
      YES!!!! The best kind of review, love it!

      Reply
  38. Cynthia says

    January 4, 2021 at 9:47 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe comes together so quickly and is very flavorful.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      January 4, 2021 at 10:18 pm

      5 stars
      So great to hear!

      Reply
  39. Kara says

    January 10, 2021 at 11:54 pm

    5 stars
    Very good! Nailed it on flavor. Texture not too shabby either. Served it with pollo a la crema. I would definitely make this again.

    Reply
  40. Pamela Joe says

    April 1, 2021 at 6:50 am

    I definitely will try, looks healthy

    Reply

Leave a comment and rate this recipe Cancel reply

Leave a reply!

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Recipe Key

Keto
Paleo
Whole30
Vegan
Gluten Free
Kid-Friendly
Less than 30 minutes
Slow Cooker
Instant Pot
Air Fryer

Welcome!

I’m Amy, foodie, nutritionist, recipe developer, wife, and busy mom of 2. I am on a mission to create everyday nutritious recipes that taste absolutely DELICIOUS!!! I love comfort food with a healthy twist. Follow me as I share the simple meals I make for my family. I’ll make meal planning easy by telling you exactly what we eat every week! Read More

Free Recipes

Delivered right to your inbox!

    Follow on Pinterest

    • By Course
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner
    • Salads
    • Desserts
    • By Diet
    • Whole30
    • Paleo
    • Gluten Free
    • Vegan

    Reader Favorites:

    Get the Full Line-up >>
    Follow me on Facebook! Follow me on Twitter! Follow me on Pinterest! Follow me on Instagram!
    • Work With Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    © 2021 Wholesomelicious. Site by Melissa Rose Design and Once Coupled.

    Get notified when we launch our nutrition-based meal plans