Easy Cauliflower Rice Recipe (Video)

I think this Easy Cauliflower Rice Recipe is the perfect recipe for cauliflower rice as a side dish, and I make this over and over! It’s the garlic and green onion that makes it so good; I love this with fresh chopped cauliflower rice but you can use frozen cauliflower rice if that’s what works for you.

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Cauliflower rice has become pretty mainstream, and most people who are watching carbs have probably cooked it. But even though I’ve made a quite a few different versions of it I think this Easy Cauliflower Rice Recipe to be the BEST cauliflower rice to serve for a side dish, and I’m featuring it as my Friday Favorites pick this week. This is the cauliflower rice recipe I find myself making over and over!

It’s the flavor added from the garlic that seasons the oil and the crunch of the green onions that I think makes this cauliflower rice recipe so flavorful, and I do like to use a lot of green onion! And I also think it’s worth the extra time to make it with freshly-chopped raw cauliflower or purchased chopped cauliflower rice, but if frozen cauliflower rice is the only way this will get on the table at your house, that will still be delicious.

If you haven’t been that excited about cauliflower rice I hope you’ll try my favorite recipe for it with only four ingredients, plus a little salt and pepper; this recipe for easy cauliflower rice  turns it into a fabulous side dish that’s good with so many dinners!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• smallish same-size cauliflower pieces, stems included (or bag of riced cauliflower or frozen cauliflower rice)
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• cloves of garlic
• green onion
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Why I love this Easy Cauliflower Rice Recipe:

I think cauliflower rice can be a bit meh if you don’t take care to season it well when you cook it, do you agree? I think flavoring the oil with fresh garlic cloves before you pan-fry the rice, and then stirring in a generous amount of sliced green onion to add some crunch and flavor really makes this recipe the best way to cook cauliflower rice!

Is this Easy Cauliflower Rice low in carbs?

This perfect recipe for cauliflower rice to serve as a side dish only has about 5 net carbs per serving!

What cauliflower rice is best for this easy cauliflower rice recipe?

I don’t find chopping cauliflower in the food processor to be that labor intensive, and when I make my own cauliflower rice that way I like to use 4 cups of riced cauliflower. And truthfully I do prefer fresh-chopped cauliflower for this recipe. But sometimes you just need to use pre-chopped cauliflower rice or frozen cauliflower rice, and both those options will also be delicious cooked this way. The fresh or frozen packaged cauliflower rice comes in a package that’s smaller than the four cups I use; see the different amounts listed in the recipe if you’re using one of those. And you might also need to check the cooking time on the package to see if it needs to be adjusted.

Can you use less green onion for this cauliflower rice recipe?

Of course you can use less green onion for this recipe if you prefer. But it’s the crunch of the green onion added just before serving that I think really makes this good, so I encourage you to use a generous amount of green onion and try it!

Want more ideas for Cauliflower Rice?

• 20Cauliflower Rice Casserole Recipes
• Low-Carb and Keto Soups with Cauliflower Rice
• Low-Carb Dinners using Frozen Cauliflower Rice
• 30 Keto Cauliflower Rice Recipes (from Danica's Kitchen and around the web)

How to Make this Easy Cauliflower Rice Recipe:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. If you’re making your own riced cauliflower, start with smallish pieces of cauliflower and buzz it in the food processor until it’s finely chopped.
2. Also prepare 6-8 large cloves of garlic, slicing them in half, and slice a cup of green onions.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the garlic slices just long enough to “season the oil” with garlic flavor. (This only takes a minute or so; don’t let the garlic burn.)
4. Remove the garlic and add the cauliflower and season well with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
5. Cook the cauliflower over medium-high heat, stirring often, until it’s just starting to soften and lose the raw flavor, about 3-4 minutes. (Check the package for cooking time if you’re using purchased cauliflower rice or frozen cauliflower rice.)
6. Turn off heat, stir in the green onions, and serve.
7. I promise, people will devour this easy cauliflower rice, especially if you serve it with some kind of tasty saucy meat or vegetables over the top!

More Recipes Using Cauliflower Rice:

• Cauliflower Fried Rice with Shrimp
• Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl
• Instant Pot Cauliflower Rice Greek Chicken Bowls

Continue to Content

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Yield: 4 servings

Easy Cauliflower Rice Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 26 minutes

I think this Easy Cauliflower Rice Recipe (with garlic and green onion) is the BEST cauliflower rice recipe, and it's the one I find myself making over and over.

Ingredients

Ingredients If You're Chopping Your Own Cauliflower

• 4 heaping cups smallish same-size cauliflower pieces, stems included
• 2 T olive oil
• 8 large cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise if really big
• 1 cup sliced green onion
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients If You're Using a 12 oz. Bag of Riced Cauliflower or Frozen Cauliflower Rice

• 1 bag (12 oz.) riced cauliflower or frozen cauliflower rice
• 1 1/2 T olive oil
• 5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
• 3/4 cup sliced green onion
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the cauliflower, including the stems, into smallish same size pieces until you have 4 generous cups of cauliflower pieces.
2. Using the steel blade, process 2 cups of cauliflower pieces at a time in the food processor, buzzing it in short bursts until it’s finely chopped enough to resemble rice, but slightly larger. I use my beloved Cuisinart 7 Cup Food Processor (affiliate link) for this, which does a great job.
3. If you’re using a bag of cauliflower, just open the bag!
4. Peel garlic cloves and slice in half lengthwise.
5. Chop enough green onions for the amount of cauliflower you’re using.
6. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until it feels hot when you hold your hand there; then add the garlic cloves and stir-fry until you smell garlic.
7. As soon as you see the tiniest color change in the garlic, IMMEDIATELY remove the garlic and discard. (Don’t let it brown or the garlic will leave a bitter taste.)
8. Add the cauliflower to the hot pan and season generously with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
9. Stir fry the cauliflower, turning it over often, until it’s starting to soften and lose the raw taste, about 3-4 minutes. (Taste a little to see if it’s done to your liking; I prefer it still slightly crisp.)
10. (Check the package for cooking time if you're using purchased cauliflower rice or frozen cauliflower rice.)
11. Turn off the heat, stir in the green onions, and serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 79Total Fat: 5.4gSaturated Fat: .8gUnsaturated Fat: 4.3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 175mgCarbohydrates: 7.6gFiber: 2.4gSugar: 2.1gProtein: 2.3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Easy Cauliflower Rice Recipe is a great dish for so many healthy diets, including Low-Carb, Keto, Paleo, Whole 30, and the original South Beach Diet!

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Danica's Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for the best and easiest cauliflower rice was first posted in 2016, and it’s been popular ever since! It was last updated with more information in 2024.

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