This four-ingredient cilantro lime cauliflower rice couldn't be any easier or faster to prep when you use frozen cauliflower rice!
This is a recipe I've been making for YEARS, but certainly on repeat in the last two years postpartum when I was losing 55lbs. I looked up how to make cilantro lime cauliflower rice so many times but ultimately ended up doing my own thing because most of the recipes out there had too many ingredients. What I needed was the quickest, easiest recipe to make frozen cauliflower rice taste a little better to go with some other Mexican-themed dish; that's it. This has NOT been the time in my life (3 kids six and under) to pull out eight thousand ingredients when I have 20 minutes to make dinner during the week. So I ended up with this four-ingredient version, five if you count oil for the skillet, but I don't.
Also, the goal here is NOT to replace regular rice. I'm not going to tell you cauliflower rice tastes like rice. That's ridiculous. But cilantro lime cauliflower rice is a way to amp up the veggies and make quick, easy Mexican-themed bowls that taste amazing. That's literally why I started making this, I thought that I wanted to make some sort of "bowl" and wanted something a little tastier than just cauliflower rice with garlic salt, haha So I started playing around with making a quick and easy cilantro lime version and now I'll whip this recipe up to go with carnitas, taco meat, chimichurri chicken, or some Mexican themed pre-cooked meat that I bought.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
When it comes to how to make this recipe, it's literally defrost the cauliflower rice on the pan, then add salt, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. I think the video in the recipe card and/or YouTube shorts link below shows how easy it is to do better than the photos could. Note: I have a habit of ruining nonstick pans, so I almost exclusively use my cast iron now, but you can use whatever kind of pan!
Ingredient Swaps & Substitutions
- Cauliflower rice - I always use frozen cauliflower rice, which you can thankfully find everywhere these days. (Remember when it was ONLY at Trader Joe's?) You can make cauliflower rice in your food processor, but I promise you won't save time or money, and the mess is not worth it.
- Oil - You can use whatever kind you want, but I recommend avocado oil for its health profile and neutral taste. Also, if you stir your cauliflower rice frequently, you might be able to get away with less oil or even just spray your pan with the oil. I've done this before when in a calorie deficit and really watching my calories, but you have to really watch it and keep stirring frequently!
- Lime juice - You can use lemon in a pinch; it won't taste the same, but you can use it.
- Salt - the salt is modifiable in this recipe, but cauliflower tends to need more than you think to bring out flavor in a recipe. You can always start with ¼ teaspoon and keep adding.
- Cilantro - won't be cilantro lime without the cilantro! Fresh is definitely best, but a freeze-dried or dried version could work. Freeze-dried is a 1:1 substitution, but dry, you'd use around one tablespoon or so.
How to Freeze and Store Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave.
To freeze: Let it cool completely to prevent freezer burn, and store it in a freezer-safe container like a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost under refrigeration or in the microwave, and reheat in the microwave to 165F.
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Equipment
- large skillet or cast iron pan
- spatula or spoon
Ingredients
- 24 ounces frozen cauliflower rice
- 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice juice of one lime
- ½ - ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Break up clumps of frozen cauliflower rice with a mallet or slamming on the ground (like I do.) Add to a skillet on medium-high with 1 tablespoon oil. Cook 6- 9 minutes stirring frequently to allow it to defrost and become just slightly tender, but not mushy.24 ounces frozen cauliflower rice, 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- Stir in lime juice and salt. Taste and add more lime/salt if necessary.2 tablespoon lime juice, ½ - ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup cilantro
- Remove from heat or turn off the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.
Video
Nutrition
Megan says
Cauliflower rice is my fav! Love the addition of lime and cilantro!