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Homemade cauliflower rice made with fresh cauliflower tastes SO much better than buying it premade and frozen. It's also SO much cheaper and incredibly easy! You can make a huge batch of this in FIVE minutes!
This recipe was originally published in October 2019. It has been updated with FAQs and Expert Tips.
Learn how to make homemade cauliflower rice with my easy to follow instructions. You can make it with a food processor or even with a simple box grater.
Why This Recipe Works
- Frozen cauliflower rice is readily available today in most all grocery stores, but the flavor from making it fresh is really and truly SO much better.
- The flavor difference is worth the minimal effort required.
- This is an easy way to get fresh, whole foods into your everyday eating.
What Goes Into This Recipe
All that you need to make this is a head of cauliflower and either a box grater or a food processor. As I said, it's SO simple!
How To Make This Recipe With A Box Grater
When I don't feel like getting out my big, clunky food processor, I use my oh so quick box grater. This is the one I've had for at least ten years
and I still love it to this day.
To make cauliflower rice with a box grater, you first need to wash the cauliflower.
Next remove all of the green outer leaves, then break it down and cut it into smaller manageable pieces.
Once the cauliflower has been broken down, all you need to do is grate it like you would cheese. If you have a large cutting board, I would use that over a smaller one, since it tends to be a little messy.
Below is what the finished product will look like.
How to Make this Recipe With A Food Processor
If you need to purchase a good food processor without breaking the bank, this one is a really good option.
Making the rice this way starts out pretty much the same way, with chopping the cauliflower into pieces.
Make sure to chop it into smaller pieces than you would use for the box grater technique, to make sure they all will fit in the food processor.
I do want to point out that I started out chopping my veggies with this knife that I love, love love
and use for everything, but then I remembered a new knife that we bought.
We bought the WÃœSTHOF 8 Inch Offset Knife
and I whipped that baby out and guess what? This knife cut through everything like butter. My new love! The serrated edges of this knife is perfect for cutting vegetables.
So basically the next step is to just turn on the food processor until there are no big pieces left. So simple!
Below is what the finished product will look like.
Expert Tips
- Making cauliflower rice with a box grater produces a larger "rice" texture than if you were to make it with a food processor. This texture holds up better for dishes like cauliflower fried rice, or any recipe you need a rice substitute.
- Making cauliflower rice with a food processor produces a texture that is more fine. It's better suited for mashed cauliflower dishes or pizza crust.
- If you're looking for the quickest way to get this job done, the food processor option is for you.
- When cooking from fresh, cook in the microwave for 1 ½ minutes. For cooking on the stove top, cook in a medium sized pot for about 3-4 minutes on low to medium.
- Squeeze all of the water out of the cooked rice with flour sack towels. This veggie holds a lot of water, and can turn your finished dishes into watery messes. See below for instructions on how we do this.
- A head of cauliflower makes approximately 2 cups of cauliflower rice.
FAQs
How do I store fresh cauliflower rice?
I put all my cauliflower rice in ziploc bags and store it right in the freezer, no matter what my plans for it are. (Unless I'm going to use it right then, I won't do this.) I normally make more than I would eat at once, so I don't have to do it so often, and I have it ready to go.
How do I cook frozen cauliflower rice?
When you're ready to use the frozen rice, just get it out, put it in a glass bowl and microwave it for about 4 minutes, then use it for whatever recipe you're making. It's seriously that simple!
If you don't have a microwave, you can add the frozen rice to a small or medium sized pot, add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover, and heat over low to medium heat for about ten minutes. Make sure to stir halfway through.
How do I get the water out of the cooked rice?
If you're using the rice in a recipe or baked dish, getting the water out of it after it is cooked is SO important. Please don't skip this step. I swear I've looked at the cooked rice before and it looks so nice and dry. It's lying to you!
Skipping this step can be the difference of a perfect finished creamy mashed cauliflower or a big watery, soupy mess. Trust me. I've done it.
It really is as simple as putting the cooked and cooled cauliflower on a clean flour sack towel
, wrapping it up and squeezing all the water out.
I like to use flour sack towels because they're large and really thin, which makes them easy to squeeze tight and get out as much water as possible. Regular kitchen towels are too thick and may leave behind small fuzzy pieces of cotton.
After you get all of the water out, it will appear as though you have not much left. Just dump it into a bowl and fluff it up with a fork and it will miraculously come back to life!
Recipe Suggestions
What should you do with all of this fresh, amazing rice? Try it out with my Loaded Baked Cauliflower Mash or my Lemony Raw Kale Salad. I guarantee you won't ever go back to the frozen stuff!
If you're looking for other recipes to pair along with this, there are lots of great healthy options here! Try mixing in my Vegan Pistachio Pesto into hot, cooked cauliflower rice for a super quick, easy and flavorful side dish.
If you've made this recipe, please give a star rating in the recipe card below and leave me a comment under the recipe card. I appreciate your feedback! Please also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram, and sign up for my email list to get notified of new recipes and more!
📋 Recipe
How To Make Cauliflower Rice Two Ways
Homemade cauliflower rice made with fresh cauliflower tastes SO much better than buying it premade and frozen. It's also SO much cheaper and incredibly easy! You can make a huge batch of this in FIVE minutes!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Vegetables
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 24kcal
Author: Teri
Cost: $2
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
Instructions
Using a Box Grater
Wash and dry cauliflower.
Remove large stem and leaves.
Cut cauliflower into manageable pieces.
Shred on box grater as you would a block of cheese.
Using a Food Processor
Wash and dry cauliflower.
Remove large stem and leaves.
Cut cauliflower into manageable pieces, smaller pieces so they all will fit in the food processor.
Pulse food processor until all pieces have been turned into cauliflower rice. You may need to open the lid and scrape down the sides one or two times.
Notes
- Making cauliflower rice with a box grater produces a larger "rice" texture than if you were to make it with a food processor. This texture holds up better for dishes like cauliflower fried rice, or any recipe you need a rice substitute.
- Making cauliflower rice with a food processor produces a texture that is more fine. It's better suited for mashed cauliflower dishes or pizza crust.
- If you're looking for the quickest way to get this job done, the food processor option is for you.
- When cooking from fresh, cook in the microwave for 1 ½ minutes. For cooking on the stove top, cook in a medium sized pot for about 3-4 minutes on low to medium.
- Squeeze all of the water out of the cooked rice with flour sack towels. This veggie holds a lot of water, and can turn your finished dishes into watery messes. See below for instructions on how we do this.
- A head of cauliflower makes approximately 2 cups of cauliflower rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @ASprinkleAndASplash or tag #asprinkleandasplash! I'd love to see your finished recipe!
