One Pan Creamy Mexican Cauliflower Rice (vegan)

This one pan creamy Mexican cauliflower rice is a twist on traditional Mexican rice. There are traditional Mexican flavors and spices used, however, I used cauliflower instead of regular rice. This is a great way to get in some extra veggies and load up on cauliflower, one of the healthiest vegetables. This recipe is plant-based, gluten-free, low-carb, only takes 30-minutes to make, and it’s made in one pan!

What ingredients will I need?

• cauliflower rice (fresh or frozen)
• tomato sauce
• green chilies
• jalepenos
• veggie broth
• spices
• cilantro

How do you make one pan creamy Mexican cauliflower rice?

This is one of the easiest recipes you will ever make. If you’re a HealthyGirl Kitchen fan, you’ll know all of my recipes are easy! Basically, you will add all of the ingredients into the pan, except for the cilantro, you will save that for the garnish, and you’ll bring it to a boil. Then, bring the rice down to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. I like to stir it every 10 minutes – I find that works best. Remember to keep the heat low so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

If the 30 minutes is up and it’s not done, just cook it until the liquid is absorbed. When it’s just about done, add the gluten-free flour to thicken it up a bit.

When it’s done, garnish with cilantro! Pair this with beans, guac, quinoa, corn, salsa, roasted veggies, peppers, onions, you name it! By the way, if you like this recipe you will also love my one pot Mexican quinoa!

What is the nutritional information?

This recipe has about 35 calories per cup! I recommend pairing this with other food as it’s not enough calories for a meal. It is important to have this with a protein like beans in addition to healthy fats like avocado. It also has about 4-5 grams of fiber per cup as well! Cauliflower has a lot of great nutritional benefits as well. It’s great for digestion, it has disease fighting antioxidants, supports heart health, great for skin health, prevents cancer, prevents bone loss and more!

What cauliflower rice do you recommend?

I recommend Josie’s cauliflower rice! It’s pre-washed, pre-made and comes ready to eat. It cuts down on a lot of cooking time if you buy pre-riced cauliflower. I also love buying cauliflower rice in general. Josie’s Organics is an amazing all organic company that grows their produce in the fertile California Valley.

Josie’s Organics doesn’t use any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on their farms. This is so important! If I see Josie’s Organics in the grocery store, I snatch it up real quick because it’s truly such fresh produce. You can find their produce at stores like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Sprouts and many more. Be sure to look out for Josie’s Organics in your local store! Use their store locator here!

A few important tips:

1. Do not leave the cauliflower rice unattended for the full 30 minutes. Make sure to stir it at least 3 times.
2. Add the cilantro at the end as a garnish! Do not cook the cilantro. It’s best fresh!
3. Only add jalepenos if you want this to be EXTRA spicy!
4. Don’t like spice? Omit jalepenos and use very mild green chilies! Can’t find mild green chilies? Use finely diced bell peppers.

What is the best way to store this one pan creamy Mexican cauliflower rice?

Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week! It lasts a while! Reheat when you want to enjoy it. Feel free to reheat in the microwave or on the stove-top. You can also store this in the freezer. Keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw and heat in a pan when you’re ready to eat it! Make a batch of this, a batch of black beans, guacamole, cilantro lime brown rice, or anything else you’d want – this way you can make Mexican bowls all week long.

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One Pan Creamy Mexican Cauliflower Rice (low carb, vegan)

This version of Mexican rice uses cauliflower instead of traditional rice. Get your veggies in with this low carb plant-based dish. Flavorful, easy, and made in one pan!

Course plant-based side dish, Side Dish

Cuisine Easy Vegan, Gluten-free, Gluten-free Vegan, keto, Low-carb, Mexican, Oil-free, oil-free vegan, Vegan Keto

Keyword Cauliflower Rice, Mexican Rice, One Pan Mexican Cauliflower Rice, vegan mexican rice

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 10 oz bags cauliflower rice I use Josie's Organics
• 1 15 oz can plain tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup green chilies
• 1/4 cup chopped jarred jalepenos optional if you want it extra spicy
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 cups veggie broth
• 2 tbsp gluten-free flour stir in when it's almost done to thicken
• salt to taste
• cilantro for garnish

Instructions

• Add all of the ingredients into a large pan.
• Cover and bring to a boil then turn down to simmer for 30 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Stir every 10 minutes!
• Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy!

This blog was made in partnership with Josie’s Organics! 

Danielle Brown

Hi! I’m Danielle Brown, the face behind HealthyGirl Kitchen! I share easy, approachable plant-based recipes that are not only healthy but taste amazing. Follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook for free vegan meal ideas, recipes and healthygirl tips.