The Best Roasted Cauliflower Rice with Cilantro & Lime

by Angela Gallardo in Instant Pot, Recipes, Sides & Snacks

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Update 2018: looking for a basic steamed cauli rice recipe? It just happens to be one of the many 36 recipes in my new Instant Pot for Beginners eBook!  Click below to get your copy!

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I’ll be the first to admit that our daily meals are fairly simple.  My husband and I are both pretty busy so I’m regularly grateful that he’s happy with the average meat & vegetable Paleo plate.  He’ll even celebrate the most basic of our meals (I.E. 4 oz. of meat and a lonely sliced bell pepper barely covering half the plate) simply because he knows I didn’t break my back to make a fancy dinner.  He’s pretty great like that.

But alas, I can’t keep myself from the urge to create something new/different for too, too long.  It ends up being a sort of 80/20 approach where 80% of our meals are super basic and the other 20% can range all the way to the super complex.  Ah, the struggles of a pragmatic cooking addict…

I wouldn’t call ricing & roasting cauliflower super complex but it’s definitely more effort than I’d put in on the regular weeknight.  I experimented with roasting cauli-rice for the Korean Bulgogi Bowl in the new book and it changed my outlook on it forever.  Sautéing never gave it the right texture for me; it always turned out a little too moist.

So here you have my favorite rendition of cauli-rice with a little roasted flare.  The Cilantro Lime variation pairs well with so many dishes, particularly a traditional mole: a most-definitely-super-complex dish that I’ve been perfecting to share soon (the mole recipe can now be found here).

Get a printable PDF of the recipe

Roasted Cauliflower Rice with Cilantro & Lime

Yields: 2-3 c. cauli-rice

1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed and cored

avocado oil, for roasting

sea salt

2 limes, juiced

1/2 c. chopped cilantro

1 tsp. ground cumin

pinch of black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Line a sheet pan with parchment or aluminum foil.

With the shredding blade attachment on a large food processor, run the cauliflower florets through to form small, rice-like pieces.  You can also use the regular blade but you’ll have to run it through in batches and make sure to only “pulse” or you could end up with a cauliflower mash.

Dump the riced cauliflower onto the lined baking sheet, drizzle with avocado oil, and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.  Toss well to coat and spread it out into a thin, even layer.  Roast for 15-30 minutes (depending on how toasty you prefer it), removing the pan halfway through to toss the cauliflower.

Remove the cauliflower from the oven, toss it again, and allow it to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes (you should see more steam/moisture released during this time).  Squeeze the lime juice over top and toss in the chopped cilantro, ground cumin, and a pinch of black pepper.  Serve immediately.

*Note: for a plain version, simply leave out the lime, cilantro, and cumin!