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Last Updated on February 24, 2021 by Aimee Stock
I am a big fan of the cauliflower rice craze but there are times when I wished for a bit more flavor. That’s when I came across roasting it! This Roasted Cauliflower Rice Recipe is so versatile. Try adding parmesan cheese and serving it with your favorite low carb main dish.
How to make roasted cauliflower rice
The first thing you’ll want to do is to break down a whole head of cauliflower into small florets. Trim away the core and all of the leaves. Also trim the stems of the florets if necessary.
In three to four batches, process the florets into “rice”. Add the riced cauliflower to a sheet pan and continue until all of the florets have been processed. Since we are using fresh cauliflower, there isn’t any excess moisture, so no need to strain away any liquids.
I will also say that it is up to your personal preference how coarse or fine you’d like your rice to be. Sometimes I’ll leave it a bit coarser and sometimes, like today, I prefer it almost like couscous. Processing in small batches allows more control here.
Spread the riced cauliflower evenly onto a sheet pan and drizzle with a neutral flavored oil. If you prefer to do this without oil, I would recommend a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Toss the riced cauliflower with the oil and a bit of salt and pepper. If you choose to add garlic, you can add it at this time. Roast at 425 degrees, stirring with a fork or spatula at least once about halfway through, until it’s golden brown like you see here.
Meanwhile, finely chop parsley and cut lemons into wedges for squeezing. As mentioned above, you could add so many different flavors into the rice cauliflower. My favorite being parmesan.
Toss the herbs with the warm cauliflower rice and serve immediately. The rice stores beautifully for a few days in the refrigerator. I just microwave to reheat.
Look how light and fluffy that is and with the nuttiness that comes from roasting, it’s cauliflower rice kicked up a notch!
A few questions I get…
Is cauliflower rice supposed to be crunchy?
That depends on how fine you processed the cauliflower and of course, how long you cook it. Cauliflower rice by nature is more tender.
Is cauliflower rice healthier than rice?
Absolutely! The biggest draw for most is that it’s low carb / keto-friendly (about 5g per cup). Plus, cauliflower only has about 25 calories per cup vs. over 200 for traditional rice and it’s loaded with vitamins.
Don’t you just want a bite of this? 😉
Did you make this Roasted Cauliflower Rice Recipe? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought. You can also tag me on Instagram @aimee_stock. I always love seeing your creations.
Roasted Cauliflower Rice Recipe
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Half Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 1 small Head of Cauliflower
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Parsley chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Garlic minced (OPTIONAL)
- Lemon Juice for serving
- OPTIONAL Grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Trim the head of cauliflower of its leaves and core. Cut into florets, breaking them down into smaller pieces.
- In 3 to 4 batches, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until desired texture is reached. Do not over process.
- Place riced cauliflower on a sheet pan, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. If you choose to add minced garlic, do so at this point. Roast until golden, stirring at least once mid-way through the cooking time.
- Add parsley and parmesan, if desired.
- Serve with lemon wedges.