This Coconut Lime Cauliflower “Rice” recipe is cooked in coconut milk, then loaded with fresh lime juice and lime zest! This is the ideal healthy side dish to any meal!
Coconut milk and Lime! 😍
Cauliflower and “RICE”! 🍚
It’s all there… the whole enchilada.
COCONUT LIME CAULIFLOWER RICE
I am OFFICIALLY fah-reaking out about cauliflower rice. It took me a while. I tried it all which ways, but never really reached that “oomph” level. That is, not until I took the flavors of the tropics and threw ’em all in there.
ohmahgah. coconut and lime and cauliflower, 4EVA ❤️ Real love triangle, right there. Especially considering that not only are the flavors and texture completely on point, but it is so healthy and so good!
You know how things go during the summer – beach and pool lounging, hanging out on the porch with your sister into the wee hours of the night, eating all the chips and dips, drinking all the strawberry pom mojitos, and all other things that you are supposed to do during these lazy summer days … until the moment you start to feel like you overdid it, and then suddenly you start to freak out and go back to your healthy-eating-ways for daaaays.
Fortunately, healthier and wiser choices are like second nature to me because I’ve conditioned myself to reach for the better stuff almost always – summer nights are an exception.
However, even when we start to make better choices and eat better, we still need food that tastes good, and healthy restaurant-copycat recipes are all about enhancing those flavors and making all our food taste DANG good.
And let’s be real. Cauliflower without pumped up flavor? PASS!
Though I should add: sometime between maybe last year and this very moment I’ve become completely obsessed with the idea of cauliflower rice and have put in a lot of practice trying to make it as flavorful as I can. SO far, Coconut Lime is pretty much the winner.
HOW TO RICE CAULIFLOWER
Here’s how all this goes down:
- Place cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse until broken down into rice-size pieces. Do not let the food processor just run because you’ll end up with white mush. Pulse Pulse Pulse. And, there’s your riced cauliflower.
- Next, heat Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a skillet; add onions, then add riced cauliflower, salt, and pepper. Saute.
- Add coconut milk; continue to saute.
- Stir in lime juice and lime zest and voila.
Let me know if you loved it!
ENJOY!
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TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Coconut Lime Cauliflower "Rice"
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup canned organic lite coconut milk, stirred*
- 1 whole lime, zested and juiced
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish, optional
- serve with lime wedges on the side, optional
Instructions
- Add florets to the bowl of your food processor and PULSE until cauliflower looks like rice. You may have to do this part in batches, depending on the size of your food processor.
- Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender.
- Stir in garlic and cauliflower rice; cook for 1 minute.
- Add coconut milk; continue to cook for about 10 minutes, or until the coconut milk is adsorbed.
- Remove from heat; stir in lime zest and juice.
- Season with salt and pepper; taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley.
- Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
WW Freestyle Points: 8
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THIS RECIPE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 12th, 2016. POST WAS UPDATED ON JANUARY 27th, 2020.
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This was fabulous! I’d never had cauliflower rice before bc I don’t super love bland ol’ cauliflower. But this had so much flavor! I am absolutely making it again. I’m thinking it would go well with…. maybe teriyaki chicken? And Hawaiian bread rolls or something?
Anyway, thank you!
So happy to hear that! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I’ve been using cauliflower-rice to make “lazy”cabbage rolls…. fry up some bacon and onions, add cauliflower rice and sauerkraut. Sauté for a bit longer and serve with whatever else you are eating. I serve mine with roast beef or chicken….
no tomato sauce in these cabbage rolls as this would be the Ukrainian or Polish version….
I can’t stand cauliflower! Can you make this with cabbage instead? Do you have a recipe for cabbage rice?
Why not use coconut milk from a carton? In what ways is it different from the canned coconut milk?
Coconut milk in the carton has a much lower fat content than coconut milk in a can. It’s like the difference between skim milk and half and half.
I do many cauliflower recipes and I always say “great cauliflower”. However the coconut milk/lime combo in this recipe seemed to neutralize the strong cauliflower favor and it tastes like creamy rice pilaf. So delish! I used frozen riced cauliflower and microwaved it for 3-4 mins before starting the recipe. Love your recipes but don’t eat honey. Plan to try sticky thighs with brown Sweve. It will be different but I think it will be good.
I am very happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can you use frozen cauliflower rice for this? I hate ricing my own!
This was soooooo yummy!!! Thank you for the recipe!!
I plan on making this, it looks fabulous. Can someone tell me how many servings per recipe. I looked and could not find where it told me.
Thanks to anyone who knows.
The recipe says 4 servings (I found it when I went to print it.)
Looks delicious.
Is this something I can meal prep and it will heat up good?
Hi! I personally think it reheats pretty well, but if you want to meal prep, I would suggest to just prepare the cauli rice and put it in the freezer. It can keep in there for about 3 months, if not more. Then just thaw it in the fridge over night and cook with it when ready. I hope this helps! 🙂
I know you’re pimping Star olive oil for this recipe, but coconut oil will really ramp up the coconut flavor. I love green onion and thai basil as garnishes. So excited to find this recipe… I have a roasted vegetable recipe in which I use poblanos, sweet potatoes and red onion marinated in a spicy adobo sauce, and coconut rice makes the perfect complement, but I always hate doing the double starch. Now I don’t have to!
This recipe is LIFE! I’m picky with my cauliflower rice and when I made this, I didn’t want to share. Good lawd it’s heaven. I can eat this everyday. Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve been wanting to try cauliflower rice, and this sounds so good!
My daughter and I LOVE cauliflower rice. I always sautee it in a pan with olive oil and salt and pepper….add sautéed veggies of all kinds, sometimes I add pineapple and avocado….omg its so good. try it
I love cauliflower, but I still haven’t tried cauliflower rice. I think it’s time!
This looks so delicious! I love sassing up a simple side!
What a great healthy rice alternative! Can’t wait to try this!
I’ve just recently tried cauliflower rice and I love it! I can’t wait to try this version.
You know I am obsessed with cauliflower rice! LOVE it! This coconut lime version is calling my name! It sounds crazy good!