This cauliflower risotto recipe is the perfect low carb side dish. It’s full of classic mushroom risotto flavor with a mere fraction of the carbs. And it takes only 25 minutes to make!
Take my advice, my friends, and run to your kitchen to make this easy keto cauliflower risotto. It is so rich and delicious, you won’t believe it’s not made with actual rice. It’s one of my all-time favorite cauliflower rice recipes.
Back in the day, I loved traditional risotto, and I blame Trader Joe’s for that. It was my first introduction to cooking with arborio rice, and I was amazed that this gourmet side dish came from my own pan.
When I went low carb, I missed that flavor so much, I decided to give it a go with keto-friendly ingredients. And to my absolute delight, I found that I liked it just as much as the real thing. Possibly more, as it didn’t fill me up or spike my blood sugar.
Creamy cauliflower risotto recipe
I first created this recipe back in 2016 when I had a hankering for a delicious side dish. Having mastered the real thing, I decided to use all the same tricks I’d learned over the years.
The key to getting that ideal creaminess is the slow addition of liquid that evaporates before the next addition. I used this approach here as well, since cauliflower has a much higher moisture content than grains of rice.
To help the wine and broth evaporate properly, I decided to cook the whole thing in a large skillet instead of a deep pot. And also I added a little heavy cream at the end to achieve a thicker consistency.
I tested this cauliflower risotto recipe with both fresh and frozen riced cauliflower. There seemed to be very little difference between how they cooked. So you can make it with whatever is available: fresh, frozen, or cauliflower florets that you rice yourself.
Ingredients
This easy recipe takes only 9 basic ingredients that you can get at any grocery store. You will need:
- Cauliflower rice
- Butter or olive oil
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Chicken broth
- White wine
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
Feel free to add a little fresh thyme or sage in there as well!
How to make cauliflower risotto
This keto risotto is so easy and the results are fabulous!
- Prep the vegetables: This recipe comes together quickly so it’s good to have everything prepared before you start. Chop the mushrooms in small pieces and mince the garlic. And if you’re working with whole cauliflower, grate it or process it until it resembles grains of rice.
- Melt the butter: Set a large skillet over medium heat and let the butter melt.
- Sauté the mushrooms and garlic: Once the butter is nice and hot, add the mushrooms and garlic, and sprinkle with
- Add the riced cauliflower: It really doesn’t matter if it’s fresh or frozen, it takes just about the same time to cook through and become tender. Toss to coat in the butter and mushrooms.
- Slowly add the liquids: Just like traditional risotto, you want to add the liquid a little at a time, allowing it to evaporate between additions.
- Simmer until tender: Cover it with a lid and allow it to continue to cook until the cauliflower rice is tender.
- Stir in the Parmesan: I recommend freshly grated Parmesan for this. It will help thicken the risotto as you mix it in.
- Grab a bowl and dig in!
Frequently Asked Questions
Replace the wine with a little more broth, and proceed as directed.
Sure! Replace the butter with olive oil or coconut oil and use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream. For the Parmesan, you can use either nutritional yeast or a dairy-free cheese.
You’re in luck! I have another great keto risotto recipe that doesn’t use any mushrooms at all. Check out my Cheesy Keto Risotto.
Yes, this cauliflower reheats really well. Store it in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
What to serve with cauliflower risotto
Want to round this out for a full meal? Here are a few of my favorite pairings:
- Keto Pork Tenderloin
- Tomato Basil Chicken
- Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Easy Caprese Chicken
- Tenderloin Steak
- Keto Meatballs
Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) riced cauliflower, (the frozen version works just as well as the fresh, no need to thaw)
- 1/4 cup (60 g) dry white wine
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup (58.75 g) chicken broth
- 2 to 4 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, add more as desired
Instructions
- In a large saute pan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted and hot. Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic and sauté until mushrooms are tender and just turning golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to medium low, add the cauliflower, and toss to coat in the butter. Add the white wine and cook until the liquid has bubbled away. Add the broth a few tablespoons at a time, stirring frequently and letting it evaporate each time.
- When the cauliflower is becoming tender, add a little more broth and a few tablespoons of cream. Cover with a lid and continue to cook, allowing the cauliflower to steam until tender. Addi a bit more broth and/or cream if needed.
- Stir in the Parmesan and add any additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional grated parmesan as desired.
Video
Nutrition
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This is officially our favorite side dish ever! Delicious and easy to make!
This recipe is amazing…so flavorful!
Any chance I could make this the day before and warm it up to serve?
Thanks!
Absolutely.
This is the best keto food I’ve had in the past year. YUM!!!!
This is a staple in my home. I make this at least once a week and we love it! I can’t thank you enough for all your wonderful recipes!
This is so satisfying. I used shitake mushroom though and i used canned coconut milk for the heavy cream. It turned out awesome still. Thank you fir the recipe. Stay safe!
Perfect!
So glad I made this to go with beef tenderloin for dinner tonight. I used beef broth and no wine, otherwise exactly as written. It was so good my husband and I finished the whole thing!
What can u use instead of wine
Broth
YUM YUM YUM!!!! One of my very favorite things is risotto and now I can enjoy again! My husband who thinks risotto is “OK” loved this! I have shared already with a couple of friends who are doing keto and they are going to love it!
This might sound like a silly question….Do you cook the cauliflower rice first? Or it cooks when you make this recipe? I’ll try it after I know. ???? Thanks.
It cooks as you make the recipe.
Nailed it! We added fresh spinach and cooked shredded chicken to make it a skillet meal!! Amazing! Definitely making this again!
OMG this is delicious!
Looks YUMMY! Is there another substitute for the white wine?
Just more broth.
This was delicious! Thanks so much! I substituted coconut cream for heavy cream and chicken broth for the dry white wine. Still amazing! Thanks so much for your website and all your recipes!
What can you substitute for the heavy cream? I don’t like heavy cream.
Any cream or coconut milk will do.
This is fabulous! Thanks!
I love this recipe. thanks for sharing
Being vegetarian not vegan, can I just use water or vegetable stock instead of chicken brotb?
Sure.
This looks delicious! So funny about Trader Joe’s! When I moved to Arizona in 2000, I was definitely moving to a place with a Trader Joe’s. (Northern California, Chico, where I went to college didn’t have them at the time). I live in Ahwatukee now but drop my older son off in Tempe near ASU every Saturday morning then my younger son and I go to that very Trader Joe’s on Guadalupe and McClintock for samples until Ikea opens 🙂
This is one of my very favorite recipes! So good. Was going to make it for supper tonight with grilled chicken, but to my horror I had no cauliflower! I realized I had a half a large bag of small broccoli florets in the freezer and I thought, why not? Super good. I love it both ways!!! Thank you for this great dish!
I used frozen cauliflower and baked dry in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes. I then riced it in my food processor. Followed the rest of the recipe without the chicken broth and it came out perfect in under 20 minutes including roasting the cauliflower. I added a handful of peas just because. The family loved it and we love you and all your recipes!!!
So glad to hear it!