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.
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Nutrition
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Do you need to add the wine? Something I don’t don’t keep on hand
I LOVE risotto and I LOVE this recipe. I went to an Italian restaurant last night and ordered the risotto. I thought this recipe is so much better! Thanks, Carolyn!
This cauliflower mushroom risotto is SENSATIONAL! I made it last night, followed the recipe exactly. Perfection. Served it with strip steaks. Definitely company worthy. Creamy and delicious. Thank you, Carolyn!
Thank you!
Scanning your recipes & this looks delicious. Great reviews. Will be making soon!
I love this recipe!! I am not a big fan of the flavor of wine, but I bit the bullet and made the recipe as written. It was very good, but I MIGHT try just adding the wine as chicken stock again, but like I said it was still pretty amazing….I will be making this over and over again. I love your recipies Carolyn and they help keep me moving toward 100% keto lifestyle….I am 95% there now. Please keep on cooking and giving us great thing to eat!!!
It has all of the flavors of a risotto and none of the blood sugar issues rice causes. I was looking forward to leftovers tomorrow, but my kids went back for seconds. This is a family hit!
Started keto and tried this tonight for my dinner and it was delicious! My family tried some spoonfuls too and thought the flavor was wonderful:)
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this tonight for supper. I’ve been a professional cook for many years but I’ve never worked with riced cauliflower. This recipe has common ingredients, is easy to make and tasted, in my opinion, better than the traditional recipe. Thank you so much for all you do to make these recipes. I know, from experience, it is not easy developing so many good things.
Thank you so much! <3
Made this tonight for dinner and it was a big hit.
Made this cauliflower mushroom
risotto dish lastnight for dinner. WOW, this is so good. We all loved it, will be definitely be making this again.
Thank you so much for giving us these recipes.
Absolutely fantastic. I made it with oyster mushrooms I foraged this morning, the flavor was amazing. My husband said he wouldn’t even know it was cauliflower if he didn’t see me make it myself. So worth trying if your tired of the normal low carb cauliflower recipes.
O-M-GOSH!! This is so amazing! I will certainly be making this ALOT!!
absolutely delicious!!
This turned out so delicious and it was super easy to make!! Definitely a keeper recipe. My husband even liked it, that’s saying a lot!! Thank you!
Oh wow! This is pure yum and comfort! Definitely good enough for company that doesn’t eat keto. Oooh we’ll be making this regularly! Hubby is raving and that takes a lot!
Excellent recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight and we all thought it was delicious – I served it with chicken thighs and a salad. Perfect dinner – will definitely be making it again. I love searching through your recipes and we’ve loved every one that I’ve made!
Thank you so much!
Great to hear!
Made this tonight to go with baked stuffed chicken breast!! So Good!!
Didn’t have any cauliflower, so used Palmini Rice. Turned out delicious!
My husband had two helpings!
Thank you Carolyn for another great recipe!
Very nice! And faster than risotto. Hence I am calling it Mushroom Cauliflotto ( ‘flott’ meaning fast in my native language:-)
I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite from all your great keto adapted recipes, but this one is at the top of my list! It’s so creamy and delicious and even better than the high carb version I made for years. Thank you, Carolyn, for creating another fantastic and healthy five star recipe.
I am so glad!