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Low Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice

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This mexican cauliflower rice is a one pan wonder! This easy keto Mexican Cauliflower Rice recipe is a skillet meal the whole family will love. They won’t even notice it’s low carb and grain-free.

titled image: Mexican Cauliflower Rice Skillet (shown: serving of keto Mexican Cauliflower Rice in front of a skillet full of the low carb meal)

I dedicate this easy low carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice recipe to the mothers of Type 1 diabetics. Did you know that these women are the hardest working women in show business. Seriously, I mean that. I do not have a child with Type 1 diabetes, but I am fortunate to be privy to an amazing group of women who do. And I am continually humbled by the work they have to put in just keeping their children healthy and on track. It’s a full time job unto itself and many of them also juggle full time jobs on top of it.

 

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Long after most kids are sleeping through the night, these mums have to drag themselves out of bed several times to check their child’s glucose levels and adjust as necessary. Despite major advances in technology, they constantly have to monitor and check, watch and listen. And make educated guesses as to what that kiddo’s system is going to do, whether they will go high or low based on food, exercise, excitement and illness. And sometimes, despite their best efforts, the scary high or the scary low happens and they have to scramble madly to help their little one recover.

 

skillet full of diabetic friendly Mexican spiced cauliflower rice

Blows. My. Mind. I am in awe of their dedication and the sheer force of will it takes to parent a child with diabetes. That’s not adding in the fact that teachers and friends and other people in the child’s life have to be educated on how to help too. Or the fact that kids are sometimes non-compliant, sneaking a sweet at school or at a friend’s house.

So I am truly honoured and humbled that they have invited me into the fold, to share and observe. All because I happen to make some recipes that their kids love and that aren’t going to send those wacky blood glucose levels any wackier. Don’t they know how lucky I feel to get to cook and bake for a living? Hearing from them and knowing that my low carb recipes help their kids stay on track is so unbelievably gratifying, I don’t quite have the words to express it properly.

How to Make Mexican Cauliflower Rice

So you can imagine that these mind-blowing mothers have very little time for cooking and baking from scratch. And yet cooking and baking from scratch is what they have to do a lot of the time, if they are following a low carb diet for their child’s health. I love to make complicated recipes but like any mother, I appreciate easy meals that all my kids love. I daresay that Type 1 D mums love it even more!

white dinner plate with a serving of cheesy Mexican cauliflower rice topped with fresh avocado and jalapeno slices

I spied a high carb version of this one pan Mexican Skillet on my friend Erin’s blog, Dinners, Dishes and Desserts. And instantly I was like “Dude, I have to try that with cauliflower rice!”. Of course, it wasn’t as simple as simply swapping the real rice for cauli rice. It never is, of course. First, I left out the beans and corn, and back on a few other items (onions, tomatoes) to cut down on the carbs. And I also cut back on the broth, since cauliflower rice isn’t going to absorb liquid in the same way. But the overall approach was the same. Cook everything in the same skillet, sprinkle with cheese, put the lid on for a few minutes, and it’s ready to eat.

dinner plate of grain free Mexican cauliflower rice - a keto skillet dinner

I worried that my kids would instantly turn up their noses at the Mexican cauliflower rice, as they haven’t really enjoyed cauli rice recipes heretofore. But mixed with ground beef, taco seasoning and cheese? They absolutely devoured it! They loved it so much I made it again the next week and managed to snap some photos and take a little video. You won’t believe how easy this delicious keto meal is to make. And this one goes out to all my hardworking Type 1 D moms. You guys rock my world and you need all the easy you can get. I hope your kids love it as much as mine do.

Want to try making your own taco sauce to use in the Mexican cauliflower rice recipe? Try this Homemade Taco Sauce from Veggie Balance. Just replace the honey with your favourite low carb sweetener!

More Delicious Cauliflower Rice Recipes:

4.95 from 20 votes
Print
Mexican Cauliflower Rice Skillet Dinner
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
One pan wonders! This easy keto Mexican Cauliflower Rice is a skillet meal the whole family will love. They won't even notice it's low carb and grain-free. Primal and THM-friendly.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 352 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/4 medium onion diced
  • 1/2 red pepper diced
  • 3 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 12 ounces cauliflower rice fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese or Mexican Blend
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until almost cooked through (just a little pink). Add the onion and pepper and continue to cook until no longer pink. Stir in the taco seasoning.
  2. Add the tomatoes and cauliflower rice and stir to combine. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the cauliflower rice begins to soften (8 to 10 minutes for frozen).
  3. Sprinkle the skillet with the cheese and cover. Let cook until the cheese is melted, 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from heat and top with your favourite toppings like sour cream, avocado, and chopped cilantro.
Recipe Notes

Serves 6. Each serving has 5.04g NET CARBS.

Food energy: 352kcal
Total fat: 21.71g
Calories from fat: 195
Cholesterol: 96mg
Carbohydrate: 7.04g
Total dietary fiber: 2.00g
Protein: 29.09g

Nutrition Facts
Mexican Cauliflower Rice Skillet Dinner
Amount Per Serving
Calories 352 Calories from Fat 195
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21.71g 33%
Cholesterol 96mg 32%
Total Carbohydrates 7.04g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 29.09g 58%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

titled photo collage: Healthy Mexican Cauliflower Rice Skillet

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Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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Comments

  3. What an absolutely beautiful post and a scrumptious looking recipe that I cannot wait to try. I appreciate all you do to help make delicious recipes which help keep my son’s blood sugar steady. You’re greatly appreciated!

    Reply

  4. Thanks very much Carolyn for thinking about T1 moms and making our lives easier. This recipe looks amazing and I am definitely trying. Love your blog!!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Candace! Would be divine with Cabot, of course. I used pre-shredded for simplicity’s sake this time. But with some sharp Cabot? Heaven.

      Reply

  6. It never stops amazing me how well we can eat low carb. I have eaten better AND have had more fun cooking and baking then ever before. I never used to experiment much but now whenever I see a high carb recipe my mind goes to “how can I change this” mode.
    Love all your recipes and always look forward to new ones. Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • So glad and I feel the same…scheming to make all the high carb recipes into low carb healthy ones!

      Reply

  7. I have been following this website for sometime now not all my recipes come out great however I am trying this tonight, my kids love cauliflower rice!!!!

    Thanks Carolyn

    Reply

  8. Oh Carolyn I adore you!
    We are still eating cold meats from Carters Birthday mixed grill. But, this is saturdays dinner for sure!
    I’m one of those T1 mums and I massively appreciate your recipes every single day! I also appreciate just how much goes into you producing these recipes! As a (poor) baker, I’ve been trying out your recipes for my sons birthday and it’s no mean feat, to make them up from scratch classifies you as some sort of super-hero-human!!

    We are currently loving your Boston poke cake with no blood sugar issues from it at all! It’s amazing!! I’ve been telling everyone how they ‘have to try it’!!!
    Thank you so much ??

    Reply

  9. Your recipes must be a blessing for these families!!! I’m still watching my carbs and this cheesy skillet dinner sounds fantastic!! Not sure if Bill would go for cauliflower rice, but I could make a 50/50 recipe with regular for him. I know I’ll love it.

    Reply

  11. This looks great. I never knew that frozen cauliflower existed, so now I will have to look for it. This recipe may have been produced with children in mind because one pound of ground meat spread over 6 servings would leave 6 adults very hungry. I would think that it would actually be 3 servings if one is feeding adults.

    Reply

    • You’d be VERY surprised at how filling it is. My husband is 6’7″ and both he and my kids are hungry eaters and eat quite a lot. This made dinner for the 5 of us PLUS a serving of leftovers. I was surprised by it too. Keep in mind that the nutritional info does not include addition like sour cream and avocado. So that adds some fat and calories.

      Reply

  12. OMG – Yasss. I used to make something similar to this, years ago on that other eating plan — the one with two w’s in the name. It was so, so, sooo tasty. (Oddly, I never lost weight on that other plan. Maybe because it had actual rice in it. DUH.) (That is not to say others don’t lose … I just didn’t. LC is the only way I can lose/maintain). Adding avocado and sour cream? Bonus!! Can’t wait to make this tonight.

    Reply

    • That’s a good question, I didn’t measure it that way. Maybe 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups? It fed my hungry family of five, with a portion leftover. My husband is 6’7″ and likes to eat so that says something!

      Reply


    • This was my thought and question also, I have gestational diabetes and have to log in my meals so I wasn’t sure what you meant by “one serving”… I’m pretty sure I had more then a cup (it was sooo good and so easy to make) abut my numbers were good so I guess that’s all that matters!

      Reply

      • It’s hard to measure a serving in a recipe like this. You just have to eyeball what amounts to about 1/6 of the recipe.

        Reply

  14. I enjoy your recipes very much. But sometimes the ingredients are different in Europe than in the U.S.
    So my question is: What do you mean by cauliflower rice?
    Thanks from Germany,
    Elizabeth

    Reply

    • It means cauliflower that is grated finely so that it resembles grains of rice. It’s a great rice replacement. You can do it yourself in a food processor.

      Reply

      • Thankyou for your reply, Carolyn. I will definitely try it out. I have never liked cauliflower very much, but as a rice replacement, it may become a regular.
        This website is a treaure trove for me:-)

        Reply

  15. When you say 12 oz cauliflower raced you by by weight or by volume, i.e. 1 1/2 cups? I ask because I cannot get it frozen where I live so I must make it myself.
    Thanks.

    Reply

  16. Anyone know what the Smartpoints would be for this? Can’t wait to try it! Are your nutritional information numbers for the recipe as a whole or per serving? THANKS!

    Reply

  17. This recipe is so flavorful and delicious! My family thinks it tastes better than regular Mexican casserole made with corn chips because the cauliflower rice absorbs the flavors where corn chips mask them. Thank you for the recipe! We will make it again and again!

    Reply

  18. This was delicious! I’ve just started an LCHF diet and this’ll be one of our staple meals for sure. Thank you!

    Reply

  19. This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it. Are the diced tomatoes canned diced tomatoes or fresh tomato, diced?

    Reply

    • I used canned and did the nutritional count from that but fresh would be fine and would lower the count a little.

      Reply

  21. This was awesome!! I made this a veggie version by leaving out the meat and adding black and pinto beans and some added veggies. It was super good!

    Reply

  22. Made this for dinner tonight and it is fantastic! I did add a touch of sour cream and part of a single-serve guacamole packet, but was still great without them. Looking forward to leftovers this week!

    Reply

  23. When using the frozen cauliflower rice, does it produce a lot of liquid? I have seen so many recipes that require cooking then “squeezing out” the cauliflower and that seems like a lot of work, so I haven’t tried any of the recipes. This looks delicious and I look forward to trying it!

    Reply

    • No, strangely I find that the frozen cauli rice is less liquidy than the fresh one. But both work well in this recipe.

      Reply

  24. I am definitely going to make this this weekend. On one hand, I just had Gastric Bypass, so this recipe – even cut in half – would probably last me all week, since I’m unfortunately the only one who will eat it. On the other hand, from the looks of this, I don’t think I’d mind eating it every single day for a week! Do the leftovers keep well?

    Reply

    • I think the leftovers would freeze pretty well, actually. The whole dish will keep for 3 days or so in the fridge.

      Reply

  25. Made this tonight big hit at our place Tge kids and my hubby really liked it Thanks so much. Love all your receipes

    Reply

  27. Was excited to find this, trying to cook no carb or very low carb meals eliminates most of my favorite casserole dishes. After a making this once I made a few changes, even though it was good as written. Because I am making this for adults only I kicked up the spices a little ,an extra tablespoon of taco seasoning and I added garlic powder, coriander, dried cilantro and chili lime seasoning. I also added a can of spicy black beans (drained but not rinsed). For my family that took it from a good dish to a home run. note that the taco seasoning I use is fairly mild so home made might not need the extra.

    Reply

  28. I’ve made this twice as in the last two weeks following a keto diet and it is delicious! I made it the first time with fresh cauliflower and the second with thawed frozen and they were both great, but I think I prefer the frozen cauli. It’s even better reheated! I did find I needed to add salt. Thank you so much.

    Reply

  30. This was seriously yummy food. I love one pot meals/casseroles and this was great. Thanks for this recipe.

    Reply

  31. Made this last night, and it was delicious. Kid and husband-approved! Only modification was that I added a 4-oz. can of chopped green chiles (undrained) and cut back the broth a tad. Simple and tasty weeknight meal. Thank you!

    Reply

  32. I just made this for our lunch and it is really tasty. I used a can of tomatoes with its juice and so didn’t add the 1/2 c. of chicken stock. I did however, add 1/2 chicken bouillon cube to boost the flavor. To save time I used a packet of taco seasoning but would make my own next time. thank you for a quick and easy healthy dish. I could also see serving this over salad greens making a sort of ‘taco salad’.

    Reply

  33. I have been slow to get on the cauliflower rice train due to the taste/smell, but I just made this… and my oh my, it is delicious! No one would know that there is cauliflower rice instead of regular rice in the dish. Definitely a make again recipe! Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply

  34. Great recipe! Loved it! Making it again. Do you have the nutrition facts for this recipe. I’m trying to log everything I eat.

    Reply

  35. I have two children with Type 1 Diabetes and I absolutely love your recipes. I can’t thank you enough!! Can’t wait to try this.

    Reply

  36. Wow! Just made this for my fam and it was seriously easy and everyone loved it. It only served 5 at my house- but 2 of us are physically active men. Thanks Caroline!

    Reply

  37. This is going on my menu this month! This sounds absolutely delicious! Question- What does the THM-frendly mean? I keep seeing it on food posts but no clue what it is. Thanks!

    Reply

  38. I’m making this for dinner tonight only I don’t eat beef so I’m substituting ground turkey. Will report back on what the family thinks.

    Reply

    • Made it with ground turkey and it was delicious. Sometimes turkey is an unsatisfactory, substitution, but this dish was really, really good. And very filling. Thanks for the great dinner!

      Reply

  39. Made this for supper tonight! So delish! I did add some cayenne pepper as my family likes some heat. Put a bit of guacamole and sour cream on top. I will definitely be making this often. Thank you!

    Reply

  40. Just made this tonight for dinner, holy moly it was delicious?
    Supposed to make 6 servings but two of us just about finished it off.

    Reply

  41. This was fantastic! I didn’t have ground beef thawed, so I used chicken breast the first time I made it and chicken thighs the second time. Both times it was amazing! Thanks for the awesome quick dinner recipe!

    Reply

    • You’re reading the Recommended Daily Values, not the actual carb count. Look above that for the ACTUAL nutritional info.

      Reply

  44. Just stumbled across this recipe, and upon reading the blurb before it, burst into tears. My son is type 1, and everything you said just hit a soft spot for me. Not many people realize, or care to try, exactly what goes into keeping these little warriors alive and healthy. So thank you for understanding and trying to make our lives just a little easier.
    Ps this looks amazeballs and I will be making it tomorrow when my son is home from grandmas!
    Much love, from one exhausted but happy type 1 momcreas. (I call myself a “momcreas” cuz I’m his mom and his pancreas!)

    Reply

    • Hi Jennie, I am so glad to hear it resonated for you (although not so happy to hear it made you cry!). Love the name “momcreas”. Not sure if you are looking for any sort of support group but there is a Facebook group called TypeOneGrit and they are so wonderfully supportive and helpful for Type 1 folks and parents.

      Reply

  45. I made this again- tonight- for the second time in a week! It’s my absolute favorite go-to low carb meal, that keeps me on my eating plan, but that my whole family enjoys! Thank you SO SO much!

    Reply

  46. I made this last night and it was great! In fact, it was so good that I’m going to pre-order your cookbook!

    Reply

  47. Made this tonight and we loved it! Even my picky 10 year old, lol. We will definitely make it again. Thank you!

    Reply

  49. I would love to try this recipe. I know you put how many servings it makes but how many grams per serving. I am on a very strict diet and wouldn’t know how to measure it.

    Reply

    • I’m sorry, it’s not measured that way. You make it, and divide it up into 6. It fed my family of 5 plus some good sized leftovers. That’s all I can really tell you.

      Reply

  50. AWESOME recipe!! THANK YOU!! I didn’t have diced tomatoes so used a can of rotel original- little extra heat never hurt anyone! Topped with a bit of sour cream YUMMY!

    Reply

  51. Consider sauteeinfg the rice for a few minutes, or microwaving dry or oiled pan, in an open container in the microwave first. This dries the cauliflower out a bit and makes the texture more ricelike. It also works really well when making cauliflower mash. Not as runny and more potato-like.

    Reply

  52. I made a nightshade-free version of this recipe last night and it was so delicious! I just omitted the red pepper and substituted the tomato for pan-roasted butternut squash. I used my own nightshade-free Taco Seasoning and followed the rest of the recipe just as it was. My husband loved it too.

    Reply

  53. I’m having a small bowl of this for my lunch today; I cooked it for dinner last night. My husband enjoyed it as much as I did. I didn’t have ground beef so I substituted ground pork. It was very tasty and easy to prepare. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply

  54. I love this! Second time making it, though this time I am subbing ground chorizo for ground beef and green pepper for red since that is what I have on hand :). Great for make ahead lunches, which do me in working the night shift!
    Thanks

    Reply

  55. Made this tonight and it’s absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe exactly as written and so simple…I do make my own taco seasoning. This is going into the rotation for sure.

    Reply

  57. This is very easy to make and a very good low carb dish! In my opinion it is Best the next day when all the flavors set in!!

    Reply

  58. Hello, This recipie was very delicious! I would omit the chicken broth, it made it very soupy. I would also Turn off the heat and add the cheese at the last minute instead of continuing to cook the meal after the cheese is added.

    I have a question: How much sodium do you estimate is in this meal if it is prepared the way you show it?

    Reply

  63. I have been meaning to make this for a while now. I made it for dinner tonight and it was delicious! So yummy! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers for the next few days.

    Reply


  64. I made this last night. I used fresh Green Giant crumbles that I pulsed a few times in the food processor to make smaller, a can of Rotel tomatoes, added a jalapeno and used a little more taco seasoning–almost 1/4 cup. Also I used pepper jack and cheddar cheese. It was really good, but a little watery. I don’t know if that was the cauliflower or the fact that I didn’t drain the Rotel’s. But they don’t have that much liquid. Anyway–it was good. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply


  65. Oh my goodness this was yum. And you are right, very filling. I definitely wanted to eat it all. Well written easy to follow and I’m not the best cook. I’ll definitely make this again and again.

    Reply

  66. That looks delicious! Thanks for the shout-out for my Ground Beef Stroganoff Casserole with Cauliflower Rice. I think cauliflower rice is so versatile!

    Reply


  75. Easier than Hamburger helper. Tastes better and more nutritious. Can not guess that this is low carb.

    Reply


  76. We just had this for supper and I really loved it. There isn’t even a spoonful left. I added a jalapeno to it, which my youngest and I found a tad too hot but it still tasted amazing. Also love that it was a 1 dish meal. Thank you.

    Reply


  77. I made this recipe tonight and it is so yummy!!! Thank you for sharing it so we could try it. My family loved it and my husband said we need to keep it!! 😊

    Reply

  78. I’m a little confused. Is the taco seasoning the dry stuff? The link takes you to a recipe for a copycat Ortega taco sauce which is wet.

    Reply

  86. T1D mom here- thanks for making my day! I came here for a great recipe and got encouragement and recognition too. Your friends are very lucky to have you! My family is going to love this recipe. Thank you!

    Reply


  87. I am in the process of cooking this right now. I’m just curious why you went with chicken broth and not beef? I can’t wait to eat dinner. I didn’t tell my Husband about cauliflower being in the recipe. I hope it’s a win. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • Because most storebought beef broth has a bit of added carbs. And chicken broth is very neutral so it won’t affect the flavor either way.

      Reply


  88. Making this for dinner tonight and it already smells delicious I love how simple and easy it was..i did change 1 think and that was I used homemade bone broth and the whole pepper lol…

    Reply

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