This Mexican Cauliflower Rice is a one pan wonder! It’s an easy keto skillet meal that takes 8 ingredients and only 25 minutes to make. And the whole family loves it.
This Mexican Cauliflower Rice has been one of my most popular keto dinner recipes for many years now. Even people who swear up, down, and sideways that they don’t like cauliflower enjoy this easy and skillet meal. That includes my own children!
We love Mexican food, but the traditional versions are typically not very keto-friendly. I struggle to find decent low carb choices when we go out to eat, and often end up with a salad.
So I have to take matters into my own hands and create my own versions. They may not be authentic Mexican, but they always taste fabulous. Taco Pie is a family favorite, as are my Keto Chicken Fajitas.
And this easy Keto Mexican Rice dish is a perfect addition to the dinner rotation.
Why this recipe is so awesome
Not only is Mexican Cauliflower Rice full of bold flavor, but it’s also astonishingly easy to make. It takes eight basic ingredients that you can find at any grocery store. And it’s ready in 25 minutes, start to finish.
It’s also a full meal in one pan, so clean up is a snap. It’s a perfect recipe for busy weeknights!
I was inspired to create this recipe after seeing the Mexican rice skillet from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts. It looked like something my family would love, but it wasn’t even remotely keto.
Of course, it wasn’t as simple as simply swapping the real rice for cauli rice. I also left out the beans and corn, and back on a few other items to cut down on the carbs.
But the basic concept 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. So easy and so good!
Reader reviews
But don’t take my word for it. This Keto Mexican Rice gets rave reviews every time. Check out these reader reviews:
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! – Shanna
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. – Angie
Ingredients you need
- Ground beef: I like to use good grassfed beef from Wild Pastures. But you can also use ground turkey or chicken for a lighter meal.
- Onion: Just a little onion adds flavor, without adding too many extra carbs.
- Red pepper: Sweet peppers add color and flavor. You can use green or yellow as well.
- Taco seasoning: You can make your own or purchase pre-made seasoning. Just be sure to choose a spice mix that doesn’t have any additives, fillers, or sugars.
- Tomatoes: I like to use fresh tomatoes, but canned works too. I recommend draining off any extra juices.
- Cauliflower rice: It really doesn’t matter whether you use fresh or frozen. They both take about the same time to cook through.
- Chicken broth: You need a little extra liquid to help everything cook through.
- Shredded cheese: I like to use cheddar, but you can also use pepper jack, monterey jack, or a Mexican blend.
Step-by-step directions
- Brown the beef: In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until almost cooked through, but still a little pink.
- Add some flavor: Add the onion and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender. Then stir in the taco seasoning.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients: 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.
- Cover with cheese: 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.
Expert tips
Make sure you use a large skillet, at least 12 inches in diameter, in order to accommodate all the ingredients. They will cook down but it’s hard to stir everything together in a smaller pan.
Customize your meal! Add your favorite toppings or put them out in bowls and let everyone add their own.
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Black olives
- Chopped avocados
- Guacamole
- Fresh cilantro
- Green onions
- Hot sauce
- Chopped jalapeños
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, these two terms refer to exactly the same thing. Cauliflower that has been “riced” means that it has been grated until it resembles grains of rice. However, most people simply call it cauliflower rice.
This recipe for Keto Mexican Rice has 6.4g of carbs and 2g of fiber. So it has a total carb count of 4.4g per serving.
Those of you who like to meal prep will be thrilled to know that this keto skillet meal can be made one to two days in advance. As several readers have noted, it tastes just as good re-heated. I don’t recommend freezing this one, as the fresh vegetables will become mushy upon thawing. Store the leftovers in the fridge in a covered container. It’s good for up to 5 days.
We love this recipe so much, I included it in my Easy Keto Dinners Cookbook!
Mexican Cauliflower Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb (453.59 g) ground beef
- 1/4 medium (1/4) onion, diced
- 1/2 medium (1/2) red pepper, diced
- 3 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 cup (149 g) diced tomatoes
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup (117.5 g) chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups (169.5 g) shredded Cheddar cheese or Mexican Blend
Instructions
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Love this recipe YUM YUM!! Thank you so much Carolyn!
This dish has the flavor I crave and it’s a quick family dish. Thank you for all you do.
The first time I made this recipe, it was watery. Have learned that when using the frozen cauliflower rice, to cook it per the instruction on the package then drain it well before putting into a casserole-type dish. It really helps a lot. Yes, this recipe is delicious as I have found most of the recipes from Carolyn are.
So yummy!!!
This is delicious and so quick and easy to make.
Love the metric conversion of your recipes.
Made this tonite. Loved it. Thank you. Putting some in a low-carb tortilla tomorrow nite for dinner.
I make this using hot breakfast sausage. Super good!
Delicious! I’ll be making it again and again.
Just made this tonight. I loved it and my picky husband did too. Already planning to offer it up to my grown kids the next time we have dinner together. It was so easy and quick too. Thanks for another great recipe. BTW, Dessert was choc chip cookie cheese cake bars. Again…thanks
So glad you enjoyed!
I made this once without tomatoes (because I forgot to buy them; just added extra chicken broth) and it turned out great. Now that I want it with tomatoes, though, I’m not sure if it should be with or without the liquid?
If they are super liquidy, drain off some. But a little doesn’t hurt.
This is sooo goood
This one’s a keeper… Extremely easy and very tasty! Thank you!
I made this for dinner last night. I didn’t have a pepper on hand, but the diced tomatoes I had was a can of Rotel, so it all worked out in the wash. It was delicious! My picky 12 yr old even had a second helping!
Made this for the very first time today. My husband REALLY enjoyed it (and so did I!)! He wanted to know why I don’t make “more keto dishes if they all taste this good?” I thanked him for the compliment and smiled. I make your keto stuff all the time, he just never watched me before and has no idea he’s been eating keto for over a year! Way to go, Carolyn!
That’s fabulous!
came out tasting really flavorful, even the non-keto hub approved of this skillet dish topped on his rice and sour cream on top.. i had half of a serving (we made it all 4 servings instead of 6) on the side and the other half in 2 pork rind wraps also from the easy keto dinners book.. reason for 4 stars is cause, the ingredients are not precise – like how much is half a red pepper diced when they come in many sizes?? and what ground beef is used, 80/20 or 90/10 or 70/30?? we used 80/20 and drained it and dis came out a bit too greasy/juicy but, i suppose that could of been cause we used grated cheddar cheese instead of packaged shredded cheese which i will use next week when i make this again.. Overall it is a 5 star keto recipe flavor wise, fulfilling wise and ease of making..
Sylvette, the recipe calls for a “medium red pepper”, so you would buy a medium sized one, cut it in half, and then dice that portion.
As to ground beef, that’s up to your discretion which you buy. I always go for 90 or 93% lean.
Made tonight and added black beans and Rotel instead of tomatoes. My husband loved this and said it was a keeper!
When I made this, I said I bet it would be really good with black beans in it. Also used Rotel instead of basic diced tomatoes. So good!
Absolutely delicious! Very easy to make and so flavor, thanks for another great recipe.
Made this tonight for dinner. It was delicious, with leftovers for the week! Will make again soon. Thank you
So quick, so good. Mexican food lovers this is the one! I was out of peppers, used can of green chilies. Fantastic, so happy I have leftovers.
Absolutely delicious! Quick to make and so much flavor! I love your recipes ❤️
Thanks, Vicky!