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 simple one-pan meal. That includes my own children.
Easy, cheesy, and secretly healthy, it’s one of the best cauliflower rice recipes you will ever try!
What readers are saying
“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
We love Mexican food, but the traditional versions are usually 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 low carb versions. They may not be authentic Mexican, but they always taste fabulous. It’s what makes recipes like Taco Pie and Easy Keto Chicken Fajitas so popular with my readers.
And this easy Keto Mexican Rice recipe has been a fan favorite since I first published it in 2017. Now I’ve tweaked the recipe to make it slightly higher in protein and lower in fat, without sacrificing flavor.
Why we love this recipe
- Easy weeknight meal: 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.
- One pan: I adore meals that can be made all in one pan, because clean up is a snap! Of course, I make my kids do all the clean up anyway.
- Meal prep recipe: This is a wonderful make-ahead meal. It stores well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You could even freeze it in individual portions for easy meals.
- High protein: Each serving has 28 grams of protein and 7.2 grams of carbs so it’s a perfect high protein low carb recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- 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.
- Chicken broth: You need a little extra liquid to help everything cook through properly.
- Shredded cheese: I like to use cheddar, but you can also use pepper jack, monterey jack, or a Mexican blend.
Quick Overview: How to Make This Recipe
- Brown the beef: Cooking the beef on its own first helps get it nicely browned and creates deeper flavor in the dish. Spoon off some of the fat after it cooks, if desired.
- Add the flavorings: Add the onion and pepper and cook for a few more minutes, then stir in the taco seasoning. Make sure to mix it in well.
- Add the cauliflower rice: At this point, you will need a little more liquid to help things cook through so stir in the tomatoes, cauliflower rice, and the broth. Bring to a simmer.
- Allow to cook: Reduce the heat a bit and continue to cook until the cauliflower rice is becoming tender.
- Cover with cheese: Sprinkle the whole skillet with shredded cheese and cover. Let cook until the cheese it melted.
Tips for Success
I’ve started spooning off some of the fat after I’ve browned the beef. It helps make this dish a little lower in fat and calories. I can’t really estimate by how much, because it’s very inexact. But I feel that it helps me enjoy this Mexican Cauliflower Rice more and not feel too full afterwards.
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. Trust me, I’ve tried!
Both fresh and frozen riced cauliflower take about the same amount of time to cook through. Frozen does release a little more liquid as it cooks, but that doesn’t really affect the outcome.
Taco seasoning usually has plenty of salt in it so don’t add any until you know how this tastes. You can taste it after stirring in the seasoning and decide if you need to add more salt and pepper.
What to serve with Mexican Cauliflower Rice
As with any delicious Mexican dish, feel free to customize it with your favorite toppings!
- 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.
Those of you who like to meal prep will be thrilled to know that this one-pan meal can be made two or three days in advance. As several readers have noted, it tastes just as good re-heated. Store the leftovers in the fridge in a covered container. It’s good for up to 5 days.
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.
More delicious cauliflower rice recipes
Mexican Cauliflower Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 lb (604.79 g) ground beef, (lean if you can find it)
- 1/4 cup (40 g) onion, diced
- 1/2 medium (1/2) red pepper, diced
- 3 tbsp (7.61 g) taco seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup (149 g) diced tomatoes
- 16 ounces (453.59 g) cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) chicken broth
- 1 cups (113 g) shredded cheddar cheese
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.
- Stir in the taco seasoning. Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning and salt and pepper as desired.
- 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.
- 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
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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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!