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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I have a question or two here. Reading the labels, it seems all of the inexpensive taco seasoning blends have added ingredients and sugar in them, and the brand you mention is far too expensive for the amount of use I would get out of it (almost ten bucks and I would use 3/4 of the jar to make just this recipe, unless this is another place weights get screwy (2 tablespoons=1 ounce, this recipe calls for 3 tablespoons, entire bottle only contains 2 ounces.)).
But if I mix up my own seasoning, the base ingredients don’t have these things added in, do they?
Because this recipe looks terrific, and may be the next thing I cook, but it sure looks like I need to mix up my own seasoning.
Make your own and have fun with it! No sugar or additives necessary. We do this. We also purchase some bulk taco seasoning at Natural Grocer’s sometimes. It’s salt free so I add salt to the recipe.
Dry ingredients such as taco seasoning don’t usually follow the 2T. = 1 oz. rule. If you measure out 2T. dry taco seasoning it will probably weigh much less than 1 oz. ie 2T. flour weighs more than 2T. taco seasoning because it is more dense.
The 2/1 ratio works best with liquid measurement because you aren’t dealing with weight but volume.
Hope this helps.
We loved this recipe! Full of flavor and I am glad I doubled it for lunch all week. Couldn’t wait to eat it every day!
This recipe was terrific. Easy to prepare, tasty I give it a 9.5 out of ten. I will make it again it was that good.
This is an easy recipe, I used hot and spicy taco seasoning and so far this is my favorite recipe. This world’s very well for my Mexican food cravings.
This is a delicious quick meal.
My non-keto boyfriend loved this as much as I and chose this for our supper tonight after loving it at first bite just last week. Cauliflower rice shall be on my shopping list each week just for this recipe! Thanks Carolyn!
Fabulous to hear!
This was so good! Even my non keto eaters loved it. I had to alter the recipe slightly after I realized I did not have a can of tomatoes in my pantry. I added maybe 3/4 cup of salsa in it’s place, and added some chili flakes and extra taco seasoning because we like the heat! Thanks for a great dinner!
Fantastic! Made with ground turkey breast (all I had) and whole family loved it.Thanks!
Absolutely Delicious!! It was very easy to make too! Thank you for all your hard work Carolyn ♥️♥️????????
This was a wonderful flavorful meal the whole family enjoyed.
This could be one of my new faves! Very enjoyable. Doesn’t seem like keto. It’s very very comforting.
I made this today and it is so delish! This will definitely go on my meal planning rotation. I substituted the hamburger meat for ground turkey. It’s what I had on hand and will make it with hamburger meat next time.
I just made this recipe tonight it is delicious I love all day I dream about food!
Johnny Lee
I made this last night and it was so good! The whole family loved it, including my picky 11 year old. It was easy to make and very satisfying. I immediately sent the recipe to family members. Great recipes are worth sharing. This is definitely going into the regular dinner rotation. Thank you for all your recipes. This site is my trusted go-to.
Carolyn, you have done it again!!! I keep coming back to your website time and time again for my keto staples because they’re perfect!!! Every. Single. Time!!! This was quick, easy, and delicious!! Thank you for being an amazing resource on my keto weight loss journey! Much love and look forward to what you’re going to come up with next ????