How to Make Frozen Cauliflower Rice (Easy Hack!)
This is an easy and delicious recipe for how to make frozen cauliflower rice! The tastiest, most convenient way to turn frozen riced cauliflower into cooked perfection in just 5 minutes! Use for any riced cauliflower recipes, including stir fries, soups, curry, side dishes, and more.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
This hack has changed my life. Frozen cauliflower rice is super versatile, and there are so many different ways to use it. This makes it easy to cook with, but it can often come out mushy and strange tasting if not cooked right. And I need it to give me the same satisfaction as yummy, chewy regular white rice.
Enter the Best Cauliflower Rice Recipe! I know it’s going to change your keto and low-carb meals from drab to fab in no time at all! This delicious side dish is the perfect low carb alternative to regular rice, and it’s such an easy recipe.
Before, I used to chop and make my own raw cauliflower rice in the food processor. Small pieces of cauliflower rice would get everywhere. It was such a pain to finely chop a head of cauliflower or even use a box grater or cheese grater. Both methods were a ton of extra work.
Then, I discovered bags of frozen riced cauliflower, and I will never go back! Cooking frozen cauliflower rice is easy, healthy, gluten-free, and keto!
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Ingredient Notes
- Frozen Cauliflower: I buy organic frozen riced cauliflower. I find it in just about every grocery store I go to! It’s easy to find and pretty inexpensive! I buy my frozen riced cauliflower in bulk at Costco, where I find it for the best price.
- Olive Oil/ Butter: Feel free to use olive oil, avocado oil, butter, ghee, or vegan butter, whatever you have on hand and prefer!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cauliflower rice freezes beautifully, and I actually prefer the taste over homemade cauliflower rice. In just a few simple steps, you can take this healthy cauliflower rice to a whole new level! No paper towel, no grating a cauliflower head, just a large skillet and two ingredients!
- Heat up your skillet over medium heat, and add in some olive oil and the frozen riced cauliflower. No need to thaw!
- Cook straight from frozen. It’s ready in just 5 minutes! It thaws as it cooks, and all the excess moisture evaporates. The resulting cauliflower rice has the perfect chew and isn’t mushy like other cooked cauliflower rice methods.
Benefits of Frozen Cauliflower Rice
- Always have it on hand and ready in your freezer.
- No worry about it expiring in the fridge.
- It doesn’t have that “farty” smell that is so gross about cauliflower, so you won’t stink up the microwave when reheating!
- Cheaper than freshly prepared cauliflower rice.
- Way less cleanup than chopping cauliflower florets yourself.
- I prefer the taste and texture of frozen riced cauliflower WAY more than fresh.
Expert Tips
- Quick Thaw: To speed up this process even more, you can thaw the frozen riced cauliflower in your microwave for 3 minutes. Then, squeeze out all the excess moisture using a dish towel or nut milk bag. Then, warm in your skillet in olive oil/butter/ghee over low-medium heat for just 2-3 minutes.
- More Servings: If you want to cook more than 1 bag at a time, I recommend using the Quick Thaw method. If you overcrowd your skillet with too much frozen riced cauliflower, it lengthens the cooking time since it’s more to thaw.
- Other Riced Vegetables: This same method works for frozen riced broccoli, too!
Serving Tips
This is one of my favorite ways to get veggies on the table when I’m eating a low carb diet. You can always jazz it up with fresh cilantro and lime juice to make “cilantro lime cauliflower rice” or use it in recipes like my taco meat hack or your favorite stir fry. This rice substitute is so versatile!
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Use for meal prep or in place of real rice in any recipe.
To freeze leftovers, store the cauliflower rice in a freezer-safe bag, remove any excess air, and store it for up to 2 months. Reheat over the stove top with a bit of oil.
Try These Frozen Cauliflower Rice Recipes!
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How to Make Frozen Cauliflower Rice (Easy Hack!)
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce bag frozen cauliflower rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, ghee or butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- If the bag has frozen clumps of cauliflower rice, break it up the clumps so it will cook evenly. I usually slam the bag on the counter, or gently pound it with a ladle or meat mallet.
- Once the pan is heated, add the oil, frozen cauliflower rice and salt. Stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes, until the cauliflower rice is getting brown spots.
- Serve warm.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for at least 5 days.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Quick Thaw: To speed up this process even more, you can thaw the frozen riced cauliflower in your microwave for 3 minutes. Then, squeeze out all the excess moisture using a dish towel or nut milk bag. Then, warm in your skillet in olive oil/butter/ghee over low-medium heat for just 2-3 minutes.
- More Servings: If you want to cook more than 1 bag at a time, I recommend using the Quick Thaw method. If you overcrowd your skillet with too much frozen riced cauliflower, it lengthens the cooking time since it’s more to thaw.
- Other Riced Vegetables: This same method works for frozen riced broccoli, too!
35 Comments on “How to Make Frozen Cauliflower Rice (Easy Hack!)”
I microwave bought cauli rice for 2 mins. Then heat oil, add chopped garlic and onions/spring onions. Then add cauli rice, chopped pecan nuts, soy sauce. chopped sugar snap peas, possibly some sweetcorn, stir through. Then add 2 beaten eggs and keep stirring as they cook, (approx 2 mins) Then stir in beansprouts for 1 minute. Add more soy sauce to taste. Delicious.
I may try cooking rice from frozen in pan.
I see a lot of cauliflower rice in my future as I am eating Keto meals at night. This recipe will come in handy. Tonight I added 1/2 T of grass fed butter. It was perfect.
Yes! It’s such an easy rice replacement and a sneaky way to get in tons of veggies. So glad you’re enjoying it!
This recipe is impeccable. I used this for a low carb stuffed pepper dinner. My husband, a skeptic, couldn’t’ t get enough. He’s now a true cauliflower rice believer. Thanks for this.
Yea! I am so happy this recipe won him over! Thanks for your comment- means so much to me!
Turned out just like described. I had to stop myself from eating the whole bag.
Love to hear this, Cindy! I feel the same way!
I used low cal butter with garlic chopped , a da minute before serviing added some dried italian herbs , or herbs of your choice
Yum! This sounds great, Robert!
This is so simple but makes such a huge difference. My husband eats Keto but hates cauliflower rice. I cooked frozen cauliflower rice like this last night and he loved it. Thank you for sharing!
Love to hear this, Michelle! I’m so glad he found a new way to enjoy it! It’s such a staple on keto!
This is a game changer, thank you so much!
So glad to hear this! It definitely makes it so much easier right?!
The best technique ever! I like to bump up my protein intake by adding an egg or two and scrambling into the cooked “rice.” Add sesame oil, a little garlic powder, tiny bit of soy or coconut aminos, and you get a healthy, delicious fried rice taste. Let your imagination create all kinds of combinations. Love it with leftover cooked shrimp or chicken. Add scallions, left over peas, whatever you like. Thank you for posting your technique, Natalie.
I love this, Angela! Your “fried rice” sounds amazing! Thank you so much!
This receipe does not give the serving size
It serves 3!
Great tip, thanks so much!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks, Kelie!
It took me a while to read all the failed comments, but I really enjoyed this post play solitaire. It proved to be very helpful for me and I am sure to everyone who comments here! It’s great that you’re not only informed but entertained!
This way of cooking the frozen cauliflower rice was terrific! Much better than my previous microwave method- especially when you don’t like cauliflower in the first place! I can do this!
I too tried it in the microwave and did not enjoy it at all Scheli!
MUCH better way to cook frozen cauliflower rice than my previous method (microwave). Thanks for the hack!
I am so happy you liked my cauliflower rice hack Ashley! I tried preparing it so many different ways and was thrilled when I found one that finally worked. I am so glad it worked well for you.
I made this cauliflower rice recipe with my shrimp and broccoli recipe! OMGosh! My recipe was so much better with cauliflower rice than regular rice. Thanks for cranking out such awesome recipes.
I am so glad you liked my cauliflower rice recipe Penny! I am so thrilled you liked it better than regular rice with your broccoli shrimp recipe! That is fantastic! I am so grateful you enjoy my recipes!
Can I have your shrimp and broccoli recipe? 😩
This is a tasty recipe. My only disagreement is with the cost. A 12 oz. frozen bag costs $2.49 where I live. A whole cauliflower is $2.59. When I shred it, I have about 24 oz. That’s twice as much for the same price almost. I make one and freeze the other.
That is a great tip Emily to make on batch and freeze the other half. Costs do vary depending on where you are but it is almost always cheaper to make your own. I think it’s tastier too!
I went from thinking cauliflower rice was just ok, to absolutely loving it, thanks to this hack!!! It makes such a huge difference!!!
Oh my gosh! I am so glad you liked this! I absolutely love it too!
What is your favorite brand? My Costco stopped selling them 4 packs to a bag, loved them
Oh darn! Sorry they stopped! I’ve been using the Costco brand. I’ve also used the trader joe’s and it was great too! They all seem the same to me : )
Hi Natalie, thanks so much for this tip! I wish I’d read this BEFORE going to the grocery store and buying a head of cauliflower (with the intention of attempting my own riced cauliflower!). I’ll definitely try this, and may add some diced onion to it as well. Thanks!
Thank you Tania! You’ve got to try it from frozen next time! It is my absolute FAVORITE! And yes, diced onion sounds delish!