How to Make Frozen Cauliflower Rice (Easy Hack!)

Name: How to Make Frozen Cauliflower Rice (Easy Hack!)
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 12-ounce bag frozen cauliflower rice; 1 tablespoon olive oil, ghee or butter; 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

by Natalie on February 14, 2022 — updated November 13, 2023 // 51 Comments »

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5 from 185 ratings

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.

cooked cauliflower rice in a white bowl on a white background

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!

steps to making cauliflower rice from frozen in a skillet

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.

cauliflower rice after cooking it from frozen in a white bowl with a white background

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!

Whole30 + Keto Pesto Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry

Keto Creamy Broccoli Chicken Cauliflower Rice Casserole

Keto BBQ Pulled Pork Bowls

Whole30 + Keto Cauliflower Fried Rice

Whole30 + Keto Creamy Chicken Cauliflower Rice Casserole

Keto Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma Bowls

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