Copycat Chipotle Cauliflower Rice sure has saved the day in my house! I’m a big fan of Chipotle and probably make that style of burrito-bowl at least once a week but I’m trying to watch my calories – and rice isn’t great for that! I made this cauliflower rice in about 10 minutes and it’s super tasty!
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I’ve been buying frozen cauliflower rice but this is so easy to make – I’m not doing that anymore either! So grab that head of cauliflower and let’s go to town!
What’s in Chipotle’s Cauliflower Rice?
I took a cue from Chipotle’s news feed for my ingredients. Their Cauliflower Rice is made with freshly grilled, riced cauliflower, finished with hand-chopped cilantro, lime, and salt, and prepared fresh in-restaurant every day.
Why is Cauliflower Rice good for you?
Heck yeah! It’s so good for you because it’s low in calories and carbs. Plus, cauliflower rice is full of antioxidants like vitamin A and vitamin C. Cauliflower has just 25 calories per cup vs. 218 for a cup of cooked brown rice. Wow!!!
In this recipe – there is a bit of oil because I did saute the rice before eating it. Chipotle grills it on their flat top. You could also steam the cauliflower rice to cook it a bit and have no added fat.
This recipe for copycat Chipotle cauliflower rice is 2 points per serving on each of the Weight Watchers plans. It’s a great alternative to pasta, rice or quinoa and still filling!
How to make the best cauliflower rice?
The first step is to break down the cauliflower – you can do this in one of two ways:
- Box Grater – you can use the small side of your cheese/box grater and grate the head of cauliflower. I peeled off all of the leaves and cut off the stem first – then cut the head in half. After that, just grate away! It’s a nice five minute arm workout.
- Food Processor – another option is to trim your cauliflower down to large florets and pulse in the food processor until it breaks down to rice-sized pieces.
The food processor definitely makes larger chunks that have more “bite” than the grater – but I was fine with the grater texture and consistency.
After you have the cauliflower broken down, then saute for 3-5 minutes on the stovetop in olive oil with 1-2 bay leaves in the pan. Don’t break the leaves up because you’re going to want to remove them.
Once the rice is done and you’re ready to serve, add in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 tsp coarse sea salt and juice from one lime.
What can you serve with Cauliflower Rice?
- Copycat Panera Teriyaki Chicken & Broccoli Bowl
- Copycat Applebee’s Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl
- Copycat Panera Mediterranean Warm Grain Bowl
- Love After Lockup Prison Rice Bowl – hey swap the rice and eat like a felon!
Copycat Chipotle Cauliflower Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower medium
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Grate cauliflower into rice using small grate on a cheese grater or a food processor
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat
- Add cauliflower and bay leaf
- Stir fry for 5 minutes until rice becomes slightly tender
- Remove bay leaves
- Mix in cilantro, lime juice and salt
Notes
- Box Grater – you can use the small side of your cheese/box grater and grate the head of cauliflower. I peeled off all of the leaves and cut off the stem first – then cut the head in half. After that, just grate away! It’s a nice five minute arm workout.
- Food Processor – another option is to trim your cauliflower down to large florets and pulse in the food processor until it breaks down to rice-sized pieces.
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