How to Make Cauliflower Rice Two Ways

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Homemade cauliflower rice made with fresh cauliflower tastes SO much better than buying it premade and frozen. It's also SO much cheaper and incredibly easy! You can make a huge batch of this in FIVE minutes!

Overhead view of cauliflower rice two ways in bowls

This recipe was originally published in October 2019. It has been updated with FAQs and Expert Tips.

Learn how to make homemade cauliflower rice with my easy to follow instructions. You can make it with a food processor or even with a simple box grater.

Why This Recipe Works

Frozen cauliflower rice is readily available today in most all grocery stores, but the flavor from making it fresh is really and truly SO much better.
The flavor difference is worth the minimal effort required.
This is an easy way to get fresh, whole foods into your everyday eating.

What Goes Into This Recipe

All that you need to make this is a head of cauliflower and either a box grater or a food processor. As I said, it's SO simple!

Head of cauliflower on wooden cutting board with box grater behind it

How To Make This Recipe With A Box Grater

When I don't feel like getting out my big, clunky food processor, I use my oh so quick box grater. This is the one I've had for at least ten years and I still love it to this day.

To make cauliflower rice with a box grater, you first need to wash the cauliflower.

Next remove all of the green outer leaves, then break it down and cut it into smaller manageable pieces.

Cutting cauliflower head into smaller pieces — Cut cauliflower into smaller, manageable pieces

Once the cauliflower has been broken down, all you need to do is grate it like you would cheese. If you have a large cutting board, I would use that over a smaller one, since it tends to be a little messy.

Shredding cauliflower on a box grater — Grate using a box grater as you would a block of cheese

Below is what the finished product will look like.

Pile of cauliflower rice on a cutting board made with the box grater

How to Make this Recipe With A Food Processor

If you need to purchase a good food processor without breaking the bank, this one is a really good option.

Making the rice this way starts out pretty much the same way, with chopping the cauliflower into pieces.

Make sure to chop it into smaller pieces than you would use for the box grater technique, to make sure they all will fit in the food processor.

Cleaned and trimmed cauliflower on wooden cutting board with knife

Cauliflower chopped into smaller pieces on cutting board, ready for food processor — Cut into smaller pieces that will fit in the food processor

I do want to point out that I started out chopping my veggies with this knife that I love, love love and use for everything, but then I remembered a new knife that we bought.

We bought the WÜSTHOF 8 Inch Offset Knife and I whipped that baby out and guess what? This knife cut through everything like butter. My new love! The serrated edges of this knife is perfect for cutting vegetables.

So basically the next step is to just turn on the food processor until there are no big pieces left. So simple!

Below is what the finished product will look like.

Overhead view of finished cauliflower rice in food processor

Expert Tips

Making cauliflower rice with a box grater produces a larger "rice" texture than if you were to make it with a food processor. This texture holds up better for dishes like cauliflower fried rice, or any recipe you need a rice substitute.
Making cauliflower rice with a food processor produces a texture that is more fine. It's better suited for mashed cauliflower dishes or pizza crust.
If you're looking for the quickest way to get this job done, the food processor option is for you.
When cooking from fresh, cook in the microwave for 1 ½ minutes. For cooking on the stove top, cook in a medium sized pot for about 3-4 minutes on low to medium.
Squeeze all of the water out of the cooked rice with flour sack towels. This veggie holds a lot of water, and can turn your finished dishes into watery messes. See below for instructions on how we do this.
A head of cauliflower makes approximately 2 cups of cauliflower rice.

FAQs

How do I store fresh cauliflower rice?

I put all my cauliflower rice in ziploc bags and store it right in the freezer, no matter what my plans for it are. (Unless I'm going to use it right then, I won't do this.) I normally make more than I would eat at once, so I don't have to do it so often, and I have it ready to go.

How do I cook frozen cauliflower rice?

When you're ready to use the frozen rice, just get it out, put it in a glass bowl and microwave it for about 4 minutes, then use it for whatever recipe you're making. It's seriously that simple!

If you don't have a microwave, you can add the frozen rice to a small or medium sized pot, add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover, and heat over low to medium heat for about ten minutes. Make sure to stir halfway through.

How do I get the water out of the cooked rice?

If you're using the rice in a recipe or baked dish, getting the water out of it after it is cooked is SO important. Please don't skip this step. I swear I've looked at the cooked rice before and it looks so nice and dry. It's lying to you!

Skipping this step can be the difference of a perfect finished creamy mashed cauliflower or a big watery, soupy mess. Trust me. I've done it.

It really is as simple as putting the cooked and cooled cauliflower on a clean flour sack towel, wrapping it up and squeezing all the water out.

I like to use flour sack towels because they're large and really thin, which makes them easy to squeeze tight and get out as much water as possible. Regular kitchen towels are too thick and may leave behind small fuzzy pieces of cotton.

After you get all of the water out, it will appear as though you have not much left. Just dump it into a bowl and fluff it up with a fork and it will miraculously come back to life!

Recipe Suggestions

What should you do with all of this fresh, amazing rice? Try it out with my Loaded Baked Cauliflower Mash or my Lemony Raw Kale Salad. I guarantee you won't ever go back to the frozen stuff!

If you're looking for other recipes to pair along with this, there are lots of great healthy options here! Try mixing in my Vegan Pistachio Pesto into hot, cooked cauliflower rice for a super quick, easy and flavorful side dish.

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