Coconut Cauliflower Rice

This Coconut Cauliflower Rice tastes like your favorite restaurant-style gluey coconut rice, but it only contains 2.8 grams of net carb per serving. This delicious creamy coconut rice made with cauliflower rice can be paired with Chinese Keto Orange Chicken or any other Asian dish.

How to make Coconut Cauliflower rice?

It’s super easy to make low-carb coconut rice from riced cauliflower. All you need are four simple ingredients:

• Cauliflower Rice – you can make your own cauliflower rice from fresh raw cauliflower florets or buy frozen ready-made riced cauliflower. Both options work really well in this recipe.
• Canned Coconut Cream  – you find this ingredient in the Asian aisle of your grocery store. You can also use canned coconut milk as well, but the result is less creamy. See my notes below for the ratio and tips on how to swap one for the other.
• Coconut Oil
• Salt

Then, there are a few optional ingredients you can add to boost the flavor of the recipe like:

• Cilantro – fresh or dried.
• Garlic powder
• Unsweetened desiccated coconut 

Prepare the cauliflower

First, trim a head of cauliflower, remove the stem and leaves, discard. Cut the cauliflower into small florets and place one or two cups at a time in the bowl of your food processor, and pulse on low-medium speed for 30 seconds.

Stop, scrape the bowl and repeat until the cauliflower florets turn into a small crumbly texture that looks like rice.

Set aside in a bowl and repeat with the remaining cauliflower.

Method for frozen cauliflower rice

If you are using frozen cauliflower rice in this recipe, skip the step above and directly start the recipe on the next step. You don’t have to thaw frozen riced cauliflower for this recipe. However, it may take a bit longer to stir fry the frozen cauliflower rice as it releases more water than fresh cauliflower.

Stir fry the cauliflower

Now, in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the coconut oil and add cauliflower rice. Stir fry for about 5-6 minutes until the cauliflower is fried and tender.

Add cream

Now, add in the coconut cream. You have two options here. If you pop the can in the fridge the day before making your cauliflower rice, some thick cream will lay on top of the can.

You can scoop out that cream and use as-is for ultra-creamy rice. Or, you can shake the can before opening it and use the mixed cream.  If the cream is combined with the liquid, the rice is less packed, looser, but still delicious.

Cook the rice by often stirring until the mixture is creamy and most liquid is evaporated – about 8 minutes in total. Don’t exceed 15 minutes of cooking or the cauliflower rice gets a mushy texture.

If you want the coconut cauliflower rice to be as gluey and sticky as the one from Asian restaurants, sprinkle 1/4  teaspoon of xanthan gum on the dish and stir to combine.

Adds-on

When the coconut cauliflower rice is cooked through and creamy, stir in some flavorsome spices like a pinch of garlic salt, pepper dried cilantro, lime zest, or lime juice. A great addition is also 1/4 cup of unsweetened desiccated coconut. This adds texture and enhances the coconut flavor of this recipe.

Serving ideas

This cauliflower coconut rice is delicious as a side dish to any grilled meat or Asian meal like my:

or you can use this recipe as a base to make a keto poke bowl or a keto donburi.

Storage

This coconut cauliflower rice recipe stores for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also use this recipe to meal prep some delicious keto lunch. Freeze and thaw the meal the day before.

Allergies

This coconut cauliflower rice is naturally:

• Grain-free
• Gluten-free
• Vegan
• Paleo

If you have an allergy to coconut, you can replace coconut oil with ghee or butter and coconut cream with heavy cream. But, of course, swapping these ingredients removes the coconut flavor in the recipe, which I don’t recommend for achieving restaurant-style keto coconut rice.

It’s an option to enjoy a creamy keto rice recipe if you have a coconut allergy.

Can I use canned coconut milk?

Yes, you can decrease the saturated fat in the recipe and use coconut milk instead of coconut cream. However, you must add less coconut milk, or the rice will be runny, not creamy at all.

Also, don’t use packaged coconut milk as it’s highly diluted with water and it won’t make the rice creamy at all.

The ratio to use canned coconut milk instead of the thick top part of canned coconut cream is:

• 1/2 cup thick coconut cream replaced with  1/3 cup canned coconut milk

More keto cauliflower recipes to try

I love to use this cauliflower recipe to decrease carbs on my plate. Below I listed my favorite keto cauliflower recipes for you to try next time.

Have you made this keto cauliflower coconut rice? Share a review or comment below to tell me how you serve yours! I love to hear back from you.

XOXO Carine

Recipe Card

Coconut Cauliflower Rice

2.8gNet Carbs

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 8 mins

Total Time: 18 mins

Net Carbs 2.8g

Fat 8.9g

Protein 1.9g

Calories 97.6kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

An easy 4-ingredient Coconut Cauliflower rice for a low-carb Asian style side dish.

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Preparing the cauliflower rice

• (Skip if you are using frozen cauliflower rice) Trim the cauliflower head, remove the green leaves and the cauliflower feet. Discard them.

• Cut the cauliflower into small florets.

• Place 2 cups at a time of cauliflower florets in the food processor with the S blade attachment and process on high speed for 30 seconds until it resembles rice. Set aside in a bowl. If you don’t have a food processor, use a hand grater box.

• Repeat the above process until all the cauliflower florets are turned into the rice. Measure 4 cups of cauliflower rice.

Stir fry

• Heat and melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil butter in a non-stick pan and stir in the 4 cups riced cauliflower.

• Stir fry in coconut oil for 4-5 minutes, until slightly golden grilled, still tender but cooked through.

• If you refrigerated the can of coconut cream, open without shaking and scoop out the thick cream that lay on top of the can, measure 1/2 cup. If you didn’t refrigerate the can, shake before opening and measure 1/2 cup. Stir in the pan. Keep cooking until the rice is creamy and fragrant, about 9 minutes in total.

• Season before serving with salt, garlic powder, cilantro, lime zest, or juice if desired.

• You can stir in an extra tablespoon of coconut oil before serving for an extra creamy texture.

Nutrition Facts

Coconut Cauliflower Rice

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 97.6
Calories from Fat 80

% Daily Value*

Fat 8.9g14%

Saturated Fat 7.7g48%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.4g

Sodium 167.5mg7%

Potassium 263.7mg8%

Carbohydrates 4.6g2%

Fiber 1.8g8%

Sugar 1.4g2%

Protein 1.9g4%

Vitamin C 35.1mg43%

Calcium 17.6mg2%

Iron 0.6mg3%

Magnesium 15mg4%

Zinc 0.3mg2%

Net Carbs 2.8g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.