This amazing Mexican cauliflower rice is full of tasty seasonings, hearty ground beef, and lots of healthy veggies. It is the perfect one-pot dinner that you can feel good about eating.
Pin this recipe now to save it for later
Pin RecipeThis cauliflower rice recipe is going to completely transform Mexican night in your house. It is healthier than regular rice bowls and also easier to make. No need to wait around while the rice cooks and cooks… cauliflower rice is done in just minutes!
All the seasonings, spices, and veggies that go into this dish are out of this world. You have sweet and spicy peppers, tender ground beef, and so much amazing cheese.
The best part is that you can make this whole Mexican cauliflower rice recipe in one big skillet. You can even serve it to your family in that same skillet. Everyone can just scoop their own servings right from the pan!
Low Carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice Recipe
Cauliflower rice is definitely one of my favorite foods. It really has it all. It is healthy, flavorful and also really easy to make. Since cauliflower rice is so popular right now, you don’t even have to make it—you can just buy it in the freezer section of the grocery store! It doesn’t get any more simple than that.
Plus, cauliflower is super healthy. It’s packed with antioxidants, beneficial fiber, tons of choline and other nutrients that make it such a powerhouse food. (We love it in our Cauliflower Au Gratin and Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole too!)
So, once you are armed with your frozen cauliflower rice and your desire for a delicious, Tex-Mex inspired meal, you are ready to make this Mexican cauliflower rice!
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Olive oil
- Ground beef – I like to use 85/15 ground beef, which means the meat is 15% fat. I find that this is the perfect amount of juicy meat and marbled fat. You can use a leaner meat if you’d like, but just keep in mind that fat is flavor!
- Chopped onion
- Red bell pepper – Red bell peppers are sweeter than any other color bell pepper which is why it is my favorite one to use. They also add a great pop of color to the dish that makes it even more appealing.
- Taco seasoning – You can use store-bought or homemade taco seasoning.
- Fire roasted tomatoes – Fire roasted tomatoes have a beautiful, flavorful char on the outside that makes the sauce for this cauliflower rice dish really tasty.
- Cauliflower rice – You can make your own cauliflower rice by pulsing cauliflower florets in a food processor until it’s small and crumbly. Or, you can just buy frozen cauliflower rice, which can be found in almost every grocery store.
- Chicken broth
- Shredded Mexican cheese – Shredded Mexican cheese is a blend of cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese.
- Cilantro
Mexican Cauliflower Rice Recipe Variations
I adore this cauliflower rice recipe exactly as it is written, but there are a few tweaks and substitutions you may want to try:
- Make this dish vegetarian simply by omitting the ground beef and use veggie broth in place of chicken broth. You can add some chopped zucchini, sliced mushrooms, or even some sliced jalapeños to the dish if you want more veggies. Add the veggies along with the bell pepper, then continue to follow the recipe as written.
- Replace the fire roasted tomatoes with 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes. I like to do this when I have lots of fresh tomatoes in my garden in the summer.
How to Make Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- Cook the beef: Heat the olive oil in a large, oven safe skillet and add the ground beef. Cook the beef until it is no longer pink and starting to brown. Be sure to break up the beef with your spatula as it cooks.
- Cook the veggies: Add the onion, bell pepper, and taco seasoning to the same skillet with the ground beef. Sauté the veggies until they are nice and tender. Stir in the cauliflower rice.
- Add the broth: Stir the chicken broth into the skillet and let the mixture simmer for about 6 minutes. Almost all the liquid will evaporate and help the rice not be too mushy.
- Add the cheese: Take the skillet off of the burner and sprinkle the whole dish with shredded cheddar cheese. Place the pan under a broiler to melt and brown the cheese.
- Eat: Once the cheese is bubbling and browned, sprinkle the cauliflower rice with some chopped cilantro and enjoy while it is nice and hot.
Quick Tip
To make fresh cauliflower rice, pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor until it looks like small crumbles. Fresh cauliflower rice is a little less watery than frozen cauliflower rice; it will take about a minute or two longer to finish cooking.
How to Store Mexican Cauliflower Rice
If you happen to have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge. The Mexican cauliflower rice will keep for about 2-3 days.
To reheat the cheesy cauliflower rice, pop it into the microwave for about a minute. Once the rice is steaming hot, it is ready to eat!
Serving Suggestions
This cauliflower rice is filling enough that it can be served on its own as a one-dish dinner. Try serving some tasty taco dip as an appetizer before your Mexican cauliflower rice meal, or make a tray of sheet pan nachos. A delicious coconut tres leches cake is the perfect way to finish your Mexican-themed meal.
FAQs
To make sure your cauliflower rice is not soggy, be sure to cook the rice until all the liquid evaporates. Once there is no liquid in the pan, the cauliflower will crisp a little bit and not be too soggy.
Cauliflower rice is extremely healthy. It is full of B vitamins and minerals, far more than you would find in regular rice.
Cauliflower is very low in carbs, so it will have less of an effect on blood sugar levels than regular rice. It is a great option for those with diabetes or anyone following a keto diet.
More Tex-Mex Dinner Ideas
Recipes
Taco Soup Recipe
Appetizers & Snacks
Sheet Pan Nachos
Soups and Salads
Doritos Taco Salad
Beef
Taco Casserole
Recipes
Cheesy Taco Sticks
Side Dishes
Mexican Corn
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning
- 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cauliflower rice
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large, cast iron skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook the beef, chopping it up with a spatula as it cooks to make small crumbles. Cook the beef for about 5-6 minutes. There will no longer be any pink.
- Add the chopped onion, pepper, and taco seasoning to the skillet and stir everything into the ground beef. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. The beef will begin to brown and the veggies will get soft.
- Add the tomatoes and cauliflower rice to the skillet and stir again.
- Add the chicken broth, stir and bring the mix to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium and cook the cauliflower rice for about 6 minutes. It will start to be soft and tender.
- While the rice simmers, preheat your broiler.
- Remove the skillet from the stovetop and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the rice.
- Place the skillet under the broiler for 3-4 minutes to melt the cheese and make it slightly brown.
- Sprinkle the rice with the chopped cilantro and serve while hot, straight out of the skillet!
