16 Simple Ways To Make Cauliflower Rice Taste Delicious

Cauliflower rice (or riced cauliflower) has grown in popularity over the last few years as a rice alternative for folks seeking a low-carb sub for steamed white rice. One thing it hasn't grown in, though, is flavor. Without some tasty additions or tweaks to your cooking process, cauliflower rice can be bland and disappointing. After all, it is just cauliflower processed into rice-like chunks.

Typically, you'll eat this veggie-masquerading-as-carb with other foods, just like regular rice: in a pilaf, or as a side dish buried under a saucy main — grabbing an unadorned mouthful of the stuff is your choice. However, cauliflower rice can be delicious in its own right; you just have to pull out a few extra ingredients. Jazzing up cauliflower rice isn't all that different from how you'd make plain rice more flavorful – think spices, herbs, fats, the oven (if you want), and perhaps your immersion blender or potato masher for something really special. Any one of these 16 tips alone would add oomph to this otherwise austere dish, but combining two or more is the ultimate ticket to a cauliflower rice that wins you over in its own right.

Fat is flavor, and raw cauliflower alone possesses essentially no fat at all. That's why the first ingredient to grab for delicious cauliflower rice is butter, ghee, or oil to coat each little piece and infuse the dish with flavor. A single tablespoon of fat per 4 cups or so of cauliflower rice does the trick. Simply saute it in your fat of choice for five to 10 minutes — on the higher end if you're working with frozen cauliflower rice.

If you're using butter, grass-fed offers a richer flavor than regular. Ghee, a type of clarified butter common in Indian cuisine, ups the flavor even more, with its highly concentrated buttery taste. For oil, it's your choice — extra virgin olive oil offers its iconic grassy flavor and complements any number of Mediterranean-style mains, but coconut oil adds its own nutty notes to cauli rice. Add some full-fat coconut milk to the latter and enjoy the tropical vibes of a side that pairs well with Thai-inspired or other Southeast Asian dishes.

Unless your nutrition needs say otherwise, there's no need to stick with straight cauliflower rice alone. Mixing it with your grain of choice allows for a boost of flavor and texture. Blend the two in whatever ratio you prefer, opting for less of the grain if you need to keep your carbohydrate totals at a lower range. Generally, though, you can count on using equal parts cauli rice and grain. Remember, though, that grains and cauliflower rice don't have the same cooking times, in most cases, so you'll typically cook these separately, allowing more time for the grain.

The fragrant scent of jasmine rice can hide much of cauliflower rice's mighty cruciferous notes, along with providing its subtle floral flavor. This would be the perfect accompaniment to curries, stir-fries, or even a poke bowl. For more protein, a nutty flavor, and a pleasant chew, mix cauliflower rice with quinoa and enjoy as the base of a salad or grain bowl topped with Southwestern or Mediterranean ingredients. Farro is another excellent pairing for cauliflower rice, with its unbeatable chew and nutty, earthy notes enhancing its lesser-flavored pal.

Spice is one of the culinary world's best flavor-makers, and there's a plethora of ways to get it into your cauliflower rice. Sauces are a great vehicle for it, but they're such a worthy topic of their own that we'll talk about sauces at length later. That leaves us with the source of the burn itself — chili peppers, fresh or ground. To be clear, adding other ingredients along with your chilies is a good idea — peppers alone with pulsed cauliflower may not satisfy your taste buds. Combine this heat source with other tips to craft a full-on, balanced dish that makes an incredible addition to taco bowls, a side for fajitas, or the base for a stir-fry, curry, or Korean beef.

One chopped green chili pepper (or around 1 tablespoon) can add an awesome kick to cauli rice, particularly if you combine it with some more flavorful dried elements, like chili flakes or a couple of dried, chopped pasilla or ancho peppers. One-half a teaspoon of chipotle chili powder would add earthy, smoky notes with a manageable medium heat level; this, along with salsa, would be a Tex-Mex dream. For a more Asian-inspired cauliflower rice, try stirring in a good, store-bought chili crisp (preferably one we ranked high), or gochugaru (mildly spicy Korean chili flakes with a smoky, fruity sweetness).

Seasoning is perhaps the single easiest way to add flavor to bland food, starting with the classic salt and pepper. For real — don't neglect to at least salt your cauliflower rice. A little salt can tone down bitter flavors, and cauliflower can have pungent, bitter Brassica notes that may need reigning in for some taste buds. Beyond salt and pepper, set your sights on the (hopefully) wide gamut of offerings on your spice rack. A few dashes of this or that can take your pulsed cauliflower's palate anywhere in the world.

Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and some of those aforementioned spicer-uppers will build a side worthy of any Mexican-inspired dish. Curry powder, turmeric, ginger, and garam masala can make a perfectly Indian-leaning cauli rice. For more Mediterranean notes, opt for herbs de Provence, ground fennel seeds, or smoked paprika, each of which offers its distinct flavors to complement a hearty main dish.

We've already mentioned fats like butter and oil as tasty additions to cauliflower rice, and cheese is another ingredient that falls into this category. However, cheese offers more than just fat to a pot of riced cauliflower. With so many varieties out there, tailor your cauliflower rice to whatever palate you're in the mood for. Mild mozzarella? Briny feta? Yes to either. You can heat the cheese in the saucepan with the cauli rice, stirring it in, or just add it on top of your finished dish and mix from there.

For a cruciferous dish you can treat like mac and cheese, add shredded cheddar and a little milk to cauliflower rice that's been heated until soft in a saucepan. Cook until it's all melty and decadent. The subtle tang of cream cheese also beautifully tones down the cruciferous notes of cauliflower. Stirred in alone or with a teaspoon or two of herbs (dried rosemary or dill would be great), you'll elevate the dish to new levels. Experiment, because cauli rice is the ultimate culinary playground.

A little fresh, bright acidity never did a bland dish any harm, and lemon and lime offer it in abundance. For the easiest upgrade possible, 1 tablespoon or so of juice per 3 cups of cauli rice (along with salt and pepper) would jazz up the flavor. However, like so many of these tips, this one's ripe for combining with a few other upgrades to get the most out of your cauliflower dish.

If it's lime juice (and a little zest) you're working with, make a perfect Mexican or Baja Cali side dish by adding a little spice with jalapeños. Then incorporate fresh, bright, citrusy notes (or soap, if you're like Lidia Bastianich and can't stand the ingredient) with some chopped cilantro. Lemon goes great with garlic and parsley for an understated cauliflower rice that complements grilled salmon or other meats. For either idea, just stir in your lemon or lime juice after sauteing the cauli rice (and anything else you're adding) in a saucepan.

Nuts bring a wallop of flavor (along with heart-healthy benefits) to cauliflower rice. Like cheeses, there's a variety to pick from to get exactly the palate you're looking for, and you can make their addition as simple or as elaborate as you please. Peanuts, almonds, and pecans are just a few of the many nuts you'll go nuts over. Try toasting and sprinkling them on top of your cooked cauli rice for the easiest upgrade possible.

For something a little more involved (but even more delicious), incorporate peanuts in a curry cauliflower rice with warm Indian spices, raisins, and alliums like garlic and onion. This would make a great plant-based dish alone, but you can always add sauteed tofu or cubed chicken for a protein boost. If almonds are more your thing, try a Mediterranean approach and pair them with those other cauli rice hits: lemon juice, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, and some feta cheese. Pine nuts give you bonus points. Pecans, on the other hand, take well to a richer cauliflower rice dish like a pilaf; think bacon, dried cranberries, and some carrots or sweet potatoes for extra depth and sweetness.

There's so much flavor in the allium family — those papery-skinned favorites like garlic, onions, shallots, leeks, and chives — that it's hard to find a savory recipe that doesn't include at least one of them. Unless you avoid these toothsome ingredients for digestive or religious reasons, they should be one of the first contenders when you're trying to zhuzh up cauliflower rice. A little onion alone could be all it takes to do the trick. And, perhaps it goes without saying, pretty much any upgrade on this list is further elevated with one or more of these pungent ingredients.

Try sauteing ½ cup of minced shallots or onions in your fat of choice before stirring in your cauliflower rice to cook in all that flavor. If garlic's your jam, two or three minced cloves should do it. For the subtle, delicate, grassy notes of minced chives, stir in a couple of tablespoons after your cauli rice has cooked.

Not only is bacon the salty upgrade tuna salad needs, it's a simple solution to boring, plain cauliflower rice. If you prefer frying, go for it, but the best way to cook bacon is also the easiest: Just pop it in the oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 10 to 20 minutes (the longer, the crispier). This frees you up to handle other tasks, like drying your cauliflower and sauteing it to get the moisture out first, a key step to avoiding mushy cauliflower rice. Cut or chop your cooked bacon into pieces, and stir it into your cauli rice as the final step.

Bacon goes especially well with other add-ins like nuts and a protein for a full-on meal. It's also the salty, smoky chef's kiss in a stir-fry with garlic, eggs, and Asian sauces that lend their deep, umami notes. It's hard to whip together a cauli rice dish that doesn't benefit from everyone's favorite pork product, but perhaps keep it out of subtle, delicate palates like a lemon and herb affair, or a Thai-style dish with a sweet, sour, salty, spicy profile. It could overpower and clash in these cases, respectively.

The diversity of herbs allows for a cauliflower rice with nearly any flavor imaginable, from subtle to vibrant. Fresh herbs are best added at the end of the cooking process, stirred in as the final step off-heat, so that their bright, fresh, pungency from flavorful oils and esters won't be cooked away. Dried herbs aren't as pungent but have their own hit of concentrated flavor. They can go into cauli rice earlier, infusing it with their unique flavor as the "rice" cooks.

Fresh parsley makes a solid lone herb for riced cauliflower, though it's often paired with others like dill — the more distinctive of the two — basil, or cilantro. These pair great with Mediterranean or Latin American fare. Other, more rustic, flavor-packed cauli rice additions are dried fennel seed, rosemary (carefully chopped so the tough bits don't bother you), or thyme.

Imagine good old fried rice, complete with soy sauce and veggies, and achieved with a fairly quick cooking method. Now imagine riced cauliflower instead of the starchy grain — that's what you're doing with this upgrade, adding a wealth of flavor and visual interest to your otherwise boring rice substitute.

One thing to note: When making fried cauliflower rice, instead of using a day-old cooked base as you would with regular fried rice, you're cooking the cauliflower for the first time. Some recipes call for a medium heat, others medium-high – the results should be mostly the same, give or take a minute or so for the cauliflower to get crisp yet tender. Otherwise, treat this like any fried rice recipe, starting with your aromatics, then veggies, then "rice" and sauces, and finally that essential scrambled egg.

Stock or bouillon (stock's concentrated, dehydrated form) is famous for adding a rich, flavorful backbone. For flavorful cauliflower rice, they're an easy must-have upgrade that yields a subtle yet tasty side that goes with essentially anything. For your ratios, ¼ to ½ cup of stock will flavor a typical yield of cauli rice from a medium cauliflower head. Add it in after cooking any aromatics and giving your cauli rice a five-minute or so cook, then let it simmer until the liquid has all evaporated. 

If using frozen cauliflower rice, you might incorporate concentrated bouillon instead of stock to avoid soggy cauli, as the freezing process causes more moisture in the form of ice crystals. In this case, use about 2 teaspoons per 4 cups of cauliflower rice. For even more flavor in fresh or frozen cauli rice, try a mix of both stock and bouillon granules.

Once you've landed on a few ingredient upgrades for cauliflower rice, you may be interested in one that involves a different cooking method — roasting. This takes a bit longer than a simple saute, but if you've got the time, it's worth it for the extra flavor and firmer texture the oven yields.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit while you prep a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread out your cauliflower rice, season it, drizzle over some oil of your choice and your seasonings, and then roast it for 10 to 15 minutes before stirring or tossing it to ensure even browning. Finish up with another 10 to 15 minutes in the oven, and you'll have a golden brown, toothsome side dish that'd be perfect as a basic side or as the base of a low-carb "grain" bowl, especially if you add in some fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

This super simple but delicious cauliflower rice upgrade involves the mighty vegetable impersonating potatoes rather than rice or other grains. If you're ricing your cauliflower yourself with a food processor, you'll already have the tool you need on the countertop to make mashed cauliflower rice, which is essentially pureed cauliflower; otherwise, an immersion blender will do, or even a potato masher, for a more lumpy consistency.

For a milk- or cream-free mashed cauliflower with a velvety texture, simply blend or puree chopped cauliflower that's been sauteed in butter, boiled, and drained. Hold back a little of the cooking liquid to add to the food processor, as this emulsion provides the creamy texture. Alternatively, puree the cauliflower with butter, cream cheese, and cooked minced garlic for a delightful dose of true creamy flavor. Either way, for the utmost smoothness, before pureeing, cook the cauliflower until it nearly falls apart.

Nearly any savory sauce hanging out in your pantry or fridge can enliven cauli rice. Soy sauce, mirin, and oyster sauce are often used in cauli rice stir-fries, so just a dash of them added to your plain cauli rice, sans extra ingredients, could amp up the flavor. Chili crisp, gochujang, or even spicy mayo (the three-ingredient sauce that's also great on a breakfast sandwich) are other Asian-leaning options that can lend a more invigorating palate to this otherwise austerely flavored crucifer.

Chimichurri or pesto (they're different) lend a South American or Mediterranean vibe to your "rice," respectively. Chimichurri is a zesty, acidic condiment full of parsley, garlic, and the grassy, peppery notes of extra virgin olive oil. Pesto, on the other hand, is a nutty, rich symphony of Parmesan, basil, garlic, pine nuts, and extra virgin olive oil — all individual cauliflower rice upgrades in one easy sauce.

We've got savory upgrades for delicious cauliflower rice galore, but don't ignore the charms of sweet, dried fruit. These go particularly well in a cauli rice pilaf, but you could always keep it simple and just toss in a ¼ to ½ cup or so as you cook it for a burst of sweeter flavor and chewy texture.

On the pilaf side of things, the tartness of dried cranberries plays well with hearty additions like pecans, carrots, onions or chives, and cinnamon, coriander, or cardamom — a holiday-perfect side dish. Cherries are another tart contender for this rustic, warmly spiced flavor profile. Apricots offer a honey-like option for a cauliflower rice pilaf that's more subtly sweet than complexly spiced and tart. In both cases, for a complementary herb with an earthy woodiness, reach for thyme. And for curry lovers, try adapting a curry rice recipe for cauliflower — Indian spices, garlic, and plump, juicy raisins included.