Oven Baked Riced Cauliflower

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Our Oven Baked Riced Cauliflower Recipe is a delicious low carb side dish that transforms ordinary cauliflower into a savory delight. This roasted cauliflower rice creates a nutty and caramelized flavor that complements any main course. It’s a healthy and delicious alternative to traditional rice and makes for an excellent accompaniment to your favorite dishes.

Serve with clean-eating chicken recipes like curry chicken, delicious cheesy crack chicken, colorful healthy chicken stir fry, popular stuffed chicken roll-ups, or roasted chicken for a more fully-packed meal with rich flavors of chicken. If you can’t wait to try this recipe, I suggest you do it tonight and get your rice ready.

Make Cauliflower Rice At Home

If you love cauliflower and haven’t tried making rice substitute at home, this is your sign to make one using just cauliflower. It is a popular low-carb alternative to traditional rice and it’s very easy to prepare.

Cauliflower rice can also be used as a base for different dishes such as cauliflower fried rice, stir-fries, and grain-free pilafs. You can go check out how to rice cauliflower using a blender or you can do it in a food processor. Start making dishes like this roasted cauliflower rice and our must-try recipe which is the coconut cauliflower rice.

Simple method is to cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces and add that into the blender. Add water and pulse until the cauliflower gets the size of rice. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower pieces and store of freeze for later.

Baked cauliflower in a pan with a wooden spoon.

What Is A Veggie Rice?

From the word itself veggie, this term is often used to describe rice made from vegetables, rather than traditional grains like white or brown rice. It’s typically used as a vegetable side dish in low-carb or gluten-free lifestyle as a perfect replacement for regular rice.

I have tried many different vegetable rice at home and I can say the best and most common vegetable used for making one is cauliflower. Making veggie rice is a good way to eat your vegetables like rice plus you can even partner it with any main dish that you want.

Perfect Roasted Cauliflower Rice

When you want to achieve perfectly roasted cauli rice, you have to explore your recipes and try focusing on the texture and flavor when roasting the cauliflower.

The seasonings you choose can greatly impact the flavor, so feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices to suit your taste. Examples of seasonings to use are enchilada spices for a Mexican-like taste, Indian seasonings if you plan to pair it with curries or grilled meat, and lastly, mushroom powder to add a rich, umami flavor to your cauliflower rice.

Perfect roasted cauliflower rice should have a nice texture that is slightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Cauliflower in a bowl with a spoon and parsley.

How To Make Oven Baked Riced Cauliflower

Here’s where I will show you the process of making oven-baked cauliflower rice that could be your go-to rice alternative.

Kitchen Gadgets:

Baking Tray
Baking Sheet and Sheet Pan
Oven

Ingredients:

Frozen Cauliflower Rice
Salt and Pepper
Oil
Garlic

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

FULL INSTRUCTIONS WITH STEPS FOR OVEN ROASTED CAULIFLOWER RICE RECIPE

If you do not have your own cauli rice in the freezer, you can also buy cauliflower rice in the supermarket.

First Step: Prepare Ingredients

Start by preheating your oven to 425° Fahrenheit or 220° Celsius.

Since I am using frozen riced cauliflower, I won’t need to cut or thaw it since it will roast in the oven and absorb heat anyway. You are free to use fresh or frozen cauliflower.

But if you are using fresh cauliflower, start by washing the cauliflower first. Dry it and remove the core and leaves leaving only the head of cauliflower. Then roughly chop the cauliflower into florets.

A baking sheet with ingredients for baked riced cauliflower. — Ingredients for baked riced cauliflower.

Second Step: Break Frozen Rice

Get the bag of frozen cauliflower and start breaking big clumps and pieces that are still inside the bag. You can use your hands to break them since they are hard and frozen. Spread the cauliflower rice onto the baking sheet and flatten with a spatula to make sure all the frozen rice is separated.

Third Step: Season Your Rice

Put the garlic onto the rice and season with salt and pepper. Then add olive oil over the top to get a bit of a crispy texture of rice.

In this recipe, I am using fresh garlic but you can use garlic powder. Also, using a spray container on your oil is good because you will only need a small amount plus you can spread it evenly. Do it before you bake the cauliflower rice in the oven.

Mix it.

Fourth Step: Bake

After mixing with all the seasoning, add the cauliflower rice onto the baking pan and flatten it to create an even layer. Roast in the oven 25 minutes.

Using a spatula to break frozen cauliflower bits on a baking sheet. — Frozen cauliflower bits on a baking sheet.

Fifth Step: Serve

Remove the rice from the oven and start scraping until you get them all including the crispy bits mixed with semi-burnt pieces because they are the crunchiest and it’s delicious. Mix them one last time and serve.

TRICKS AND TIPS BEFORE YOU COOK CAULIFLOWER RICE

Choose fresh cauliflower – pick a fresh, medium-sized cauliflower head with no brown spots.
Blender or food processor – using a food processor and blender is the easiest way to rice the cauliflower, but you can also use a box grater if you don’t have them. Don’t over process or it will get mushy.
Baking paper – it can make your rice soggy but I used it to prevent the rice from sticking onto the baking pan.
Season as you like – don’t be shy about using other spices and be creative with your seasoning choices to match the flavor profile you want.
Watch it cook – please leave your rice in the oven but keep a close eye on the cauliflower rice as it bakes. Cooking times may vary based on the size of your cauliflower grains and your oven.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What Side Dish to Serve With Cauliflower Recipes?

Cauliflower recipes can be quite versatile, and the choice of side dish to serve with them can depend on the main cauliflower dish and your personal preferences. Feel free to add your own vegetable sides.

In this oven-baked cauliflower rice, you can partner it up with soups like this clear vegetable soup as it can provide a warm and comforting element to your meal. Salads and dried vegetables can also make a good pair with this rice dish. Try our dehydrated cucumber and crispy radish chips.

Pickled vegetables like pickled radish are also a perfect side dish because they can provide a zesty, tangy contrast to the cauliflower’s flavors.

How Do I Store Cauliflower Rice?

Storing baked cauliflower rice is very straightforward. Just place them in a glass container and cover them. You can store them for 3 days maximum in the fridge.

Can I Freeze Oven Roasted Riced Cauliflower?

Since I used frozen cauliflower for this recipe, I would not suggest to freeze them again. Make sure you cook enough batch and consume it within 2 to 3 days. But if you are using fresh cauliflower for this recipe, it could last months in the freezer.

More Trending Recipes

Check out some more easy recipes to season your next dish. These are the favorite recipes for seasonings you should have in your kitchen pantry.

Our flavorful spices like enchilada spices and Indian seasoning are the best for cooking main dishes like chicken or meat for your dinner. You can also try our mushroom powder to add more umami flavor to your next dishes. Add more flavor to your rice dishes by putting fresh onion flakes on top.

You will never go wrong with all these flavorful seasonings. Enjoy your next clean eating and try them out.

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