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Published February 3, 2015 | Last Updated November 11, 2022 By Barbara Bianchi 24 Comments

Seasoned Cauliflower Rice with Bacon

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

Cauliflower rice makes a delicious easy side dish that tastes just like fried rice. And it’s keto, low-carb, and whole 30 compliant too!

Seasoned Cauliflower Rice with Bacon

Hi there!

Today, we’ve cooked up something extra special in our gluten-free kitchen. Nicole has been craving fried rice these past several days, so we decided to make a version of this recipe with a healthy twist.

This cauliflower dish tastes just like fried rice except that it isn’t stir-fried and doesn’t contain rice. It’s just 100% amazingly delicious and nutritious.

When we first heard that cauliflower makes a fantastic substitute for rice, we were a bit skeptical. But after tasting that first spoonful, we both agreed that cauliflower rice is now one of our new favorite foods. Our quick one-pan Spanish style chicken with cauliflower rice is also a must try.

Seasoned Cauliflower "Rice" with Bacon

Since rice is one of the few safe grains on the gluten-free diet, we tend to serve it up a lot as a side dish at dinner. Unfortunately, however, white rice doesn’t contain many nutrients and is rather high in starchy carbs.

Is cauliflower rice good for you?

Cauliflower, on the other hand, is considered a superfood as it’s rich in nutrients, vitamins (especially Vitamin C), minerals, and antioxidants. It’s said to help prevent cancer and boost heart health and brain health. More here.

If you’re following a paleo diet where rice is off-limits, cauliflower is the perfect replacement (and a much healthier choice too).

cauliflower

So give your cauliflower a spin in your food processor, and let’s make this easy side dish.

Bowl of florets are minced in your food processor

Instructions

*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.

Nicole suggested adding bacon to enhance the flavors of the dish. We love using Applegate No Nitrate bacon and cook up several strips in a skillet, then reserve it for later in the recipe.

However, the bacon grease immediately goes to work as we use it for sautéing the onion, garlic and scallions. This takes just three minutes.

Next, we add the chopped cauliflower and stir until the ingredients are combined. Cover the pot and cook on medium heat for about eight more minutes until the cauliflower is tender.

Cook cauliflower and add bacon

Finally, chop up the reserved strips of bacon and tossed them into the rice.

And voila! It’s ready to serve, warm from the stove and seasoned with a little salt and pepper to taste.

Close up of cauliflower rice with bacon in a bowl

Pro tips and recipe notes

  • In your food processor fitted with the large chopping blade, pulse your cauliflower a few florets at a time (no higher than the top of the blade) just until it is minced. 
  • Can you use store bought cauliflower rice? Yes. It would save on clean up and time, but I’ve found that it’s not as fresh tasting. Perhaps frozen rice would be better, but I can’t say for sure because haven’t tried it.
  • Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.

Cauliflower fried rice with pretty chop sticks

This cauliflower rice is so quick and easy to make: just ten minutes to prepare and fifteen minutes to cook. And if you are feeling creative, the possibilities are endless. You could toss in cooked chicken or shrimp or mixed vegetables.

Have you ever had cauliflower rice before? What ingredients would you add? Enjoy!

More Recipes With Cauliflower

Cheesy Cauliflower With Ham Casserole (Low-Carb) This healthy cheesy cauliflower with ham casserole comes together in a snap and is a great way to use up ham leftovers. 

Creamy Cauliflower Mash Tastes like mashed potatoes! Promise.

Cauliflower Flat Breads Pile high with your favorite toppings.

Cauliflower And Carrot Purée This is a beautiful quick, easy, and elegant side dish.

MORE DELICIOUS SIDE DISHES YOU’LL LOVE

Pomegranate Spinach Salad With Apple Cider Vinaigrette Bid goodbye to the boring side salad with this bowl of crisp, baby spinach, juicy pear slices, sweet pomegranate seeds, and tangy goat cheese.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats Sticks of zucchini hollowed into cute, little boats and filled with sausage and Gruyere cheese are so incredibly tasty and so fun to eat too!

Quinoa And Sausage Stuffed Peppers These stuffed peppers are a winning pair.

Gluten Free Stuffing (Easy Homemade Dressing) This stuffing is out of this world delicious, easy to make, and everyone at your table will love it.

Bacon Brussels Sprouts Delicious side dishes don’t get any better than this. 

Want to save this recipe? Pin it!

Easy Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice | Paleo recipe | gluten free recipe | Whole 30 recipe | Low Carb| Keto recipe | Best

Watch How To Make It

 

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4.50 from 2 votes

Seasoned Cauliflower Rice with Bacon

This cauliflower dish tastes just like fried rice except that it isn’t stir-fried and doesn’t contain rice. It’s just 100% amazingly delicious and nutritious.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon cauliflower rice, keto cauliflower rice recipes
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 25 minutes minutes
Servings 4
Calories 155kcal
Author Barbara Bianchi

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound cauliflower florets
  • 8 ounces bacon
  • 1/2 cup onion minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 scallions chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Pulse a few florets at a time in your food processor until the cauliflower pieces are the size of rice. Transfer to a dish and set aside.
  • Mince the onion and the garlic and chop up the scallions.
  • Cook bacon in a skillet and transfer to paper towels on a plate.
  • Sauté onion, garlic and scallions in the bacon grease (3-4 tablespoons), about 3 minutes. Then add cauliflower rice and stir until combined.
  • Cover and cook on medium heat for about 8 more minutes until cauliflower is tender.
  • Finally, chop cooled bacon and toss with mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

  • In your food processor fitted with the large chopping blade, pulse your cauliflower a few florets at a time (no higher than the top of the blade) just until it is minced. 
  • Can you use store bought cauliflower rice? Yes. It would save on clean up and time, but I've found that it's not as fresh tasting. Perhaps frozen cauliflower rice would be better, but I haven't tried it.
  • If you are feeling creative, the possibilities are endless. You could toss in cooked chicken or shrimp or mixed vegetables.
  • Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.7g
did you make this recipe? We want to see! Take a pic, and tag @glutenfreehomestead on Instagram.

Nutrition-Label-cauliflower rice

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About Barbara Bianchi

Barbara loves to bring fun into the kitchen and wholesome food to the table. She also enjoys drinking coffee, eating a little chocolate, reading a good novel, going for walks and spending time with her family and friends.
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  • Frozen Strawberry Protein Pops - July 28, 2022
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Filed Under: Appetizers & Side Dishes, Dairy free, Egg free, LOW CARB, Nut free, Paleo, Recipe, Vegetables & Salads, WHOLE 30 Recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mary Burris says

    February 4, 2015 at 4:23 am

    oh! I love Cauliflower! What time did you say dinner is? I’m on my way!

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      February 4, 2015 at 4:22 pm

      Haha, Mary 🙂 There’s always room for another cauliflower fan at the table!

      Reply
  2. Francene Stanley says

    February 4, 2015 at 5:09 am

    5 stars
    I’ve heard of cauliflower rice but never knew how to make it. Your instructions make it very simple. I’ll definatealy be trying this.

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      February 4, 2015 at 4:23 pm

      Thanks, Francene! Would love to know how it turns out when you make it.

      Reply
  3. Francene Stanley says

    February 4, 2015 at 5:11 am

    Just a further note. I can’t spell very well. I put that down to mild dyslexia. I wouldn’t have even spelled that correctly without the spell-check. Let me try definately again. Ah. No red line. It’s good to go.

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      February 4, 2015 at 4:24 pm

      No problem at all! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Kim says

    February 4, 2015 at 10:27 am

    Cauliflower rice has become one of the major staples in our home as we move away from refined and processed grains. Seasoned well – The add such flavor and nutrients to any dish!

    Reply
    • Nicole says

      February 4, 2015 at 4:25 pm

      So true, Kim! It is a wonderful substitute.

      Reply
  5. vegetarianmamma (Cindy) says

    February 14, 2015 at 11:23 pm

    Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays Party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂 I can’t wait to see what you share next time!
    -Cindy

    Reply
  6. Leigh says

    April 7, 2016 at 8:58 pm

    This sounds savory and delicious, but if it actually tastes like fried rice then I’ll be in hog heaven! Thanks for sharing at the Healthy Living Link Party.
    Blessings, Leigh

    Reply
  7. Anne says

    April 8, 2016 at 6:02 pm

    cauliflower rice is amazing, isn’t it?

    Reply
  8. Life Loving says

    April 10, 2016 at 1:21 pm

    I love the idea of this recipe. What you could add into it is endless. We substitute some potato in our mash to cauliflower as it bulks out the mash but lowers the calories. I’d be very keen to try this.

    Sally @ Life Loving
    #LifeLovingLinkie

    Reply
  9. Anne says

    April 13, 2016 at 2:14 pm

    I love cauliflower rice, I’m going to have to try this! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  10. Denise C says

    July 8, 2017 at 1:21 am

    I made this tonight. I used green onions instead of scallions and tossed them in with the bacon. I prefer them not well cooked. Also added a small amount of fresh grated Romano cheese. So delicious! 5 stars in my book!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Gluten Free Cauliflower Flatbreads says:
    February 15, 2015 at 4:36 pm

    […] to be just a little bit more creative with our food. Last week, we chopped up cauliflower to make a very tasty rice dish. This week, we discovered that cauliflower can be used as a flour substitute, and we got to work […]

    Reply
  2. Jambalaya - The Gluten Free Homestead says:
    April 8, 2015 at 4:11 pm

    […] on carbs, and it makes a wonderful substitute for rice. You can find my recipe for cauliflower rice here. It turned out beautifully with the […]

    Reply
  3. 10 Minute Wild Shrimp With Paleo Coconut Sauce says:
    September 22, 2015 at 1:23 pm

    […] To complete the meal, I served basmati rice on the side along with sautéed kale fresh from the garden. For those who are following a paleo diet, you can serve with cauliflower rice! […]

    Reply
  4. Quinoa and Sausage Stuffed Peppers (Gluten Free) - Gluten Free Homestead says:
    August 2, 2019 at 2:14 pm

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    August 14, 2019 at 6:43 pm

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  6. How To Cook Bacon In The Oven - Gluten Free Homestead says:
    September 2, 2019 at 11:44 pm

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  7. Gluten Free Bacon Brussels Sprouts says:
    September 5, 2019 at 10:53 pm

    […] Seasoned Cauliflower Rice With Bacon […]

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  8. How We Make Overhead Cooking Videos - Gluten Free Homestead says:
    April 3, 2020 at 11:02 pm

    […] Seasoned Cauliflower Rice (partly shot with the overhead rig and partly with the camera on a tripod.) […]

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  9. Salmon with Gluten Free Dijon Sauce - Gluten Free Homestead says:
    July 21, 2020 at 10:51 pm

    […] Seasoned cauliflower rice with bacon: Cauliflower rice makes a delicious easy side dish that tastes just like fried rice. Yum. […]

    Reply
  10. Pomegranate Spinach Salad With Vinaigrette - Gluten Free Homestead says:
    September 10, 2020 at 2:25 pm

    […] Seasoned Cauliflower Rice With Bacon This is a delicious easy side dish that tastes just like fried rice. And it’s keto, low-carb, and whole 30 compliant too! […]

    Reply

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