Gluten Free Cauliflower Rice Recipe; A Faux Rice recipe
I am always on the lookout for ways to incorporate more vegetables into our diet. Sometimes I really have to be sneaky. For my family, one of the most straightforward sneaky attempts I’ve made yet is making a great gluten free faux rice! This gluten free rice recipe is made entirely from vegetables, a little olive oil and spices. It is a simple recipe that makes a delicious side dish to complete any meal. I laid it in front of my family and they loved it. It’s a great way to add more vegetables into a diet, and also eliminate gluten and simple carbohydrates. It is diabetic friendly and a great substitute for a rice side dish.
Gluten Free Cauliflower Rice Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 bundle green onions
- A few handfuls shredded carrots- approximately 2-3 shredded medium carrots
- pure Olive oil or coconut oil
- McCormick’s California style Garlic pepper
International alternative ingredients to McCormicks Garlic Pepper:
- 1-2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 diced red bell pepper
- 1-2 favorite gluten free sweetener
- 2 tablespoons diced onions
- Fresh or dried parsley
Spices and Living Gluten free:
In my research I’ve found that in some cases seasoning mixes contain gluten. They often use them as an anti-caking agent. So I took some time to research to see if our faux rice recipe truly is gluten free. I found a great supply of information about the relationship of gluten and spices. In the USA it is law that all spices and mixes label if they contain any of the top 8 allergens, including any wheat or gluten ingredients. They often label them as “seasonings”(wheat flour or wheat starch) or “seasonings” (contains wheat or gluten). Thankfully all of my favorite spice combinations do not contain any gluten ingredients. But if you live in Canada or other countries outside of the USA, companies are not required to label such additives.
Because of this difference based on country, I will include an alternative ingredient option for my international readers so the recipe will remain gluten free for you too! You will want to remove the McCormick’s Garlic Pepper seasoning and use my Alternative ingredients in its place.
For more information on spices containing gluten you can read more at these locations
McCormick’s Frequently Asked Questions
Be Free for Me Gluten in Spices Info
Celiac Disease Gluten Free Foods
Prepping Cauliflower Rice Ingredients
You will want to slice green onions into small slices. Grate carrots, or buy pre-grated carrots. Our prices of carrots shot up, and oddly between the price jacking and sales, the pre-grated carrots were actually cheaper this week in our grocery store than single fresh carrots. That never happens. Very odd. So I used a few handfuls of the shredded carrots, about half of our little bag. It is probably the equivalent of 2-3 medium sized carrots. You want a good embellishment of carrots, but not so much that it takes over the dish.
For the cauliflower you will be grating it into very fine pieces. Now my hand grater has completely disappeared. I guess it is the casualty of the kids being in charge of putting dishes away. But in any case, it is gone. So I had to use my food processor. Which ended up being great as it took a lot less time. But what you want is very fine shreds/granules of cauliflower.
If you are outside of the USA and going to be using the alternative method for the seasonings, you will also want to mince 1-2 cloves of garlic, dice about 1/4-1/2 red bell pepper, and about 2 Tablespoons diced onions. Also prepare 1-2 teaspoons of your favorite gluten free sweetener. And have available some fresh parsley or 1-2 teaspoons dried parsley.
Gluten Free Cauliflower Rice Recipe Instructions:
In a large frying pan drizzle 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil. Both are great in this recipe. Heat until warm. Add in sliced green onions and sautee for 1-2 minutes. If you are using our alternative method this is also when you will add in the garlic and onions.
Add shredded carrots and sautee for another 1-2 minutes. This is when you will add the red bell pepper if you are using the alternative method.
Add grated cauliflower, and sprinkle the entire surface lightly with sea salt.
For the USA method, you will also sprinkle the entire surface lightly with McCormicks Garlic Pepper spice mix.
For alternative method, you will add the sweetener, fresh ground black pepper and parsley.
Pan fry stirring frequently on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes. Turn heat to high. Once it sizzles, cook on high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Put lid on pan and remove from heat. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Toss to fluff. Add more sea salt to taste if you prefer a saltier flavor. Serve with your favorite gluten free and diabetic friendly main course. Or if you are just a mom trying to get kids to eat more vegetables like me, serve as a side dish to just about any main dish.
I served mine with our favorite Fall of the bone Ribs recipe. It’s one my kids love, so adding in our Cauliflower rice to a dish they already love, made dinner time much easier. And yes, both picky eating boys ate our Cauliflower rice!
Gluten Free Cauliflower Rice Recipe
A healthy alternative to fried rice, gluten free and a great way to sneak in those vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 bundle green onions
- A few handfuls shredded carrots- approximately 2-3 shredded medium carrots
- pure Olive oil or coconut oil
- McCormick's California style Garlic pepper
Instructions
- Slice onions to small pieces
- Grate carrots
- Grate Cauliflower into very fine pieces. Food Processor is amazing for this step.
- In a large frying pan drizzle 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
- Heat until warm.
- Add in sliced green onions and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Add shredded carrots and saute for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add grated cauliflower
- sprinkle the entire surface lightly with sea salt.
- sprinkle the entire surface lightly with McCormicks Garlic Pepper spice mix.
- Pan fry stirring frequently on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
- Turn heat to high.
- Once it sizzles, cook on high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Put lid on pan and remove from heat.
- Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Toss to fluff.
- Add more sea salt to taste if you prefer a saltier flavor.
- Serve with your favorite gluten free and diabetic friendly main course.
What main dish would you pair with our gluten free diabetic friendly cauliflower rice?
This really looks like rice! I bet it is delicious!
How cool, it looks exactly like rice! It’s a great way to sneak in more veggies too!
I would have never guessed that wasn’t rice! Wow! I was seriously surprised and I had to go back and look at the pictures again!
Dawn
Wow that’s really cool. It looks just like rice. I really like that you shared so much for people who are cooking gluten free recipes so they know you did your research.
This looks delicious! I am adding it to my recipe collection now!
that sounds delicious, califlower huh? I would have never thought of that!
That looks delish! You could probably pair it with just about anything!
I might have to try this…my girls aren’t a big fan of cauliflower, so this might be a sneaky way of getting it in.
I will have to try this. I am trying to eat healthier. I love rice but am trying to cut out carbs. It looks delicious! Thanks for sharing!
That looks really yummy! I think it’d go great with beans!
Oh.. WOW.. what a seriously brilliant idea! Adding these ingredients to my shopping list for next week! Yay! Can’t wait!
Great idea – easy way to sneak veggies into the kids’ meals. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Amber,
You are BRILLIANT! I cannot wait to try this! My middle daughter will NOT eat rice and our family loves it. I make brown, yellow, and wild rice frequently and she is NOT a sport about it – at all! This may be fun to make for her on April Fools Day… okay, so maybe that might be a little mean, but I am always making something that seems like something else for April Fools Day. I needed a new trick up my sleeve. Only problem, April Fools Day is a month away! I don’t know if I can wait that long!
Thank you again for the amazing substitution recipe!
Victoria
Drive Me Crazy Family Adventure
This looks fabulous! I’ve used cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes but never rice.
I’ve heard a lot about using Cauliflower as a substitute for rice as well as mashed potatoes. I’m intrigued and really want to try it.
That looks really really good. I’m going to have to try this soon! Hopefully the kids won’t notice that I’m slipping them vegetables.
Yum! This would be delicious with some roasted chicken! I love cauliflower dishes, my mom used to make cauliflower “macaroni” and cheese when we were kids!
I totally need to make this for my kids. They are beyond picky eaters – well my son is my daughter would eat dirt if I let her LOL – Looks just like rice. Thank you for sharing deff saving this recipe ! – Plus being that it is gluten free wont hurt us either –not the healthiest of eaters over hear 😉
Your pictures of this is awesome. It looks so yummy!! I can eat it right now:)
We switched to the Paleo lifestyle in 2011 and have been eating Cauliflower rice since then. I have never used green onion or carrot in mine, so that looks delicious! I love green onions. YUM! It’s fun to find new ways to make old favorites.
I thought that looked really like rice when I seen the finished product. I think that is a great way to get a little more veggies in your diet.
This looks amazing. I couldn’t figure it out when I read it, what on earth is she making rice out of them. It is brilliant. I plan on trying it for sure!
This is quite different and interesting. I’ve never heard of faux rice. I love this idea, I will have to try this.
This is a new way of presenting veg. Never thought about it before. Will try it and also give a new spin to it. Thanks for the idea.
This looks fantastic! I am going to try to sneak it by my husband, who says he hates cauliflower.
Oh what a great way to substitute rice! This is genius! I will try this when I find cauliflower in the market tomorrow.
Wow, I really love your photos and you included the shredded carrots. I love that so many things are coming out glutten free and enjoyed your recipe.
I love the photos of this dish and that you used shredded carrots. I love that so many products are coming out glutten free. I enjoyed reading about this and your recipe.
This is fantastic! I’m going to share with a friend who just went gluten free, and another who has been for ages.
When I heard ‘gluten free rice recipe’ I thought for sure you were substituting the rice with a veggie, and viola! Cauliflower is ingenious, and really quite tasty when prepared well, thanks for the recipe.
Nobody here has gluten issues, but my sisters love cauliflower and would love to try this!
We like to eat rice VERY often. I’m going to try your recipe next week. Wish me luck, I hope my kids love it because it would save us a lot of carbs!!
Pinned this baby. Don’t even need gluten free but love the low carb aspect. Thanks!
This looks so unbelievably good! It would be a great meal for everyone in the family! Love rice! Thanks!
mmm this dish looks so yummy i need to make it for dinner!
Ohhhh…We love cauliflower! I am going to make this soon! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
This recipe looks very tasty. Thanks for sharing!