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Ever since cauliflower rice exploded on the market, I have been obsessed. There are so many rice dishes that can be made without grains because of it. My Cauliflower Rice Pilaf recipe is one of those dishes! Not only is is super easy to make, but it goes well with a wide variety of main dishes.
Whip up this recipe in less than 15 minutes and in one-pot. Perfect for those eating low-carb, keto, or grain-free.
What Is Rice Pilaf and Why Make It Keto?
Traditionally, rice pilaf is made of rice with seasonings cooked in broth. It can be tailored up with nuts, such as almonds, or even raisins to make it fancy.
The regular version has about 20g+ of carbs, something that is a no-go when you’re trying to maintain a low-carb or keto way of eating.
I made this version because by swapping regular rice for cauliflower rice, I’m able to have the deliciousness of pilaf at less than 5g net carbs per serving. Plus, cauliflower rice works well with very few changes in so many recipes like my keto cauliflower mushroom risotto, cheese cauliflower grits, and keto cauliflower fried rice.
Ingredients
This dish is easy to make and requires about a handful of ingredients. To make cauliflower rice pilaf, you’ll need to gather:
- Cauliflower Rice: I pick mine up frozen from the freezer section in the market
- Onions: Shallots, red onions, or yellow onions work well
- Herb Seasoning
- Chicken Bouillon or concentrated chicken broth
- Butter or another cooking fat
Why I’m Using Concentrated Bouillon
In this recipe, you’ll notice that I’m using concentrated bouillon and not broth. If you’ve made pilaf before, then you might be wondering why. I mean, part of the process of making rice pilaf is steaming the rice in broth.
Well, if you are using frozen cauliflower rice like I am, you want to avoid adding too much liquid. Since cauliflower rice cooks much quicker than regular rice and does not not need to absorb liquid to become light and fluffy, I find that regular broth is not needed.
Instead, I’m using concentrated bouillon as a way to add flavor to the cauliflower rice without turning it to mush.
How To Cook It
This easy cauliflower pilaf uses stock concentrate to get all the flavor of the traditional dish quickly, while keeping some of the bite in your copycat grain. I use frozen cauliflower rice in this recipe. In part because it is easier to cook, but also because it does not make a difference in taste in comparison to fresh cauliflower rice.
You can use the photos below to see how I made it. Generally, you’ll want to sauté the minced garlic and onions in a cooking fat. Then, add the cauliflower rice, bouillon and seasonings.
You should continue to cook the rice until it’s tender (or tender crisp) enough for you.
What To Serve This With
This is a super simple side dish that can pair well with almost anything. Some of my favorites include:
- Easy Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken
- Keto Shrimp Scampi
- Crispy Skin Pan-Seared Salmon
- Pressure Cooker Pot Roast
If you’d like a cauliflower rice and gravy sort of dish, you can pair this with my keto gravy.
Easy Cauliflower Rice Pilaf Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz Cauliflower Rice
- 2 tsp Chicken Better than Bouillon, low-sodium
- 1/2 tsp 24 Herbs Sprinkle Seasoning (Salt-free)
- 1/3 cup Yellow Onion, diced thinly, red onions and shallots work great too!
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp Butter, unsalted
Instructions
- Add the butter, onions, and garlic to a pan on medium high heat.
- Saute until the onions become translucent.
- Add the cauliflower rice, seasonings and bouillon
- Stir occasionally and continue to cook until all of the liquid that comes from the frozen cauliflower rice clears.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used. The keto sweeteners I use have 0g net carbs & are not included because sugar alcohols do not impact most people. This is provided as a courtesy, but you can do your own calculations if you wish!
