How To Make and Freeze Cauliflower Rice – this is the perfect healthy, low-carb alternative to rice, quinoa, or pasta. Being that it contains only one ingredient, it is perfect for almost any meal plan and is also easier to make than you think! All you need is a knife with a cutting board and a food processor.
Cauliflower is a staple vegetable in this house. It is a wonderful alternative to rice or pasta if you’re trying to cut back on your carbs. This is essential to keep yourself in check if you love carbs!
I use cauliflower rice as a side to many dishes when I make my husbands lunches for the week and he absolutely loves it. Or at least he never complains. 😀
Fresh Is Always Best!
It wasn’t until the last year or two that I started seeing cauliflower rice (as well as other riced vegetables) in the freezer section of my local grocery store. Before then, you had to make it yourself. Now, even though it’s more convenient to buy it pre-riced, I prefer to make it homemade due to the ‘fresh is always best’ aspect.
When I have time to cut up the cauliflower, run it through the processor, cook, and then clean up – I do. If I am looking to cut out a step with meal prep, lunches, or I am low on time, I use the freezer kind.
Save Money and Make Your Own
Not that making cauliflower rice is difficult. It’s not. Nor does it take much time. It’s just nice to cut out the prep and clean up sometimes. But I will say – prepping a large batch of cauliflower rice and freezing it does the same job.
Don’t forget – it’s cheaper to make and freeze your own than paying for convenience!
I have noticed that homemade cauliflower rice tastes so much better than the frozen, store-bought kind. You can taste the freshness, the different texture, and so forth.
How To Make and Freeze Cauliflower Rice:
If you’re looking to prep cauliflower rice to freeze, follow the instructions listed below in the recipe and omit the cooking process! The cooking process is listed if you’re looking to not only make cauliflower rice, but to also have it on hand as a side dish to your upcoming meal! 🙂
One of the best tips that I can recommend is to cut your cauliflower into small florets. The florets do not need to be teeny tiny. Just the right size so that your food processor can easily pulse through without any big chunks to deal with – as you can see in the picture below.
I’ve processed enough cauliflower to make rice, so it has been a trial and error on my part. It helps the cauliflower to sit more evenly in the bowl and therefore helps with evenly grating/pulsing the florets into the rice-like texture we are seeking!
As you can see pictured below – the perfect cauliflower rice! Now, as you’re pulsing – be sure to keep an eye on it. Sometimes it does help to run a spatula along the outside of the bowl to mix up the cauliflower a bit as you’re going through the pulsing process. You may find a hidden chunk somewhere!
Label and Date!
From here, scoop an even amount of cauliflower rice into separate quart sized freezer bags. Be sure to remove as much air as you possibly can. For me, the two medium-sized heads of cauliflower made approximately 4 cups. So I added 1 cup of cauliflower rice to each quart-sized freezer bag. Your quantity may vary.
You can label the measurement/serving size along with the name and date, but I generally always do 1 cup per bag, so I don’t. This makes 2 servings for a meal between my husband and I (1/2 cup per person).
The cauliflower rice will stay well in the freezer for approximately 4-6 months. I generally prep enough to have off and on for the month. My personal preference is to not have things in the freezer for too long.
When it comes time to cook the rice, simply remove it from the freezer and into your fridge to thaw the night before using.
Add it to your pan with your preferred seasonings or leave it plain and cook it with a touch of oil.
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A Friendly Recommendation
If you don’t already have a food processor, then I would highly recommend the Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack and Snap Processor. I had the older version for almost 7 years and was always happy with it.
I could have found a replacement for the bowl, but I figured it was time for an upgrade after 7 years. And the Hamilton Beach processor is pretty cheap for how much I use it. I feel confident that I got my money’s worth out of the first one!
Cauliflower has to be one of my favorite things to work with in the kitchen. It’s so versatile! I especially love to use it to make my Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce.
If you enjoy this recipe or are looking for other uses for cauliflower, then check out my other recipes:
- Grilled Chicken Cauliflower Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles
- Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
- Low-Carb Cauliflower Calzone
- Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Rolls
- Cauliflower Pizza Bites
- Garlic and Lime Cauliflower Rice
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How To Make and Freeze Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients:
- 2 medium head of cauliflower (approx. 2 pounds)
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt (to taste)
- Pinch of black pepper (to taste)
Storing Uncooked Rice:
- 4 quart-sized freezer bags
Instructions:
- Remove the stalk and leaves of the cauliflower. Cut into small florets. Add the florets to your food processor and pulse until the cauliflower reaches a rice-like consistency.
- Place a nonstick pan over medium heat with olive oil. once heated, add the cauliflower and allow to cook 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Notes:
Skip the steps of cooking listed above. Once you have processed the cauliflower florets into rice, scoop 2 cups of rice into each quart-sized freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible. Don't forget to pre-label your bags prior to filling with the name 'Cauliflower Rice' as well as the date. Uncooked cauliflower rice is good in the freezer for up to 4-6 months!
When you're ready to cook the cauliflower rice, simply remove from the freezer the night before using and allow to thaw in the fridge. If wanting to make cauliflower rice and eat immediately:
Follow the steps above from cutting the cauliflower to cooking, skipping the bagging process (obviously). Serve hot. Leftovers will stay good in the fridge for 4-5 days.
What measurement is 2 cups of cauliflower rice, AFTER the water is squeezed out? Is it about half?
Hey Sandra! There is no need to squeeze any water out when it comes to cauliflower rice. So the 2 cups is the measurement of the rice itself fresh out of the food processor. 🙂
I was following another recipe (parmesan cauliflower crackers); I went ahead and halved the squeezed rice – I didn’t care for them, but my husband liked them, so all if good.
Ah. Well, that answers my confusion, as you were asking a question about someone else’s recipe and not this How-To on cauliflower rice.
Any thoughts as to why my cauliflower rice is yellow?? It’s only been in the freezer for 2 months and i removed as much air as i could from the ziploc bag. Also it’s very soggy when defrosted – how can i cook it to “dry” it out??? thank you!
I’m not sure why it turned yellow? As far as when defrosted, I would soak up any released water with paper towels. This will help with panfrying/cooking.
My cauliflower was very bitter when I thawed it out. Any suggestions?
Hmm. Bitter after you cooked it? If so, you may have cooked it for too long?
My cauliflower was very bitter when I thawed it out. Any suggestions?
Usually bitterness comes from when cauliflower/cauliflower rice has been overcooked. Perhaps you cooked it a bit too long?
thanks for the advice.
Anytime! 🙂