Chipotle Cauliflower Rice Copycat Recipe

Fact: Everyone loves Chipotle. Also true is that sometimes you can feel like you overdid it. That's why we love Chipotle's healthy and flavorful cauliflower rice option, and now, with the help of registered dietician Kristen Carli, you can whip up this easy side at home for your next Taco Tuesday — or on Mexican Monday, or on any old Friday you feel like it ... you get the point! 

But in all seriousness, you will want to make this copycat cauliflower rice recipe all the time, given that it is so easy and comes together with just four basic ingredients. Meanwhile, Carli tells Mashed about her recipe, "This tastes exactly like the real thing." And, she adds, "If you want the authentic Chipotle experience, be sure to eat this with black beans, guacamole, and sautéed fajita peppers." 

You can also make Carli's super-simple and satisfying bean dip recipe, served with chips to start. Dinner is served!

To infuse your evening with Chipotle charm, simply shop for a medium head of cauliflower and cilantro, which you will chop, and grab olive oil from the pantry, and two limes from your fridge. Yup, that's seriously it — of course, you can add salt and pepper to suit your own tastes.

Start by chopping your cauliflower into small florets. We know this can be messy, so try Ina Garten's genius method for slicing a head of cauliflower with less mess. Basically, you'll invert your veggie, and slice from the stem down. Life-changing, right?

Once you have created the florets, it's time to rice the cauliflower, which Carli recommends doing using a grater attachment to a food processor. However, if you do not own either this kind of attachment or a food processor, Carli notes, "You could hand grate the cauliflower or even buy it already riced." 

Once your cauliflower is riced, heat the olive oil in a large skillet, placed over medium heat. Go ahead and add the cauliflower rice to the pan, and then squeeze in that lime juice. You will sauté the rice until it is heated through, which Carli advises will take about four minutes. To avoid overdoing it and ending up with burnt rice, she counsels Mashed readers, "Don't allow the cauliflower rice to get charred or brown — you just want to warm it through."

Finally, you will add your chopped cilantro to the riced cauliflower, lending it that Chipotle touch. 

If you want to enjoy this tasty side for lunch the next day, the good news is that according to this recipe's creator, "The cauliflower rice will keep in an airtight container for up to five days in the fridge." Why not toss some with a salad for a quickie midday meal? Yum!