Chicken and Cauliflower Rice

Chicken and cauliflower rice is a mouthwatering dish features juicy, flavorful chicken with the perfect seasonings and nutritious cauliflower rice! Plus, you can whip it up in just 30 minutes.  

Another great thing about this low-carb or keto meal? You won’t end up with a sink full of dishes because it requires just one pan, completely perfect for a busy weekday!

 

If you’re not cooking with cauliflower rice on a regular basis, you should start now! It’s an easy way to get more nutritious, low-carb and healthy veggies on your plate.

How To Make Chicken And Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients

• Chicken — Boneless, skinless chicken thighs! You can also make this recipe with chicken breasts (boneless skinless chicken breasts).
• Seasonings — Oregano, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt and black pepper. You can use onion powder too.
• Extra virgin olive oil — You can also substitute avocado oil.
• Cauliflower — Buy one medium head of cauliflower for ricing! You can also buy pre-made cauli rice to save some time, if preferred. You can find it at the grocery store, or even on Amazon!
• Onion — I typically use yellow, but white also works.   
• Garlic — Mince fresh cloves by hand or use a jar of minced garlic for convenience’s sake.
• Chicken broth — Or substitute vegetable broth.
• Hot sauce — Use your favorite brand!
• Parsley — For extra flavor and color.
• Lemon juice — I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice as bottled can sometimes taste stale.  

Instructions

Marinate chicken:

• Place chicken thighs in a large bowl and sprinkle with oregano, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper! Mix well until each piece of chicken is coated in spices.
• Allow meat to marinate in seasonings for 15-30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.

Make cauliflower rice:

• Meanwhile, cut your head of cauliflower into florets and place them in a food processor. Now pulse until a rice-like consistency is reached (25-30 seconds) and set to the side.

Cook chicken:

• Measure olive oil into a big skillet on the stovetop, then turn heat setting to medium heat. Allow the oil to get hot, it’s ready once it begins to smoke ever so slightly.
• Add chicken thighs to the hot pan and reduce heat to medium, cook on each side for 4-5 minutes. Once chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C), it’s done!
• Remove thighs from the pan and place them on a small plate to the side.

Cook cauliflower rice:

• Now add diced onion and minced garlic to the same skillet and sauté for just one minute, then stir in your hot sauce.
• Add cauli rice to the pan and mix until everything is well incorporated.
• Pour broth over the cauliflower rice, then add lemon juice and parsley. Simmer for a few minutes, until the rice becomes tender

Assemble and serve:

• Do a quick taste test and add a bit of salt, pepper or additional hot sauce if needed.
• Nestle chicken thighs into the skillet and allow them to heat back up, then serve and enjoy!

How To Store Leftovers

To Store: Allow leftovers to cool and place them in an airtight container, refrigerate up to 4 days.

To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the vegetable portion of this recipe, veggies can become mushy once thawed. However, you can separate and freeze chicken for up to 3 months.  

To Reheat: Generally, I use the microwave to reheat my chicken and cauliflower rice. Simply microwave on high, in 30-60 second increments, until warmed though completely.

Recipe Variations

• Extra spicy: This recipe is somewhat spicy because it calls for hot sauce! If you want a more intense kick, I recommend using hot chili powder (rather than mild) and adding a pinch of cayenne pepper to your seasonings mix.
• Smoky: Add smoky flavor to this recipe by substituting smoked paprika for regular paprika. You can also add a few drops of natural smoke flavor!
• Add more veggies: You can get creative here and add some peas and carrots.
• Give it a more Asian flavor: To infuse this recipe with an Asian flair, cook your cauliflower rice using sesame oil and introduce a dash of soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos.