Girl Meets Fire

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Traditional Puerto Rican Classics
  • About me
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Traditional Puerto Rican Classics
    • About me
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Vegan or Vegetarian

    Modified: 17 Jun, 2023 · Published: 7 Jul, 2022 by Zoe Forestier Villegas · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Puerto Rican Inspired Keto Cauliflower Yellow Rice

    ↓ Jump to Recipe

    The combination of chicken and rice is very dear to the Puerto Rican community. As a Puerto Rican, it is hard to enjoy many of our regular meals because of the sheer amount of carbs in our cuisine when you are following a ketogenic lifestyle, but low and behold, there is an alternative, cauliflower rice!

    When I first came across the idea of cauliflower rice, I was not thrilled or excited. Until then, I have not been quite a fan of the vegetable. I find cauliflower to be a bit stinky, with an off-flavor, so when I learned that cauliflower is an excellent substitution for many traditional carb-loaded side dishes, I rolled my eyes to the back of my head and thought, “WHY?!”.

    This was inspired by my other recipe on this site, and pairs well with this amazing side dish recipe. Contextual, in-content links are far more valuable than a group listed at the bottom of the post.

    Jump To
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Comments

    Ingredients

    The beauty of using cauliflower instead of rice is that it is much faster to cook. So, if time is of the essence, cauliflower rice comes to the rescue. The same ingredients for regular rice can also be used to keep that authentic Puerto Rican flavor.

    • Riced Cauliflower
    • Bacon or Tocino (to keep things keto😉)
    • Achiote Oil
    • Powdered Adobo
    • Onion
    • Garlic

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    1. Dice onions and garlic, and set aside. Dice about two slices of bacon.
    1. Heat a sauté pan, yes, you read right a sauté pan. No boiling is needed, so you do not need a pot to make the rice. Add achiote oil. Heat through and start cooking the bacon.
    Sautéing onions and garlic paste
    1. Add onions and garlic. Cook until soft and translucent. 
    Adding cauliflower to the skillet once the onions and garlic are translucent and soft.

    Add riced cauliflower. Toss it around the onions, garlic, and achiote oil. To tint the cauliflower with the achiote oil. Add a bit more achiote oil to adjust the coloring.

    Add a dash of adobo and mix through. Set a side or serve to avoid over cooking.

    Add a dash of Loisa’s Sazon. This sazon has all the flavor we Puerto Ricans love without the stuff we do not want in our food. Cook until cauliflower is nice and tender. 

    To Serve:

    Place a spoonful of cauliflower rice on your plate and top with two pieces of crispy chicken thighs. Garnish with a slice of avocado, a simple lettuce and tomato salad, and a sprinkle of cilantro. Buen Provecho

    Substitutions

    If cauliflower is still not your cup of tea, consider using the following:

    • Broccoli - Yes, priced broccoli is a thing and you can find priced broccoli right next to riced cauliflower at your grocer's freezer.
    • Palmini - Palmini offers a rice variation on the hearts of palm products. I am working on giving this a try and as soon as I do I will let you know.
    • Jicama or Celeriac (Apio) - Maybe a bit more work but shredding jicama or celeriac (Apio) and squeezing the excess liquid will render a good portion of low-carb rice.

    Variations

    I shared a very simply mild way of preparing chicken thighs that could easily be enjoyed by anyone. Below, are a few variations to add to your chicken to switch it up a bit.

    • Spicy - puree a few cloves of garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin, tomato paste, and a few rehydrated guajillo peppers. Blend to a paste. Rub the paste onto chicken thighs and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.
    • Asian Inspired - add a tablespoon of ground ginger to my adobo paste and a few tablespoons of Coconut Aminos. Accompany your Asian-inspired Chicken with quick fried rice by adding small diced ham, carrots, green onions, and a well-beaten egg to turn your cauliflower rice into fried rice.
    • Dry Rub - Mix powdered garlic, onion, paprika, a pinch of mustard, salt, pepper, cumin, and a bit of Lakanto Brown Sugar.

    📖 Recipe

    A fork full of cauliflower yellow rice.

    Arroz Amarillo De Coliflor, Cauliflower Yellow Rice

    Zoé Forestier
    Cauliflower yellow rice is a low-carb, grain-free alternative to traditional Puerto Rican yellow rice that uses cauliflower instead of white rice. A delicious and healthy side dish that pairs well with a variety of proteins and vegetables.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    0 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Puerto Rican Inspirations, Recipes, Side Dish, side dishes
    Cuisine Puerto Rican
    Servings 4 Servings
    Calories 7 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 head cauliflower diced
    • 1 small onion chopped
    • 1 tablespoon sofrito
    • 1 tablespoon achiote oil
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon Sazon
    • 1 strip bacon diced
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    QR Code

    Notes

    1. Remember, cauliflower is a vegetable, unlike real rice, which is a grain. Rice requires water to soften the starch and plump or double up, and it will absorb any liquid you add to it. Cauliflower, on the other hand, will render water during the cooking process. If your cauliflower needs water or broth to cook, add a very minimal amount before covering the pan.
    2. You do not need yellow cauliflower to make this recipe. A white cauliflower will do just as well. If you do not have any achiote oil, you can substitute the oil with paprika and or turmeric. These spices will create a different shade of yellow rice, but it will still be equally delicious.
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4ouncesCalories: 7kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.04gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 0.2mgSodium: 4mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.1mg
    Did you try this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review, and if you loved it, give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating too! It helps others find the recipe and tells Google it's worth a try. 😊
    « Cauliflower BRAVAS, A Keto Twist To The Beloved Patatas
    Puerto Rican-Inspired Roasted Chicken Thighs »

    Comments

    1. Mar says

      January 10, 2025 at 11:55 am

      5 stars
      Looks good! Definitely trying this out for a keto dinner night. Thank you ❤️

      • Zoe Forestier Villegas says

        January 10, 2025 at 2:25 pm

        I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know how you like it!

    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)
    Zoe standin in the kitchen smiling

    Hola! I'm Zoe. I love all things food and enjoy cooking. I created this site to reconnect with my Puerto Rican heritage while living in the United States. This is a great place to reconnect if you are floating in the diaspora. I would love to hear from you!

    About Zoe →

    Mother's Day Favorite Recipes

    • Close-up of Seafood Pomodoro pasta with linguine, topped with culantro gremolata and shredded Parmesan in a white bowl.
      Seafood Pomodoro Pasta with Linguine
    • Bananas in a bunch are still hanging off the plant.
      Guineos, Platanos, and Banana Leaves: Puerto Rican Staples
    • A fully cooked tortilla Española garnished with chopped parsley, served on a wooden cutting board.
      Easy Tortilla Española, Spanish Omelette
    • A slice of carrot cake on a plate with the rest of the cake and another slice in the background.
      Tropical Carrot Cake with Banana and Coconut
    • A bowl of ceviche is in the center, with two smaller bowls of ceviche and forks. A large bowl of tostones is at the top right, with small lemon wedges at the top left.
      Ceviche de Pescado y Camarones, Grouper and Shrimp Ceviche
    • Puerto Rican Bacalao a la Vizcaina

    Popular Recipes

    • A plate of polvorones cookies with three semi-stacked cookies on top of the table resting in front of the plate.
      Puerto Rican Polvorones (Shortbread Cookies)
    • close-up-of-roasted-chicken-thighs-on-a-serving-platter
      Puerto Rican-Inspired Roasted Chicken Thighs
    • A blue and white dessert plate with a slice of bread pudding and caramel sauce on top of it.
      Budín de Pan (Puerto Rican Bread Pudding)
    • empanadas inside a paper towel lined bowl.
      Puerto Rican Empanadillas
    • an overhead view of a table set with two plates of arroz habichuelas and pan seared chicken thighs
      Puerto Rican Rice with Beans
    • pinchos served with potato salad and collard greens
      Pinchos de Cerdo, Puerto Rican Pork Kabobs

    I’d love to hear from you! Did you try this recipe? Leave a review and rating below. Let’s connect on Instagram, and don’t forget to join my weekly email list for fresh new recipes.

    Footer

    Subscribe for weekly updates!

    Subscribe
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy
    • ↑ back to top

    Copyright © 2025 Girl Meets Fire LLC • This website contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link, we may receive a commission in return. Girl Meets Fire LLC participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.