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Home » Recipes » Kitchen Skills

How to Make Cauliflower Rice Without a Food Processor

By Laura Fuentes Updated Jul 23, 2024

5 from 6 votes

Recipe

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Learn how to make cauliflower rice without a food processor. Instead, I show you how to use a cheese grater to create the perfect riced cauliflower.

You don’t need a food processor or any other fancy equipment to make cauliflower rice. Today, I’m going to show you how to use a cheese grater to achieve cauliflower rice perfection.

Once you have your “rice” granules you can cook and serve them any way you like. It couldn’t be easier!

large bowl of cauliflower rice

Cauliflower Rice Benefits

The most valued benefit of cauliflower rice is its ability to take on the texture of cooked rice for as little as 35 calories and 4 grams of net carbs per cup. 

This riced vegetable can do a lot, too. You can toss it into a fried rice recipe, steam and serve with stir-fry, or use it as a base for power bowls. Essentially, cauliflower rice can recreate your favorite rice recipes into a low-carb version without sacrificing flavor or texture. 

Making Riced Cauliflower with No Food Processor

If you use cauliflower rice frequently, making your own can be super helpful and more cost-effective than buying it pre-packaged.

While a food processor is the quickest route, you don’t need one to make perfect cauliflower rice. You can achieve fine “grains” of cauliflower rice with a cheese grater.

How to Make Cauliflower Rice with a Cheese Grater

If you’re wondering how to grate cauliflower without the pieces being too large, don’t worry. The natural shape of cauliflower easily breaks apart as you run it over the cerated edges, giving the finished results a fine, couscous-like texture. 

Here’s how to make cauliflower rice with a cheese grater: 

  1. Rinse the cauliflower with water.
  2. Cut the head of cauliflower in half and use a chef’s knife to remove the steam and leaves. 
  3. Cut each half into larger wedges.
  4. Run each wedge of cauliflower over the side of the grater with medium-sized holes. 

Check out the video below for a visual on how to make cauliflower rice with a cheese grater:  

How Much Cauliflower Rice Does it Make?

Typically, one medium-sized head of cauliflower will make up to 4 to 6 cups of cauliflower rice. Depending on how you plan to serve it, this is enough for 1 to 2 recipes.

Making cauliflower rice is the perfect example of something that can be prepped ahead and cooked later in the week to serve with dinner. Prepare it using one of the methods above, pack it into an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

cauliflower rice in two zip bags for storage

Serving Cauliflower Rice

Now that you have a fresh batch of cauliflower rice, it’s time to put it to use! You can start with one of the incredible recipes below or prepare it for a tasty, low-carb side: 

  • Roasted Cauliflower Rice
  • Shrimp Fried Cauliflower Rice
  • Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya
  • Spanish Cauliflower Rice
  • Chicken Teriyaki– swap steamed cauliflower rice for regular rice

How to Make Cauliflower Rice With a Cheese Grater

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 10 minutes mins
Learn how to make cauliflower rice without a food processor. Instead, I show you how to use a cheese grater to create the perfect riced cauliflower.
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin

Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower

Instructions

  • Wash the cauliflower and remove the outer leaves. If you find any black spots, remove them with a paring knife.
  • Cut the cauliflower in half (vertically), and use a chef’s knife to remove the core and leaves.
  • Cut each half into larger pieces. 
  • Using the edge of the cheese grater with large holes, run each wedge of cauliflower over the cerated edges. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower pieces. 
  • If not cooking immediately, refrigerate the cauliflower rice in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Equipment

intermittent fasting ebook displaying on a tablet and a phone screen
Intermittent Fasting eBook
Cheese Grater

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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5 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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Hi! I'm Laura.
Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, mom of three, and the woman behind the world’s best pancakes—here to help you ditch the mealtime drama with recipes your family will actually eat.

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