A simple, clean way to cook rice is to steam it. Well, the same can be done with cauliflower rice (or cauliflower florets, for that matter).
How to Cook Cauliflower in Microwave:
You can do this quickly and easily using your microwave. It only takes between 5 and 7 minutes, depending on how much you cook and the power of your oven.
In addition, cooking cauliflower rice in the microwave can prepare this ingredient for use in recipes, like a cauliflower pizza crust.
Note: Microwaving can actually help preserve more nutrients in the vegetable vs other forms of high heat cooking.
How to Make Cauliflower Rice in Microwave:
The video below provides tips on how to cook cauliflower in the microwave (and pan frying as well). Some people recommend covering your food in a microwave dish.
However, Claudia chooses to go without the cover and instead add a tablespoon of water to the dish. Either method works fine.
One way you can make your steamed cauliflower rice more flavorful is to add vegetable broth when you cook it. I got this tip from Kiersten at OhMyVeggies.com. This simple step makes this simple dish much tastier. Plus, you can use this low-carb alternative as a base underneath a bed of stir fry vegetables, barbecued meat or curry dish.
By the way, check out these 2 awesome recipes below using your newly microwave-steamed cauliflower rice: Mushroom Risotto and Chorizo Pulao. You will love these, especially if you follow a Ketogenic or Paleo diet…
How Long to Microwave Frozen Cauliflower Rice?
Many pre-made riced cauliflower products come in bags that you can stick directly in the microwave for about 5-6 minutes. Cooking low-carb rice can’t get much easier than this, right?
In fact, the Green Giant brand suggests that you put the un-opened package straight in the microwave without even thawing the contents first.
Use this method to steam the grated cauliflower rice in the microwave. Alternatively, you can thaw it before you fry it in a skillet. Or, prep the mixture before making low-carb pizza crust.
Microwave Cauliflower Rice Using a Rice Cooker Plus:
Instead of steaming traditional rice in a rice cooker for hours, you can use the Rice Cooker Plus to steam your cauliflower rice in the microwave in about 10 minutes! In fact, you can make up to 9 cups at one time.
How to Prevent “Wet” Cauliflower Rice
Although microwaving makes the cooking process quick and easy, this steaming method does have a disadvantage. The riced cauliflower can come out “wet”. This may work fine fore some soup, stir fry or casserole recipes, however, sometimes we just want dry, fluffy rice, right?
My solution for this problem contains 3 simple steps:
1. Drain Excess Water.
First, drain the excess water from you steamed bag of cauliflower rice. (Using a strainer and pressing down with a towel can dry your cauliflower even more.)
2. Prepare Moisture-Absorbing Seasoning.
Second, prepare a tasty dry seasoning mixture that will absorb any excess moisture. Nutritional yeast works well for this, and so do dry soup mixes.
3. Stir and Let Sit.
Third, stir in the mixture and let your dish sit fo 10-15 minutes to let the seasonings pull out the excess moisture. Then serve and enjoy!
Tip: Crunchy things such as bacon bits or dried onions can also add more texture to your cauliflower dish that doesn’t require any extra cooking time.
