Cheesy and Spicy, two of my favorite words! This cheesy cauliflower rice is a one-pan side dish, made from simple ingredients and is low carb. Riced cauliflower is sauteed with onion until tender and the edges are browned. In goes minced jalapeno for a little kick, and finished with a delicious cream sauce to pull it all together! I love this as a substitute for mac and cheese, or as an afternoon snack! Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Rice with Jalapeno will warm you up from the inside out!

close up of cheesy cauliflower rice on a striped light green plate

My inspiration for this recipe was my cauliflower mac and cheese that I shared last year around the holidays. It is creamy, cheesy, and spicy, just like this low carb cauliflower rice recipe. That recipe has big chunks of cauliflower and real pasta in it, so it's not actually keto.

This variation removes the pasta and uses riced cauliflower instead of florets for a delicious, keto, cheesy cauliflower dish.

For other rice dishes, try Instant Pot Rice Pilaf, Nando's Spicy Rice, or Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice.

Ingredients

cauliflower rice
butter
shredded cheddar cheese or shredded monterey jack cheese
milk
jalapeno
onion
salt
pepper

Instructions

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.

Add in onions and jalapeno and saute until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.

onions and jalapenos in a dark pan with melted butter

Add cauliflower rice and continue to saute on medium heat until the rice pieces begin to turn a little brown on the edges.

onions and jalapenos sauteed with rice cauliflower on top in a dark pan

Turn heat down to medium-low and add in milk and cheese. Stir until the cheese sauce combines and coats the rice.

finished riced with cheese sauce with cracked pepper on top and a wooden spoon at an angle

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Do you need to thaw frozen riced cauliflower?

Nope! Just like I showed in this recipe, for spanish cauliflower rice, frozen cauliflower rice is great here and cooks up super fast-- there is no need to thaw before cooking. Simply pour it in the pan as is, and cook as normal.

Variations

Garnish: Top with sliced green onions for a little flavor and color. Go all out and add a few dashes of Franks Red Hot, to make this Buffalo Cauliflower Rice.

Add chicken: I love adding chicken to rice dishes to make them an "all-in-one" meal. Bake or grill a chicken breast and toss that in!

very close up shot of rice with wooden spoon nestled inside

Substitutions

Make the sauce creamier: This cheese sauce is pretty creamy, as is. However, if you are looking for an even richer sauce, add ¼ a block of cream cheese to the mix!

Make it mild: Not a fan of spicy food? Simply remove the jalapeno from this recipe. If you would like to keep the color it adds, green bell pepper is a great alternative.

What to serve with cheesy cauliflower rice

I love that this cheesy rice is so versatile, and it could truly go as a side with so many things-- from tacos to BBQ. Try it with ribs for a southern take or with grilled chicken! One of the following recipes would pair well:

4 servings