Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl

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This Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl is a delicious, spicy paleo dinner recipe the whole family can enjoy! Flavored with cumin, oregano, peppers, and jalapeños, this meal is anything but boring! And there are countless add-ons and mix-ins you can include to customize it even more! {Paleo}

Spiriteds, you know how sometimes (all the times) you find yourself in a dinner rut, and you think, I gotta throw the whole menu OUT! It’s terrible and too familiar and we eat the same things every day!?!?! Or is that just me? Well, anyway, if you find yourself in a dinner rut, then fear not, this Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl has your tastebuds AND your back. 

Like, chicken is just chicken. But chicken paired with cumin and oregano, followed by jalapeño peppers and grape tomatoes, is next-level good. Mix in salsa or cilantro, lime, black olives, or avocado, and now we’re going to savor every dang bite even more! FOUR OUT OF FOUR of our crew LOVED this ALL CAPS recipe. The finicky eater declared it was like eating at a restaurant, while the others nodded along, their faces directly in their Chicken Cauliflower Rice bowls.

Let us, though, just address the vegetable elephant in the room. Yes, I’m looking right at you, cauliflower rice. Here’s the thing: I love cauliflower rice. And I especially love it when it’s prepared in coconut oil and sea salt. Or cumin, oregano, and cilantro, as the case may be. If you’re on the fence about cauliflower rice, then give this recipe a try.

So, are you ready to up your dinner game? One with good spices, tasty add-ons, and all the extras your tastebuds desire? If your answer is YES, then let’s do this!

This Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl is

• Grain-free and gluten-free
• Paleo-friendly
• Spicy and savory
• Big on flavor
• Perfect for leftovers!

Side note: To warm this dish back up, place everything in a sauté pan or skillet and, cover, and warm through on a LOW setting. 

Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl ingredients

Below are ingredients for how to make your very own Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl recipe!

• Cauliflower and chicken.  I start with the cauliflower rice, chopping the cauliflower florets into rice-like pieces, either with a small food chopper or with a food processor. In a small chopper, I’ll pulse the cauliflower florets about 5-6 times. In a food processor, I feed the florets through the opening and let the processor work its magic. If there are stubborn pieces that refuse to break down, I remove them from the current batch and add them to the next round or save them for something else. As for the chicken, I start sautéing it while the rice is cooking. If the chicken finishes sooner than the rice, then I cover it in the skillet and set it aside.
• Coconut oil, sea salt, cumin, and oregano. While I typically steer clear of large amounts of sea salt, when I’m making cauliflower rice, I find more sea salt actually tastes quite good. It gives the cauliflower a richer flavor, and it pairs well with the coconut oil. The cumin and oregano take what might otherwise be a boring rice dish to new realms. The combo is so good!
• Grape tomatoes, jalapeños, and bell peppers (any color will do!). These mix-ins and toppings add just the right amount of juicy flavor, spicy heat, and succulent textures to the dish!
• Add-ons: cilantro, lime, avocado, black olives, and chilies to the recipe. Mix and match for the combinations that taste best to YOU!

How to make a Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl:

Below are steps to make your own Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl.

1. Break the cauliflower into florets, removing the stems, and chop the florets in a small chopper or larger food processor until they turn into rice-like pieces. Remove stubborn pieces and add them to the next batch, but do not over-chop the florets or they’ll turn mushy while they cook. Add the cauliflower rice to a large sauté pan with 6 tablespoons of coconut oil and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Sauté covered on a low to medium heat until the rice granules are tender but not mushy. Cooking times will vary, but this process will take anywhere from about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir frequently and check often to prevent the cauliflower from burning or softening too much.
2. While cauliflower rice is cooking, sauté chicken strips in a separate skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and a sprinkle or two of sea salt. Once the chicken is cooked through, spoon out excess liquid from the skillet. If needed, add more coconut oil to prevent the ingredients from burning, drying out, or sticking to the pan. Then add the cumin, oregano, jalapeño, and bell pepper and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until ingredients are warmed through.
3. Transfer rice to bowls and top with chicken mixture. Add additional ingredients such as cilantro, lime, avocado, black olives, or chilies as desired.

Side note: If either the cauliflower rice or the chicken finishes cooking before the other, simply cover it and set it aside until the other is done. And if you are new to cauliflower rice, then check out our recipe, How to Make Cauliflower Rice, for more details.

Recipe notes

• While actual amounts will vary, depending on the size of the head of cauliflower used, I’d say this meal will comfortably feed about 3-4 people. You can also purchase pre-riced cauliflower or frozen cauliflower and thaw it according to package instructions. The key is to keep an eye on the water content of microwaved cauliflower. It may be softer and runnier than cauliflower rice you make yourself.
• If you aren’t sure how much heat you want to pack in one dinner, then start with a small jalapeño pepper and add more as desired.
• Sea salt it UP! I often add only small amounts of sea salt to my dinners, but when it comes to cauliflower rice and this delicious chicken mash-up, I add more than usual. It enhances all the flavors and brings them together.
• If the chicken breasts are significantly different in thickness, then slice the thicker one lengthwise to make it thinner. This will help the chicken strips cook at a similar rate.
• For variety, add cumin and oregano to your cauliflower rice, especially if you use a store-bought variety. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and several sprinkles of finely chopped fresh cilantro.

More spicy dishes!

And now you have an incredibly delish gluten-free dinner recipe that also happens to be paleo and scrumptious and out-of-this-world good! Also, if you’re in the mood for more of that delicious cumin-oregano matchup, then you’ll enjoy these recipes:

• Southwestern Quinoa Bacon Breakfast Bowl
• Cauliflower Turmeric Quinoa Bowls
• Spicy Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always know how glad I am you’re here. ❤️

Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl

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This Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl is a delicious, spicy paleo dinner recipe the whole family can enjoy! Flavored with cumin, oregano, peppers, and jalapeños, this meal is anything but boring! And there are countless add-ons and mix-ins you can include to customize it even more!

• Author: Spirited and then Some
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Main Dishes
• Method: Sauté
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets with stems trimmed
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to sprinkle over the chicken
• 2 medium-sized bell peppers (any color), sliced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (more as desired)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

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Instructions

1. Break the cauliflower into florets, removing the stems, and chop the florets in a small chopper or larger food processor until they turn into rice-like pieces. Remove stubborn pieces and add them to the next batch, but do not over-chop the florets or they’ll turn mushy while they cook. Add the cauliflower rice to a large sauté pan with 6 tablespoons of coconut oil and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Sauté covered on a low to medium heat until the rice granules are tender but not mushy. Cooking times will vary, but this process will take anywhere from about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir frequently and check often to prevent the cauliflower from burning or softening too much.
2. While cauliflower rice is cooking, sauté chicken strips in a separate skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and a sprinkle or two of sea salt. Once the chicken is cooked through, spoon out excess liquid from the skillet. If needed, add more coconut oil to prevent the ingredients from burning, drying out, or sticking to the pan. Then add the cumin, oregano, jalapeño, and bell pepper and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until ingredients are warmed through.
3. Transfer rice to bowls and top with chicken mixture. Add additional ingredients such as cilantro, lime, avocado, black olives, or chilies as desired. To reheat leftovers, place everything in a sauté pan or skillet, cover with a lid, and warm through on a LOW setting. 

Notes

• While actual amounts will vary, depending on the size of the head of cauliflower used, I’d say this meal will comfortably feed about 3-4 people. You can also purchase pre-riced cauliflower or frozen cauliflower and thaw it according to package instructions. The key is to keep an eye on the water content of microwaved cauliflower. It may be softer and runnier than cauliflower rice you make yourself.
• If you aren’t sure how much heat you want to pack in one dinner, then start with a small jalapeño pepper and add more as desired. Sea salt it UP! I often add only small amounts of sea salt to my dinners, but when it comes to cauliflower rice and this delicious chicken mash-up, I add more than usual. It enhances all the flavors and brings them together.
• If the chicken breasts are significantly different in thickness, then slice the thicker one lengthwise to make it thinner. This will help the chicken strips cook at a similar rate.
• For variety, add cumin and oregano to your cauliflower rice, especially if you use a store-bought variety. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and several sprinkles of finely chopped fresh cilantro.