Trader Joe's New Low-Carb, Mexican-Style Riced Cauliflower Has Just 50 Calories
If you're a big fan of Mexican cuisine, but not all the calories and carbs that come along with typical restaurant dishes like fully-loaded bean and rice burritos or cheesy enchiladas, then my, oh my, is 2021 quite the time to be alive.
First, Chipotle announced cilantro-lime cauliflower rice (40 calories and 7 grams of carbs per serving) would be available at their locations nationwide, and now Trader Joe's is adding a new item to their freezer case: Spicy Mexican-Style Riced Cauliflower.
Crew members boast that "this dish has everything you want in your Mexican-style rice… except the rice!" Made with cauliflower florets that have been blitzed into a rice-like texture (here's how we do it), plus tomatoes, bell peppers, pickled jalapeños, fresh cilantro, lime juice, a splash of olive oil and variety of warm spices, this side dish makes a "make it the bomb-diggity base for your homemade burritos and bowls," according to their Instagram post.
Bonus: You won't be cleaning up little cauliflower bits that somehow fly across the kitchen after pulsing up a homemade batch. That can't just happen to us, right?
Each one-cup serving has 50 calories, 2 ½ grams of fat, 5 grams of carbs and 2 grams of protein. It can be table-ready in about 10 minutes: "Simply heat Trader Joe's Spicy Mexican-Style Riced Cauliflower in a stove-top skillet with a little olive oil or butter. It goes from frozen to finished in just 8 to 10 minutes," they add on Instagram.
"This is SO SO good! I don't want anyone to find out because it will sell out! I sautéed a bag in some olive oil and added a rinsed can of black beans. Had a bowl of that with some sour cream and cheese on top—amazing! It is a little spicy, but just enough," raves one fan who has already tried this low-carb Trader Joe's meal staple.
Just be sure to have a glass of water handy. Others say, "delicious, but watch out for that kick! 🌶💥" (We're guessing this is courtesy of the four types of peppers and the pinch of cayenne pepper in the mix.)
Snag a four-serving bag for $2.99, then make it a meal in our Honey-Chipotle Salmon with Cauliflower Rice Pilaf or Cuban Cauliflower Rice Bowl.