Air Fryer Cauliflower Rice Bowls are a high-protein, veggie-forward dish. Make crispy, flavorful cauliflower rice in your air fryer and serve bowl-style with protein, veggies, and a spicy yogurt sauce.
Sometimes the healthiest meals are the simplest ones. What I love about these bowls is that they aren't super complicated. They aren't revolutionary. They are basically just (cauliflower) rice, beans, and veggies. But wow, they are delicious!
With the right combination of ingredients and flavors you can easily create a recipe that is full of flavor.
And healthy!
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The base of these bowls is air fried cauliflower rice.
The air fryer turns frozen (or fresh) cauliflower rice into a delicious crispy rice. Gotta love the magic of a convection-style oven.
Easy Air Fryer Cauliflower Rice
It's SO easy to make cauliflower rice in your air fryer.
You just need one simple trick: aluminum foil.
The last thing you want is pieces of cauliflower rice getting stuck in all the nooks and crannies of your air fryer.
Aluminum foil saves the day. And makes cleanup super simple.
All you have to do is toss the rice with some spices and heat in the air fryer to a crispy perfection!
Why I love these Air Fryer Cauliflower Rice Bowls
- Dietary needs - these Air-Fryer Cauliflower Rice Bowls are dairy-free, plant-based, oil-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free
- Nutrient-dense - these bowls have the main nutrient staples for a well-rounded meal. Besides the crispy cauliflower rice, these bowls have some protein and even more veggies for a healthy meal
- Meal prep friendly - make lunch for the whole week by batch cooking this recipe on the weekend. These bowls are great for meal prep!
- Quick and easy - you don't HAVE to meal prep these bowls, they only take about 30 minutes to make
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Cauliflower Rice: if you're like me and your freezer is packed with veggies, your rice may be frozen in one chunk. Let it thaw enough to be spread into one layer. Otherwise, no need to pre-microwave. You can also use fresh cauliflower rice - decrease the cook time by 3-5 minutes.
- Rice Spices: cumin, paprika, cayenne. We'll toss the cauliflower rice with these three spices for some flavor. Feel free to add your favorite herbs or spices (suggestions below).
- Protein of Choice: I made my Smoky Tofu recipe. My Air Fried Tempeh recipe would also be great here. Or whatever protein you love.
- Edamame: I added edamame for even more protein. You could use another bean like chickpeas.
- Veggies: red cabbage, cucumber, red onion. These veggies add a nice fresh flavor to go with the cooked rice and beans. Feel free to use whatever fresh veggies you have on hand.
- To Serve: sesame seeds, scallions
Dressing Ingredients
- Yogurt: I used a non-dairy greek style yogurt. Feel free to use your preferred yogurt.
- Tahini: tahini adds a nuttiness to the dressing. If you don't have tahini or don't like it, you can sub almond butter.
- Cayenne: this dressing is SPICY - reduce the amount of cayenne for a more mild dressing
- Salt
How to make Air-Fryer Cauliflower Rice Bowls
Step 1. Make your preferred protein. I recommend Smoky Tofu or Air Fried Tempeh.
Step 2. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Line the air fryer base/rack with aluminum foil.
Step 3. Toss the cauliflower rice with paprika, cumin, and cayenne.
Step 4. Place in foil-lined air fryer and cook 15-20 minutes until warmed through and a crispy layer forms on top.
Step 5. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Mix the yogurt, tahini, cayenne, and salt.
Step 6. When the cauliflower rice is cooked, assemble the bowls. Place a bed of rice in the bottom of the bowl. Top with protein, edamame, cabbage, and red onion. Drizzle with the tahini yogurt dressing and top with sesame seeds and scallions. Enjoy!
FAQ & Expert Tips
Mix up the flavors of your air fryer cauliflower rice! Try these spice combos:
- Smoky: soy sauce, maple syrup, & liquid smoke
- Cheesy: nutritional yeast & paprika
- Cilantro Lime: chopped fresh cilantro & fresh lime juice
- Curry: curry powder & cumin
- Pesto: basil, nutritional yeast & lemon juice
- Asian: rice vinegar, ginger, soy sauce
I'm calling these bowls "Air Fryer Cauliflower Rice Bowls" but you definitely don't need an air fryer to make them. An air fryer or convection oven allows you to create a super crispy texture much quicker than a regular oven, BUT if you only have a regular oven, you CAN still make these bowls delicious!
Make your cauliflower rice in the oven. Bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes. Then turn on the broiler for 3-5 minutes to get the rice extra crisp.
I recommend storing the components of these bowls separately. This makes it easier to reheat!
To reheat air fryer cauliflower rice, place the rice back in the foil-lined air fryer and cook at 350°F for 5 minutes, until crisp.
You can also re-warm the protein and edamame in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes. Or just in the microwave.
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for this food. We are grateful to have access to foods that fuel our bodies. Amen.
More Healthy Air Frier Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Cauliflower Rice Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Frozen Cauliflower Rice thawed enough so it can be spread in one layer (see post for fresh rice instructions)
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Paprika
- ½ Teaspoon Cayenne
- 1 Recipe Smoky Tofu or Air Fried Tempeh or your preferred protein
- 1 Cup Frozen Edamame defrosted
- ¾ Cup Thinly Sliced Red Cabbage
- ½ Medium Cucumber sliced
- ¼ Medium Red Onion sliced
- To Serve: sesame seeds, scallions
Dressing
- ½ Cup Non-Dairy Yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon Tahini
- ½ Teaspoon Cayenne *this dressing is SPICY - reduce the amount of cayenne for a more mild dressing
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Make your preferred protein. I recommend Smoky Tofu or Air Fried Tempeh.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Line the air fryer base/rack with aluminum foil.
- Toss the cauliflower rice with paprika, cumin, and cayenne.
- Place in foil-lined air fryer and cook 15-20 minutes until warmed through and a crispy layer forms on top.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. Mix the yogurt, tahini, cayenne, and salt.
- When the cauliflower rice is cooked, assemble the bowls. Place a bed of rice in the bottom of the bowl. Top with protein, edamame, cabbage, and red onion. Drizzle with the tahini yogurt dressing and top with sesame seeds and scallions. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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