Low Carb Burrito Bowl

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Keto Mexican cauliflower rice burrito bowl with juicy pork chops al pastor marinade.

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keto burrito bowl

Cauliflower Rice

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I love this keto burrito bowl recipe because it swaps out starchy, carby rice with low carb cauliflower rice. The cauliflower rice has Mexican inspired flavors and is the perfect base for the keto burrito bowl. You can by pre-made cauliflower rice at the store, but I prefer to use the large setting of a box grater and make it at home.

Sometimes the texture of the riced cauliflower you buy at the store is too dry or tough. That’s because they use the stalks, but the texture is much better when you grate the cauliflower at home – and its cheaper. 😉

One of the most important tips for building flavor with this cauliflower rice is to cook the spices in the oil for 1-2 minutes. This blooms the essential oils and turns the flavors up a few notches. Always cook your spices in the pan before adding any liquids.

Cauliflower Rice Recipes

I have many recipes for cauliflower rice on my site and have really come to love the texture. It’s like a blank canvas as you can add lots of flavor to it. The key for cauliflower rice is not to overcook it. I only cook the rice for 4-5 minutes. That way it still has some texture left to it. You want to cook the raw flavor away, but not cook it long enough that the cauliflower get soggy.

If you are looking more cauliflower rice recipes, you should check this turmeric cauliflower rice cooked in coconut milk, coconut cashew cauliflower rice, and cauliflower fried rice.

Look at the color of the keto rice as soon as it’s added to the pan. It takes on the colors of the spices and looks just like Mexican dirty rice, but without all of the carbs! Make sure to read my recipe closely because it like to only cook the keto rice for 4-5 minutes, just long enough to get rid of the raw flavor, but still have a bit of texture left.

Pork Chop Marinade

I am a huge fan of dry rub marinade using spices. They add a ton of flavor and help form the most crusty of crusts. This marinade for pork chops is really easy. It has smoked paprika, cumin, and ancho chile powder – this combo of those spices will add insane flavor to the chops.

Just make sure to allow the pork chop marinade to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. We never cook cold chops because they can be tough and cook unevenly. Plus, that time on the counter will allow the spices to infused all of their yummy goodness in to the pork chops.

Keto Burrito Bowl

The crusty pork chops that get sliced and put on top of the keto burrito bowl are just heavenly! They have an al pastor marinade, and if you want to achieve really crusty, juicy pork chops, make sure you use a preheated cast iron pan. You want the chops to start sizzling as soon as they hit the pan. This burrito bowl is low carb, easy to make, and makes 5 servings for meal prep for the week.

The key to pork chops is to let them rest for 5 minutes after they are finished cooking. Otherwise if you cut into the chops right away, the juices will run out and the pork will get dry. This is true for all proteins. Let them rest, especially biggest cuts and roasts, which can rest for 0-10 minutes.

For this recipe I use some really good extra virgin olive oil. Make sure to use my promo link to get your first bottle for only $1 from the olive oil club: http://bit.ly/2yWv3pL

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keto burrito bowl

Keto Burrito Bowl

Course: Main Course
Keyword: burrito, burrito bowl, keto
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Author: Bobby Parrish
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Ingredients

For the cauliflower rice:

  • 2 medium size heads of cauliflower
  • ½ onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon each smoked paprika ancho chile powder, & cumin
  • ¼ cup water or chicken stock
  • 1-2 tablespoons freshy cilantro or parsley chopped
  • Zest & juice of half a lime
  • Avocado or grapeseed oil
  • Kosher salt & black pepper

For the pork chops:

  • 5 boneless pork chops about 5 ounces each
  • 1 teaspoon each smoked paprika ancho chile powder, & cumin
  • Avocado or grapeseed oil
  • Kosher salt & black pepper

For the toppings:

  • 1-2 avocados
  • 1 red or green bell peppers diced
  • 5 cups of romaine lettuce finely sliced
  • 2 medium size tomatoes diced
  • ½ cup full fat sour cream
  • ½ cup full fat shredded cheese like jack or mozzarella
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt & black pepper

Instructions

  1. Make the spice rub for the pork chops by combining the paprika, ancho, and cumin in a small bowl, mix well. Season the pork chops with a generous pinch of salt and spice rub on both sides, making sure to rub the spices all around and then drizzle over 1 tablespoon oil. Let the pork chops sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, start the cauliflower rice by grating the cauliflower using the largest setting on a box grater. Try to only grate the florets, not too much of the stalks. Pre-heat the largest pan you have just above medium heat for 2 minutes along with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon salt, a couple cracks of pepper, and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes then add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add the paprika, ancho, cumin, and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the water or chicken stock, mix well and cook for 30 seconds. Add all the cauliflower rice, ½ teaspoon salt, and couple cracks of pepper, and mix very well. Cover the pan with a lid or a large sheet tray, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring once. Remove cover from pan and taste the rice, if the texture is too raw, allow to cook another 1 minute, if it feels good, turn the heat off. Add the lime zest, lime juice, cilantro/parsley, mix well, check for seasoning, and set aside.
  3. Cook the pork chops by pre-heating a large pan, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, wait 20 seconds, then add half of the chops. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until a nice crust has formed, flip and cook another 4 minutes then remove from pan. Repeat with remaining chops. Pork chops overcook very easily, so make sure to pull them from the pan as soon as they are done.
  4. Chop and prep the toppings ahead of time and assemble to burrito bowl the day you want to eat it or right before eating it. I like to season the chopped tomatoes with really good extra virgin olive oil and lime juice. Top the cauliflower rice with sliced pork chops and the toppings, enjoy!
  5. Everything will keep in the fridge for 5 days or can be frozen for 2-3 months. The best way to reheat the rice and chops is in a 350 F oven for 8-10 minutes, if using a microwave, cover the container with a wet paper towel and make sure not to overheat or the food will dry out.

Recipe Notes

Macros per serving of cauliflower rice, makes 5 servings:
86 calories
5 grams of net carbs
3.2 grams of fat
4.4 grams of protein
4.2 grams of fiber

Macros per pork chop:
269 calories
0 carbs
11.1 grams of fat
36.8 grams of protein
0 fiber

Macros per serving of all toppings, makes 5 servings:
241 calories
4.94 grams of net carbs
20.8 grams of fat
6.2 grams of protein
3.65 grams of fiber

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34 thoughts on “Low Carb Burrito Bowl”

  1. Bridgette

    So I tried this recipe!!!!! It was so so good!!!! Felt very healthy and everything complimented each another nicely. Only things I changed were I used lemon instead of lime, and California chili powder instead of the ancho chili powder because that is what I had. My husband loved it too so we are saving this recipe. Thank you!!!!

    Reply
  2. Miriam

    For someone that does not like cauliflower, I was amazed at how delicious this actually was. It is all about adding a variety of flavors to our veggies! I definitely plan on preparing this meal in the future. It was absolutely delish!

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      Fantastic to hear Miriam! I often tell people who think they dont like cauli. or brussels sprouts, to try my recipes..they are very diff. from the boiled, bland veggies you may have grown up with 😉

      Reply
  3. Casey Lohman

    I make this weekly now! I never have enough to meal prep with because I share with so many friends! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

    Reply
  4. Anna

    This recipe is awesome!! I now use this method of cooking cauliflower rice for so many different meals!! Burrito bowls have been a fave of mine since watching what i eat, but i had been cooking coriander and lime brown rice (in a tiny portion!). Now the cauliflower rice substitute makes such a difference and i prefer it to rice! Curries, butter chicken, burrito bowls and any other ‘rice’ dishes are amazing with this cauliflower rice, i just switch around the seasonings 🙂

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      Yes, that would be great! Figure 5 ounces of ground beef for each portion, so just under 2 pounds for 5 servings of meal prep.

      Reply
  6. Natalie

    Loved this recipe!!! It felt like i was eating a traditional burrito bowl but without the carbs! The tip to add lime juice, salt and olive oil on the tomatoes is brilliant coz it makes the all taste so much better!! So happy i discovered this, I’ll going to make it regularly 🙂

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      Woo-hoo Nat! It;s always the little things in life that make the big difference 😉 So glad you love it!

      Reply
  7. Cherron Williamson

    This recipe was heaven sent!!! This was my first time with cauliflower rice and making a balanced Keto meal…I am hooked! I used regular ol’ Paprika and Chili Powder because that’s what I had in the cabinets. Oh yea, bone-in pork chops too. Nothing lacked in flavor so don’t feel like you are missing out if that’s all you have available. I truly felt like that I was not missing out on carbs (which I MUST have at every meal). It left me feeling full and satisfied. Also, my Mom loved the dish and is already planning for me to make it again LOL.

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      If mom liked it, that is a big sign of approval! Way to roll with the spices yu had, that is what cooking is all about 😉

      Reply
  8. Sal

    Finally decided to try cauliflower-anything and I must say…this turned out amazing!!! Great flavors all around and extremely delicious! I was really surprised at how tasty the cauliflower rice was and that I ate the entire serving. Also, your videos make it very easy and enjoyable to follow along. I’ll definitely make this again and look forward to making another dish from your website. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  9. Nombuso

    This was delicious, didn’t have the chilli you talking about so it worked with cayenne pepper, also added cinnamon powder grated onions and garlic flakes to the meat rub and grilled it in the oven. Also used home made cream cheese instead of sour cream… (used sour milk to makethe cheese so it has the flavor of sour cream)

    Reply
  10. WENDY ARDING

    Great recipe! I omitted the tomatoes and used a spicy sausage I got from the farmers market that has no fillers or sugars. I loved it….especially the rice! Thanks for sharing this gem with us

    Reply
  11. Luke

    So far we have done the chicken fried “rice” , the cold cauliflower and broccoli salad…. loved them!
    My question is on this particular recipe cad we sub chicken thighs for the pork chops?

    Reply
    1. Bobby Parrish

      Jessica, yes you can use a food processor for sure. The frozen cauliflower rice tends to be mushy once cooked, so I wouldn’t recommend ti.

      Reply
      1. Margie

        Hi Bobby. We made this for dinner last night and it was amazing! (I didn’t have pork chops so I used boneless skinless chicken thighs,) My husband said this was better than eating out! Healthier too! Thanks for all your great recipes!

        Reply
        1. Bobby Parrish

          This is what I love to hear! Cooking at home is tasty and much healthier than going out! Your chicken-sub sounds delicious! Chicken thighs FTW! Keep on cookin’!

          Reply
  15. Katie

    Another great recipe. It tastes just like the burrito bowl I get at Chipotle. My meat and potatoes husband and 3 teenagers loved it. Thanks for great tasting meal ideas that are healthy.

    Reply
  16. Donna

    Love your recipes. This came in handy tonight. I had some steak that I had cut in strips for fajitas and needed something to do with them. I came across this and it was very tasty. Thank you for helping me still make something yummy even though I was “backing up and punting” .lol

    Reply

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