Description
Spicy cauliflower rice with ground turkey brings zesty Mexican-inspired flavors to your dinner table. Lean protein and low-carb vegetable base create a satisfying meal you’ll want to savor again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) ground turkey (93% lean recommended)
- 3 cups cauliflower rice (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced (red or green)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chicken broth (or water)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ avocado, sliced (optional)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté Foundation: In a large skillet, caramelize onions and bell peppers in olive oil until softened, creating a flavor-rich base for the dish.
- Aromatic Infusion: Introduce minced garlic, allowing its essence to permeate the vegetables, then add ground turkey, breaking it into uniform crumbles and cooking until golden-brown.
- Spice Transformation: Coat the meat with a dynamic spice blend of chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and red pepper flakes, creating a multilayered flavor profile.
- Moisture and Depth: Blend tomato paste into the meat, then pour chicken broth over cauliflower rice, ensuring complete coverage and even distribution.
- Simmering Integration: Cook the mixture until cauliflower rice reaches al dente texture and liquid reduces, concentrating the robust flavors.
- Finishing Touch: Remove from heat, brighten with fresh lime juice, and garnish with chopped cilantro, serving alongside creamy avocado slices for a vibrant, zesty completion.
Notes
- Customize Spice Levels: Adjust cayenne and red pepper flakes according to personal heat tolerance, creating a personalized spice experience without overwhelming flavors.
- Prevent Soggy Cauliflower: Pat cauliflower rice thoroughly with paper towels before cooking to remove excess moisture, ensuring a light, fluffy texture and preventing waterlogged results.
- Enhance Protein Absorption: Allow ground turkey to sit in spice mixture for 10 minutes before cooking, enabling deeper flavor penetration and more robust seasoning throughout the meat.
- Optimize Nutritional Boost: Consider adding diced bell peppers or spinach during final cooking stages to increase vegetable content and create a more nutrient-dense one-pan meal with added color and texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 265
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg