Spicy Cauliflower Dirty Rice is easy to make and has all the flavors that people love in Dirty Rice, without the carbs. And this Cauliflower Dirty Rice is a wonderful spicy dish that’s a perfect way to enjoy some New Orleans cuisine at home.
PIN the Cauliflower Dirty Rice recipe to try it later!
Spicy Cauliflower Dirty Rice is a low-carb version of Dirty Rice, a Creole or Cajun dish that combines white rice with onions, green pepper, sausage or ground beef, and (optional) chicken livers. And Mardi Gras is next week, and if you can’t travel to New Orleans, I highly recommend making some of this cauliflower dirty rice at home.
Admittedly this recipe isn’t authentic Louisiana Dirty Rice of course, because it uses frozen cauliflower rice and spicy Italian sausage instead of the more traditional ingredients, but this low-carb take on dirty rice is absolutely delicious! And the flavors will remind you of Louisiana Dirty Rice, I promise!
I first made this with Jake and Kara on a day when it was really dark outside and I had a miserable time trying to get good photos. And I was thinking I’d make it again and try to improve the pictures, but then the next day I pulled the leftovers out of the fridge, heated it up, took one bite, and decided I needed to share the recipe right away! I hope you’ll try the recipe whether you’ve enjoyed Dirty Rice in New Orleans, or would just like to find a new way to cook cauliflower rice.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- uncooked hot Italian turkey or pork sausage
- chopped chicken livers (completely optional, although they are traditional in Dirty Rice)
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- green pepper
- yellow onion
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link), minced garlic from a jar is fine for this recipe
- frozen cauliflower rice
- Spike Seasoning (affiliate link)
- cayenne pepper (affiliate link) or Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- green onions (optional)
How low in carbs is the cauliflower dirty rice?
This delicious version of dirty rice made with cauliflower has only about 5 net carbs per serving and 6 grams of protein, so enjoy!
What gives this cauliflower dirty rice the Louisiana flavors?
Years ago I taught school with a teacher from Louisiana who taught me to love Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (affiliate link), and that’s the ingredient I used to give this low-carb dirty rice the flavors that are traditional in this dish.
Do you have to use chicken livers in this cauliflower dirty rice?
Traditional Dirty Rice recipes often have chicken livers, and although I do like chicken livers, they are completely optional for this recipe.
What other sausage can you use in Cauliflower Dirty Rice?
If you want even more spicy flavor, Cajun Andouille Sausage would be delicious in the dirty rice, but any type of slightly-spicy pork, turkey, or chicken sausage that you like will be good here.
More Recipes for Mardi Gras:
If you’d like a few more ideas for dishes that would be good to cook on Mardi Gras, check out Spicy Broiled Shrimp, Chicken and Sausage Stew (with Andouille Sausage), Spicy Air Fryer Fish with Remoulade Sauce, or Creole Pork Chops with Tomato-Pepper Relish. And if you don’t care so much about the carbs you could try Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice or Red Beans and Rice Soup!
How to make Spicy Cauliflower Dirty Rice:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Start by browning the spicy Italian sausage in a little olive oil until it’s completely cooked through and nicely browned.
- Chicken livers are totally optional, but if you want to add some, chop them finely and add to the pan when the sausage is nearly done. I’d use about 1/2 cup chopped chicken livers.)
- While sausage cooks, cut up the green pepper (or two if you’re a green pepper fan) and one yellow onion.
- Remove cooked sausage to a plate, add a little more olive oil, and cook the chopped green pepper and onion over medium-high heat until they’re starting to soften, about 4 minutes.
- Then add the minced garlic and cook a minute or two more.
- Break apart the frozen cauliflower rice inside the bag, then open and add it to the skillet.
- Cook over high heat, turning often, until the rice is cooked through and excess water has evaporated. This will take 7-8 minutes for most cauliflower rice.
- Then add the cooked sausage back into the pan and gently stir into the rice. Add the Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), salt, and pepper.
- Taste for spiciness, and add a little Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (affiliate link) or Cayenne Pepper if you’d like it a bit spicier. Cook 3-4 minutes more, or until the sausage is heated through.
- Garnish the Cauliflower Dirty Rice with sliced green onions and serve hot.
Want more dinner ideas with cauliflower rice?
You can check out Keto Cauliflower Rice Recipes and Cauliflower Rice Casserole Recipes for lots more ideas using cauliflower rice.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
I would happily eat a bowl of this Spicy Cauliflower Dirty Rice and call it a one-dish meal, but if you wanted to add more protein this would taste great with Slow Roasted Salmon with Butter, Garlic, Capers, and Lemon, or Herb-Marinated Air Fryer Chicken Thighs.
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe makes eight servings of low-carb dirty rice so it’s perfect for the category I call Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can make on the weekend and have some left to eat during the week!
Yield: 8 side dish servings
Spicy Cauliflower Dirty Rice
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Total Time 36 minutes
If you like Dirty Rice but don't want so many carbs, you have to try this Spicy Cauliflower Dirty Rice with only 5 net carbs per serving!
Ingredients
- 1 19.5 oz package uncooked hot Italian turkey sausage or pork sausage
- 1/2 cup finely chopped chicken livers (completely optional, but traditional in Dirty Rice)
- 2 tsp. + 1 T olive oil
- 1 green pepper chopped (see notes)
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 T minced garlic (Minced garlic from a jar is fine for this recipe.)
- 20 oz. frozen cauliflower rice (see notes)
- 1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (or use any all-purpose seasoning that you like)
- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper or 1/2 tsp. Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (more or less to taste)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- sliced green onions for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, and when the oil is hot squeeze the sausage out of the casings, break apart with a turner, and cook until sausage is completely cooked through and nicely browned.
- If you want to add chicken livers, chop them finely and add to the pan when the sausage is nearly done.
- While sausage cooks, cut up the green pepper (or two if you're a green pepper fan) and one yellow onion.
- When sausage is done, remove cooked sausage to a plate, add the one tablespoon of olive oil, and cook the chopped green pepper and onion over medium-high heat until they're starting to soften, about 4 minutes. (Don't worry if it seems like too much olive oil, because you'll be adding the cauliflower rice.
- When the onions are starting to brown, add the minced garlic and cook a minute or two more.
- Break apart the frozen cauliflower rice inside the bag, then open and add it to the skillet. Turn heat to high and cook the cauliflower rice mixture, turning often, until the rice is cooked through and excess water has evaporated. This will take about 7-8 minutes for most cauliflower rice.
- Then add the cooked sausage back into the pan and gently stir into the rice. Season with Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), salt, and pepper. Taste for spiciness, and add a little creole seasoning (affiliate link) or Cayenne Pepper if you'd like it a bit spicier.
- Cook the mixture 3-4 minutes more on high (or medium high if it seems like it is getting too hot). Cook until the sausage is heated through.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and serve hot.
- The will keep in the fridge for a day or two and can be reheated in the microwave or in a hot frying pan.
Notes
Use two green peppers if you're really a fan.
We used two 10 oz. packages of frozen cauliflower rice. If you're using frozen cauliflower rice from a big bag you need about 5 1/2 cups.
I love Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (affiliate link) and would use that for this dish if you have some, but Cayenne Pepper will be fine if you don't want to buy another seasoning mix.
This recipe was inspired by Slow Cooker Spicy Brown Rice with Sausage and Peppers and tested with Jake and Kara.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8
Serving Size
1
Amount Per Serving Calories 103Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 64mgSodium 461mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Did you make this recipe?
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© Kalyn Denny
Category: Easy to Cook
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Spicy Cauliflower Dirty Rice is a good dish for any low-glycemic or low-carb diet, including Keto and also for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. South Beach would prefer turkey or chicken Italian sausage if you can find that.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Side Dishes to find more tasty ideas with cauliflower. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This cauliflower dirty rice recipe was first posted in 2019. It’s been hugely popular on the site, and was last updated with more information in 2025.
