Broccoli Rice

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Broccoli rice is a great way to use up the entire broccoli, including the stalk. Not only is it a delicious side dish, but the smaller size makes it extremely versatile and easy to sneak into everyday meals, such as scrambles, wraps, stir-frys and bowls.

Broccoli rice in a white bowl with spoon.

The Many Benefits Of Broccoli

Cauliflower rice has been a long time favorite for a healthy, low-carb alternative. But it’s cruciferous cousin can’t be ignored. Broccoli is brimming with vitamin C, fiber, and beneficial antioxidants. Which is why it’s been a part of my daily dose of anti-inflammatory foods.

Aside from that, it can be cooked numerous ways. You can roast it, steam it, and of course – rice it. Once you sauté it with some garlic and shallots, the flavor and texture is pretty irresistible. Eat it as a simple side or keep reading for more ways to serve and meal prep broccoli rice.

How To Make Broccoli Rice

After testing a few ways to make this, I find that using a food processor creates the best texture. It becomes light and fluffy, resembling (green) grains of rice.

  1. Slice the broccoli head into small florets.
  2. Trim the woody parts of the stalk using a Y-peeler. Then chop it into 1 inch pieces. Make sure to do this as you don’t want chunky or mushy bits.
  3. Pulse the broccoli in a food processor until it becomes rice-sized bits.

But if you don’t have a food processor, using a blender or knife works just fine.

  • Blender Method: Cut the broccoli into small pieces and place in the Vitamix. Then pulse until it resembles grains of rice. Scrape down the sides along the way to make sure everything is blended.
  • Knife Method: Simply chopping the broccoli into small grains will do the trick. Just note that this step will take a bit longer.

Making broccoli rice in a food processor.

Different Ways To Cook It

Just like my cauliflower rice, I love to give broccoli a quick sauté. It quickly turns the cruciferous taste into a savory one.

Just heat some olive oil in a pan, and sauté diced garlic and shallots for one minute. Then add in the broccoli rice, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.

For a more crisp texture, try oven roasting it. First, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. On a baking sheet, toss the rice with olive oil, minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Then roast for about 25 minutes until the edges are slightly golden. Top it off with a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped parsley.

Broccoli rice in a pan on the stove.

Serve Broccoli Rice With…

Just about anything! Whichever rice dish you’re thinking of, broccoli can take its place for a light yet veggie-heavy meal. Here’s a few ways to do it.

Meal Prep And Storage Tips

Broccoli rice makes meal prepping easy. Store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Then pop it in the microwave for about one minute when you want to eat.

If you want to freeze, divide the raw broccoli rice into Stasher Bags or containers. It’ll keep for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, just toss the frozen broccoli rice into a sauté pan and follow the instructions below.

Broccoli rice in a serving bowl with a spoon.

More Easy Vegetable Side Dishes

Looking for more ways to whip up vegetables in an instant? Try these recipes that turn simple ingredients into a savory side dish.

Broccoli rice in a serving bowl on a table.

Easy Broccoli Rice

5 from 13 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Broccoli rice transforms into a warm, savory, and fluffy side dish. It's an easy and delicious way to sneak more greens into your meals.

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 head broccoli, washed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Slice the broccoli head in half and use a knife to remove all the florets.
  • Remove the woody parts from the broccoli stalk using a y-peeler. Then chop the stalk into 1 inch pieces.
  • Place all broccoli pieces into a food processor and pulse until the it's broken up into tiny rice-sized pieces. I recommend placing the stalk pieces into the food processor first, so they'll be chopped up more.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the shallot and garlic for one minute.
  • Add the broccoli rice to the pan and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Lisa's Tips

  • This recipe yields about 2-3 cups of broccoli rice, depending on the size of your broccoli head.

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 501mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 947IU | Vitamin C: 136mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli rice, broccoli rice recipe, how to make broccoli rice
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

5 from 13 votes

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30 Comments

  1. Hello! This is great! I would love to try this on my own. Can you share what food processor you use or recommend?

  2. I am officially a broccoli rice convert, It is so tasty in a stir fry. I am gradually working my way through your recipes. Keep them coming!5 stars

  3. Great! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for your recipe5 stars

    1. The Broccoli Rice recipe was a pleasure, and all who ate it liked it. Thanks for having recipes with vegetables, it was nice to try something new! Much appreciated.😊5 stars

  4. What a unique recipe, I never thought I’d cook “rice” this way lol.
    It seems healthy and good for keto eater. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!5 stars

      1. Just tried this as I had broccoli on hand. Really fabulous! Very easy to make. Thank you Lisa!5 stars

  5. Thanks for the recipe. Definitely going to give it a try! Just wanted to confirm, for meal prep, do you store the blended broccoli and only cook it when ready to eat?

    1. Hi Sherelle- Yes you can do it that way or cook it and store away if you are planning to eat within a few days.

  6. hello, i love your videos, i am going to start eating healthy, and take care of myself, but I need to make my grocery list, can you help me? where shall I start, what do I need?

    1. Hi Veronica! You can take a peek at my pantry staples post to see a few ingredients I always have stocked!

  7. I’m in love with broccoli but never made broccoli rice before! It looks delicious.
    Can’t wait to try this recipe :)

  8. I never heard of this. I will definitely try this because broccoli is quite healthy. Thank you for sharing the recipe with us.5 stars

  9. What a great texture of this broccoli rice! I made it for our lunch today: it was a hit. Well, it brings more green veggies to our table!5 stars

  10. I always love healthy alternatives to any meal and this was no exception! Even my picky eaters enjoyed this recipes! Delicious!5 stars

  11. This is such a unique way to prepare broccoli. I’ve roasted them, steamed them, stir-fried them, but this is the first time I prepared broccoli like this. My family loved it!5 stars