Low-Carb Mexican Cauliflower Patties
These Mexican low carb cauliflower patties are gluten-free, vegetarian, and deceptively easy to make! The Mexican spices transform this vegetable into a main dish that’s bursting with flavor. They taste so good they will disappear in a flash!
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe for Low Carb Cauliflower Patties
These Mexican cauliflower patties are everything! They’re so great that my kids ate them for an afternoon snack and then wanted to eat the entire pan even though they were supposed to be our dinner. To be honest, I ate so many while doing the dishes that there actually weren’t any left for dinner. Oh well!
This actually seems to be a recurring theme in my household when it comes to cauliflower, and don’t even get us started on air fryer recipes! We’re always gobbling up air fryer buffalo cauliflower wings, air fryer bang bang cauliflower, and classically simple air fryer cauliflower! Then, on particularly cold days, we warm ourselves from the inside out with Instant Pot Cream of Cauliflower Soup.
Cauliflower really does put in a lot of work for our family, doesn’t it? Well, that’s not going to stop anytime soon, especially since I created this healthy cauliflower fritter recipe! The flavoring of these patties is irresistible, so I hereby give you permission to enjoy them whenever the mood strikes. They transcend meal times!
Key Ingredients for These Low Carb Cauliflower Patties
Cauliflower
Purchase fresh cauliflower that is creamy white with florets free from blemishes, browning, and wet spots. It’s safe to say that if they don’t smell like the familiar cauliflower smell – steer clear! For this recipe, I used a small head of cauliflower chopped into large florets.
Mexican Spice
The spice makes these patties so delicious. It’s a seemingly small amount, but don’t neglect it! I used this one from a teeny tiny spice company Mexican spice blends to make these. I highly recommend ordering a tin because they’re awesome and they make healthy cooking easier.
(Once you buy the tin, you can also use it for these recipes: Chicken Chilaquiles, Chicken Fajita Salad, Easy Mexican Sauteed Peppers.)
You can also use any Mexican spice blend from your grocery store, or you can make your own by mixing together: 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon.
Additional Ingredients
- Scallions
- Eggs
- Cilantro
- Almond flour
- Salt, plus coarse kosher salt to serve
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Coconut oil
- Lime wedges
Step by Step Instructions to Make These Healthy Cauliflower Patties
Step 1: Heat Water and Oven
Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Step 2: Steam Cauliflower and Combine Other Ingredients
Add cauliflower to the steamer basket, cover, and steam until the cauliflower is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove basket from the saucepan and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir scallions, eggs, cilantro, almond flour, spice mix, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 3: Puree Cauliflower and Combine Spice Mixture
Puree the cauliflower in a food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment until the cauliflower is paste-like, and becomes a little moist. It will not be completely smooth, more like small grains of rice. Add the cauliflower to the spice mixture and stir to combine. Add the cheddar and mix in evenly.
Step 4: Cook Cauliflower Fritters
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Mound scant ¼ cup portions of the cauliflower mixture into the oil. Cover with a lid and cook, adjusting heat to prevent scorching if necessary, until the cauliflower patties are set up and the bottoms are browned, 5 to 7 minutes. (If the patties seem like they will break apart they are not ready to flip.) Carefully flip the patties over and continue cooking until the second side is browned, and the patties are cooked through.
Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 4 portions of the remaining cauliflower mixture, adjusting the heat if necessary.
Step 5: Keep Patties Warm and Serve
Transfer the patties to the baking sheet and transfer them to the oven to keep warm. Serve with lime wedges and kosher salt.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Use a cooler skillet than you think! These patties have high-fat almond flour and cheese, both of which brown readily. To keep them from getting too dark, keep the temp low. Medium heat is good to start, but halfway through the first batch of patties, you’ll probably have to reduce the heat a bit. If the pan starts to smoke a bit, you’ll know that it’s time to drop it down.
The cheese in these patties has to melt, and the egg has to cook to hold the filling together to make them structurally sound enough to flip. You’ll know if they’re not ready if they seem like they are going to break apart when you go to flip them.
For a low-carb vegetarian meal with a southwest flavor these patties are great with grain-free Keto Cornbread and Sauteed Mexican Peppers. For meat eaters, serve them with Grilled Sirloin with Chimichurri or Roasted Crispy Skin Chicken.
Additional Low Carb Cauliflower Recipes to Try
- All you have to do is chop, steam, and season this Simple Steamed Cauliflower with Herbs. It’s the perfect healthy way to round out a meal.
- If you haven’t tried making Cauliflower Rice from scratch yet, you’ll see how easy it is and the texture is even better than frozen.
- This Curry Roasted Cauliflower will inspire anyone to eat their vegetables.
- Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Cheese is the perfect side dish with the easiest clean-up!
- The texture and taste of this Cauliflower Hummus are spot on! You’ll never believe it wasn’t made with chickpeas.
- If you’re looking for more, check out 15 Healthy Cauliflower Recipes!
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Low-Carb Mexican Cauliflower Patties
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 patties 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Mexican low carb cauliflower patties are gluten-free, vegetarian, and deceptively easy to make! The Mexican spices transform this vegetable into a main dish that’s bursting with flavor. They taste so good they will disappear in a flash!
Ingredients
- 1 small head cauliflower, cored and chopped into large florets
- 3 scallions minced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon Mexican spice mix (I used this one)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus coarse kosher salt to serve
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Add cauliflower to the steamer basket, cover and steam until the cauliflower is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove basket from saucepan and allow to cool 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir scallions, eggs, cilantro, almond flour, spice mix and salt in a medium bowl.
- Puree the cauliflower in a food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment until the cauliflower is paste-like, and becomes a little moist. It will not be completely smooth, more like small grains of rice. Add the cauliflower to the spice mixture and stir to combine. Add the cheddar and mix in evenly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Mound scant ¼ cup portions of the cauliflower mixture into the oil. Cover with a lid and cook, adjusting heat to prevent scorching if necessary, until the cauliflower patties are set up and the bottoms are browned, 5 to 7 minutes. (If the patties seem like they will break apart they are not ready to flip.) Carefully flip the patties over and continue cooking until the second side is browned, and the patties are cooked through. Transfer the patties to the baking sheet and transfer to the oven to keep warm.
- Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 4 portions of remaining cauliflower mixture, adjusting the heat if necessary. Serve with lime wedges and kosher salt.
Notes
Note: The cheese in these patties has to melt, and the egg has to cook to hold the filling together to make them structurally sound enough to flip. You’ll know if they’re not ready if they seem like they are going to break apart when you go to flip them.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 patties, scant 1/4 cup each
- Calories: 266
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 393 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
Additional Mexican-Inspired Recipes
- Black Bean Hummus is the perfect party appetizer or plant-based snack!
- This Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is a delicious family-friendly meal and it’s so simple to make in the crockpot.
- Love big salads from chain restaurant but don’t want all the excess calories? Same! That’s why I developed this big Healthy Taco Salad which totally satisfies but won’t break the calorie bank.
- 30-Minute Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash is a superb vegetarian main course, and they only take 30 minutes to make!
- If you want something naturally gluten-free, paleo, and vegan that you can make in only 10 minutes, Easy Mexican Sautéed Peppers are the way to go.
So delicious! The flavors and textures work perfectly in these patties and they are amazing~
Thanks Wilhemina! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Even my picky 12 year old loved this! Thank you!
Hi I cooked these on a nonstick pan with more than 2 tbs coconut oil and they stick like crazy. Any thoughts? Could I bake them?
That’s troubling! I am sorry to hear that. I am not sure what could have cause that. They are fragile but I was able to get my spatula under them without a problem. One thought is possibly it is time to replace your non-stick skillet? They do wear out pretty quickly. I do think you could bake them for sure, but I worry that without the oil they may taste a little less exciting. If you don’t think it is your pan, try baking on parchment at 400 for 15 minutes.
Hi! So I made these and they were absolutely delicious, thank you so much. Just a quick question- what is a “small” head of cauliflower? Somehow I got 13 1/4-cup patties out of mine. I know it doesn’t really matter, but I’m trying to be super conscious of what goes in and out. Thank you!
I’m thrilled to hear you liked them Rachel. I don’t have a head of cauliflower here in front of me to check, but I would estimate it to be 4 to 5 inches in diameter. I’ve seen some cauliflower that is 7+ inches in diameter.
What a great set-up, save the running up and down the stairs for last minute things. That would definitely cover my daily workouts though! Tethered shooting has changed my work-flow to being more efficient; I can edit more quickly too. I shoot in my dining room and kitchen where the light is good, but I’ve been struggling with too much light and bounce from my floors. They’re wood, but cast a reddish hue. I”m in the process of getting sheers hung to combat that problem. These patties are fabulous! Cauliflower is so versatile, and delicious. I love the Mexican spices you’ve added too. Delicious my dear!
The Bounce!! That is my biggest struggle right now. I’ve been noticing it the most when I am shooting something backlight at the end of the day in relatively low light. The walls (which are gold) bounce back a warmer light on the dark/shadow side, which is a different temp than the cool spring light coming in from the windows. Now I am trying to figure out how to block the ambient light from the room. It’s always something isn’t it! Ha ha. Thanks so much for visiting Traci. Have a great day.
My food photography studio has moved all over the house trying to find lighting. Here in Seattle it’s tough to shoot in natural light – we don’t have much of it throughout the seasons. I’m not sure my hubby would go for the bedroom though. I love that cauliflower has made a comeback and used in so many creative dishes. These patties look fantastic!
Yeah, the bedroom thing started as a trial, and years later I finally realized I needed to change it. So glad to be in my office now, even with the lighting problems. Thanks for visiting.
These look delicious!
Thanks so much Bethany.
Girl, your husband is lucky you have your “studio” in one place. My props and backgrounds are ALL OVER our apartment. haha
These look awesome. My stomach is definitely grumbling. I kind of want to eat my computer screen! Bookmarking to make soon! Thanks!
He is so relieved to have it all compressed now! That’s for sure. Thank you for visiting today!
As you say, daylight dictates the day. I shoot during the day when the light is the best, in my living room and kitchen. And how you ever thought about “bomb diggy”? Could be worth a shot…
Oh my goodness. Lol Fernando. No, I should give it a go. Ha ha.
Someone recently suggested to me that I should shoot in my bedroom since my downstairs lighting isn’t very good. The idea of food in my bedroom freaks me out since I live in the city where pests aren’t super uncommon. My food lighting must suffer but it gives me more peace of mind, haha.
The light is much nicer in my room, but I am okay with the change. For now. Thank you for visiting Jess. Have a great day.
I had made our front “living room” my photo studio for ever and my husband HATED it. Seriously. It was like “an issue” for us. I’ve since transitioned everything up to my office, so that it’s tucked away and nobody can see the mess. The trade off… there’s only one tiny little window 🙁 I’ve succumbed to the need for artificial light and it’s been liberating. I know I don’t get the quality that I would if I shot natural, but heck… I’m not the best photographer in the world anyway. And the improvement I get by being able to shoot anytime of day, without the worry of trying to “clean up” the photo studio, etc., has been life changing. Doing what works for us each individually is such an important concept that I think too many people overlook when they try to do it “right” 🙂 If you’re a single lady living in an apartment in LA with no kids and you blog full time, I can promise you your ability to get beautiful natural light is better than mine. I’ve come to terms with that…
Love these patties. Bomb. Dot. Com.
I loved watching your scope about your light set up and I still need to try setting up like that some time. You are so right about the light dictating my day. Too often I tell people that I can’t take a phone call until after the light dies. And ha ha love your comment about the single lady. I have come to terms with that as well. 🙂 Bomb Dot Com! Ha that’s a good one. Thank you for coming by my friend.