Low carb imperial rice

Low carb imperial rice

Arroz Imperial is a Cuban casserole made by layering yellow rice, chicken fricassee, mayonnaise and cheese into a hearty, fatty, flavorful dish that is usually made for celebrations! This labor-intensive dish got a simple and low carb makeover. No dairy? No problem! This recipe makes a simple nut cheese so you can enjoy this Cuban classic too!

Low carb imperial rice

Arroz Imperial is a Cuban casserole made by layering yellow rice, chicken fricassee, mayonnaise and cheese into a hearty, fatty, flavorful dish that is usually made for celebrations! This labor-intensive dish got a simple and low carb makeover. No dairy? No problem! This recipe makes a simple nut cheese so you can enjoy this Cuban classic too!
USMetric
4 servingservings

Ingredients

Chicken
  • 2 cups 475 ml cooked chicken breast, shredded
  • ¼ cup 60 ml tomato sauce or pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp ground cumin
Mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup 60 ml mayonnaise (preferably with avocado oil)
Cauliflower rice
  • 8 oz. 230 g riced cauliflower
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp ½ tsp fine salt
  • ½ tsp ½ tsp ground black pepper
Cashew cheese
  • 2 oz. (623 tbsp) 55 g (95 ml) soaked raw cashew nuts
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • ¼ tsp ¼ tsp fine salt
  • ¼ tsp ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • ½ ½ lemon, juicedlemons, juiced
  • ¼ cup 60 ml avocado oil
This recipe has been added to the shopping list.

Instructions

Instructions are for 4 servings. Please modify as needed.

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Mix the shredded chicken with the tomato or pumpkin puree, and seasonings and set aside.
  3. Mix the cauliflower rice with the turmeric, salt and pepper, and set aside.
  4. Make the cheese. Combine all of the cashew cheese ingredients in the bowl of your food processor and blend until smooth.
  5. To assemble the casserole, use an 6 x 6 inch (15 x 15 cm) glass casserole dish. Spoon half of the cauliflower rice into it and flatten it down to the bottom of the dish. Spread 2 tablespoons of mayo over the cauliflower rice.
  6. Add half of the chicken over the mayo and spread it out evenly.
  7. Spoon half of the cashew cheese over the chicken evenly. Repeat again, rice, mayo, chicken, cheese.
  8. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden and browned along the edges.

Tip

You may also use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. I like to make my chicken in the pressure cooker to save time! Or you can used leftover chicken from a roast. Anything to make this fast and easy.

Make it with dairy

If you can do dairy, feel free to use 4-6 slices of part skim mozzarella instead of the cashew cheese.

You might also like

DD+ MEMBERSHIP
Healthy meal plans
Meal plans that work

Want to lose weight and improve your health? Try a ketogenic (keto), low-carb, or high-protein diet. Stay on track by following our nutritionally reviewed meal plans.

Low-carb recipes
1,333 💙 Low-carb recipes

Whether you’re looking for high-protein, strict keto, or liberal low-carb recipes, here you’ll find tons of tasty recipes to choose from. Discover our wide range of healthy recipes.

The Diet Doctor food policy
Our food policy

There are many thoughts and ideas about what foods are and aren’t part of a healthy diet. Learn more about what foods you can expect from our recipes.


💬 Have you tried this recipe?

What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

6 comments

  1. Lene
    110 g of chicken to 4 servings is very little I think. Is this really correct?
    Reply: #5
  2. otakuforever9
    what's a substitute for the mayonnaise?
  3. Zarry
    Why part skim?
    Reply: #4
  4. Crystal Pullen Team Diet Doctor

    Why part skim?

    Part-skim and whole-milk mozzarella will have different textures and melt differently. Part-skim is most appropriate for this recipe.

  5. Anne-Marie
    Indeed, way too little. Im finding 110g of chicken thigh is more around 25-30g... Can we double-check please ?
  6. Lilly
    This makes a small amount, more like two servings instead of four, but it's absolutely delicious! I used the pumpkin puree and mozzarella cheese. Soooo yummy! I imagine using tomato sauce would give it a completely different flavor profile. I'll try that next. Thank you.

Leave a reply

Reply to comment #0 by