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The first time I tried cauliflower as “fried rice,” I couldn’t believe my taste buds. I knew what I was eating, because I had prepared it myself, but it still tasted so darn authentic, that it felt too good to be true!
That’s when I decided I had to try this on my family. My dad is a classic “meat and potatoes” guy from the Midwest, so I went to my parents’ house and whipped up this dish. My dad knew I was making riced cauliflower, but when he tasted his portion, he asked me why I hadn’t given him the “healthy version” I had made for myself. He wanted to try it, too!
Well, surprise, Dad —I had given him the cauliflower fried rice! He just didn’t expect it to taste exactly like real fried rice. So, if you have skeptics in your life, I hope they’ll enjoy this just as much.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“OMG this is so good! I was worried cauliflower would be too noticable. I was wrong. So delicious!” – Natalia
Ingredients for Cauliflower Vegetable Fried Rice
- Cauliflower. This is the star of the show, and I recommend ricing your own cauliflower for the best flavor. It takes about 60 seconds of effort and tastes better than store-bought pre-riced cauliflower.
- Extra Veggies. I like to add chopped carrots, celery, yellow onion, and frozen peas. However, you can change this up each time you make it! Use a bag of frozen chopped veggies to save time when needed.
- Tamari. This is a gluten-free soy sauce, but regular soy sauce will work, too.
- Garlic & Ginger. These two aromatic ingredients add so much flavor. Use a microplane to quickly mince them into the pan.
- Eggs. My favorite part of eating fried rice is finding fluffy bites of scrambled egg. You can use as many or as few as you prefer for this dish.
- Toasted Sesame Oil. This is a finishing oil, added right before serving for extra flavor.
Note: For added protein, you can stir in cooked chicken, shrimp, or ground beef. If you’d like to make this dish vegan, swap the eggs for scrambled tofu instead.
How to Make Cauliflower Fried Rice
Step 1:
In a large food processor fitted with an S-blade, add the cauliflower florets. Secure the lid and pulse them several times, until they have a rice-like texture. I like to work in batches, so the cauliflower breaks down quickly, about a half-pound at a time.
Set this aside until you need it. Alternatively, you can start with pre-riced cauliflower from the store. It’s sold fresh and frozen!
Note: If you don’t have a food processor, you can also grate the cauliflower using a box grater for a similar effect. Check out my How to Make Cauliflower Rice tutorial for a video demonstration.
Step 2:
Add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery to a large, deep skillet or wok, and saute until they start to soften, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Next, add in the garlic and ginger, and stir for one more minute.
Step 3:
Then add the riced cauliflower, frozen peas, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the tamari. Stir well.
The cauliflower will start to soften in about 6 to 8 more minutes, but you can speed the process by briefly covering the skillet with a lid to trap the steam and cook the veggies even faster.
Step 4:
When the cauliflower is tender, move the vegetables to the edge of the pan, leaving a space in the center for the eggs. Scramble them directly in the pan until they are cooked through.
Then, stir the scrambled eggs into the veggies, distributing them throughout the rice.
Serving Tips
Drizzle the tablespoon of toasted sesame oil into the stir fry and toss well, then serve warm.
You can top this fried rice recipe with chopped green onions and some sesame seeds for a pretty presentation.
Storage Tip: Leftover cauliflower fried rice can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can quickly reheat it in a skillet over medium heat.
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound cauliflower florets (or pre-riced cauliflower; about 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion , chopped
- 2 carrots , peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks , chopped
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger , minced
- ½ cup frozen green peas (no need to thaw ahead of time)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari, for gluten-free)
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
- To prepare the cauliflower rice, use an "S" blade in the food processor and pulse the cauliflower briefly until it reaches a coarse texture. Set it aside when there are no longer any large chunks of cauliflower visible. (Or skip this step and use 1 pound of prepared cauliflower rice from the store.)
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet, and saute the onion, carrots, and celery until they start to soften, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add in the garlic and ginger, and stir one more minute, just until fragrant.
- Add in the riced cauliflower, frozen peas, salt, and soy sauce. (Or use tamari for a gluten-free recipe.) Stir to combine, then cover with a lid to let the vegetables cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, and feel free to use a splash of water to remove any vegetables that stick to the bottom of the pan.
- To cook the eggs, use a spatula to move the veggies to the edge of the pan, leaving an empty space in the middle. Spray the center with cooking oil, if needed, then crack the eggs in the center of the pan. When you see them start to cook, use a spatula to scramble them in the middle, stirring until cooked through.
- Mix the eggs into the rest of the cooked fried rice, and adjust any seasoning to taste, adding more tamari, or salt, if desired. Serve warm, and add any garnishes you like, such as green onions or sesame seeds. Leftover rice can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Tabbouleh with Cauliflower Rice
- Cauliflower Jambalaya
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice Casserole
- Tuna Salad without Mayo
If you try this Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
I’ve made this 3 times now. The first time I went exactly according to the recipe using parm instead of the goat cheese. Loved it. I ALWAYS make a recipe as written the first time. Then, any time I make it again, I can choose to add or remove ingredients to my own taste. The second time I made it, I added dried basil and oregano along with some garlic powder. Then topped with mushrooms and black olives. The third time, I made it with cooked Italian sausage and black olives and onions. All three times I thoroughly enjoyed it. Gonna make it again and will put cooked ground chuck and artichoke hearts on it along with black olives and mushrooms. It’s so fun “to play with food”.
I’ve made this a few times. It’s a energy-boosting lunch and I always have leftovers. Thanks for another great healthy and delicious recipe!
Another great recipe! This was really good. First time I’ve used cauliflower that I’ve riced myself, it’s way better than the pre riced kind. I’ll definitely be having leftovers tomorrow for lunch!
Amazing. I love love love this. One thing I do is roast the cauliflower for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees in the oven then just put in the pan per recipe. For me this gives the cauliflower a roasted taste less cauliflowery taste.. I have added chicken, tri tip and shrimp that I cooked in a very small amount of teriyaki sauce to the finished rice. It makes a great all in one meal.
This never fails to be a satisfying meal! I often add in other leftover vegetables I have on hand and every combination is a winner.
OMG this is SO good! Made it 2x. Second time grill teriyaki chicken chopped it up and added it to the dish. Kicked it up a notch!
Can l put chicken in the cauliflower fried rice?l know it as to be cooked frist.
Yes, definitely! You can add any cooked protein you like.
This was easy to make and tasty! Coconut Aminos is a good substitute too. 😉
I’m a fan of fried rice!
Thank you for the recipe!
Can you tell me the amount that your calculating these nutritional facts for? It isn’t good as a main dish because the Carb count is to high but great as a side to a meat. 29 grams is more than I have in a whole day but if I’m careful for Breakfast and lunch it would be a great addition to dinner.
The serving size is half of this entire batch, so if you want to cut the carbs in half, I’d just portion it out into 4 individual containers after you prepare it.
I’ve been making this dish for a while and realized I hadn’t given it a review. Then I saw it in Megan’s weekly meal plan email. We just had it a couple of nights ago, and it was a hit once again! I use Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower rice and just cook at a higher temperature to cook off the extra moisture. I also double the number of eggs. I usually double the entire recipe to have some tasty leftovers. Thanks for another great recipe, Megan!