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Cauliflower Fried Rice is a quick 30-minute meal that tastes like the real thing. It’s a delicious way to sneak more veggies into your life!
Why You’ll Love It
Cauliflower rice is low in carbohydrates, when compared to traditional veggie fried rice, so it’s perfect for anyone following a low-carb, Paleo, or Whole30 diet approach. It’s essentially a huge bowl of sautéed veggies, but it feels like you’re eating your favorite take-out!
In this grain-free fried rice recipe, the seasoning completely masks the cauliflower flavor, so it’s a great option for any cauliflower skeptics in your life. (It’s even fooled my dad into thinking he’s eating the real thing.)
Want to ease your family into the idea? Start by mixing cauliflower rice in with real cooked rice. I typically start with about a 50/50 mix, so that they get the texture of real rice, with plenty of veggies mixed in.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in cauliflower fried rice?
- Cauliflower
- Mixed veggies (Cauliflower, celery, peas)
- Soy sauce (or tamari, for gluten-free)
- Garlic & ginger
- Eggs (optional)
- Toasted sesame oil
- Salt & pepper
This combination is simple, and yet, delicious! Plus, you can make it all in one pan for easy clean-up. I’ll walk you through the process below.
If you’d like to add extra protein, you can also mix 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
1. Rice the cauliflower.
Cauliflower rice is simply raw cauliflower that has been shredded or finely chopped into a rice-like texture.
I like to use the shredding blade on my machine to quickly make rice-like pieces out of a head of cauliflower, but you can also use the “S” blade on your machine and pulse it a few times until the cauliflower has a coarse texture.
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.
Or, use store-bought cauliflower rice! Many stores now offer riced cauliflower in the fresh and frozen produce sections to help you save time and effort. However, in my experience, making your own cauliflower rice from fresh cauliflower florets will give you the best flavor.
If you purchase frozen cauliflower rice from the store, you won’t have to cook the cauliflower rice as long. As soon as it is heated through, it should be tender!
2. Saute the veggies.
Add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery to a large, deep skillet or wok, and saute until they start to soften, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Next, add in the garlic and ginger, and stir for one more minute.
Then, add in the cauliflower rice, frozen peas, a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the soy sauce or tamari, and stir well.
The cauliflower will start to soften in about 5 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.
3. Scramble the eggs.
When the cauliflower is tender, move the vegetables to the edge of the pan, making a space in the center of the pan where you can crack 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.
4. Enjoy!
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 (or scallions), and some sesame seeds, for a pretty presentation.
Storage Tips
Leftover cauliflower fried rice can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can reheat it quickly again in a skillet over medium heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this gluten-free? This recipe is gluten-free when you use tamari, which is a gluten-free soy sauce.
Can I make it soy-free? Try using coconut aminos instead of soy sauce or tamari, if you need a soy-free alternative. Keep in mind that this has a sweeter flavor, so you should compensate by adding extra salt as you cook the cauliflower rice.
Need to use dried spices? Start with a 1/4 teaspoon of dried ginger or garlic powder, as a swap for the fresh versions. You can always add more to taste, as you go.
What other veggies can I use? Try adding in mushrooms, red bell pepper, or broccoli, if you have them on hand. You can even turn broccoli into “rice” if you want to try a different variation.
Looking for more cauliflower rice ideas? Be sure to try Cauliflower Jambalaya and Mexican Cauliflower Rice Casserole, too.
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
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas (no need to thaw ahead of time)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari, for gluten-free)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
- To prepare the cauliflower rice, use a shredding blade on your food processor to shred the cauliflower florets into a rice-like texture. Alternatively, you can use an "S" blade in the food processor and pulse the cauliflower briefly, breaking it down into 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
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!