This cauliflower fried rice recipe is made with fresh vegetables, eggs, cauliflower rice and seasonings, all cooked together to recreate the flavors of your favorite take out dish. The perfect healthier side dish with less carbs than traditional fried rice!
I make cauliflower fried rice when I’m trying to eat healthier, but still want to enjoy my favorite take out dishes. I pair this cauliflower rice with chicken lettuce wraps for a low carb meal that’s as good as what you would get in a restaurant.
Did anyone else get a little carb happy this holiday season? I love all of the carb filled holiday goodies just like anyone else, but now I’m ready to lighten things up a bit with this cauliflower fried rice! This dish has all the flavors of the classic fried rice with one change – I used cauliflower “rice” instead of regular rice.
What is cauliflower rice?
Cauliflower rice is simply cauliflower that has been chopped into tiny pieces to resemble grains of rice. You can buy fresh cauliflower rice in bags in the produce area, make it yourself, or buy it in the freezer section.
How do you make cauliflower rice?
To make cauliflower rice, you’ll need to break apart a head of cauliflower into 2-3 inch sized pieces, then place the cauliflower pieces in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the cauliflower for 2-3 minutes or until the pieces are about the same size as a grain of rice. Cauliflower rice can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or you can freeze some for later use.
How to make cauliflower fried rice
For this recipe, you’ll need to start with some chopped carrots, onion and garlic, which get cooked until tender. The next step is to scramble up some eggs, then add in the cooked veggies, cauliflower rice and some frozen peas. This cauliflower fried rice is seasoned with both sesame oil and soy sauce for an authentic flavor. Add a sprinkling of green onions over the top, then serve and enjoy.
Cauliflower Fried Rice Variations
This is a basic recipe for cauliflower fried rice, you can add so many different ingredients to make it your own!
- Protein: Add 1 1/2 cups of cooked chicken, shrimp or tofu to the pan.
- Bacon: Sprinkle 1/3 cup of cooked crumbled bacon over the cauliflower rice.
- Greens: Stir in some kale or spinach leaves towards the end of the cooking time.
- Spicy: Add either crushed red pepper flakes or a few teaspoons of sriracha.
So here’s the thing – obviously cauliflower is not a 100% exact substitute for real rice. The flavors are spot on here, but the texture is slightly different only because the cauliflower is softer than rice. But it’s definitely a great way to get that take-out taste with a lot less calories and carbs!
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More low carb recipes
- Pizza Stuffed Chicken
- Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- Garlic Steak Bites
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Cauliflower Fried Rice Video
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups of riced cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil divided use
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
Instructions
- In a skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil over medium high heat.
- Add the onion and carrot to the pan, cook 3-5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the vegetables from the pan, place them on a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Pour the remaining teaspoon of oil into the pan; add the eggs and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up with a spatula until the eggs are scrambled and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cauliflower rice, reserved cooked veggies and frozen peas to the pan. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil and cook until cauliflower has just softened, 4-5 minutes.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with sliced green onions.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 2, 2017 and was updated on March 12, 2019 with new content.
Joanne T Ferguson says
Thank you for this recipe…is AWESOME!
Honestly, if you did not let anyone know it was cauliflower, they WOULD think it is fried rice!
Loved the recipe is so versatile and to save time, bought cauliflower rice at the supermarket…Really easy and delicious rrecipe!
Peg says
Hi! I made this recipe last night and it was SOOOO GOOD!! I ended up using only 3 cups of Cauliflower rice since that is all I had at the time but WOW it was PERFECT! Thank you so much for the recipe!! This is the only recipe I found that used 2 tablespoons of soy sauce which was made the flavor absolutely perfect! My husband and I loved it! 🙂
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This sounds amazing! I want to dive into my screen!
Anna says
This fried rice was a huge hit! Everyone loved it!
Dee says
So easy and tasty! I’ve gotta try this ASAP
Paula says
I’m obsessed with all things cauliflower so this is right up my alley.
Melanie Bauer says
Looks so festive and healthy! You can never go wrong with this, looking forward to making this!
Jacque says
I love this version of fried rice! My husband first turned me onto using cauliflower but I have to say, your recipe looks a lot better! (ssh!) Excited to make this tomorrow!
Dew says
Can I just use a bag of frozen carrots & peas? Or is that too much veg? Thanks!
Sara says
Yes, half a bag would work!
Teanna says
Is a serving 1 cup?
Sara says
That’s correct!
Beth says
Green giant I know also makes a riced cauliflower with peas and carrots already added , can’t wait to make this
Lynn says
Absolutely delicious….I added shrimp, my family loves it.
Delilah says
Had this for dinner tonight and it was a hit. Really good and simple. I added chicken as well.
Angie says
I ran my cauliflower over a box grater – worked great! I also added some thinly sliced beef and bean sprouts. VERY good. Thank you!
Claudia says
what is riced cauliflower please? is there a recipe?
Sara says
All you have to do is take a head of cauliflower, break the florets into pieces and put into the food processor. Pulse until small pieces form that look like rice. Here’s a more specific recipe: http://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-cauliflower-rice/
Sherry says
This cauliflower rice is so so good, Fits right in with my clean eating would definitely recemend it to friends!!!
Rita says
How many servings?
Sara says
4 servings!
Greg says
I love fried rice and I love cauliflower. This has got to be the coolest way to eat cauliflower!