Kirbie's Cravings

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Cauliflower fried rice is a healthier alternative to traditional fried rice. It’s a low carb and vegetarian dish that is great as a side for your favorite take-out-inspired dishes.

photo of a bowl of Cauliflower Fried Rice

I’ve shared my obsession with cauliflower, and I’m using it a lot to lighten up some of my favorite dishes like fried rice.

Traditional fried rice is made with day-old leftover rice, but when you substitute cauliflower for the rice, you don’t have to wait for the rice to dry out. Plus, it’s low-carb but with all of the same flavors.

Ingredients

  • Cauliflower rice
  • Beaten large eggs
  • Chopped fresh green beans
  • Cooking oil spray
  • Minced garlic cloves
  • Soy sauce
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chopped bell peppers
  • Grated Parmesan cheese

Cauliflower rice: You can rice your own cauliflower florets or you can buy frozen or fresh cauliflower rice at the grocery store. I make so many cauliflower rice recipes that I usually buy it frozen. You can also make your own cauliflower rice with a food processor or box grater.

How to Make It

Lightly coat a wok or large pan with cooking oil spray and heat it over medium-high heat.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook it until fragrant. This usually takes 30 seconds. Add the green beans and stir-fry them until they are almost cooked through.

Add the cauliflower and bell peppers and mix in the soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Cook until everything is tender and cooked through.

Move the ingredients to the side of the pan to make room to cook the eggs. Add the beaten eggs to the empty space and scramble them.

When they are close to being cooked, combine them with cauliflower rice and stir to mix everything together. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top and it’s ready to serve.

close-up photo of a bowl of Cauliflower Fried Rice

Recipe Tips

Use a wok or large skillet to make your cauliflower fried rice so you have plenty of space to cook everything.

This is a vegetarian cauliflower fried rice recipe, and I used green beans, bell peppers, and garlic. Other vegetables like snow peas, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and green peas work well, too. Depending on the kind of vegetables you add, you may need to cook them longer. You can also add tofu, too.

If you want to add a meat protein, chicken, beef, and shrimp are great. If your meat is already cooked, you can just add it at the end of the cooking time to warm it through. If it is raw, you will want to cook it first and add the vegetables after.

This is a quick recipe, so be sure to prep all of your ingredients before you start cooking.

Does cauliflower rice taste like regular rice?

Cauliflower rice looks like regular rice, but the taste is different. Raw cauliflower has a mild flavor, but when it’s cooked the flavor turns a little nutty and sweet.

Like rice, cauliflower rice will easily absorb other flavors you add to the dish, masking most of the cauliflower flavor, so it does work in a variety of dishes.

As far as texture, cauliflower rice is not that different from regular rice. As long as you don’t overcook it, it has a slightly chewy and firm texture.

Variations

There are quite a few ways to change this dish. You don’t have to make it the same way twice just by switching the ingredients and adding garnishes.

  • Vegetables: Any stir fry veggies you like will work in cauliflower fried rice. The only thing that might be different is how long it takes to cook them. Frozen peas, chopped broccoli florets, chopped red bell pepper, and mushrooms are all good.
  • Protein: You can also add cooked chicken breast, Chinese BBQ pork, and sliced cooked steak. Or try adding some cooked shrimp.
  • Other flavors: Grate some fresh ginger into the rice or add a little rice vinegar or sesame oil.
  • Garnishes: For serving, you can add a sprinkle of sesame seeds, sliced green onions, or chopped scallions.

close-up photo of Cauliflower Fried Rice

Main Dish Ideas

I like to pair this lightened-up fried rice with my healthier orange chicken, Mongolian beef, and sheet pan beef and broccoli. It goes with pretty much any takeout-style recipes you like!

Storage Tips

Leftovers keep really well, so I like to make cauliflower fried rice for meal prep. You can make a batch, let it cool, and then store it in meal prep containers. It will keep for up to four days in the fridge.

For me, even though it’s not exactly the same, cauliflower rice is a great way to eat some of my favorite dishes without all the guilt. I love that you can make it with a variety of ingredients, so it’s a great way to use up leftover vegetables. It’s also really great if you like to meal prep.

Cauliflower Fried Rice

More Cauliflower Rice Recipes

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
This healthier version of fried rice makes a comforting meal that you don't have to feel guilty about.

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 1/2 cup  chopped fresh green beans
  • PAM oil spray
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
  • 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Cut cauliflower into florets and steam until just cooked but not too soft. Place into food processor and pulse a few times until they resemble grains of rice. Careful not to pulse too much or it will turn into a mash. I pulsed mine about 5 times.
  • Using a wok or large pan for stir fry, lightly coat with PAM spray and turn stove to medium-high heat. Add in garlic and cook until they begin to brown and aroma of garlic comes out. Add in green beans or any other ingredients you are adding which might take slightly longer to cook. Stir-fry until almost done. Add in the cauliflower, bell peppers. Mix in soy sauce and season with salt and pepper. Cook until everything is done.
  • When everything is cooked, shift it to the side and then add beaten eggs to the empty side of the wok. Swirl the eggs to break them up and scramble them. When they are close to being cooked, add them back with the rice. Continue to stir and cook until everything is cooked and combined. Sprinkle on parmesan cheese. You can also garnish with fresh chopped scallions.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25of recipe, Calories: 106kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 376mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, NET CARBS: 7

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

 

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Recipe Rating




4 comments on “Cauliflower Fried Rice”

  1. My first attempt could almost  be called an epic fail, but it does taste great.  it helps to make sure that the food processor is turned to Off before use.  Makes for better pulsing, less mashing.

  2. I think you should write a cauliflower cook book 🙂 I saw this recipe many years ago and have been wanting to try it. I don’t have a food processor though – can you suggest another method for those who don’t have one? I’d make my version with Chinese sausage and shitake mushrooms I think!