Cauliflower Fried Rice
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This Chinese-style cauliflower fried rice is a healthy, low-carb dish that’s hearty enough to serve as a main course.
Cauliflower rice — which is just cauliflower grated into rice-like bits — really does taste similar to rice, or at least it behaves similarly by soaking up all the flavor of its seasonings. In this quick and easy cauliflower fried rice recipe, I sauté grated cauliflower with aromatics, vegetables, soy sauce, and eggs, much like Chinese fried rice. It’s a healthy, low-carb dish that’s hearty enough to serve as a main course.
Cauliflower has a mild flavor that makes it an excellent blank canvas for other flavors. In addition to rice, it makes a great substitute for mashed potatoes in my cauliflower purée with thyme recipe. It’s also excellent roasted in my roasted cauliflower recipe.
What You’ll Need To Make Cauliflower Fried Rice
You’ll likely be able to find grated cauliflower in the produce or frozen vegetable section of your supermarket. But if not, it’s simple to make using a food processor (use the grating disc) or hand grater.
How To Make Cauliflower Fried Rice
As with any quick stir-fry, it’s important to have all of your ingredients prepped before you start cooking.
Begin by heating a few teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs and a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat until scrambled.
Set the eggs aside, then sauté the scallions, ginger, and garlic in oil until softened.
Add the grated cauliflower, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes.
Add the peas and carrots and continue cooking until the cauliflower “rice” is tender-crisp and the vegetables are warmed through, a few minutes.
Stir in the rice vinegar, sesame oil, dark green scallions, nuts (if using), and scrambled eggs.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot and enjoy!
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Cauliflower Fried Rice
This Chinese-style cauliflower fried rice is a healthy, low-carb dish that’s hearty enough to serve as a main course.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Salt
- 1 cup chopped scallions, light and green parts separated (you'll need 5-6 scallions)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger, from a 1-inch knob (see note)
- One 2-lb head cauliflower (or 2 pounds "ready to cook" cauliflower rice), thawed if frozen
- 4-5 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Asian/toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup chopped cashews or peanuts (optional)
Instructions
- Grate the cauliflower in a food processor fitted with the grating disc. Alternatively, grate on the large holes of a box or hand-held grater. Set aside. (Skip this step if using "ready to cook" cauliflower rice.)
- Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large (10 or 12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs and a pinch of salt and scramble until the eggs are cooked. Transfer to a small plate and set aside. Wipe the pan clean.
- Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan and set over medium heat. Add the light scallions, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the grated cauliflower, 4 tablespoons of the soy sauce, red pepper flakes, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Add the peas and carrots and continue cooking until the cauliflower "rice" is tender-crisp and the vegetables are warmed through, a few minutes. Stir in the rice vinegar, sesame oil, dark green scallions, nuts (if using) and eggs. Taste and adjust seasoning (adding the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce if necessary). Serve hot.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: about 2 cups
- Calories: 273
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Sodium: 1717 mg
- Cholesterol: 93 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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The BEST!! can’t say enough about how good this was. Will make it again and again. Thank you!
This is effing amazing. A hit at my house. Made it just like the recipe instructed because that’s why I looked up a recipe…to follow it.
Super yummy! I omitted the eggs and cashews, added 1 cup cooked quinoa with the 16 oz riced cauliflower bag from Trader Joes, added more soy sauce and sesame oil, added carrots and fresh sliced green beans. I’m not a big peas fan and the green beans added a nice crunch. Jenn, thanks again for another great recipe!
Just started Weight Watchers to lose a few pounds before summer time and I just love that this is only one WW point for something so delicious that I can eat by itself or to go along with General Tso’s Chicken from another site. Making your Chicken Chili tonight which is also delicious and low in points. A lot of the recipes I just have to adjust a bit.
All of your recipes are easy to understand and simple to prepare. While I do tend to spew cauliflower bits all iver thr kitchen because I use a grater- this recipe is quick and delicious. It satisfies better than rice and if any leftovers survive, they are just as delicious the next day.
I’ve made this recipes as written and also adapted it by adding whatever vegetables I have on hand. Usually, red bell pepper, zucchini and onion. It’s so versatile and always delicious. If you are trying to avoid sugar, I think it’s fine to eliminate it too. Doesn’t make a huge difference. I also have used Trader Joe’s frozen organic riced cauliflower when I am in a rush. This recipe is a winner!!
This was a very tasty dish which my husband and I both enjoyed. The flavors were spot on and we liked being able to avoid white rice. The vegetables can be adapted to whatever you have on hand. Try it!
Jenn. I am basically a meat-atarian, I will eat veggies, but not with a smile on my face. Most of the veggies I like are not really “veggies”, but starchy like potatoes etc. Now to this recipe. It REALLY tastes like fried rice! In a darkened room it even LOOKS like rice. From what I read about cauliflower, it is a veritable super-food as far a nutrition is concerned. So, any recipe that can make me eat a mess of the “good” veggies” gets 5 stars from me!
This is perfect! I was in a time crunch and saw a beautiful bag of cauliflower rice at the store. . .super quick prep!😋
This is the best cauliflower rice recipe I’ve found online. Don’t listen to others that tell you to buy bags of rice cauliflower, stream them first, then saute with fried rice ingredients. It’ll be far too mushy and overcooked. I do buy pre riced cauliflower because I don’t own a food processor, and this recipe works great with it so long as the fresh (not frozen) cauliflower goes straight into the pan.
The cashews are a really nice touch. I added more rice vinegar because I’m a fiend for it.