Skip the takeout and enjoy this Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe in just 15 minutes! Packed with veggies, low in carbs and can be served as a delicious side dish or a main dish with added protein!
I can’t begin to tell you how delicious this Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice is! Made with riced cauliflower, colorful veggies, scrambled eggs and a simple savory sauce, this easy recipe has all the flavor of classic fried rice with fewer carbs and more veggies. It comes together in just 15 minutes and makes the perfect healthy side dish or quick weeknight meal with your favorite protein.
Why You’ll Love This
- Quick and easy to make in just 15 minutes!
- All the flavor of classic fried rice with fewer carbs and plenty of veggies.
- Add in some protein like chicken or shrimp for a more complete meal.
- This recipe is also kid-approved! 👍🏼
Ingredients You’ll Need
- cauliflower – you can use fresh or frozen store-bought riced cauliflower in this recipe or easily make your own! You’ll need about one medium head of cauliflower to make 4 cups of riced cauliflower. (See below for additional instructions)
- veggies – I used a combination of chopped onion, carrots and peas. Frozen veggies will work too or feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand.
- eggs – adds a boost of protein and flavor to this cauliflower fried rice.
- soy sauce – I always use low-sodium soy sauce as I find that regular soy sauce can make dishes too salty. You could also swap the soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos to make this gluten-free or paleo.
- sesame oil – I like to use toasted sesame oil to sauté the vegetables in. Olive oil or avocado oil would also work.
- honey – this adds a little sweetness to the sauce without using refined sugars and makes a nice glaze. You could also swap the honey with maple syrup if you don’t have honey on hand.
- garlic – adds a flavor boost and fresh minced garlic is always best!
- ginger – fresh grated ginger is definitely best in this cauliflower fried rice. If you don’t have any fresh ginger, use 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger.
- red pepper flakes – adds a kick of spice, you could also add a little sriracha. Feel free to leave this out if you are making for your kids.
- green onions – also known as scallions, adds color and flavor. You could also add fresh parsley, cilantro or other fresh herbs.
I like to keep bags of frozen cauliflower rice in my freezer so that I can make easy dinners like this in a pinch. No need to thaw the cauliflower rice beforehand!
How to Make Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Prepare cauliflower. Chop head into cauliflower florets and place in food processor. Pulse until it starts to resemble rice and set aside. You can also use store-bought fresh or frozen cauliflower rice.
- Cook veggies. Heat a large wok, large nonstick skillet or my favorite braiser over medium-high heat and drizzle in sesame oil. Add chopped onion, peas and carrots and sauté until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Make sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, garlic, fresh ginger and red pepper flakes. Set aside until ready to use.
- Scramble eggs. In the skillet that you’re cooking the vegetables in, slide the veggie mixture to one side of the pan and add in the beaten eggs, scrambling until cooked through and then incorporate with the veggies.
- Add cauliflower rice. Stir in cauliflower rice and pour the sauce over top, mixing everything well. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft and tender. Top with green onions and serve!
How to Rice Your Cauliflower
The best part about cauliflower rice is that you can find it everywhere these days! I find that it’s honestly much easier to just use store-bought riced cauliflower (either fresh or frozen) straight from the bag since there’s no large chunks of cauliflower to worry about and the rice is uniform in size. You can of course rice your own cauliflower and there are two ways of doing this:
- Food processor – First, chop up one head of cauliflower into florets and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until the cauliflower resembles grain-like “rice.” Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to do this in batches. Just be careful not to over-process the cauliflower as it can become mushy.
- Box grater – this takes more man power, but you can simple grate the head of cauliflower on a cheese grater to get pieces of cauliflower rice.
Can I Use Frozen Cauliflower Rice?
Absolutely! I’m a huge fan of keeping bags of frozen cauliflower rice in my freezer to use any time I want to whip up a quick dinner or I’m in a pinch. No need to thaw the frozen cauliflower rice either before cooking, you just want to make sure any large clumps are broken up before dumping it out onto your hot skillet.
Variations
- Add protein – add cooked chicken or shrimp for an easy boost of protein. My honey garlic shrimp stir fry or teriyaki chicken stir fry would both pair perfectly with the flavors in this dish. You could also add diced chicken breast, ground turkey, steak or tofu directly to the skillet for an easy weeknight dinner.
- More veggies – feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Broccoli, asparagus, green beans, lima beans, red bell pepper and mushrooms are all great options.
- Make it spicy – this recipe calls for red pepper flakes, but you could also add in some sriracha, Sambal Oelek or even chopped peppers for more heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
The key is to avoid overcooking the cauliflower rice. Cook it just until tender, stirring occasionally, so it still has a little texture. If using frozen cauliflower rice, there’s no need to thaw it first—add it straight to the skillet and cook off any excess moisture before adding the sauce. A large skillet also helps prevent overcrowding and allows moisture to evaporate.
Absolutely! Frozen cauliflower rice works great in this recipe and makes it even quicker and easier. There’s no need to thaw it first—simply add the frozen cauliflower rice directly to the hot skillet. You may need to cook it for an extra minute or two to allow any excess moisture to evaporate.
There are so many options! Add cooked chicken, shrimp, ground turkey, steak or tofu to turn this cauliflower fried rice into a complete meal. You could also add extra scrambled eggs for an easy boost of protein.
Yes! Cauliflower fried rice is a veggie-packed alternative to traditional fried rice that is naturally lower in carbs while still being filling and flavorful. This recipe is loaded with cauliflower and colorful vegetables along with eggs for some added protein, making it a delicious option for a healthy side dish or light meal.
Yes! You can rice the cauliflower and chop your vegetables ahead of time, then store everything separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook. You can also make the entire recipe ahead of time and store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. For the best texture, reheat the fried rice in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
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More Low Carb Recipes
- Chicken Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Cheesy Keto Meatball Casserole
- Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
- Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole
- Spicy Sausage and Veggie Stir Fry
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Cajun Sausage and Cauliflower Rice Skillet
- Caribbean Jerk Shrimp with Cauliflower Rice
- Easy Mashed Cauliflower
- Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower Dip
Hope you all enjoy this Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe and if you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! Follow for new recipes every week!
Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets (or 4 cups riced cauliflower)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1/2 cup carrots, cubed
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger, (or 1/8 tsp ground ginger)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Chop head of cauliflower into florets and place in food processor. Pulse until it starts to resemble rice and set aside. You can also use store-bought fresh or frozen cauliflower rice.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and drizzle in sesame oil. Add chopped onion, peas and carrots and sauté until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, garlic, fresh ginger and red pepper flakes. Set aside until ready to use.
- In the skillet that you’re cooking the vegetables in, slide the veggie mixture to one side of the pan and add in the beaten eggs, scrambling until cooked through and then incorporate with the veggies.
- Stir in cauliflower rice and pour the sauce over top, mixing everything well. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft and tender. Top with green onions and serve!
Notes
- To Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
- To Reheat: Warm in a skillet over medium heat until heated through, or microwave in short intervals.
- To Prep Ahead: Rice the cauliflower and chop the vegetables ahead of time, then store separately in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
- To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing cooked cauliflower fried rice, as the cauliflower can become watery and lose its texture once thawed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi didn’t the sauce for this use to call for brown sugar? If it did can you give me the measurements for that! Love this recipe Thank you
I used 1 tablespoon brown sugar in my older recipe 🙂 I simply substituted honey for the brown sugar, feel free to use either!