Cauliflower Fried Rice
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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!
You MAY Also Like
- Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry
- Cashew Chicken
- Fried Rice
- Beef with Broccoli
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Thai-Style Pork Fried Rice
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I been cooking a recipe for Chicken Fried Rice from a cookbook that I received as a wedding gift 42 years ago. But in 2017 I found your amazing blog and your recipe for Cauliflower Fried Rice and it has now become my favorite way to do this dish. I follow your recipe but have about 1 to 2 cups of cooked, diced chicken breast in a bowl and I put the soy sauce on the meat prior to beginning the prep for the rest of the dish. I really liked the way you cooked your eggs alone and then added them back into dish. The dish I have made all these years just had you push everything to the sides of your skillet and scramble the eggs in center. The only addition I sometimes add is the finely sliced(angle hair type) lettuce in the prepared bagged lettuce section of grocery store (like used for tacos). My adult daughters (both special ed teachers) love taking this for lunches. I make it on a Sunday afternoon and they enjoy it on work days. I like to serve grilled or sliced fresh pineapple with this dish.
Fabulous recipe! Versatile and healthy. I pretty much followed it the first time except for adding cooked, diced chicken. I sometimes add sliced or chopped mushrooms, water chestnuts, mire poix, or any veggie in my fridge that would work. It’s a winner!
Absolutely delish! Perfect antidote from heavyThanksgiving foods. I too subbed lower carb veggies, red pepper and kale, and added sautéed shrimp to make a wonderful dinner. I would highly recommend this!
Great quick side dish for during the week. I substituted a pinch of monk fruit for the sugar as we are trying to eliminate sugar from our diets. Also used tamari sauce rather than soy, gluten free option. Truly enjoyed! Even our picky eaters did not miss the “rice”. Thank you!
Love this fried “rice” recipe!! You can change it up with a variety of veggies. I added thinly sliced pea pods because I love them. Other than that, I didn’t make any modifications. Thanks Jenn for you great recipes!!
This was amazing! My husband and I have been doing low carb for a few years, and this was a perfect fit (all I had to adjust was replacing the sugar with a sugar substitute to fit the diet).
As a type 2, insulin dependent, non-obese diabetic it’s sometimes hard to find really delicious sides for the holiday table. Well… let me tell you, even when I substituted chopped broccoli and red peppers for the higher carbohydrate peas and carrots this was an amazing addition to our holiday table.
Excellent Recipe! I only substituted honey for the sugar. Outside of that, this recipe is perfect. Taste is a mix of Chinese fried rice and Pad Thai. Excellent.
This was FANTASTIC. As I am cooking for one, I only made half a batch, but still used 2 eggs. I omitted the sesame oil by accident and it was still delicious. And I subbed chili garlic paste (a lot) for the red pepper flakes. I will definitely make this again!
Just finished making and having this dish, delicious, easy to make a little spicy but enjoyable. The new go-to side dish.
I made this exactly as directed. It did not taste like fried rice at all. It looked like fried rice. It was spicy, and I’ve never had spicy fried rice. Next time I will just roast my cauliflower with salt, pepper, and olive oil and spend less time doing it.
Hi, sorry for the amateur question, but if I’m using frozen cauliflower to I cook it or thaw it or something before making the dish? Thanks!
Hi Jeanne, Not an amateur question at all! Yes, I’d thaw it first. Enjoy!
I love this recipe! It’s my new go to dish!!!!!
I’ve tried many different versions of cauliflower fried rice and this one was the best! Very hearty and so tasty! I will definitely make again!
This was absolutely fantastic!! It makes A LOT if using a whole head of cauliflower (which I did). I added more ginger and red chili flakes but everything else was spot-on. I did also add cut-up cooked chicken as we had it as a main dish. This will be a standard go-to dish for me!!
this cauliflower rice is the best i’ve ever had.
the only thing I did different was I omitted the peas and carrots and subbed in broccoli due to carb restrictions. I could eat this every day.
What did you do the sugar?
My husband and I love this recipe. We feel like we are eating “real” food when I make it. I don’t have a processor, so our cauliflower is less like rice with its slightly larger, hand-chopped bits. Also, I omitted the scallion whites and garlic for dietary reasons, and went easy on the pepper flakes. Even with those aromatic omissions, it is a flavorful, healthful dish. Thanks, Jennifer.
OH MY GOODNESS, THIS IS THE BEST ONE WOULD NEVER KNOW THIS IS CAULIFLOWER. THE BEST!!!!!!!
This was excellent and much easier to make than I anticipated. I left out the sugar and the nuts and my entire family agreed that it was spectacular. This will be a new staple in our home. Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe for cauliflower rice a few times, and it has been a hit every single time. I’ve also added a few extra veggies – red or yellow pepper, corn, whatever might be in the fridge. And I reserve adding the cashews until the dish has been cooked since they tend to be soggy otherwise. This is also great as a leftover. Just add chicken (or shrimp or even beef) and you have a great leftover dish – warmed up or cold from the refrigerator.
Oh man.. as always I can count on a solidly yummy recipe from you Jenn. You never disappoint. This is just so good.. and so healthy.. I made it as is cuz I trust you so much lol, and it was fabulous! and now I’ll add some of my own ‘tweaks’ to make it more mine …
I’m wondering if you think it would freeze well? I have all this deliciousness & blast my single life but I must consider freezing. Will all the moisture in the cauliflour ruin it?
maybe i’ll just experiment with a batch and see.. Any advice?
So glad you enjoyed it, Penelope! Unfortunately, I do think it would get a bit mushy if frozen – sorry!
I just made this and I was surprised. I am also not that crazy about the cauliflower hype, but having tried a lot of your recipes with success I’d thought I would give it a try. We all loved it. I didn’t have sesame oil so I used hoisin sauce, and I used vegetable mix instead of carrots and peas. The consistency was perfect and it tasted delicious. Served with chicken it made a satisfying meal.
Delish! 1st time making it and it tastes yummy 🙂 thanks for the recipe
Delicious!! Honestly couldn’t tell it wasnt rice. I did make a few tweaks – used shredded fresh carrots, slices snow peas, sliced bean sprouts, but pretty much followed instructions otherwise. I will DEFINITELY be making this again!!
In response to a previous review – no water needed
Damn. That was beyond all of my expectations. I never leave reviews but this one needed it. Didn’t have eggs on hand, can’t wait to try it with them next time!
This was amazing…to me it was Actually better than fried rice! To answer a previous reviewers question, I thought while cooking that I should add water, but it soon started cooking nicely without it and I forgot all about it. I also used grated fresh carrots . Along with frozen peas, turned out great. Thanks for sharing this super yummy, low carb recipe .
When I told my husband I was making this for dinner he made a face. But after his third helping I knew I had a winner. I did make the mistake of not using the grater attachment on my food processor so it was more like fried “couscous” rather than fried rice but still very tasty. I added left over grilled chicken to make it a complete meal. Definitely will be adding this to our weeknight meals.
A hit!! My family had no idea it was cauliflower!!
Tried this fried califower dish and it was great. Good flavor, not difficult, healthier than rice, definitely a keeper recipe.
I made this last night and ohhh my goodness it was so so good. I ate about 2/3 of the whole thing alone. I will most definitely make it again.
thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
This was amazing! I have wanted to try a dish like this for quite a while but I didn’t see how cauliflower could mimic rice enough for me to actually like. But, wanting to drop a few lbs., I decided to give it a whirl. I ate 2 big bowls for lunch and am having the rest for dinner tonight. The only minor changes I made? I added celery bc I like the crunch it provides, & I only had ABC Sweet Soy Sauce instead of regular so I omitted the sugar. I will absolutely make this again & again. Thanks for sharing!
Had a few struggles while making this – didn’t help that my entree required constant stirring – doing two things at once is a challenge. I did prepare everything prior to starting and then my challenges began. My bag of riced cauliflower was only 1.5 lbs instead of 2 lbs – ignored this and forged ahead. Instead of using frozen veggies, I substituted raw baby carrots – this was a mistake as precooked would have been much better. When cooking the cauliflower, it looked really dry and just didn’t seem to be doing anything, so added about 1/2 cup of water. Decided to top with raw green peppers just before serving. Despite my issues this did try out.
Did anyone else feel the need to add water? Or was it a case of me being distracted by my other pan and panicking unnecessarily? Or was it because I didn’t use frozen veggies?
I will try it again but not with raw carrots because we did enjoy it – my efforts were just missing that wow factor.
I did add about a quarter cup of chicken broth. Also sprinkled sesame seeds on the finished dish. Really good.
Excellent recipe! Didn’t have cashews or peas. Used broccoli. Thanks for your recipes.
Loved it! Great flavor. Easy too. Measuring out the ingredients and chopping ahead made it easy to combine on the stovetop.
PS: I used low sodium soy sauce.
Oh my, too salty! I would suggest tasting as you go.
Taste great
Everybody likes it,it will be a recipe to make again
Thank you for charging it with us
I have made this recipe with chicken and meat. Family absolutely loves this.
This is a winner in our household!! Just made it and my hubby and daughters loved it!! Everyone went back for seconds (and thirds in my kid’s case). I served it with pineapple bbq shrimp and they paired very well together. Thanks again!
Loved It! Since my husbands recent diabetes diagnosis I have been searching for healthy alternatives to cut some excess carbs from our meals. I do not own a food processor but rice my cauliflower using my blender. Just add water, cauliflower and blend till it looks like rice, pour off water and strain. It works for me.
I am making this for a party and was wondering if you think it could be made ahead? If so is there any special suggestions on the process?
Kathy
Yes, it keeps really nicely in the fridge. I would just warm it through on the stove before serving it. (It’s actually good cold and at room temp too, so lots of flexibility!)
Fantastic! Made tonight and my husband and I both loved it! Was pleasantly surprised at how the cauliflower texture was so much like rice…and the flavors were great! We both like it super spicy so adjusted the crushed red pepper flakes to 2 teaspoons. Awesome! Thanks so much for this recipe.
I made this cauliflower fried rice a month or so ago. I simply loved it. I added some bacon and some pinenuts for an extra crunch. It was delicious. I cannot stop saying delicious. 🙂
Made the “fried rice” tonight. Turned out great! Added some left over pork. Will definitely make it often.
You may think you were late but I was resistant to even come to the table where cauliflower rice was concerned. I thought the whole concept was ridiculous- no way cauliflower is ever going to substitute for rice – but last night I made your recipe and I am converted (but not in the same way as Uncle Ben). This was fabulous and I feel so nutritionaly virtuous! Genius! Thank you.
Added rotisserie chicken at the end and doubled the egg! YUMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
This was very tasty! I ended up using cilantro frozen cauliflower since that is all my store had and it was great!
Made this last night and my husband and I love it. He says it better than any fried rice he’s had. I think it’s close.
This was fabulous! I’ll definitely make again.
Excellent recipe, even the toddler ate it without asking questions
I see it says 4 servings, but how much is each serving? Thanks it was good!!
Hi Tina, glad you liked it! Each serving is about 2 cups give or take.