Cauliflower chicken fried rice is a great alternative to grabbing take out! This low carb side dish is packed with veggies – and it’s one the whole family will enjoy! Just 20 minutes to make as well!
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I’m getting a little nervous that I’m going to burn my kids out on plain ol’ cauliflower rice lately.
I mean, I’m fairly obsessed with the stuff.
It can be as easy or as complicated as you make – start with a bag of frozen riced cauliflower or start with a head of fresh cauliflower. Either option comes out delicious. We like our roasted cauliflower rice quite a bit!
Add some butter and a little garlic salt and I’m a happy girl.
I like to experiment though, so I decided to mix things up and make this cauliflower fried rice. It’s a tasty spin on the classic take out favorite, but without all of the carbs.
My cauliflower chicken fried rice recipe is low in carbs, should fit just about any diet, and it’s packing some major flavor! We love swapping veggies for carbs around here and my family is slowly coming on board as they learn that it can actually be quite tasty.
Ingredient Notes:
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Chicken – I’m starting this recipe off with some pre-cooked, shredded chicken. Try out my easy shredded chicken, it’s perfect to have on hand for recipes like this! Chicken breast, chicken thighs, or even chicken tenders could be used to prepare the shredded chicken.
Riced Cauliflower – You can buy cauliflower that has been pre-riced or you can turn it into cauliflower rice yourself. I like to make it myself so it is nice and fresh! More on that below.
Eggs – Another ingredient commonly found in fried rice recipes, it’s a great way to add protein and flavor but is also something you could omit if you don’t want them in your fried rice.
Flavoring- We’re adding yellow and green onion, ginger, and garlic along with chili paste for spice, and soy sauce for that umami salty flavor. You can swap in coconut aminos if you’re strict keto and avoid soy.
Sesame Oil – Along with the scallions you’ll also drizzle sesame oil over the cauliflower fried rice before serving. It’ll add toasty sesame seed flavor and fragrance to the rice!
- We love all those Asian flavors! The ginger, chili paste, and sesame oil really make this recipe work.
- You can swap out the chicken for beef, pork, shrimp, tofu, or whatever you like!
How To Make Cauliflower Fried Rice:
- Cauliflower Rice – I like to start with a head of fresh cauliflower, but you can certainly use already riced cauliflower if you prefer.
To make cauliflower rice, just add your cauliflower florets to a food processor and process until you have small, rice-like pieces. It only takes about 30 seconds!
- Sauté – Once you’ve riced your cauliflower, you’ll bust out a big skillet, heat it up, and get cooking. Heat a little olive oil in a pan, sauté some diced onions, add in your cooked chicken, garlic, and minced ginger, and get it all cooking together.
- Mix – Stir in the cauliflower rice and season with soy sauce or coconut aminos and chili paste or sriracha.
Once the cauliflower starts to soften up, push it off to the side of the pan and crack in a couple of eggs. I season my eggs with a dash of soy sauce and then scramble them up and mix them back into the rice.
- Serve – Stir in some scallions and finish it off with a drizzle of sesame oil!
This cauliflower chicken fried rice is beyond easy and comes together in about 20 minutes!
What To Serve With Cauliflower Fried Rice:
My teriyaki chicken stir fry recipe is low carb, full of flavor, and perfect alongside this rice!
This egg roll in a bowl actually tastes great when you just combine it with the fried rice. I stir them all up together and it really stretches the meal and adds some extra oomph.
My Szechuan green beans are a great way to work in some more veggies and add a bit more spicy flavor to the meal!
Swaps & Substitutions:
Soy Sauce – Swap this for coconut aminos if you avoid soy, and also consider using a low sodium soy sauce if you’re trying to cut your salt intake.
Protein – Ground chicken works well in place of shredded. You may also use beef, turkey, tofu, or pork in place of the chicken.
Chili Paste – We love the bright, zippy flavor of chili paste, but you can also use sriracha in it’s place.
Freezing & Storage Instructions:
You can keep any leftover cauliflower fried rice with chicken stored in an airtight container in your fridge for about 3 to 4 days. It can be reheated on the stove, in the microwave, or even in the oven.
You could also freeze this cauliflower fried rice for about 2 to 3 months. Let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe bag or container.
If frozen it should be thawed overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce divided
- 1 pound riced cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon chili paste
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and chicken to the pan and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower to the skillet and season with 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of soy sauce and chili paste. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes or until cauliflower has softened.
- Push the cauliflower rice to the side of the pan and crack the eggs into the empty space in the pan. Season with 1 teaspoon soy sauce and scramble.
- When eggs are cooked through, stir the eggs into the rice.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions.
- Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.
Danielle Hernandez says
How would this be prepared if using frozen cauliflower rice, using liquids. I have trouble gearing liquids and the moisture that comes out and I find the consistency is a bit hard to get down. It always ends up a mushy mess for me. Thank you!!
Karly Campbell says
Hi Danielle! I’m not sure what you mean by “using frozen cauliflower rice, using liquids?” I’d probably just go ahead and dump in frozen cauliflower and cook until warmed through before proceeding. I think it’ll work just the same.
Melanie says
Hello! I make this using frozen riced cauliflower. I microwave the bag for 4 to 5 minutes and let it cool a bit. Then I snip a corner off and wring as much liquid as I can out of the cauliflower. This achieves a drier, crispier rice texture. Hope this helps.
Lily Kyereboah says
This is awesome. It taste like Chinese fried rice . I used coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. Thanks for this. You are the best.
Karly Campbell says
Thanks, Lily!
Julie says
I had cauliflower fried rice in a restaurant and it was watery and not at all rice-like. Does this recipe give a more rice like feel to the dish?
Karly Campbell says
Cauliflower will always be a bit more watery than traditional rice since it has a higher water content. However, I’ve done my best to really replicate the fried rice vibe here and I think it’s a very close imitation! 🙂
Margaret Losch says
Very disappointed that in order to view the recipe, I need to add an extension.
Karly Campbell says
Hi Margaret! You shouldn’t need to add anything to view the recipe. It’s right there on the page. Maybe try a different browser or device and see if that helps?
Stina says
Great recipe, though I do wish the shredded chicken was taken into account for the prep time/grand total time. It’s a bit misleading unless you happen to have a cup of shredded chicken on hand. For busy folks who may just glance quickly at the prep time/total time while planning for the evening, it can be a real drag. Something to consider for future recipes probably.
Karly Campbell says
Hi Stina! If the ingredients list calls for already prepped foods like cooked chicken or chopped broccoli or shredded cheese, the prep time won’t take into account doing those things. If the recipe called for chicken breasts and the steps called for cooking, the time involved would be accounted for. That’s a pretty standard style to use. 🙂
Michelle says
i’ve been off and on low carbing for years, but I’ve never really liked riced cauliflower so I’ve stayed away from it. However, I was really craving fried rice, so I decided to give it a try. This is by far the best low carb dish I’ve ever had. Very yummy! Thank you so much. I’ll be making this weekly from now on.
Karly Campbell says
So glad to hear that! 🙂
Brenda Strickland says
Omg I just made this!!! It’s wonderful!! It tastes exactly like what you would get in a restaurant. If I didn’t just make this myself I would have no idea it is cauliflower!! Wonderful!!
Amy Gonzalez says
Where are the sugars coming from?
Karly Campbell says
Likely from the vegetables. 🙂
Prue says
This was one of the best meals I have had in ages!! Added 1/2 cup mixed frozen veg *carrot, pea, bean, corn* and a couple more tbs of soy sauce but it was AMAZING!!! So much flavour. I also didn’t have chilli paste so used chilli seasoning and some chilli powder! So good!
Kate says
Absolutely delicious! I was so skeptical of this recipe because I hate cauliflower, but this is incredibly tasty. It’s quickly become a go-to Keto recipe for me!
Paul says
I approve.
Rena Sotallaro says
Cantt wait to try your recipes. They all sound awesome.
Sarah says
What is the fat, protein and carb in this dish?
Karly Campbell says
Nutrtition info is in the recipe card.
Sarah says
Your blog is great! Very informative, great recipes and well laid out. Thank you!
Amers says
Thank you for this recipe. I was craving Chinese food and this hit the spot. We love lot so of flavors and this had plenty.
Heather Harrington says
What is the protein count?
Jessica Kendall says
is it good reheated? like if I was going to take it for work and microwave it for lunch
Karly Campbell says
It’s better fresh, but we do reheat it as needed. 🙂
Christine says
Can you add in other veggies like peas or carrots while you’re cooking this?
Karly Campbell says
Yes, though it will affect the nutritional values/carb count.
Joeline says
Delicious!
Johnathan Smith says
Can you do this with shrimp?
Karly Campbell says
Definitely!