This cauliflower fried rice is low-carb and paleo and gluten-free but you’d never know by tasting it. Darn near indistinguishable from the real thing.
Got any doubts that this cauliflower e this cauliflower fried rice recipe is darn near indistinguishable from the real thing? Read what our recipe testers had to say after trying the cauliflower fried rice recipe in their home kitchens. (You’ll find their comments just beneath the recipe.) Then try it yourself and let us know how its taste convinced you. Originally published February 8, 2016.–Renee Schettler Rossi
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients
- For the sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari (opt for gluten-free tamari if desired)
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Shao Hsing Chinese cooking wine or mirin (if you use mirin, consider reducing the sugar or honey by a touch)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- For the cauliflower fried rice
- 2 tablespoon expeller-pressed coconut oil or peanut oil
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 teaspoons)
- 1/2 pound leftover cooked meat, cut into bite-size pieces (optional)
- 2 medium carrots, diced 1/4-inch dice (1 to 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 cups Chinese cabbage (bok choy, choy sum, or won bok), chopped (or substitute 1 cup shredded green cabbage)
- 1 cup frozen peas, rinsed in cool water and drained
- 1 batch cooked and cooled Cauliflower Rice (from 1 head cauliflower)
- Sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Directions
- Make the sauce
- 1. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Make the cauliflower fried rice
- 2. In a wok, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and fry, stirring, until scrambled and mostly dry, about 2 minutes and then transfer to a plate.
- 3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the wok, still over medium-high heat, and heat until shimmering. Add the carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the onion and stir-fry until softened and golden, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until aromatic, about 20 seconds, then add the meat. Sauté until the meat is warm, 1 to 2 minutes.
- 4. Increase the heat to high and add the cabbage, peas, cauliflower rice, and sauce, tossing to combine. Stir-fry until the cabbage wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Finally, add the eggs back in. Taste and add salt if needed, then toss with the sesame oil, remove from the heat, and serve.
Variations
- Seafood Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Use cut-up raw shrimp, scallops, and/or squid instead of meat.
- Breakfast Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Use cooked bacon, sausage, and/or ham.
- Kimchi Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Add some chopped, drained kimchi at the end.
- Vietnamese Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Use shallots instead of the onion, leftover steamed jasmine rice, and pork for the meat.
- Thai Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Use shallots instead of the onion and add 1 tablespoon full-fat coconut milk and 1 teaspoon curry paste.
- Rich Cauliflower Fried Rice
- For added richness, substitute 1 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter for 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil.
- Meatless Monday Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Omit the meat. Kindly note there is a seafood element in the recipe due to the fish sauce.
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Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe © 2015 Russ Crandall. All rights reserved. All recipes and photos used with permission of the publisher.
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Chiyo Ueyama
You’re in for an interesting and fun culinary experience and a surprisingly delicious meal. Oh c’mon, don’t be skeptical—it’s the fluffiest “fried rice” you’ll ever have! The cauliflower rice is already tasty unadorned (it’s much more flavorful than I ever imagined) and the quick and easy sauce and aromatics in the cauliflower fried rice make it even more enjoyable. There's a lot of room for flexibility here—a common thread among most fried rice recipes. Maybe a little Sriracha or red pepper flakes in the sauce for some heat, chopped cilantro or Thai basil over the finished dish, a drizzle of sesame oil at the end, etc. Don’t have leftover meat? Skip it. I did, and the fried rice was quite satisfying without it. Let your creative juices flow or try some of the variations suggested with the recipe. I have no doubt they’d be fabulous. (The Breakfast Fried Rice is calling my name.)