Cauliflower Fried Rice

Alright, who else has been late to joining the cauliflower fried rice party?  {Just me?!}  I seriously can’t believe it took me this long to do a blog recipe for this veggie-packed takeout-fakeout dish.

Traditional fried rice from your local Chinese food restaurant is typically calorie-dense and carb-heavy, with only a few scattered veggies throughout.  That’s totally cool to indulge in sometimes – but what if that craving strikes you regularly?  What’s a fried rice fanatic to do?!

I’ll tell you what to do – you dig into a big ‘ol bowl of this cauliflower fried rice.  This scrumptious alterative to Chinese takeout can be made in under a half hour, with less than 10 ingredients.  And it clocks in at less than 200 calories per serving.  That makes this perfect for an easy side dish (and way leaner compared to the 500+ calories in a side of fried rice from a popular takeout brand).  Or you can double up the portion in this dish to make it a full meal!

Now, don’t get me wrong – cauliflower rice is not going to taste exactly the same as regular rice.  One is very starchy; the other isn’t.  It’s kind of comparable to spaghetti vs spaghetti squash.

But when cauliflower rice is used in dishes like this that have a lot of flavor (think salty soy sauce and aromatic garlic), it carries those tastes very well!  The texture can also be quite similar to traditional rice.  I think it’s an absolutely awesome substitute because it allows you to cut down on the calorie and/or carbohydrate content of the whole meal.  Plus, it’s another way to add even more veggies to this dish – always a winning idea.

Making the cauliflower rice itself is simple.  You’ll find a lot of blog posts out there with different techniques, but I’m all about quick and easy, so I stick with a food processor.  To start, trim the head of cauliflower to just the florets, removing the stalks and outer leaves.  You should end up with around 5 or 6 cups of cauliflower from a medium head, but honestly – there’s no need to be super precise because this recipe is forgiving if you have more or less. 

Throw those florets into a food processor, hit the pulse button a few times, and voila – cauliflower rice!  It should have an appearance similar to small grains of rice (or maybe like couscous).  Don’t pulse it too many times or too long – or it can break down too much.  (You can still cook with it that way, though, it just won’t have the same textural properties and might cook a little faster).

From there, you’ll just spend a few minutes whipping up some scrambled eggs and sautéing some other veggies, then toss in the cauliflower rice and mix in a little soy sauce.  That’s it!  You’ve got yourself a fabulously healthy version of fried rice.

You can mix up this recipe according to your own tastes and needs too.  You could get creative with the types of veggies in there, or you can add in some chopped chicken, pork or shrimp.  If you have dietary limitations, like you’re gluten free, you can use a certified gluten free soy sauce.  If you can’t do soy, you can use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.

I’m a big fan of this dish for athletes I work with that struggle with either constant hunger and trying to lose weight in the early part of the season.  It’s a way for them to really eat a lot of filling, nutrient-dense food while still working towards their goals.  I hope you’ll give it a try too and let me know what you think!

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Snacking in Sneakers

A tasty veggie-packed dish that's low in calories and carbs but rich in taste.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 4

Calories 190 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Ingredients:

• 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 5-6 cups of trimmed florets)
• 1.33 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp lower sodium soy sauce

Instructions

 

Directions:

• Trim the head of cauliflower to just florets, removing large stalks and outer leaves. A medium head of cauliflower should give you about 5-6 cups of trimmed cauliflower. (Keep in mind a little more or a little less won’t hurt this recipe, so don’t worry about being super precise.)
• Place cauliflower florets in a food processor. Press the pulse button just a few quick times until the cauliflower roughly resembles the appearance of rice (it doesn’t take long). Set aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium heat. (You can also just quickly spray the pan with cooking spray rather than use sesame oil here). Whisk eggs in a bowl and add them to the skillet to cook scrambled eggs. When eggs are done, set aside for now.
• Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in the skillet. Add onion, carrots, and bell pepper. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until vegetables are just starting to get tender. Add garlic and scallions and cook for another minute. 
• Stir in cauliflower rice. Continue cooking for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of lower sodium soy sauce and the cooked eggs, and cook for another minute until everything is heated through. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition analysis (approximate per serving):

190 calories, 9 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 388 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 9 g protein, Vitamin A: 126%, Vitamin C: 182%, Folate: 30%, Vitamin B6: 30%, Vitamin K: 70%, Calcium: 9%, Iron: 12%, Potassium: 22%

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Share with me:  Are you a fried rice fanatic?  What’s your favorite way to use cauliflower rice?  Have you ever had cauliflower fried rice?

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as recipes, for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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