Kimchi cauliflower fried rice is a delicious, one-bowl, Whole30 weeknight meal that’s packed with umami! It’s a low carb way to use up leftovers!
I’ve been on my Ready or Not! book tour since late July, which means I’ve been eating out for weeks on end. It’s not as glamorous as it may sound; even though I generally love eating out, there comes a point when I just get desperate for home cooking (and knowing every single ingredient that I’m putting in my mouth!). That’s why I’m excited to finally be back in my home kitchen and cooking something umami-licious. Of course, I’m still the queen of shortcuts, so I’m not about to go crazy with a complicated dish. Rather, I prefer a simple one-bowl meal that uses stuff I already have in my fridge, freezer, and pantry.
In other words: It’s time to fry up some Kimchi Cauliflower Fried Rice, people!
You know how I’m always nagging you to eat more fermented foods like kimchi? And you know how you keep ignoring me? Well, I think I have the dish that’ll finally get you to incorporate kimchi in your meals. Believe it or not, this may be one of my all-time favorite creations. Kimchi lends incredible depth and richness to the flavors and textures of this chicken fried (cauliflower) rice. Plus, the meal is Whole30-friendly if you make your own kimchi (like the two versions in Ready or Not!) or you purchase sugar-free, junk-free kimchi at the store. I dare you to not fall in love.
(Yes, cooking kimchi can kill the probiotics, but it will still be tasty and umami-licious. Now that you have some kimchi in your fridge, make sure you eat some of it raw with your leftover “rice” and with your other dishes!)
Time to make Kimchi Cauliflower Fried Rice!
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup kimchi (I like this brand or make your own!)
- 3 large eggs
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or cooking fat of choice, divided
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups cubed cooked chicken or leftover cooked meat
- 1 small cauliflower head, riced or 16 ounces riced cauliflower (frozen or fresh)
- 2 tablespoons kimchi juice (the liquid in the kimchi jar)
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 scallions, finely sliced on the diagonal
- 1 toasted nori sheet, cut into strips for garnish
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Equipment:
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Large cast iron skillet
- Silicone spatula
- Garlic press
Method:
Start by chopping up your kimchi. Store-bought is fine, but if you have time, make your own. We have a kimchi recipe on page 62 of our new cookbook, Ready or Not! (Psst! If you don’t like spicy food, buy white kimchi or make my Wimpchi!)
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl with ½ teaspoon salt. When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Once the oil is shimmering, pour in the whisked eggs…
…and gently tilt the skillet so the egg forms a flat and even layer. Cook for a minute or two until the egg firms up. Slip a spatula underneath and carefully flip the egg over to cook it through on the other side.
When the egg omelet is ready, transfer it to a cutting board, and slice it into thin strips.
Heat the remaining two tablespoon of oil in the now-empty pan, and add the onion and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until softened.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Toss in the chopped kimchi and increase the heat to medium-high.
Stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the kimchi begins to brown in parts.
Add the cubed chicken, and stir for 1 minute to warm through.
Next, add the riced cauliflower, and mix well to incorporate.
Stir in the kimchi juice and coconut aminos.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender (but not mushy).
Taste the rice for seasoning and adjust with salt if needed. Remove from heat, and stir in the sesame oil.
Mix in the egg strips and scallions, and scoop the fried rice into serving bowls.
Garnish with nori strips and sesame seeds and serve. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Looking for other cauliflower rice recipes? Make these Nomster favorites:
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Kimchi Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup kimchi I like this brand
- 3 large eggs
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or cooking fat of choice divided
- ½ small onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups cubed cooked chicken or leftover cooked meat
- 1 small cauliflower head riced or 16 ounces riced cauliflower (frozen or fresh)
- 2 tablespoons kimchi juice the liquid in the kimchi jar
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 scallions finely sliced on the diagonal
- 1 toasted nori sheet cut into strips for garnish
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Start by chopping up your kimchi. Store-bought is fine, but if you have time, make your own. We have a kimchi recipe on page 62 of our new cookbook, Ready or Not! (Psst! If you don't like spicy food, buy white kimchi or make my Wimpchi!)
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl with ½ teaspoon salt. When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Once the oil is shimmering, pour in the whisked eggs and gently tilt the skillet so the egg forms a flat and even layer. Cook for a minute or two until the egg firms up. Slip a spatula underneath and carefully flip the egg over to cook it through on the other side.
- When the egg omelet is ready, transfer it to a cutting board, and slice it into thin strips.
- Heat the remaining two tablespoon of oil in the now-empty pan, and add the onion and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until softened.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Toss in the chopped kimchi and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the kimchi begins to brown in parts.
- Add the cubed chicken, and stir for 1 minute to warm through.
- Next, add the riced cauliflower, and mix well to incorporate. Stir in the kimchi juice and coconut aminos.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender (but not mushy).
- Taste the rice for seasoning and adjust with salt if needed. Remove from heat, and stir in the sesame oil.
- Mix in the egg strips and scallions, and scoop the fried rice into serving bowls. Garnish with nori strips and sesame seeds and serve. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Jane says
This was so simple yet so delicious! I loved the flavor the kimchi adds.
Anna says
Would adding the kimchi at the end, with the omelet strips, change the flavor significantly? I’d hate to cook the kimchi, as that would negate most or all of the benefits of fermentation…
Sally-Jo Gallant says
Wondering and thinking the same thing!
Donna Knipp says
Me, too. Cooking fermented foods kills off the probiotic critters in there, doesn’t it? Aren’t you defeating the purpose?
nomnompaleo says
I eat kimchi fried rice for the taste! I eat raw kimchi (and other fermented foods) all the time for the probiotic properties.
Donna Knipp says
So thanks for your reply. Your intro to the recipe suggested that you were reminding folks of the probiotic benefits of kimchi. (You didn’t say it explicity, but that was the implication.) So you seemed to be saying one thing in the intro and another thing in the recipe (intro: this dish has priobiotic benefits; recipe: no benefits due to cooking the kimchi). I don’t mean to make a big deal out of it; maybe you want to change the intro; maybe not. I will say I spent yesterday cooking and looking at recipes online and saw a recipe on Goop that did the same thing — used cooked kimchi and claimed that it would have probiotic benefits. I think of you as having more integrity than Goop! Jes’ sayin’. The food world is a very commercial place — overly commercial — which has led to a lot of our problems. Be well.
nomnompaleo says
After doing some extra sleuthing, it appears that although cooking kills the probiotics in kimchi, there may be benefit in eating the cooked stuff (i.e. dead microorganisms) as well. Not only is kimchi high in many nutrients, but there is data in the scientific literature that dead bacteria (which results upon cooking) may still help counteract inflammation and improve gut health. That being said, I wouldn’t extrapolate the stuff in the literature to say that eating this dish is akin to eating a “super food” or will cure all your ails. I don’t delve into the nitty gritty science on this site, but I always encourage folks to expand their palates with foods our grandmas and great-grandmas cooked. Kimchi is something that people have been eating and cooking with for generations and I think it’s tasty and good for you! Happy cooking and eating!
Donna Knipp says
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I’m sure it’s true that kimchi has nutritional benefits, whether cooked or raw, but it’s helpful to be clear about it. Fermentation is a really interesting subject. My own food heritage is European/Southern American, and I’m sure that my grandparents had some kind of “relish” with every meal — pickled veggies of some sort. And I think ketchup was originally fermented, though I’m not sure. I don’t think they heated up those things, but I could be wrong. Interesting if many traditional diets included probiotics. PS: have you ever tried to make fermented soda? I bought some stopper bottles so I could try it, but then never did it. More of a summertime thing, I guess, but it would be nice to have a good recipe and pictorial to follow. thx.
Lauren says
This was delicious! I live in China, so cooking some paleo recipes can be a little challenging seeing that we don’t have a lot of the same ingredients that are available in America… but this recipe calls for things that are all easily available over here (minus the Coconut Aminos) and was so easy to whip together tonight! I’ll be trying more of your recipes for sure. 🙂
Amy Duran says
Ummmmm holy crap this is good!
Madison says
This is so good! I am picky with cauliflower rice and this does it. I topped it with raw kimchi and it’s perfect. Holds well in the fridge for leftovers as well!! Super easy too.