This cauliflower fried rice recipe with chicken and veggies is a quick and healthy spin on takeout. It’s a Chinese-inspired dish that’s low-carb, paleo, Whole30, and gluten-free, and bursting with flavor and nutrition!
Table of Contents
- A healthier chicken fried rice!
- How do you prepare the cauliflower rice?
- Can you use frozen cauliflower?
- Can you make this dish with cooked chicken or other ingredients?
- Tips for the best cauliflower fried rice
- Ingredients
- How to make Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken
- What do you serve with cauliflower chicken fried rice?
- How do you save and reheat leftovers?
- MOre cauliflower fried rice recipes
- Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
A healthier chicken fried rice!
Craving chicken fried rice? This healthy all-in-one dish hits the spot and can be on the table in about 30 minutes. Growing up, my mom used to make me chicken fried rice all the time because I was a tiny, rice-lovin’ fiend. When I started eating paleo, I was determined to create a delicious and low carb replica of my mom’s recipe and here it is!
How do you prepare the cauliflower rice?
If you’re making your own cauliflower rice, just roughly chop a head of cauliflower into florets, and then pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor until the texture resembles rice grains. Alternatively, you can grate the cauliflower head on the large holes of a box grater. I used to make my own riced cauliflower (here’s the instructions!), but these days I just stock up on fresh or frozen cauliflower rice at the grocery store when I see it on sale.
Can you use frozen cauliflower?
Definitely! I always keep bags of frozen cauliflower rice in my freezer just so I can throw this dish together in a flash. I use frozen cauliflower straight from the freezer—thawed frozen cauliflower gets too mushy and watery. Also, I don’t always cover my frozen cauliflower rice when I cook it because I want to make sure any residual liquid is cooked off. Soggy rice is gross, people.
Can you make this dish with cooked chicken or other ingredients?
Yes—leftover cooked chicken will make this dish even faster! Simply replace the raw chicken in this recipe with 3 cups of diced cooked chicken. Cauliflower fried rice is the perfect vehicle for using up whatever protein (e.g., shrimp, leftover steak, Char Siu, etc.) and veggies (e.g., red bell pepper, diced zucchini, etc.) are languishing in your fridge and freezer—you can change up the ingredients depending on your mood and what you have!
Tips for the best cauliflower fried rice
- Shake up a bottle of All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce! This way you can make cauliflower rice in a jiffy and have it taste amazing!
- Prep the ingredients before you start cooking! Once you’re done with all the chopping and dicing, the actual cooking part will be fast and easy!
- Taste the dish as you cook it! This way you can make sure the cauliflower rice is the right texture and the final dish is seasoned to your liking.
Ingredients
- Riced cauliflower: Fresh or frozen works in this recipe!
- Boneless and skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs: Personally, I prefer diced chicken thighs but you do you!
- Large eggs
- Small onion
- Garlic cloves
- Carrot
- Frozen green peas
- Green onions
- All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce: In place of soy sauce, tamari, or oyster sauce, this indispensable sauce does it all! If you don’t have a jar in the fridge already, you can just shake up a bottle with some coconut aminos, orange juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and ginger powder. Easy peasy!
- Red Boat fish sauce: I add this for an extra oomph of umami and savoriness!
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Avocado oil or cooking fat of choice
- Toasted sesame oil (optional)
How to make Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken
In a medium bowl, combine the diced chicken, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon avocado oil. Set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet, well-seasoned cast iron or carbon steel skillet over medium-high heat. As the pan is heating up, whisk the eggs together with the fish sauce.
When the pan is hot, swirl in 2 teaspoons avocado oil and pour in the eggs. Stir and scrape the pan constantly until you have soft, moist curds of scrambled eggs. Transfer the eggs to a platter.
Wipe out the skillet and pour two teaspoon of avocado oil into the pan and add the sliced onions and carrots.
Sprinkle a little salt and sauté the vegetables until slightly softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the seasoned chicken into the pan and cook, stirring, until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink.
Transfer the chicken and veggies to the platter with the scrambled eggs.
Wipe the pan clean and pour 2 teaspoons of avocado oil into the pan. Stir in the riced cauliflower. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cauliflower rice is al dente. (If you are using frozen cauliflower rice, cover only for 1-2 minutes or cook uncovered until al dente.)
Pour in the All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce and stir frequently until the liquid is absorbed. (I’m sorry to report that you can’t buy bottled All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce anymore—you gotta make it yourself!)
Mix in the thawed peas, reserved eggs, chicken, and vegetables.
Sprinkle on the green onions and drizzle on the toasted sesame oil. Stir to mix well.
Taste the cauliflower chicken fried rice for seasoning and adjust with additional salt and/or All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce if needed. Scoop into bowls and enjoy!
What do you serve with cauliflower chicken fried rice?
You don’t need to serve this easy meal with anything—this one-pan dish already contains vegetables and protein bound together with the perfect seasoning, All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce. To make it even heartier, you can add more scrambled eggs or chicken.
If you want a veggie side dish, make my Chinese Garlic Green Beans or my Smashed Cucumber and Carrot Salad.
How do you save and reheat leftovers?
You can save the leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. I normally heat leftovers in a glass bowl, covered with a damp paper towel or silicone lid, in the microwave for about 90 seconds or until piping hot. You can also reheat the leftovers in a skillet if you wish.
MOre cauliflower fried rice recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes 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 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- ¾ pound boneless and skinless chicken breast or thighs cut into ¼-inch cubes
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Avocado oil or cooking fat of choice
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
- ½ small onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 1 pound riced cauliflower fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
- ½ cup frozen peas thawed
- 2 scallion thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the diced chicken, ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon avocado oil. Set aside.
- Heat a large non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. As the pan is heating up, whisk the eggs together with the fish sauce.
- When the pan is hot, swirl in 2 teaspoons avocado oil and pour in the eggs. Stir and scrape the pan constantly until you have soft, moist curds of scrambled eggs. Transfer the eggs to a platter.
- Wipe out the skillet and pour two teaspoon of avocado oil into the pan and add the sliced onions and carrots. Sprinkle a little salt and sauté the vegetables until slightly softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the seasoned chicken into the pan and cook, stirring, until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink. Transfer the chicken and veggies to the platter with the scrambled eggs.
- Wipe the pan clean and pour 2 teaspoons of avocado oil into the pan. Stir in the riced cauliflower. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cauliflower rice is al dente. (If you are using frozen cauliflower rice, cover only for 1-2 minutes or cook uncovered until al dente.)
- Pour in the All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce and stir frequently until the liquid is absorbed.
- Mix in the thawed peas, reserved eggs, chicken, and vegetables. Sprinkle on the scallions and drizzle on the toasted sesame oil. Stir to mix well.
- Taste the cauliflower chicken fried rice for seasoning and adjust with additional salt and/or All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce if needed. Scoop into bowls and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
OMG — so delish! I am eating this right now. I really appreciate the “two teaspoons of oil” instructions because with stir-fry, I so often end up adding too much oil as I add the new ingredient and end up having a greasy dish. Not with this. I also added a handful of shitaki mushrooms that I sauteed separately and threw in at the end.
I loved this idea, but I felt like there was too much fish sauce, which also made it salty! I would reduce the fish sauce in the eggs to just 1/4 teaspoon. Otherwise, great recipe.
I know you love Red Boat fish sauce, Michelle, but unless I get online and order some before making this recipe, I won’t be able to use it. I live in Rural Kansas and the local grocery store does not even stock regular fish sauce much less your preferred gourmet brand! How much difference do you think it would make? I have one of your cookbooks and I’ve made several recipes that call for Red Boat always wondering if I am missing out big time. So I figured I’d ask. 🙂
Just made this for supper this evening. Absolutely delish! I also reduced the fish sauce to half the amount (although I typically enjoy all your dishes with the amount suggested).
All 4 of our kids devoured it. I love riced cauliflower dishes that burst with flavor and this does just that!
Any reason for kosher salt? Are you Jewish or could it be any normal as well?
You can use normal, that is just my preference.
Delicious. A great alternative to traditional fried rice.