Low carb Paleo Cauliflower Fried Rice is a great weeknight dinner and easy meal prep option for the week! Made in one skillet and comes together in under 15 minutes!
Cauliflower is definitely the “in” food right now. Cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower smoothies, roasted cauliflower, cauliflower “cream” sauce, and of course cauliflower rice to name a few. I love plain old frozen cauliflower for an easy vegetable side dish with my wild caught salmon for a great weeknight dinner. But sometimes it’s fun to get creative and think about all the fun ways you can use cauliflower!
If you’ve never tried paleo cauliflower fried rice before, it’s a great low-carb alternative to white or brown fried rice. You can substitute cauliflower rice for topping with curries, stews, sauces, really anything you’d serve with rice. Even though I don’t specifically eat low carb, I’m always in for sneaking veggies into dishes! Plus you are basically making a veggie stir fry but with that comforting, savory, take-out-style paleo cauliflower fried rice.
If you have a food processor then I’ll tell you how to make the rice. If you don’t, most grocery stores now, like Trader Joe’s, will sell a frozen bag of riced cauliflower. So, all you need is a head of cauliflower and then you cut the stem off and cube the rest of the pieces like pictured. It’s really just a rough chop so it can fit in your food processor.
You’ll see here that the cauliflower rice will get very fine and so depending on the size of the “rice” that you want you can process it for 30 seconds to a minute. You don’t want to over process it because then the rice will get mushy (same thing with cooking, it really just needs a light steaming if you are using fresh cauliflower).
If you are a fried rice fan then don’t forget to add fresh garlic and fresh ginger! I’m telling you it really makes the difference here in flavor. Plus you are getting awesome benefits from the garlic and ginger (read more about why here!) And here is an introduction to coconut aminos if you haven’t already heard about it. Coconut aminos is made from coconut tree sap and salt. It’s great for those who are avoiding gluten (in traditional soy sauce) or soy in general. The flavor is very similar to soy sauce or tamari, with the same umami flavor.
You might be wondering, what is umami? Well, I’m sure you know how there are the flavor notes sour, salty, sweet and bitter. But did you know there is a fifth basic taste? In the early 1900’s, a Japanese professor discovered a component in chicken stock or broth called glutamate and found this flavor to be called “umami.” So there you have it! And if you are curious about the science behind umami, you can read more about it here.
What I love about this recipe is that is doesn’t take a lot of time to make. If you want to save a step, buy a bag of frozen mixed vegetables like I did here. But, if you need to use up the veggies you have in your fridge, definitely dice them up and sauté them with onions at the beginning! I like finding a blend of carrots, peas, corn and green beans.
This recipe has a lot of “optional” add ins because I wanted to still keep this recipe easy to whip up! This cauliflower fried rice should be something that you can throw together in no time for a weeknight dinner or meal prep option.
If you have some shredded chicken on hand, then go for some extra protein and add that in too! And when adding in the eggs, just push the rice off to one side and then add the beaten eggs to the other side and cook until they are set.
Happy paleo cauliflower fried rice making!
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag @rootandsavor on instagram and follow along on Facebook!
Paleo Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower or 12 oz frozen cauliflower rice
- 12 oz frozen veggies i.e. carrots & peas
- 2-3 eggs, beaten
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2-3 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
- sea salt & pepper to taste
- 1 onion, diced (optional)
- 1 tsp turmeric (optional)
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (optional)
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger or 1/2 tsp dried (optional)
- chopped green onion and chicken (optional)
Instructions
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Roughly chop up a head of cauliflower so that it fits in the food processor. Blend it until the cauliflower is approximately the size of rice (or use a frozen bag of cauliflower rice!)
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(If adding onion) Heat a large cast iron pan on medium heat with olive oil. Once hot, add onion and fresh ginger. Sauté for 5-7 minutes or until onions are transluscent. Then add frozen mixed vegetables and cauliflower rice and cook for 2-3 minutes or heated throughout.
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Push cauliflower rice off to the side and add beaten eggs to the other side of the pan. Cook until the eggs are fluffy and then mix everything together. Turn heat to low and add coconut aminos or soy sauce, sesame oil, optional spices and season with sea salt & pepper. Top with sliced green onions and if you want extra protein, some cubed or shredded chicken! I also love serving with seaweed too1
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