This looks and tastes so much like real fried rice, I forgot for a moment that I was writing up a CAULIFLOWER Fried Rice recipe!
77% less calories, 89% less carbs, astonishingly similar mouthfeel as real fried rice and definitely right up there with flavour. This is one that even Cauliflower Rice cynics will love!
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Yes, it really does taste like real fried rice.
Cauliflower rice cynics, I’m talking to YOU!
And that includes me. It took me many years before I got on board the cauliflower rice train. And even once I was on board, it took me many months before I was happy enough with cauliflower fried rice to share the recipe with you.
Here are the top tips I’ve accumulated for wickedly good cauliflower rice:
cook it like real fried rice. Hard and fast. Keep the cauliflower crisp-tender, don’t let it get mushy and wet!
A great sauce is essential. Disguise the cauliflower flavour!
The cauliflower has to be rice-size. As opposed to tiny crumbly couscous size. Nobody wants mushy cauliflower-couscous!
What goes in Cauliflower Fried Rice
Cauliflower rice – best to either make your own or buy fresh pre-prepared. Frozen thawed will also work, but is a bit more watery. Drain it well and dry as much as you can, even go as far as squeezing out excess liquid (but note that you will lose volume by doing this and you still need 4 cups).
Ham or bacon – goes a long to add a great flavour base! Can be skipped to make it meat free
Frozen mixed vegetables – I use frozen for convenience, and because I totally buy into the whole “snap frozen” thing. Feel free to substitute with any diced vegetables, frozen or fresh
Mirin or Chinese cooking wine – this is key in this sauce, to give it depth of flavour and complexity, making it extra tasty. Substitute with dry sherry or cooking sake. For a non alcoholic sub, add chicken stock powder (granulated chicken bouillon);
Oyster Sauce adds a good back of sweet-savoury flavour. The only appropriate substitute I can think of is Hoisin, though you will get a faint fie spice flavour (very nice though!)
How to make Cauliflower Fried Rice
Here’s how you make it – just like normal fried rice, cooked hard and fast over high heat!
How to serve Cauliflower Fried Rice
Serve this as a tasty low-carb side dish, or as a meal in itself. Cauliflower Fried Rice packs in a serious load of vegetables, and very small amount of carbs. So while I’d never recommend normal fried rice as a meal, Cauliflower Fried Rice IS a healthy, satisfying complete meal in itself!
While I usually use plain rice or (when I’m trying to “be good”) plain Cauliflower Rice for saucy stir fries and curries, I like to serve fried rice alongside other Asian and Asian-esque dishes that aren’t saucy. Here are a few ideas.
Dishes to serve with Cauliflower Fried Rice
Have a browse through all my Asian recipes for more ideas!
So tell me, Cauliflower Rice cynics, have I convinced you to give this a go?? 😉 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Cauliflower Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1.5 tbsp oil , separated (vegetable, canola, peanut)
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 onion , finely chopped
- 75g/ 2.5 oz ham or bacon , diced
- 1 1/2 cups frozen diced peas, carrots, corn (mix, or other diced fresh veg of choice)
- 400g (4 cups) cauliflower rice, raw (Note 1)
- 2 eggs , lightly whisked
- 2 green onions , finely sliced
Sauce – Mix:
- 1 tbsp Mirin (or Chinese Cooking Wine) (sub dry sherry or cooking sake) (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce (sub Hoisin)
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce , light or all purpose (Note 3)
- 1 tsp sesame oil , toasted
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat.
- Add garlic and onion, cook for 30 seconds.
- Add ham, cook for 1 minute to release flavour.
- Add frozen vegetables, cook 2 minutes until carrot is almost cooked.
- Add cauliflower and Sauce. Cook, stirring regularly, for 4 minutes until sauce is reduced and cauliflower is almost cooked – firm, tender crisp, not soft and mushy.
- Push the cauliflower to one side of the skillet. Add 1/2 tbsp oil, let it heat up briefly, then pour in egg.
- Leave for 10 seconds, then leisurely scramble it. Once almost cooked, mix egg through cauliflower.
- Toss through green onions then serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
New year, new home! Actually, I moved in the week before Christmas. And for almost a whole week, this is all I had in the living area – a work desk, and Dozer’s bed. The two most important pieces of furniture I own! 😂
This is my favorite way to eat cauliflower. It is impressive how well the sauce, veggies, and eggs make it taste so much like real fried rice. Congratulations on your new home Nagi,
Thanks so much Dahn!! N x
Wow! This is the real deal…just as delicious as you promised. There’s no hint of cauliflower taste in it at all.
My Asian sauce shelf has experienced quite the upgrade since I started following your posts.
Next attempt will be your Filipino Chicken Adobo!
Thanks for your great recipes and all the hard work that goes into them.
Love to know what you think of the Adobo! N xx
The Chicken Adobo was very good -I will definitely make it again!
Sauce was totally awesome over the Cauliflower Stir Fried Rice.
My sauce was more golden brown than red like yours, can’t figure out why. I checked ingredients and didn’t leave anything out.
Thanks for all your great recipes, Nagi!
Looking at your photo – an open-plan kitchen to the left and verandah or patio leading to a pool behind the viewer ?
You’re pretty close to it Eha!
I use a lot of cauliflower rice and love it – as a change and a different kind of vegetable dish – not because I am avoiding carbs, of which every healthy person should have 40% in their diet ! I have not tried it as fried rice; but would probably use it as a full meal . . . I am sorry to disagree with you but in China fried rice is always a main meal dish for the working classes and should never be chosen as part of a more opulent meal where steamed rice naturally is mandatory ! Love the open-plan room you show = lovely for its timber floors . . . best . . .
Making this tonight. In the fall when there is a bounty of Cauliflower at the farmers market and usually cheap, I rice small baggies and freeze. I do all varieties of cauliflower, purple, orange, green – great staple to have on hand
I love that you get all sorts of colours!!! Biggest tip with making cauliflower rice anything is to blitz so it’s cooked rice size. If it all ends up like tiny couscous size then the eating experience isn’t as similar to fried rice 🙂 N x
You’ve convinced me to try it! Here goes, wish me luck. I’ll let you know how it went. Does your new home have nice views? Are you still near the beach?
You don’t need luck! 🙂 I hope you like it! All the add ins and sauce really do go a long way to “hide” the fact that you’re eating cauliflower!! N xx (PS And yes! I am lucky enough to still have some nice beach views, the house is actually on the same street as the one I was one before. Is it over disclosure to share photos of the house??? I don’t know where the line is for keeping things private!! Also I am worried that people will recognise the house and views because that’s what happened at the old house)
Hello Nagi! Happy Wednesday!
Congratulations on your new home! It looks lovely even without all the furnishings.
Thanks for the recipe share.
Dozer will eventually become familiar with his new home …watch out! 😂😂
Take care and enjoy …🌻
I don’t promise to make this soon, but you haven’t steered me wrong yet, so maybe before March. I’ve saved it to my recipe app, so I’ll have the recipe and ingredients with me all the time, no procrastinating when I’m ready!
Thank you for this recipe. Looks great. Can’t wait to try it out. My husband has just been diagnosed as Celiac, so this should be marvellous, if I use Gluten-free soya sauce. Thank you so much.
Love the photos of Dozer & your new home. All the very best in it. Hope you’ll be very happy there together.
Hi Nagy: Love your recipes. I was wondering if the main reason for 13g carbs is the choice of peas and carrots. Would another veggie, say broccoli for instance, bring the count down?
Congratulations on your new home! It looks beautiful and inviting even sans furniture. May you have many happy and delicious years there. PS – This recipe sounds fantastic! Thank you.
Ooooh! Sounds so good. I like the idea of making it like fried rice. AND, I’m thinking of giving it an “Italian touch”.
I am love your tasty recipes and especially the low Carb Recipes…..keep them coming. Stay safe !
I am such a better cook since I discovered your site!
Thank you!
Nagi, so glad you and Dozer are safe from the bush fires. Enjoy your new digs! Congratulations, very beautiful! You deserve the best! And thank you for the recipes too!
wow so much space. Dozer seem to be calm. Do you think he’s missing an old place? this meal looks good, seriously good. Thank you so much. Keep cool.
I love cauliflower rice and hot recipe is “DA BOMB”
Great new space congrats. .Dozer looks so little in your new sprawl 💕👍🐕
Hi Nagi,
Love your blog. Been following you for awhile now and just wanted to say how happy I am with the low carb recipes. Keep em coming!
Looks and sounds delicious Nagi. Love the floor, and can we see your kitchen?? 😀😀