Cauliflower Chicken Fried “Rice”
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Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken is a delicious way to enjoy your favorite chicken fried rice, but without all the extra carbs. It’s made with cauliflower instead of white rice, but you can hardly taste the difference! Everyone will love it and lick the bowl clean!
Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken
There are few dinners more comforting than a quick and easy fried rice. Usually, it’s made up of leftover rice (or cooked jasmine rice if I’m really committed), leftover ham or chicken breast, and several cloves garlic. But if you’re limiting carbs or trying to increase your veggies, you’ll find this a great substitute for the boring day-old rice.
In fact I actually like this version even better than the cooked rice version. It’s incredibly filling, but you don’t feel weighed down like when you eat a bunch of the empty calories of white rice. You can cut more fat and calories by using a different neutral oil, like avocado oil or canola oil.
I’ve made this three times already, but I thought I’d wait until the new year to share it with you, because December was all about those cookies.
And now I guess I need to make up for all those cookies with lots of healthy meals this month :).
But honestly, I know I’ll never be one who’s able to give up sugar and desserts, so I like to make mostly healthy meals like this to help balance it out a little. Fried rice recipes are a great option for sneaking in more vegetables or cleaning out your fridge.
Ingredients for This Recipe
- Cauliflower
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Sesame oil (or vegetable oil if there are allergies)
- Green onions
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Frozen peas and carrots blend
- Eggs
- Soy sauce
Scroll below for the full printable recipe.
How to Make Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Cut the florets from the cauliflower, leaving most of the stem behind. Pulse half at a time in a food processor into fine bits, just a bit larger than couscous (you should have 4 cups).
- Transfer cauliflower to a large roll of several layers of paper towels, then wrap and squeeze to remove some of the excess moisture. Set aside.
- Heat 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil in a large 12-inch (fairly deep) non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add in chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil to now empty skillet, set over medium-high heat. Add in green onions, ginger, and garlic, and saute 20 seconds.
- Add in cauliflower “rice” and saute 3 minutes. Add in peas and carrots and saute until heated through, about 3 minutes.
- Push the mixture to the edges of the pan. Add the last 1/2 Tbsp of sesame oil to the center, then add eggs and scramble and cook just until set.
- Return chicken to the pan. Pour soy sauce over everything, then toss and cook 1 minute longer.
- Serve warm with green onions, peanuts, and Sriracha.
A Protein-Rich One-Pan Dinner
My whole family loves this Cauliflower Fried “Rice” and it’s a one-pan meal I’ll make again and again.
This dish is made with tons of veggies (cauliflower, carrots, peas), lean protein-packed chicken, and eggs to add one more protein and make it that much more filling.
Something great about stir fries is that you can customize them for any flavor you enjoy. Experiment with other meats, like beef or pork, or shrimp fried rice, or use different cuts for more juicy chicken (I love boneless skinless chicken thighs). Use different amounts of salt and pepper, season with a dark soy sauce, or add sriracha for some heat. I also like to throw in whatever veggies I have in the fridge—broccoli, carrots, asparagus, anything goes! Just pay attention to how long it takes individual ingredients to fry.
I love that it’s a quick and easy dinner too. As in you can pretty much make it faster than it would take to go pick up take-out. Plus, the leftovers are perfect for taking lunch to work the next day.
I think I’m going to start freezing my own cauliflower rice so I have a head start with this fried rice and my Loaded Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice.
You could also try using store-bought frozen cauliflower rice. That should work great here as well.
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Instructions
Follow Cooking Classy
Cauliflower Chicken Fried "Rice"
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 lbs)
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions, only white and light green portions
- 1 Tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots blend
- 3 large eggs
- 3 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, more or less to taste
Optional toppings
- 1/3 cup chopped unsalted peanuts (optional)
- 2 Tbsp chopped green onions (green portion)
- Sriracha or thinly sliced red peppers
Instructions
- Cut the florets from the cauliflower leaving most of the stem behind. Pulse half at a time in food processor into fine bits, just a bit larger than couscous (you should have 4 cups).
- Transfer cauliflower to a large roll of several layers of paper towels then wrap and squeeze to remove some of the excess moisture. Set aside.
- Heat 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil in a large 12-inch (fairly deep) non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add in chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil to now empty skillet, set over medium-high heat. Add in green onions, ginger and garlic and saute 20 seconds.
- Add in cauliflower "rice" and saute 3 minutes. Add in peas and carrots and saute until heated through, about 3 minutes.
- Push mixture to the edges of the pan. Add last 1/2 Tbsp of sesame oil to center then add eggs and scramble and cook just until set.
- Return chicken to pan. Pour soy sauce over everything then toss and cook 1 minute longer.
- Serve warm with green onions, peanuts and Sriracha.
- Recipe source: Cooking Classy