A takeout-style cauliflower fried rice with chicken that’s super flavorful and filling. A quick and easy Asian one pan dinner recipe that the whole family will love. Low carb, real food, plus paleo and Whole30 friendly.
Got kids? Then let me explain this recipe for cauliflower fried rice with chicken on a level you’ll truly understand:
My toddler ate it. Lots of it. For two separate meals. Without complaining.
Thanks for visiting, bye!
Really, though, that’s all I ever need to know about a recipe. Because, toddlers, right? They’re the pickiest, prissiest dinner guests you’ll ever have, except they dip their celery in ketchup and would eat chicken nuggets for 3 meals a day if you’d let them, so the cognitive dissonance as their line cook? It’s so, so real.
But there’s no surprise that this cauliflower fried rice with chicken pleased my little man. Just look at it! At first glance, it looks almost exactly like regular ol’, comes-shoveled-into-a-styrofoam-takeout-container fried rice with chicken, right?
I developed it, in fact, after takeout flavors, making sure to not overdo any one flavor but let the subtle sweetness of the peas and carrots shine through, ensuring the rice itself is kept neutral but flavorful, keeping it simple and delicious. I simplified flavors that might be delicious in another dish, but for takeout-style cauliflower fried rice with chicken?
This is it.
Why this cauliflower fried rice with chicken is so good:
- It tastes so much like takeout fried rice with chicken!
- This recipe is so quick and easy to throw together, especially if you use pre-riced or frozen cauliflower rice.
- This cauliflower fried rice with chicken is crazy versatile and paleo and Whole30 friendly. Try it with shrimp, no soy sauce, different veggies – whatever! It works.
- It’s a super filling, one-pan meal.
- This cauliflower fried rice with chicken is seasoned with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and fresh ginger.
Whole30 Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken
This recipe is not, as written, Whole30-compliant, but you can make it so with just one substitution!
Make sure you use 2 tablespoons coconut aminos instead of soy sauce (Which you cannot have on a Whole30, of course). You’ll also want to make sure you season your cauliflower fried rice with more salt than you otherwise would if using soy sauce since soy sauce is saltier than coconut aminos.
Also, try a glug of Red Boat fish sauce to add that nice umami and saltiness that you’d get from soy sauce.
And make sure you do not use green peas in your veggie mixture, but snow peas are OK.
Variations
There are so many variations possible within this cauliflower fried rice with chicken recipe, they’re basically endless! Here are a few:
- Use tamari instead of soy sauce if you’re gluten-free.
- Try shrimp instead of chicken. Sauté them in a teaspoon or so of sesame oil first, before the eggs are cooked, and set them aside. Skip stir-frying them or the chicken later on in the recipe and simply stir them in the cooked egg towards the end. Otherwise, you will overcook them.
- Substitute tofu for the chicken. Cook cubes of tofu like the shrimp: ahead of time in their own pan and then set aside. Cook the cubes of tofu on medium-high heat with a neutral oil, like avocado oil, for several minutes or until they’re very crispy on all sides.
- Use mushrooms, chopped bok choy, napa cabbage, etc., for your veggie choices.
- Try other riced veggies, like broccoli.
How to Make Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken
Start by cooking your egg: heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the whisked eggs and cook like a pancake until just cooked on the bottom, about 30 seconds. Season the top with salt and flip with a spatula as best you can, big pieces are OK. Cook on the second side until just cooked through, another 15-30 seconds or so. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool slightly, then chop.
Return the skillet to the stove and add 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Cook the green onions about 2 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and ginger, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Season the chicken with plenty of salt then add to the skillet. Stir fry, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes or until mostly opaque. Add veggies and cook about 2-4 minutes or until just tender. Simmer until most of the liquid in the pan evaporates, about 1-3 more minutes.
Add 1 more tablespoon sesame oil to the pan, followed by cauliflower rice. Cook until rice begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in cooked egg, soy sauce, and vinegar, and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until liquid in the bottom of the pan has evaporated.
Garnish with remaining green onions and sesame seeds and serve.
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Egg Roll in a Bowl (Whole30, Paleo)
- Sweet and Sour Chicken (Healthy, Whole30, Paleo)
- Healthy Lettuce Wraps (PF Changs Recipe)
- Paleo Sesame Chicken Recipe (Whole30)
- Healthy Jambalaya with Sausage & Shrimp (Whole30, Low Carb, Paleo)
- Whole30 Sriracha (Paleo, Vegan, Sugar Free)
Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken (Whole30 and Paleo Friendly)
A flavorful takeout-style cauliflower fried rice with chicken and vegetables. Quick and easy, toddler-approved, low carb, Whole30 and paleo friendly.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs whisked
- salt
- 1 cup green onions sliced, 2 tablespoon dark greens reserved
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger minced
- 4 cups cauliflower rice
- 4-5 tablespoons soy sauce If Whole30 or paleo, do not use. See note 1
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound chicken breast chopped into very small pieces
- 1 1/2 - 2 cup mixed vegetables Like peas, carrots, and snow peas. If Whole30 or paleo, see note 2
- 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar See note 3
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Pour in the whisked eggs and cook without stirring until fully cooked on one side, about 15-30 seconds. Season with salt and flip in large pieces with a spatula. Cook until just cooked through on the other side, about 15 seconds, then transfer to a cutting board. Let cool slightly then roughly chop into small pieces.
Return skillet to stove and pour in 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium heat. Add green onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the green onions have softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Season the chicken with plenty of salt, then add to skillet with onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry for 2 minutes or until chicken is mostly opaque. Add vegetables and cook, stirring regularly, until just becoming tender, about 2-4 minutes. Simmer until most of the liquid from cooking the vegetables evaporates, another minute or so.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil to the pan, then add the cauliflower rice and stir about 3-5 minutes or until rice begins to soften.
Stir in cooked egg, soy sauce or coconut aminos, red pepper flakes, and rice vinegar; stir well and simmer until most liquid has evaporated.
- Spoon into serving bowls and garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes
Note 1
If on Whole30 or paleo, use 2 tablespoons coconut aminos plus more salt instead of soy sauce. Omit soy sauce altogether. Also consider adding a glug of sugar-free fish sauce to the mixture when the coconut aminos go in.
Note 2
If on Whole30 or paleo, do not use green peas. However, snow peas are OK on Whole30.
Note 3
If on Whole30, make sure your rice vinegar has no added sugar. Rice vinegar itself is compliant but it is frequently found "seasoned," which almost always has non-compliant ingredients.
This looks soooo good. My daugher is alleric to sesame- is there an alternate oil that will yield the same results?
Unfortunately there is no replacement for that nutty sesame flavor from the sesame oil. For cooking purposes, you can certainly use whatever neutral oil works best for your family!
This looks SO good and super easy too!