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Home Blog Course Main Course

Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken (Whole30 and Paleo Friendly)

Cheryl Malik
Cheryl Malik Posted: 02/01/19 Updated: 05/15/22
5
/5
13 Comments
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DF Dairy Free GF Gluten Free LC Low Carb P Paleo 30 Whole30

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Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken (Paleo & Whole30 Friendly) Pinterest image

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.

A white bowl of cauliflower fried rice with chicken, peas, carrots with a grey linen and silver chopsticks to the side

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?

A skillet of cauliflower fried rice with chicken, peas, carrots, snow peas

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.

What makes this recipe 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.

A white bowl of cauliflower fried rice with chicken, peas, carrots with a grey linen and silver chopsticks to the side

Why you’ll love it

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.

A white bowl of cauliflower fried rice with chicken, peas, carrots with a grey linen and silver chopsticks to the side

How to Make it

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.

A small blue bowl of cauliflower fried rice with chicken, peas, carrots with a grey linen and silver chopsticks to the side

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)

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

A white bowl of cauliflower fried rice with chicken, peas, carrots with a grey linen and silver chopsticks to the side
5 from 6 votes

Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken (Whole30 and Paleo Friendly)

Prep:5 minutes minutes
Cook:20 minutes minutes
Total:25 minutes minutes
A flavorful takeout-style cauliflower fried rice with chicken and vegetables. Quick and easy, toddler-approved, low carb, Whole30 and paleo friendly.
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4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs whisked
  • salt
  • 1 cup green onions sliced, 2 tablespoon dark greens reserved
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ tablespoon fresh ginger minced
  • 4 cups cauliflower rice
  • 4-5 tablespoons soy sauce If Whole30 or paleo, do not use. See note 1
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 pound chicken breast shredded or chopped into very small pieces
  • 1 ½ - 2 cup mixed vegetables Like peas, carrots, and snow peas. If Whole30 or paleo, see note 2
  • ½ 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.

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.
 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 300kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 195mg, Sodium: 1238mg, Potassium: 1050mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 500IU, Vitamin C: 83.7mg, Calcium: 84mg, Iron: 2.5mg, Net Carbs: 8g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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Cheryl Malik

Meet Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

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  1. Liz says

    Posted on 7/20/22 at 4:23 pm

    Delicious! I added lots of veg. Kids are it up!5 stars

    Reply
    • Grace | 40 Aprons TeamGrace | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 7/22/22 at 12:16 pm

      Woohoo! Thanks for sharing, Liz!

      Reply
  2. Irina says

    Posted on 11/6/21 at 2:36 pm

    Excited to make this soon! I have toasted sesame oil on hand, will that work? Also how can I cook frozen cauliflower rice successfully in this recipe?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Anna Claire | 40 Aprons TeamAnna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 11/7/21 at 7:10 pm

      Toasted sesame oil will work perfectly! And frozen cauliflower is one of our favorite ingredients! Just add it to a skillet and cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated. That’s it!5 stars

      Reply
  3. Kirsten Dill says

    Posted on 3/9/21 at 2:10 pm

    Super tasty! Just wanted to give you an update that as of January peas are now whole 30 compliant 🙂 yum. Made it with shrimp and added white pepper and powdered ginger since I was out of fresh. One other suggestion i have is separately pan frying the cauliflower rice in small batches to get a bit more texture on it- then tossing it all…. Came out great! Thanks5 stars

    Reply
  4. Amanda says

    Posted on 12/30/20 at 5:26 pm

    This recipe looks cool. I will definable going to cook it. Hope I will be able to make chicken rice just like it appears in the image.
    Regards,

    Reply
  5. Hannah Flack says

    Posted on 3/11/20 at 4:50 am

    I loved this the first time I made it using brown sugar but tonight I made it with Stevia not realizing that the ratios are so different. A word to the wise, if using a substitute use a LOT less. We had to throw the whole thing away!

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 3/11/20 at 1:16 pm

      Oh no! What a bummer, at least it wont happen again ha!

      Reply
  6. Kellie West says

    Posted on 1/12/20 at 10:41 am

    Can frozen cauliflower rice and stir fry vegetables be used?

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 1/13/20 at 4:57 pm

      Yes!5 stars

      Reply
  7. lauren says

    Posted on 6/2/19 at 8:40 am

    This looks soooo good. My daugher is alleric to sesame- is there an alternate oil that will yield the same results?

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 6/11/19 at 10:41 am

      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!

      Reply
  8. Hanah says

    Posted on 5/21/19 at 4:41 pm

    This looks SO good and super easy too!5 stars

    Reply

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