The best recipe for cauliflower fried rice with chicken and frozen cauliflower rice. All you need is boneless, skinless chicken breast, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and frozen peas and carrots.
When I tell you that I make cauliflower fried rice with chicken three nights a week, it’s no exaggeration. Daniel and I are deeply, deeply boring people at heart. Yes, it tastes great every time, and yes, it’s pretty darn healthy (practically all vegetables and only 319 calories or 3 WW points), but the real reason I have it on repeat is that it’s SIMPLE, and I always have all of the ingredients on hand.
All you need to make it: boneless, skinless chicken breast, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, frozen peas and carrots, and frozen cauliflower rice. Of course you could use fresh veggies and make your own cauliflower rice (just chop a head of cauliflower into florets and pulse them in a food processor until they resemble a rice-like texture), but frozen veggies (mainly the frozen cauliflower rice) will make your life easier/better/more complete. I can’t recommend keeping your freezer stocked with them enough.
Cauliflower fried rice is entirely adaptable, too. Don’t have chicken? Use fresh or frozen, thawed shrimp (I keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer for quick meals like this). You could also skip cooking the chicken breast yourself and pick up a rotisserie chicken, or use anything you like: tofu, edamame, leftover steak, or pork tenderloin. And if cauliflower isn’t your thing, use brown rice or even couscous!
The only ingredients that are non-negotiable are the ones that provide the flavor: garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Now before you write me off for even thinking you’d always have fresh ginger on hand, wait! You can do this. Gourmet Garden makes tubes of ginger paste AND garlic paste that last for a month in the fridge. You’ll find them in the produce section of the grocery store, near the fresh herbs.
If you don’t have toasted sesame oil in your pantry, run to the market and grab a bottle (find it in the Asian foods section) because it is essential in making cauliflower fried rice. It’s what provides depth of flavor and an overall richness. Keep in mind that you want *dark* sesame oil, often called toasted sesame oil. It’s a deep golden brown color, made from pressing roasted (toasted) sesame seeds, and it’s used as a finishing oil for flavor.
Enjoy!
Cauliflower Fried Rice with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen cauliflower rice I like Green Giant brand (3-4 cups)
- 4 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 4 scallions white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots or any mixed vegetable medley you like, thawed
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce plus more for serving, if desired
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Microwave the cauliflower rice according to package directions.
- In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the canola oil over high heat. Add the chicken and stir fry until lightly browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Place the wok back on the heat, add the eggs, and scramble. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into small pieces (doesn’t have to be even or perfect).
- Using paper towel or a clean dish towel, wipe out the wok then return it to the heat and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. Add the ginger, garlic and scallions, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked cauliflower rice, and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the thawed vegetables and the soy sauce, stir well to combine, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and the chopped eggs, mix well, and cook for another minute, until the soy sauce has been absorbed by the other ingredients. Remove from the heat, add the toasted sesame oil, give it a good stir, and serve immediately.*
- *If the soy sauce hasn't absorbed into the cauliflower rice and the mix seems a little watery, let the fried rice sit for 5 minutes (in the wok, off the heat) before serving. OR, if your fried rice seems a little dry, feel free to add more soy sauce, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Notes
Nutrition
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