Updated April 16, 2021
Cauliflower rice stir fry is tasty and healthy side dish, good substitute for the traditional rice. It is one of the healthiest ways to eat cauliflower! Addition of spinach and seasoning, such as chili flakes, cumin and black pepper, makes it more aromatic. This is a basic cauliflower recipe that you need to have on hand. It is easy and quick, ready in just 20 minutes!
This is one of the best vegan, gluten free, paleo, keto and low carb cauliflower recipes to try! Moreover, it is surprisingly easy and quick to prepare. You will need just few ingredients, seasoning, a large pan and a grater or food processor.
You can serve this cauliflower rice stir fry for dinner or lunch. It is almost neutral in flavors, so additions of any vegetables and proteins are possible.
Seasoning and taste of cauliflower rice stir fry
To boost the flavor and color, I added spinach and spices. I decided to add chili flakes to add spicy hint and beautiful look. On the other hand, cumin seeds makes cauliflower more aromatic and flavorful. It is the best seasoning for cauliflower rice!
It is easy to make cauliflower rice taste good with spices! You can also add soy sauce to your taste.
What can you add to stir fry? Try adding beans or peas, garlic or fresh ginger, chopped carrots or zucchini. Moreover, mushrooms will make it more flavorful.
Cauliflower will absorb all these delicious flavors, so you will have a perfect cauliflower side dish for your family or a healthy lunch.
If you want to serve cauliflower as a main dish, check our cauliflower curry recipe, or Whole Roasted Cauliflower.
Why cauliflower rice is better than rice
If you are on a low carb, keto or paleo diet, you should definitely consider one of our healthy cauliflower recipes for eating almost every day. This cauliflower recipe is vegan, gluten-free and keto friendly.
One cup of traditional rice contains about 45 grams of carbohydrates (white and brown rices – the same amount), while a cup of cauliflower rice has only 5 grams.
Moreover, a cup of this veggie rice has only 28 calories, 10 % of fiber, 10 % of vitamin B-6 and 90 % of vitamin C from recommended everyday value.
So cauliflower rice is good for you, and you can lose weight, eating cauliflower.
What’s great, cauliflower rice stir fry is a quick and easy recipe, because it doesn’t need much time to cook!
Moreover, the taste is good, it has mild sweet nutty flavor. And you can regulate the spices to your taste, too.
How to make cauliflower rice from scratch
There are some brands available in the store, where the cauliflower is already riced and packed. But, to my mind, raw fresh cauliflower may be cheaper and will have more flavor than riced cauliflower.
It is better to invest in good food processor, but you can also use old-school grater to make riced cauliflower. You can also chop cauliflower florets with a good kitchen knife. But grater and food processor will give you better result.
Once you prepare raw veggie rice, you can store it in the fridge for about 3 days.
You can make your own riced cauliflower and freeze it. Store about a month in a freezer, until you’re ready to use it.
Easy cauliflower recipe
There are different ways to cook riced cauliflower. But I love the most cauliflower rice stir fry. I stir fried the rice on a pan with a cup of water to get the light and moist textured cauliflower.
You can add a little of olive oil, sesame oil or nut oil for more flavor. Sauteed cauliflower tastes great, too.
To my mind, it would be great to steam the rice. If your fried rice come out mushy, you’ve made a mistake. Be careful not to overcook it, as it will become mushy. Don’t add too much water, or cook it stirring and watch it carefully. It’s enough to cook just about 5-6 minutes.
On the other hand, if you bake the cauliflower (it’s more time consuming), you will have more nutty flavor.
What can you eat with cauliflower rice
I think it’s a good idea to have cauliflower rice and chicken for dinner. I recommend checking our Roasted chicken or Rosemary chicken to pair with cauliflower.
Cauliflower rice and beans is another idea. Just add canned beans to the stir fry and cook few minutes more.
Beef and broccoli, carrots, peas, zucchini and corn are good vegetables to go with stir fry. You can add frozen peas and carrots at the end of the cooking. It will be absolutely delicious!
If you are searching for more easy cauliflower recipes, check our cauliflower gratin, cauliflower salad, cauliflower flatbread recipes. We have more 80+ Easy Cauliflower recipes that you should check.
Enjoy your cauliflower rice bowl!
If you make this cauliflower rice stir fry recipe, tag us to let us know. We love to see what you are cooking! And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook ! Check out our Healthy Cauliflower Recipes board on Pinterest.
Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry
- a pan with a lid
- food processor
- ½ head cauliflower middle size
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt to your taste
- 1 dash black pepper to your taste
- 15 g spinach chopped
- 4 spinach leaves for decoration
- 2 tsp chili flakes to sprinkle on top
- 2 tbs olive oil
- ½ cup water
- Cut cauliflower into smaller pieces and blend in food processor until it reminds rice.½ head cauliflower
- On the dry pan toast cumin seeds for 30 seconds until fragrant, leave them aside.2 tsp cumin seeds
- Heat the olive oil on the medium heat and add cauliflower rice. Cook few minutes, stirring.2 tbs olive oil
- Add toasted cumin seeds, salt and pepper, stir.1/2 tsp salt, 1 dash black pepper
- Add water, cover with lid and cook for about 6 minutes until soft.½ cup water
- Add chopped spinach, stir for a minute, remove from heat and serve immediately.15 g spinach
- Decorate with spinach leaves and chili flakes.4 spinach leaves, 2 tsp chili flakes
What an interesting idea and recipe. I never tried cauliflower this way. I will definitely make this. Soon!
Let me know how you’ll like it, Natalie!
So much flavor and a great alternative to rice!
Absolutely!
I’ve not made cauliflower rice for ages,. I love that you added spinach and chilli. Sharing now 🙂
Thank you, Jacqueline! You need to try this recipe, it perfect as a side dish for summer BBQ party!
So true – it is an absolute surprise re: how easy it is to make this rice. The best part is that you can make it a perfect side to so many dishes that do require a lot of cooking time!
You’re absolutely right, Danielle! Cauliflower rice is a healthy low-carb side dish and you can use different herbs and spices.
Cauliflower rice is one of our favorites! I haven’t made it with cumin or a bit of heat before! It sounds so good, I’m making it for dinner!
Cauliflower is our favorite, too! We use it a lot as a side dish or snacks.