Fried rice without rice?! WHAT?! That was exactly my reaction when I first saw this recipe in Nom Nom Paleo Food for Humans by my friends Michelle Tam and Henry Fong.
Being the super rice geek that I am:
How to cook white rice in microwave
How to cook brown rice in microwave
Trader Joe’s Quick Cooking Brown rice review
Vegetable Fried Rice
Shrimp Fried Rice
Spam Fried Rice (!!!!)
I had to try the Paleo version of fried rice without the rice. So I guess that makes it Fried Cauliflower, which sounds like a dish not like this. So I’m keeping the name Cauliflower Fried Rice.
Truthfully, I hadn’t even planned on doing any research on the Paleo diet – any diet that makes me give up my bread, glorious bread doesn’t interest me. However – after flipping through the volumous Nom Nom Paleo Cookbook, and bookmarking 8 recipes I must try TODAY (we ended up making 3 of them in one day) – I had to know more.
Here’s my conclusion:
If you’re a Paleo, get this book.
If you’re not a Paleo, get this book.
The fad diet name aside, Nom Nom Paleo by Michelle Tam and Henry Fong is just full of good food that’s good for you. Nothing processed. Nothing “refined”, nothing “enriched with.”
Here are the list of my top choices from the book:
10 minute Sriracha (we made this!)
Whole Roasted Fish (stuff ‘em with lemons and herbs)
Mussels in Curry Broth (uses Indian curry powder)
Kabob Koobideh (I love saying this!)
Crispy Roast Pork Belly (need i say more?)
This rice. Errr….this “rice” – was bacon-tastic. The process was so easy that it was even faster than cooking rice. Cauliflower is grated on the large holes of a box grater. Even the stem gets grated too.
Stir fry with bacon and whatever vegetables you want. Fifteen minutes later, you’ve got Paleo Cauliflower Bacon Fried Rice.
Here’s how to make it:
Cauliflower Fried Rice with Bacon Video Recipe
The recipe is super-easy – 15 minutes total. Below the recipe is a crazy list of options (CAN YOU TELL I’M HUNGRY?!)
Cauliflower Fried Rice Options
When stir-frying, timing is everything. Overcooked spinach is mushy and undercooked chicken is not good. I’ll divide these options according to Steps 1 – 4 in the recipe.
STEP 1 OPTIONS:
Along with the bacon, you can add more bacon. Just kidding 🙂
- You can add in diced Chinese Lap Cheong (Chinese sausage) which is, um, another form of bacon.
- Egg – once the bacon gets a good headstart, push it to one side of the pan. Crack an egg into an open spot. Scramble. Remove egg once it’s cooked (leave the bacon in the pan) and put scrambled egg aside. You’ll add it back in to the pan during step 4. This prevents the egg from overcooking – and from coating and mushy-ing up all the vegetables while they cook.
STEP 2 OPTIONS:
Along with the onion, you can add in ground beef, pork, turkey, chicken, buffalo. Throw in minced garlic at the very end of step 2.
How about different vegetables?
- Diced (like the size of frozen diced carrot) – zucchini, squash, red onion, bell peppers, mushrooms of all kinds
- Halved at diagonal – sugar peas, snap peas
- Chopped – cabbage, kale, napa cabbage, green onion, bok choy
- Matchstick – fresh carrot, broccoli stem (they sell in packages called “broccoli slaw”)
- Frozen – any diced veg or bean like edamame. Throw it in the pan while frozen, they’ll thaw out and be perfect once you’re done cooking. There’s nothing worse than mushy peas and carrots due to overcooking.
Or more meat/seafood?
- Diced cooked ham, smoked turkey (anything already cooked)
- Raw shrimp – shell ‘em and then give ‘em a nice rough chop.
- Diced salmon
STEP 3 OPTIONS:
Along with adding the cauliflower, you can add in:
- Chopped fresh spinach leaves or any other delicate leafy greens that don’t require a lot of cooking.
- Cooked shrimp (the kind you use for cocktail shrimp) – pinch tails off, rough chop.
- Chopped up – leftover rotisserie chicken
STEP 4 OPTIONS:
As a substitute for Bragg’s Amino:
- Coconut Amino, fish sauce or soy sauce. For non-Paleo peeps, try a tablespoon of oyster sauce for a slightly sweet/salty combo.
- Top it off with chopped cashew nuts, peanuts, minced green onion/chives, bean sprouts, cilantro
Alright, now that I’ve bombarded you with a gazillion options for making Paleo Cauliflower Bacon Fried Rice, what are ya gonna cook?
Cauliflower Fried Rice with Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 small onion, finely minced
- 1 head cauliflower, grated
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos, Coconut Aminos or fish sauce
Instructions
- In a wok or large saute pan over medium heat, cook bacon until almost crispy.
- Add the onions and stir fry until translucent.
- Turn heat to high. Add the grated cauliflower and stir fry for 1 minute. Add water and mixed vegetables, stir well, cover the pan and let the cauliflower mixture steam for another 3 minutes or until tender.
- Uncover and add Bragg's (or your choice of seasoning) to combine. Toss well. Taste and add additional seasoning as desired.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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I LIKE to cook it crispy in the bacon fat:) I always add garlic and onion along with the protein, some fermented black beans and serve with a dollop of Chinese chili paste. Same way I eat fried rice:)
This fried rice recipe sounds so good! That bacon is sure to bring plenty of flavor to the cauliflower rice along with the Braggs sauce. Yum.
Thank you for the recipe. My picky eater ate it and gave it thumbs up! I didn’t have onions so I used only the bacon, and mixed vegetables with Italian sausage and eggs. I used amino acid for soy sauce instead of fish sauce Bc I’m allegric to fish sauce.
Thanks again for my first paleo recipe!
This recipe is absolutely delicious. I don’t know what those amino items are, but it was delicious anyway. I drizzled olive oil over it , YUM
Thanks so much Brenda! – jaden
mmmmm, I need this in my life. Like, as soon as is possibly possible.
Pinning!
Thank you for providing what is probably a tasty, healthy recipe, but I really wish you had provided a readable version of the recipe. I have an aversion to watching videos of recipes (or almost any other crafty thing) — plus there’s no way to copy it into my recipe app. I use the app “Paprika,” and it’s great — but I can’t copy a video in to it, and can’t even watch the video within the app.
Hi Cassie – all my recipes have the written recipes at the bottom for easy printing! Just look at the bottom of the post.
That was ridiculously easy and even more ridiculously tasty. thank you!
If you’re a total vegetarian, leave out the bacon!
Hi Jaden , Thank you for for sharing the recipe. I made this today. Came out fabulous.
Hi Jaden, Thanks for shearing this recipes. I love the tips and recipes you have shared in this article. For me this is the best recipe you have shared – “Paleo Cauliflower Bacon Fried Rice” in https://steamykitchen.com. Looking forward to see more awesome recipe from you. Looks tough but gonna try making this soon.
This is my first truly “paleo” dish, and it smells awesome. I didn’t use the Aminos because I don’t have any. In fact I have no idea what they are. Can someone help a newbie?
Trying this right now…can’t wait to hear the guys response at supper time.
This turned out great, thanks.
I saw the wok you used in the video. Can you tell my what maker and where to purchase. I have been looking for a good quality wok for along time.
Thanks
Hi Jeanne! That’s actually a Steamy Kitchen wok that we made and sold. Unfortunately, we sold out of all of them! I’ll write a post soon doing a review of others and side by side comparison.
Does the cauliflower cook up crispy at all? There’s so much moisture in it.
No, it’s not meant to crisp up. It’s more f a steamed texture (like rice)
Love love, loved it! Threw some lime on top! Yes! did not really need to steam cauli first…anywho….. Thanks Jaden!
I love Fried Rice and this dish is really new for me. I made this the day you posted it and it smells fantastic and it tastes also.
Oh man, I need this in my life. Like, as soon as is possibly possible.
Pinning!
Thank you so much for explaining the proper order of adding in ingredients!! Very useful for a new cook like myself : )
Sounds easy and delicious to me!
Yum!!! But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Nowadays I use half riced cauliflower and half rice. That way it’s still got the fried rice fragrance and the rice absorbs the extra cauli liquid.