This cauliflower shrimp fried rice recipe is all made in one pan and is all done cooking in under 30 minutes. It is made with fresh vegetables and a 2-ingredient sauce that is full of flavor and umami. This cauliflower rice is gluten free, low carb, paleo, and Whole30.
Why is this cauliflower fried rice great?
The ingredients, of course. The specific mix of vegetables I used is my personal favorite for this type of fried rice.
You can of course get as creative as you'd like, but be sure you are cooking the vegetables long enough and appropriately.
- It's also gluten free, grain free, low carb, paleo, and Whole30 compliant.
- Lasts all week long in the refrigerator so be sure to use it during meal planning and prep.
- The sauce is so simple yet so delicious: just two ingredients and it's full of flavor!
- It is well balanced with the amount of vegetables used, eggs, shrimp, etc.
What ingredients do you need?
- Cauliflower
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Shrimp
- Red bell peppers
- Carrots
- Peas
- Eggs
- Fish sauce
- Coconut aminos
Substitutions in cauliflower shrimp fried rice
Vegetables: You can use your favorite vegetables here. You will need to account for different cooking times depending on the veggies you do use though. Cook your vegetables until they are fork tender, as you don't want them to get mushy or soggy.
Protein: You can use chicken, beef or pork instead of shrimp. You can alternatively make this a vegetable cauliflower rice and skip the protein entirely, but it won't be as filling.
Rice: If you are not keeping low carb or on a Whole30, you can absolutely use regular rice in this dish. Simply cook it to your desired doneness on the stove or in a rice cooker or Instant Pot and add it to the dish after the peas are done cooking.
Fish sauce: The fish sauce in this dish adds a really rich and complex umami flavor. The recipe will turn out without it, but it won't be nearly as flavorful and delicious.
Coconut aminos: Although this is typically used as a direct substitute for soy sauce, I don't recommend substituting it for soy sauce in this dish. It is loaded with a subtle sweetness you won't find in soy sauce.
Frozen vs. fresh riced cauliflower
Can I use frozen riced cauliflower? Eh, you can, but I'm not as big of a fan of it for this particular recipe simply because it releases too much moisture.
If you can get your hands on fresh riced cauliflower or better yet just grab a large head of cauliflower and rice it yourself using a food processor, that's my best tip.
How to make shrimp cauliflower fried rice
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil and heat for another minute.
Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 3-4 minutes total or until no longer opaque and lightly pink. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Pour in whisked eggs and scramble until just done, and do not overcook. You want them nice and fluffy. Remove from the pan and set aside. Wipe out the pan if you need to at this point.
Add the other tablespoon of avocado oil to the pan. Add onions, carrots, bell peppers, ginger, and a big pinch of salt. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add minced garlic. Sauté for another minute, stirring often. Mix in riced cauliflower and green peas. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the rice is soft and veggies are all fork-tender.
Turn down the heat to medium-low. Pour in coconut aminos and fish sauce and stir until distributed throughout. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, really letting all of the flavors meld together.
Add eggs and shrimp back into the pan. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat and serve with sliced green onions.
More cauliflower recipes you'll love:
Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Whole30 Cauliflower Fried Rice
Cauliflower Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil split in two
- 1 pound medium to large shelled & deveined shrimp see notes
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 4 large eggs scrambled
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 cup carrots peeled and diced
- 2 cups red bell peppers diced
- 1 tablespoons minced ginger
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 6 cups riced cauliflower see notes
- 2 cups peas see notes
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos
- 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
Instructions
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil and heat for another minute.
- Add shrimp in a single layer and cook 3-4 minutes total or until no longer opaque and lightly pink. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Pour in whisked eggs and scramble until just done, and do not overcook. You want them nice and fluffy. Remove from the pan and set aside. Wipe out the pan if you need to at this point.
- Add the other tablespoon of avocado oil to the pan. Add onions, carrots, bell peppers, ginger, and a big pinch of salt. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add minced garlic. Sauté for another minute, stirring often. Mix in riced cauliflower and green peas. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the rice is soft and veggies are all fork-tender.
- Turn down the heat to medium-low. Pour in coconut aminos and fish sauce and stir until distributed throughout. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, really letting all of the flavors meld together.
- Add eggs and shrimp back into the pan. Stir to combine. Remove from the heat and serve with sliced green onions.
Roger Beck says
Made this last night and it turned out perfect. Love the cauliflower instead of rice, which I don't eat anyway. Thank you again for another great recipe!
Monica Stevens Le says
That makes me so happy. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!