Cauliflower Fried Rice with Ham and Egg
Riced cauliflower makes a tasty substitute for regular rice in this quick and easy fried rice.
Serves2 to 3
Prep15 minutes
Cook10 minutes
Even though the cauliflower-in-everything craze has seemed to die down, there’s no denying it has staying power as a substitute for more carb-heavy foods. Cauliflower rice has a nice texture that mimics regular rice nicely, and has a bland enough profile that it can be seasoned in a lot of different ways. Using it in fried “rice” is one of the easiest ways to turn cauliflower rice into a main or side dish, and this simple stir-fry with ham and egg is a comforting favorite I turn to often — especially when there happens to be a lot of leftover holiday ham.
The Ingredients in Cauliflower Fried Rice
Use the same ingredients you would in a regular fried rice, but just swap out the cooked rice for uncooked cauliflower rice. Here are a few notable ingredients.
- Cauliflower rice: You can use fresh or frozen cauliflower rice, store-bought or homemade. If using frozen, do not thaw first and break up any big clumps before you take it out of the package.
- Ham: Diced, cooked ham steak is easy to cut up and cuts up into nice meaty bites.
- Eggs: Two beaten eggs get scrambled into the rice toward the end until nice and fluffy.
- Scallions: The white part of the scallions are cooked into the rice and the green parts are used at the end for a fresh garnish.
- Seasoning: Garlic, ginger, soy sauce (or tamari to keep things gluten-free), and sesame oil flavor the rice.
How to Make Cauliflower Fried Rice with Ham and Egg
Fried rice cooks lickety-split in mere minutes, so make sure you prep and measure everything out before turning on the stove. Start by cooking the ham and aromatics first, then add in the cauliflower rice and cook until warmed through. Stir in frozen peas and soy sauce, then scramble the eggs in a little bit more oil in one half of the pan. Toss everything together, garnish with the scallion greens, and serve.
Cauliflower Fried Rice with Ham and Egg Recipe
Riced cauliflower makes a tasty substitute for regular rice in this quick and easy fried rice.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Serves 2 to 3
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 2
large eggs
Kosher salt
- 4
medium scallions
- 1 cup
diced, cooked ham (about 4 1/2 ounces)
- 2 cloves
garlic
- 1 (1/2-inch) piece
ginger
- 16 ounces
fresh or frozen riced cauliflower (about 4 1/2 cups, do not thaw)
- 1/2 cup
frozen peas (do not thaw)
- 2 tablespoons
tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon
toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons
plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
Freshly ground white or black pepper
Instructions
Place 2 large eggs in a small bowl, season with a pinch of kosher salt, and whisk with a fork until broken up with no streaks of egg white.
Thinly slice the dark green parts from 2 large or 4 medium scallions (about 1/4 cup).
Prepare the following, adding each to the same medium bowl as you complete it: Thinly slice the white and light green parts of the scallions (about 3 tablespoons). Dice 4 1/2 ounces cooked ham if needed (about 1 cup). Finely chop 2 garlic cloves. Peel and finely chop 1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger until you have 1 teaspoon.
Measure out 16 ounces cauliflower rice. Measure out 1/2 cup frozen peas, 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick frying pan or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the ham mixture and stir-fry until fragrant and the scallion whites are tender, about 1 minute.
Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and let heat for a few seconds. Add the cauliflower rice (break up the frozen rice if needed into smaller clumps before opening the package) and stir-fry until the rice is heated through and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the peas and tamari or soy sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Push the cauliflower mixture to one half of the pan. Drizzle the open space with the remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, add the eggs, and cook, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until almost set, about 1 minute.
Remove the pan from the heat. Drizzle with the toasted sesame oil, sprinkle with the scallion greens, and toss to combine, incorporating the eggs into the rice mixture. Taste and season with kosher salt and pepper as needed.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.