Paleo Cauliflower Pineapple Fried Rice

Paleo pineapple fried rice is a delicious, healthier version of Asian take-out. Make this cauliflower rice recipe in only 20 minutes!

Welcome to easy prep/easy recipe month! When recipes are easy to prep and have a short cook time, they usually become a staple in my weekly menu. It gets even better when those same meals are also budget friendly! I can hear the cheering now! 🥳 

30-minute meals can save you SO much time, especially when you have a busy schedule. Please don’t fall into the trap of believing that quick and easy meals can’t be nourishing, though! Honestly, it’s all about choosing healthy ingredients.

One question I hear often is,

How can I make Asian take-out meals healthier?

I get it. Asian foods, especially those with sweet and spicy flavors, are a favorite of mine, too. But more often than not, those sweet sauces are full of refined white sugar.

This is especially true for store bought sauces like sweet and sour, teriyaki, and yum yum sauce.

Add unhealthy saturated fats and high glycemic starches to the mix, and your favorite carry-out foods are basically empty calories.

No worries; they can be nourishing… Let me show you how!

Cauliflower Pineapple Fried Rice

This is a healthier version of fried rice that you will want to make over and over again. Paleo pineapple fried rice is:

• Quick– From pan to plate, you’re looking at 15 minutes to make dinner!
  
• Easy meal prep– Save yourself time by doing some of the prep on a less busy day. Then, pull everything out of the freezer or fridge on a busy night.
  
• Budget friendly– No expensive specialty ingredients needed. Even better, you can save money by using frozen peas and carrots. Also, making cauliflower rice instead of buying it pre-made is a huge money saver!
  

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• cauliflower rice– If you prefer to make your own, you’ll need 1 small head of cauliflower. You can see instructions for making cauliflower rice in my riced veggies post.
  
• large eggs– Although they are a staple in pineapple fried rice, you can certainly omit the eggs if you need to.
  
• sesame oil– For the majority of my recipes, I say that any cooking oil works, but with Asian recipes, using sesame oil is really key to developing the correct flavor.
  
• fresh garlic cloves– You can use minced garlic from a jar if necessary.
  
• scallions– You’ll need to divide the white and green portions.
  
• fresh ginger– Using fresh ginger really enhances the flavor of the dish. If you can’t find any fresh ginger, use 1/4 teaspoon of ginger spice instead.
  
• frozen peas and carrots mix– I like to use a frozen veggie mix because the carrots are the perfect size for stir frying. If you want to use fresh, just partially cook them first.
  
• tamari sauce– this is our go-to gluten-free substitute for soy sauce. Otherwise, gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos can be used.
  
• crushed red pepper flakes- Feel free to use more or less to increase or decrease the spice level.
  
• diced pineapple– Feel free to use either fresh or canned pineapple chunks. Reserve the juice if you have any.

How to make fried rice with cauliflower

One of the keys to making perfect fried rice is chilling the rice overnight. So, we make this healthy fried rice the same way.

Whether you buy it ready to use or you make your own cauliflower rice is completely up to you.
Either way, you’ll want to bake it off in the oven first, then pop it in the fridge until it’s cold. It takes about 6 hours to chill, so I usually do this step the night before I make the pineapple fried rice.

Recipe notes

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Easy Meal Prep!

This recipe really is perfect for easy meal prep! Not just because you can make portions of it ahead of time, but also because so many of the ingredients can be purchased ready to use.

It’s QUICK and EASY too! If you use prepared cauliflower rice, the dish comes together in only 20 minutes.

If you would rather use fresh carrots, you can do so. When you’re dicing, just be sure to keep the pieces as close in size as possible. Otherwise, you may end up over or undercooking some of them.

How to serve pineapple fried rice

This dish is pretty versatile! It’s great on its own for a meatless meal. I like to add chopped cashews for a bit of protein, then I serve it with yum yum sauce over the top. It’s delicious, nourishing and filling!

Another source of plant-based protein would be great too, like chickpea or cultured tempeh.

If you want to serve it as a side dish instead, this healthy fried rice is fantastic with Asian dishes like Paleo Chicken Teriyaki or 10-Minute Pan Seared Salmon.

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As written, the recipe makes enough to serve 3 to 4 people as a main dish. Serving size is 2 cups each.

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Okay ya’ll.  Let’s dig in already, mmm k? I think Friday movie night in with homemade Chinese takeout is gonna happen.

Have you made cauliflower fried rice before?

P.S. If you are wondering if cooked peas are paleo, that’s still a debate. I say yes.

Hint —> Lower phytate content and easier on digestion = WINNING!

Cheers!
LC

This post was originally published on 6/3/2013. Recipe, images and content were updated and republished on 3/3/2021.