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    Home » Simple Vegan Recipes

    Air Fried Cauliflower Rice

    Last Modified: Nov 4, 2019 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Video Print

    It is so easy to make air fried cauliflower rice in the air fryer! You can follow this recipe exactly or mix-and-match your own veggies to suit your tastes.

    bowl of cauliflower rice with tofu and vegetables in a white bowl on a slate table

    It might seem complicated to make air fried cauliflower rice, but it's really very simple. You might think that you need an inner dish, but in my experience, way fewer cauliflower bits fall through the holes than you'd expect.

    I make my cauliflower rice with no dish and no parchment paper to line the pan.

    Mixing Up Your Air Fried Cauliflower Rice

    I adapted this recipe from my Pineapple Fried Rice, and you can use the technique below to adapt your favorite fried rice recipe or use what you have in the fridge! 

    No matter what direction you go, you'll still do your cooking in two rounds, just like below. Here's what you do:

    • Round 1: These are the veggies that need the most time to cook. Think hard veggies like carrots, celery, onions, and eggplant that would take a while to soften on the stove.
    • Round 2: This is where you add your cauliflower rice and your quicker-cooking veggies, like broccoli, kale, and mushrooms. Because veggie cooking times may vary, Round 2 might need up to 2-3 additional minutes to complete. Check for doneness after 5 minutes, and if your veggies aren't cooked to your liking, cook for another 2-3. Easy peasy!
    cauliflower fried rice in the air fryer basket

    You can also omit the tofu or substitute other plant-based proteins like seitan or vegan chicken strips. Check out my Big Guide to Vegan Meat Alternatives for other substitution ideas.

    Mix, match, and have fun with it! Don't be shy about raiding your fridge and freezer for ingredients.

    Whether you follow my recipe to the letter of mix up your own, air fried cauliflower rice is a quick and easy weeknight dish that's ready in under 30 minutes.

    It is so easy to make air fried cauliflower rice in the air fryer! You can follow this recipe exactly or mix-and-match your own veggies to suit your tastes.

    Air Fried Cauliflower Rice

    This dish serves about 3 people as a main dish or about 6 as a side.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
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    Course: Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine: Air Fryer, Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 3 servings
    Calories: 169kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    Round 1

    • ½ block firm or extra firm tofu
    • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
    • ½ cup diced onion
    • 1 cup diced carrot - about 1 ½ to 2 carrots
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric

    Round 2

    • 3 cups riced cauliflower - Cauliflower minced into pieces smaller than the size of a pea. You can do this by hand with a box-style cheese crater, use your food processor to pulse into pieces, or buy pre-riced, bagged cauliflower.
    • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
    • 1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil - optional, but recommended
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
    • ½ cup finely chopped broccoli
    • 2 cloves garlic - minced
    • ½ cup frozen peas

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, crumble the tofu (you're going for scrambled egg-size pieces, not ricotta here), then toss with the rest of the Round 1 ingredients. Air fry at 370F for 10 minutes, shaking once.
    • Meanwhile, toss together all of the Round 2 ingredients in a large bowl*.
    • When that first 10 minutes of cooking are done, add all of the Round 2 ingredients to your air fryer, shake gently, and fry at 370 for 10 more minutes, shaking after 5 minutes.
    • Riced cauliflower can vary quite a bit in size, so if you feel like yours doesn't look done enough at this point, you can cook for an additional 2-5 minutes at 370F. Just shake and check in every couple of minutes until it's done to your liking.

    Video

    Notes

    *Save a dish and toss the riced cauliflower mixture together in the same bowl you used to toss the tofu mixture together. No need to even rinse it out in between uses. You can even use your serving bowl for mixing, just rinse it out before you dish up the cooked cauliflower fried rice.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Air Fried Cauliflower Rice
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    169
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    5
    g
    8
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    5
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Sodium
     
    894
    mg
    37
    %
    Potassium
     
    938
    mg
    27
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    22
    g
    7
    %
    Fiber
     
    7
    g
    28
    %
    Sugar
     
    9
    g
    10
    %
    Protein
     
    12
    g
    24
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    7408
    IU
    148
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    105
    mg
    127
    %
    Calcium
     
    96
    mg
    10
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!

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    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sarah Jackson

      March 27, 2017 at 11:23 pm

      so happy to find this blog! I just ordered my first air fryer on a hunch it could be useful. Then got a little nervous about how useful it would be for vegetarian (well flex-itarians) like myself! Lots of great options here. Can't wait to get mine. Have you considered doing an air fryer ebook? I'll be your first customer :-)

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        March 28, 2017 at 7:41 am

        Aw, thank you so much! Holler if there's anything I can do to help. No book in the works at the moment, but I appreciate the kind words!

        Reply
    2. Hannah

      February 27, 2017 at 12:32 pm

      You make me want an air fryer, oy! I'm usually so anti-new appliances, but I feel like this thing is amazing.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 27, 2017 at 12:37 pm

        Haha I know what you mean. O love gadgets, but finding the storage space for them can be a pain!

        Reply
    3. Ginny McMeans

      February 27, 2017 at 12:14 pm

      Delicious and love the video too!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 27, 2017 at 12:37 pm

        Thank you so much, Ginny!

        Reply
    4. Sina @Vegan Heaven

      February 27, 2017 at 11:36 am

      What a great dinner! I still need to get an air-fryer!! One of my best friends got one and she always tells me how great it is and that I really need to get one. I think it's about time now! :D

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 27, 2017 at 12:36 pm

        I am obsessed with mine!

        Reply
    5. Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen

      February 25, 2017 at 1:53 pm

      You make me want to get an air fryer sooooo bad!!! This rice looks amazing. :)

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 25, 2017 at 1:56 pm

        Thank you so much, Ceara!

        Reply
    6. Alisa Fleming

      February 25, 2017 at 10:48 am

      Well I don't have an air fryer but may have to make this recipe anyway! It's a flavor variation on cauli rice that I haven't tried yet.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 25, 2017 at 11:47 am

        Enjoy it, Alisa!

        Reply
    7. Melissa | Vegan Huggs

      February 25, 2017 at 1:27 am

      This is such a great idea! I love fried cauliflower rice, but I never thought about making it in an air fryer. I still have to get one of those. So neat!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 25, 2017 at 7:21 am

        Thank you, Melissa!

        Reply
    8. Sarah

      February 24, 2017 at 3:04 pm

      Ooh, this looks so delicious! I don't have an air fryer, so I'd have to do mine on the stove top, but I love the idea of using cauliflower rice! And I love "Being Your Own Chef" in the kitchen, using what's on hand!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 24, 2017 at 4:56 pm

        You can totally convert this to a stovetop recipe. Enjoy it, Sarah!

        Reply
    9. Greg @ Full of Beans

      February 24, 2017 at 9:52 am

      I'm thinking that we really need to try an air fryer. We love cauliflower dishes and now...THIS ONE! It looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 24, 2017 at 10:55 am

        Thank you, Greg! I love our air fryer. We use it at least once a day!

        Reply
    10. Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day

      February 22, 2017 at 11:00 pm

      This is amazing, Becky! You have figured out how to make pretty much everything in the air fryer!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 23, 2017 at 7:03 am

        Aw, thank you, Amy! I was pretty sure this wouldn't work, so it was a pleasant surprise for sure!

        Reply
    11. Nicole Dawson

      February 22, 2017 at 5:13 pm

      You must be working on an air-fryer cookbook with all the recipes you've been coming up. I just love them and can't wait to buy my own air fryer.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 22, 2017 at 7:00 pm

        Aw, thank you, Nicole!

        Reply
    12. Mel | avirtualvegan.com

      February 21, 2017 at 6:46 pm

      What an easy dinner. I would love a bowl of this with a rather large drizzle of hot sauce!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 21, 2017 at 6:58 pm

        You get me, girl! I douse mine in sriracha.

        Reply
    13. Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite

      February 21, 2017 at 2:38 pm

      I love cauliflower rice!! It's so inventive to do it in the air fryer!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 21, 2017 at 6:30 pm

        Thank you, Sophia!

        Reply
      • Cynthia

        January 05, 2020 at 9:01 pm

        That looks delicious! I just bought my air fryer today, been meaning to make cauliflower fried rice since forever cause it's definitely one of the things I do miss on a keto woe, can't wait to try it, thanks!!!

        Reply
        • Becky Striepe

          January 06, 2020 at 10:30 am

          Enjoy it, Cynthia!

          Reply
    14. Dianne

      February 21, 2017 at 1:54 pm

      This is so clever, Becky! I can't wait to try it.

      Reply
    15. Mary Ellen @ VNutrition

      February 21, 2017 at 11:00 am

      Oooh, you always come up with great ideas, I don't know how you do it. This looks simply delicious!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 21, 2017 at 11:03 am

        Thank you so much, Mary Ellen!

        Reply
    16. Jenn

      February 21, 2017 at 9:22 am

      I wish I had an air fryer because I would totally make this for lunch today. It looks and sounds fabulous! Love all the veggies packed in there!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 21, 2017 at 11:03 am

        Aw, thank you, Jenn!

        Reply
    17. Linda @ Veganosity

      February 21, 2017 at 8:19 am

      I NEED an air-fryer so I can make this amazing looking fried rice. It sounds incredible, and I'm all for a healthier fried rice.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 21, 2017 at 8:23 am

        Thank you, Linda! You can convert it to a stovetop recipe pretty easily, I think. You might need more oil, since round 1 doesn't use any in the air fryer.

        Reply
    18. Wendy

      February 05, 2022 at 1:58 am

      I just got my AF a few days ago and would love to try this, I love Cauliflower fried rice! I have the ninja foodi max, so I'm wondering when you say very little falls through the holes is it a different AF? I'd prefer to let the air circulate

      Reply
    19. Becky Striepe

      February 08, 2022 at 12:55 pm

      It was a different one, but the holes are pretty big in mine, as well. You shouldn't need to do parchment paper.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. 150 Best Air Fryer Recipes - Prudent Penny Pincher says:
      December 26, 2018 at 11:40 am

      […] Air Fried Cauliflower Rice from Glue & Glitter […]

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    About Me

    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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