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Skip the takeout and make a delicious and nourishing spin on your favorite takeout dish instead! This Healthy Shrimp Fried Rice has all the flavor of fried rice without all the calories, plus higher protein and fiber, and it’s ready in just 30 minutes!
This healthy shrimp fried rice recipe is one of my favorite weeknight dinners because it’s simple, quick, and great for you! It uses cauliflower rice, which has more fiber and fewer carbs than regular rice, plus it’s packed with other veggies like carrots, peppers, and peas.
This healthy recipe for fried rice has 26 grams of protein and less than 250 calories per serving. This means you’ll stay full for longer without the excessive calories usually found in fried rice.
If you like healthy fried rice recipes, you will love my Breakfast Cauliflower Fried Rice and Pineapple Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Better Than Takeout: This low-calorie shrimp fried rice tastes similar to your favorite takeout, but it’s so much better for you. It’s loaded with veggies like carrots, peas, peppers, and cauliflower rice.
- Truly Low-Carb: The use of cauliflower rice instead of regular rice makes this recipe truly low-carb. Plus, cauliflower has other benefits, like fiber.
- Ready in Less Than 30 Minutes: This fried rice with shrimp comes together in just 30 minutes, which is probably faster than you could have takeout delivered!
- Low Calorie: This recipe is filling and delicious while being lower in calories.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Shrimp: Use fresh, peeled, deveined, and cleaned shrimp without the tails for this recipe. You could also use frozen shrimp, but you’d need to thaw them and pat off the excess moisture before cooking.
- Veggies: I love a fried rice loaded with vegetables! This one uses bell peppers, shredded carrots, and frozen peas.
- Cauliflower Rice: Thaw frozen cauliflower rice to use for this recipe to make it truly low-carb. It’s a great option for managing blood sugar, and the low-calorie density aids in weight loss.
- Soy Sauce: For gluten-free you can use coconut aminos instead for a similar flavor.
- Chili Paste: Add a bit of spice to your fried rice with a dollop of chili paste or sriracha.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Make It Vegetarian: Turn this into a vegetarian dish by skipping the shrimp. If you still want the protein, use tofu or tempeh instead. Adding shelled edamame is a great plant-based option for adding protein too!
- Use Different Veggies: Fried rice is a great way to empty your fridge of vegetables before they go bad. You can add onions, celery, green beans, corn, broccoli, cabbage, or bean sprouts to this dish.
- Try It with Egg: Many fried rice recipes use eggs, which are a great source of protein. Fry an egg separately, then break it into pieces and stir it into the main pan, like in my healthy fried rice recipe.
How to Make Healthy Shrimp Fried Rice
This shrimp fried rice with vegetables is the perfect meal for a busy weeknight or lunch on the weekend. It’s quick, only requires one pan, and tastes amazing.
- Step 1: Sauté Veggies. Pour extra virgin olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers and carrots to the skillet. Cook the veggies for 5 minutes, or until tender. Be sure to stir them occasionally.
- Step 2: Cook the Shrimp. Add the shrimp to the skillet with ginger, garlic, and pepper. Cook them for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the Remaining Ingredients. Once the shrimp is cooked, add the cauliflower rice, coconut aminos, chili paste, rice wine vinegar, and peas to the pan.
- Step 4: Cook Until the Rice Softens. Stir until the cauliflower rice is coated in the sauce, then cook for another 5-6 minutes. The cauliflower rice will be soft once it’s fully cooked.
Expert Tips
- Drain Excess Moisture: Thawed frozen cauliflower is best for this recipe, but it releases a lot of excess moisture. You’ll need to strain it and lightly pat it dry so it crisps up and isn’t watery in your fried rice.
- Don’t Overcook the Shrimp: Shrimp turns pink and curls into a “C” shape when it’s fully cooked. If you continue to cook it after it’s done, the shrimp will turn tough and rubbery, so don’t overcook it.
- Have Ingredients Prepped and Ready: This recipe moves fast once you start cooking, so chop your veggies and prep your ingredients before you start. This will help you avoid overcooking the shrimp or having the cauliflower rice stick to the skillet.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze your fried rice without the shrimp for up to 1 month. I don’t recommend freezing the shrimp because it changes the texture.
- Reheating: Reheat your fried rice on the stove over medium-low heat. Microwaving the shrimp makes them tough. Be sure to thaw frozen fried rice for 24 hours in the refrigerator before reheating it.
- Make Ahead: Save yourself some time prepping dinner and cut up your vegetables a day or two in advance. Store them in airtight containers in the fridge and pull them out when it’s time to start cooking.
Serving Suggestions
Since this is a high-protein shrimp fried rice with over 26 grams of protein, it is considered a meal on its own! You can just serve this for dinner and feel satisfied. However, if you want more leafy greens with dinner, or hosting more than your family, you can serve it with a salad or appetizer.
- Along with fried rice, lettuce wraps are one of my favorite takeout items. Make these chicken lettuce wraps and recreate your usual takeout order.
- If you want some fresh greens to go with dinner, my Asian broccoli salad with mandarin oranges is an excellent side dish.
- Have some extra shrimp and craving a spicier takeout dish? Try this healthy kung pao shrimp to go with your fried rice!
Healthy Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe FAQs
Your vegetable shrimp fried rice is watery and mushy because there was too much moisture in the thawed cauliflower rice. Be sure to drain all of the excess water and pat the cauliflower dry before adding it to the pan to avoid watery fried rice.
You can rice your own cauliflower or use fresh cauliflower rice bought at the store; however, for this recipe, I highly recommend using frozen. The cauliflower flavor is more diluted after being frozen so it will taste more like a traditional fried rice. Also, using fresh cauliflower rice will require 15-20 minutes of extra cooking.
Sure, if you can use white or brown rice instead of the cauliflower rice. Just be aware that this changes the nutritional information in the recipe and will have more carbs. If you decide to use regular rice, cook it the day before and chill it for the best texture.
More Delicious Healthy Shrimp Recipes
If you tried this recipe for Healthier Shrimp Fried Rice or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil, or oil of choice
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced finely
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, diced finely
- 1 cup Shredded Carrots
- 1 lb Shrimp, tail removed and deveined
- ½ tablespoon Ground Ginger
- ½ tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce, or coconut aminos for gluten-free
- 1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Chili Paste
- 8 oz Cauliflower Rice, frozen, thawed and drained in a colander
- ½ cup Green Peas, frozen
- 2 Green Onions, sliced for serving
Instructions
- Add extra virgin olive oil to a large skillet and bring to medium heat. Add bell peppers and shredded carrots to the skillet. Cook 5 minutes just until the veggies are tender, stirring them occasionally.
- Add the shrimp the skillet with ginger, garlic and black pepper. Stir and cook 3-4 minutes then flip the shrimp.
- Once the shrimp is cooked, add the coconut aminos, chili paste, rice wine vinegar and green peas to the pan. Stir and cook another 5-6 minutes until cauliflower rice is coated in the sauce and soft.
- Serve immediately garnished with sliced green onions.
Notes
- The cauliflower will retain a lot of moisture and be very wet after it thaws. Strain any excess moisture to avoid soggy fried rice.
- I do not recommend using regular cauliflower for this recipe as it will alter the flavor and will take longer to cook. Frozen cauliflower rice works best for this recipe.
- Shrimp turns tough and rubbery if it’s overcooked. It cooks in just a few minutes, so be sure to reduce the heat before it overcooks.
- Have your veggies and other ingredients prepped and ready when you start cooking. This shrimp fried rice cooks quickly, and you don’t have time to chop, strain, or measure out your ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
