I love a meal that I can throw together in 10 minutes or less for those days where I don’t have a lot of time but don’t want to sacrifice my diet. This one is great for lunch or dinner.

If other members of your family aren’t quite on board with cauliflower rice, you can easily make them some regular rice but won’t have to make a completely different dish for them. If you don’t have a rice cooker with a timer and you’re strapped for time, make sure you get it started first. Use an instant pot and boil/microwave the water before adding it to the instant pot. (This is key to speeding up the process.) Use the manual setting on high for 7 minutes and do a manual release. It’ll take about 5 minutes to release and you’ll have rice in 12 minutes.

If you don’t have other family members to tend to and you’re making this for yourself, you could probably make this in about 8 minutes.

I usually make this dish when plans change and I need a quick meal so I like to keep frozen cauliflower rice on hand in the freezer. I’ll defrost it in the microwave and drop it into the frying pan. It doesn’t have to be completely defrosted. Sometimes, I just tap the bag on the side of the counter and break it up that way and don’t bother with defrosting in the microwave. You can also use fresh cauliflower rice if you’re planning to make this and you won’t have to defrost it.

Cooked Chicken (Time Saver Gold!)

There are so many great precooked chicken options as Trader Joe’s alone. You can buy extra and and freeze it right away to pull out in those times that you need a quick protein.

Grilled Chicken Strips from Trader Joe’s
Roasted Chicken Breast from Trader Joe’s.
Charbroiled Chicken Breast from Trader Joe’s

Recipe Step-by-Step

Sautéed Cauliflower Rice

Heat up a frying pan and add a the olive oil, coat the pan and then add your cauliflower rice. Use fresh or frozen. If frozen, it doesn’t have to be completely defrosted. Just break it up and put it in the hot pan. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook until the liquid has evaporated. Approximately 5 minutes.

While the cauliflower rice is cooking, you can start to prep your other ingredients. Chop up the green onions and cilantro. Open the can of mandarin oranges and heat the cooked chicken in the microwave. (Takes 30 seconds in my microwave.)

Serve cauliflower rice into a medium sized bowl

When the cauliflower rice is done, add it to a medium size bowl. I like to use Japanese donburi bowls. (Donburi are large bowls used for rice bowls).

In a separate bowl mix together the tamari or coconut aminos (use if Paleo or Keto), sweetner (optional but I like to use powdered Erythritol), black pepper and sesame seed oil.

Arrange chicken, mandarin oranges, green onions, cilantro and almonds on top of the cauliflower rice. Pour the sauce on top and Enjoy!

Recipe Printout

10-Minute Mandarin Chicken Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Course Lunch or Dinner
Cuisine Asian
Servings 1

Equipment

  • Frying pan
  • Microwave

Ingredients
  

  • 6 ounces Cauliflower rice (fresh or frozen but I often use frozen)
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • Salt (pinch)
  • 1/8 tsp Granulated garlic
  • 3-5 ounces Cooked chicken breast
  • 1 tbsp Chopped green onions
  • 1 tbsp Chopped cilantro
  • 2 ounces Canned mandarin oranges
  • 1 tbsp Toasted slivered almonds
  • 1/2 tbsp Tamari or coconut aminos (coconut aminos if keto or paleo)
  • 1/2 tbsp Sesame seed oil
  • 1/2 tbsp Powdered erythritol (optional)
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Defrost or break up frozen cauliflower. (Use fresh cauliflower if you have on hand)
  • Heat up frying pan and add olive oil. Coat the pan and add the cauliflower rice to the pan.
  • Add a pinch of salt (Not too much because the sauce is salty), granulated garlic and pepper to taste. Saute until heated through and water has cooked off. Approximately 5 minutes.
  • Heat cooked chicken in the microwave (Approximately 30 seconds)
  • Chop green onions and cilantro.
  • Arrange cauliflower rice at the bottom of a bowl and add the Chicken, mandarin oranges, green onions, cilantro and almonds on top.
  • Whisk together tamari, sesame seed oil, pepper and sweetener (optional).
  • Pour sauce over top and enjoy!
Keyword chicken, mandarin orange, cilantro, green onion, almonds

Other Tips

  • Keep frozen cooked chicken on hand and defrost it with the cauliflower if using frozen cauliflower.
  • If you’re making salads all the time, chop the cilantro and green onions for a salad a day or up to a couple of days before and have some ready to go. That is assuming you have this one planned. 🙂
  • Make a big bottle of the sauce a head of time and keep in the fridge. This one is good on top of all sorts of proteins. You can add some rice vinegar and make a salad dressing out of it as well.
  • If you don’t have ready made chicken on hand, use roasted chicken lunch meat or any lunch meat and cut into strips. You can also go vegan and add a vegetarian substitute.
  • Make 2 days worth of cauliflower rice and make a separate bowl for lunch or dinner the next day.