Kale and Coconut Fried Rice
Vegetarian weeknight fried rice with sautéed kale, coconut flakes and rice. The dish is finished with Thai flavors like lime, cilantro and sriracha.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
I’m jet lagged from my trip to Greece, so I made one of my old favorites to share again! It’s comforting and packed with nutrients, which is just what I need right now.
In fact, I enjoy this recipe so much that it inspired a recipe in my cookbook, the colorful coconut fried rice with edamame on page 182. If you haven’t tried that one yet, you’ve really missed out.
This dish is a relatively quick weeknight meal and a fun alternative to my go-to extra vegetable fried rice. This recipe has some Thai flavors, including sriracha, lime and cilantro.
I added coconut flakes, too. The big, toasted coconut flakes are savory and remind me of bacon. We all know that bacon and eggs belong together, so today, I present to you a healthier, vegetarian option.
For some reason, when I shared this recipe four years ago, I called it a stir-fry. It’s fried rice, not a stir fry! This is a stir fry. Moving on.
Feel free to throw in any thinly sliced vegetables that you might have in the fridge, too. Red bell pepper is lovely, as are chopped Brussels sprouts. I bet thinly sliced carrots would be great, too.
I found the base recipe for this stir fry in an awesome cookbook that landed on my doorstep, courtesy of a PR rep. It is appropriately titled, Brassicas: Cooking the World’s Healthiest Vegetables.
Brassicas are the cruciferous family of vegetables that include kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and other less trendy ingredients, like bok choy and turnips. Did you know that arugula is a brassica? That was news to me.
Brassicas help prevent cancer, reduce inflammation and promote liver detoxification, so needless to say, they are a worthy (and delicious) addition to your plate.
The book’s original recipe for spicy kale fried rice was really tasty, but I couldn’t help adding some complementary flavors. While I was savoring my first test run, I remembered how great lime and cilantro go with kale in my burritos. Then I recalled Heidi Swanson’s amazing kale and coconut flake salad. I added all of the above to my second try and loved it even more.
Hope you’ll take my word for it and try it! Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments.
Watch How to Make Spicy Kale and Coconut Fried Rice
Spicy Kale and Coconut Fried Rice
A vegetarian weeknight fried rice with sautéed kale, coconut flakes and rice. The dish is finished with Thai flavors like lime, cilantro and sriracha. For best results, cook your rice in advance and refrigerate until you’re ready to start cooking (see note). This dish comes together very quickly—be sure to have your ingredients prepped ahead of time and placed near the stove, along with a big empty bowl for the cooked components. Recipe yields 2 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or quality high-heat oil such as avocado oil, divided
- 2 eggs, whisked together with a dash of salt
- 2 big cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ¾ cup chopped green onions (about 1 bunch)
- Optional: 1 cup chopped vegetables, like bell pepper, carrot or Brussels sprouts
- 1 medium bunch kale (preferably Lacinato but curly green is good, too), ribs removed and leaves chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup large, unsweetened coconut flakes* (not shredded coconut)
- 2 cups cooked and chilled brown rice**
- 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or sriracha
- 1 lime, halved
- Handful fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large (12-inch or wider) wok, cast iron skillet or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot enough that a drop of water sizzles on contact, add 1 teaspoon oil and swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Pour in the eggs and cook, stirring frequently, until the eggs are scrambled and lightly set. Transfer the eggs to your empty bowl. Wipe out the pan if necessary with a paper towel (be careful, it’s hot!).
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and add the garlic, green onions and optional additional vegetables. Cook until fragrant or until the vegetables are tender, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds or longer. Add the kale and salt. Continue to cook until the kale is wilted and tender, stirring frequently, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the contents of the pan to your bowl of eggs.
- Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Pour in the coconut flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until the flakes are lightly golden, about 30 seconds. Add the rice to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is hot, about 3 minutes.
- Pour the contents of the bowl back into the pan, breaking up the scrambled egg with your spatula or spoon. Once warmed, remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the tamari, chili garlic sauce and juice of ½ lime. Stir to combine. Taste, and if it’s not fantastic yet, add another teaspoon of tamari or a pinch of salt, as needed.
- Slice the remaining ½ lime into wedges, then divide the fried rice into individual bowls. Garnish with wedges of lime and a sprinkling of torn cilantro leaves, with jars of tamari, chili garlic sauce and/or red pepper flakes on the side, for those who might want more.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Brassicas: Cooking the World’s Healthiest Vegetables by Laura Russell.
*Where to buy coconut flakes: Look for them in the baking section at Whole Foods, health food stores or well-stocked grocery stores. The brands I see most often are “Let’s Do Organic” (green package) and Bob’s Red Mill.
**Rice notes: Stir fries always work best with chilled rice. You’ll need to cook about ⅔ cup dried rice to yield 2 cups cooked. If you’re in a hurry, spread the cooked rice on a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the fridge or freezer to cool. Here’s how to cook brown rice.
Make it vegan/egg free: Skip the eggs by heating the pan and then start cooking with step 2. For extra protein, you can stir in 1 cup defrosted frozen shelled edamame in step 4.
Make it gluten free: Make sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce, like tamari.
Storage suggestions: The dish tastes great the next day, whether reheated or served at room temperature.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This was FANTASTIC!
Thank you so much for this incredible culinary delight. I’m always looking for healthy meals for my vegetarian daughter and this is truly amazing. I cook a few different fried rice recipes, and this is now our favorite.
Thank you again!
Awesome! What a great dad. :) I’m glad the two of you enjoyed this!
This recipe is absolutely perfect for a quick healthy dinner. I wouldn’t change a thing! I’ve made it multiple times and it’s always a hit.
Perfect! :)
Loved this! Used half cup of chickpeas instead of the rice and added red pepper, shredded carrots and snow peas. Great recipe!
Awesome! I’m glad the chickpea swap worked well.
Wow, this was delicious!!! My husband has gone vegetarian and we are always on the lookout for recipes that will satisfy us both. This definitely did. It was so good. We kept going back for seconds and thirds while saying, “We will definitely make this again.” Thank you!
I’m happy to hear the both of you enjoyed this, Jennifer! Thanks for the kind comment.
This. Was. Life. Affirming.
Such a flavoursome, simple, veggie dish!
Thank you so much, will definitely be using this on a weekly basis, yum.
Roommates also rate this 5 stars…
Haha! Thanks, Tessa. I’m glad everyone enjoyed it.
Omg. This was amazing.
:) Thank you, Traci!
Made this dish tonight – delicious! We’re not vegetarian, so I added a little grilled chicken. Haven’t been disappointed yet with any of your recipes. You are becoming a go-to source for ideas!
Perfect! Thank you, Debbie.
Hello! This recipe looks great– I was just wondering if you have to use coconut flakes, or would it work with shredded coconut? Thanks!
I haven’t tried that, Anna, but I don’t see why not. The texture might be affected, but the flavor should be fine!
I’m new to vegetarian eating, and landed on your page with a google search :) I just made this today, and it’s delicious! Next time I will definitely double it. I’m excited to search through your other recipes!
Hey, Ryan! I’m so glad you found the blog. Let me know what other recipes you try!
This recipe is Delicious! I only had sweetened coconut flakes so I only used 1/2 cup! It gave the stir fry a slightly sweet but still savoury taste! Kate I am attempting to eat less meat and dairy and you’re blog has been a God Sent! <3
Made this recipe tonight it was great! My boyfriend and I loved it. I lost count of how many times he just stopped eating and said “this is so good”! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. The coconut flakes gave it a great Thai flavor and texture.
What a great recipe! This will be my new go-to stir fry. Easy to make and super delicious. I’m going to have to double the recipe next time because my husband couldn’t get enough. This was a great way to get my daughter to eat kale…score! Thanks Kate :)
Love this recipe. Made it several times now and keep leftovers for breakfast, lunch, whatever. One question — any idea what makes the carb content so high? Is it the coconut flakes?
Hi Tiz—the carb content only comes to about 20% daily value. I’m guessing most of the carbs are from the rice, but I’m not a nutritionist so can’t say for sure!
Hey Kate!! I’m so sorry you’ve had a rough few days! I’ve been meaning to write to let you know I’ve been following your blog ever since I started cooking on my own after college (about a year ago!) and your recipes have made my kitchen adventures SO much better. I always feel so confident making anything from you, and can safely invite friends over for meals, knowing that I can cook them a delicious brunch (the migas!!) or dinner (the lentil soup!!) using one of your recipes. I have yet to make something from you that didn’t turn out delicious. Not only that, I now really love cooking!! You and your work had such a positive impact on my life (and I’m sure so many others!!) and I figured a rough week was as good a time as any to tell you!! Sending lots of love to you and Cookie, as I heat up the leftovers from one of your ahmazing burrito bowls ❤️ Thank you for everything!!!!
Whoops I didn’t realize that this was a post from awhile back Glad you’re not currently experiencing a rough week!! All my comments still stand
This came out great! I served it with a side of ginger tofu. Next time I think I will experiment with different veggies.
This stir fry is absolutely delicious. I couldn’t find big coconut flakes at my local store, so I took a chance with unsweetened shredded coconut, and it was still fabulous. Thanks for yet another staple recipe!
Glad to hear it! Thanks so much for your comment, Kristina! If you wouldn’t mind providing a star review, I would really appreciate it :)
Great, healthy, quick recipe! I accidentally cooked too much rice. I made 2 cups of uncooked rice, so I will try to remember that for next time so that it feels like there’s more veggies. The coconut chips are such a nice added touch!
If that happens again, you can always double up on the veggies if you have enough. Or, just save some of the rice for another dish later in the week. But, I am happy it worked so well even with the additional rice :) Thank you, Kaitlyn!
Loved this. I did it all in the skillet together except for the coconut, which I did first. Then I just added stuff in order except for the eggs, which I did in a well in the rice at the very end and then mixed them in, then tossed in the coconut, then served from the skillet. Amazing.
Oh, and I added a little jalepeno with the aromatics.
Sounds wonderful! Thank you, for your review.
Love this recipe! My boyfriend and I made it for dinner tonight and it was super easy and tasty! Your recipes never fail us :). Keep up the awesome work!!
Thank you! I am happy you are finding success. That is my goal! I appreciate your review, Nicaela.
i’m transitioning into a vegetarian lifestyle and i’ve never eaten kale but have heard plenty of negative feedback on this curly monster. (well, what a lot of noise people make about nothing in particular huh!) i followed your recipe to the tee and once the planets aligned, proceeded to wok the magic. i should briefly say – i ain’t no cook but when the alchemy was completed i shone like a michelin star chef. it was gorgeous – the coconut flakes a relevation and my additional ingreditents of carrot and mung beans, inspirational. thank you so much Lisa, i’m a convert :) x
sorry Kate…I meant Kate lol
That’s great! Thanks for your review.
Absolutely love this recipe. So full of flavour. I cook a vegetarian meal once a week and this one just seems to be my go to recipe. Its super delicious. I always different vegetables too, usually depends on what i can afford that week. Tonight i am going to use snowpeas.
I’m glad you like it Hannah! Thank you, for sharing and for your review.
Made this the other night. It was really surprising and different and very yummy! Thanks for the unique, easy and satisfying recipe. Added to the regular rotation for sure!
You’re very welcome, Caitlyn! Thank you for your review.
I made this last night. It was literally one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. There was a bit leftover, which I ate as soon as I woke up this morning. I emailed my family the recipe and told my coworkers about it.
I just used unsweetened coconut flakes that I found in the bulk section of my grocery store. I don’t think they were what was in the recipe, but it tasted great anyways. I also added shredded carrot and some butternut squash. I diced the squash small and microwaved it first to get it softer before frying it with the veggies. I can’t believe how good it was. My boyfriend said he wants us to make this all the time. Thank you!!
Oh, I also “massaged” the kale with oil because I always do that. Not sure if it makes a big difference, but the kale was such a great texture!
Two meals in a row, that’s great! Thank you, Kat for sharing. I appreciate it and for the star review!
Thanks for sharing all your amazing recipes. Love them.
You’re welcome, Robert! I’m happy you like them.
Oh man, another excellent recipe! Pretty sure I was really sad when I didn’t have any more of this left! Reminded me a lot of fried rice…but BETTER! I will definitely be making this again. Thanks!
Well, thank you! Not having any left just means you need to make more, right Chelsea?
SO so good! I can’t wait to make this again
Wonderful! Thank you, Makenzie.
Does frozen kale work for this?
It was ridiculously delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
This is the second time I have made this stir fry. My family and I love it! Even my 5 year old twin girls eat it. Its fast, tasty and nutritious. We have loved all of the recipes I have tried here.
Your 5 year-old. That’s wonderful! If you would want to leave a star review, I would appreciate it since it was such a big hit for your family!
This recipe is amazing! It’s so easy and delicious! Thanks
Great! Thank you, Jamie.
I loved this recipe! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Made this tonight for myself since the boyfriend was out of town for the day and wow, it delicious and SO easy to make. If I could, I’d give it 6/5 stars for sure
Modifications-
Two red bell peppers
6 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
Doubled the soy, sriracha and lime juice
Pinch ground pepper here and there
I wish extra stars were an option too! So happy you liked it so much, Danae. Thanks for the review!
Love this dish! My hubby made it with extra veggies and we doubled the sauce because there were so many veggie. Peas, red and yellow peppers thinly sliced, extra kale. Amazing!!
Wonderful to hear, Erin! If you would like to leave a star review since you liked it so much, that would be great.
This is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten in my life! Thank you!
Love to hear that! Thanks Danielle for the review.
Made this recipe twice so far but it is a new fave. Both times I’ve doubled the sauce and veggies. Basically I clean out the veggies in my fridge when I make it. No scallions? Use that extra leek. Got some kale to get rid of? Bam. Extra peppers? Throw them in. I even ate this luke-warm during a car ride when I needed something to provide me a healthy snack and energy for the long haulerin. Tasted FAB-ulous.
Love, love that Erin! Thanks for sharing. I love the clean out mentality.
Kate, this was an amazing recipe. I have type 1 diabetes and love to cook so I am always looking for new and different foods to try! I made this as a side to grilled chicken burgers the other night and it was a huge hit. So much so that I used the veggies I had left in the frig and cooked a variation last night. Excellent! I am now off to read through your meatless entree recipes.
Thank you!
Thank you! I’m glad you are successful with this recipe. I appreciate the review.
Yum yum yum!!! I love everything about this recipe. It was very simple and I love the flexibility of being able to add whatever stir-fry veggies peak your fancy.
Brooke
Thank you, Brooke!
This was sooo good and my family loved it and my kids don’t like kale! They asked to keep this in regular rotation. Thank you!
Love that! Thanks so much, Tiffaney.
So delicious and bypassed all of my food allergies and sensitivities! Thanks so much for posting and the creativity. One little hiccup I had was with the scrambled eggs I probably needed more oil as the eggs got stuck to the pan and burned in a bit with the vegetables but it was still deeeelicious and I will use more oil next time.
I’m glad this was successful for you.
I am not usually a commenter, but this was really delicious, highly recommended! I am trying to find ways to cook kale that are appealing and this will be at the top of my list. I made it without the rice. Thank you, Kate, for such wonderful recipes. I cook from your blog at least once a week and it has helped me transition to a more vegetarian diet.
I’m so glad you commented! Thanks for the review.
It came out really well. Thanks a lot for the recipe.
You’re welcome!
Okay so we have decided to go vegetarian for the next 3 months as my husband is looking to improve his health. I found this website when looking for vegetarian recipes. I just made your Spicy Kale and coconut fried riced. It is sooo good!. My 9 year old daughter who was iffy about the whole thing is asking for seconds. We didn’t even put the full amount of soy sauce because we ran out and it is still taste great. The coconut puts it over the top. This is going to become a regular for us.
Tonight is move night so I think I will try out your guacamole but first I have to go get seconds of this delicious meal. Yum!
Thank you for sharing, Raquel! Changing your lifestyle can be challenging, but I’m glad the blog is helping some!
Love love love this recipe. I make it frequently. Sometimes I add an additional egg or two to stretch the recipe. I have used all kinds of veggies as well, sometimes shredded Brussels sprouts, sometimes a bunch of colored bell peppers, pretty much whatever I have on hand. It’s always outstanding!
I love that, Lynda! I like the Brussel sprouts addition. It sounds delicious!
Ah, this brings me back to childhood! I used to eat fried rice every week when I was a kid. My mother used carrots, peas, eggs, corn, chicken, white rice, and LOTS of soy sauce in her recipe. Ah, I do wish that she used coconut flakes! It would have added the perfect crunch. I definitely have to veganize this recipe–and I will NOT skimp on coconut at all! :)
Thanks for sharing, Cassie!
I could make it low-carb by using riced cauliflower instead of the rice and making it much more vegetarian.
You could try it! The rice provides great nutrients and protein.
Are the nutrient informations in this recipe per serving, or is it for the entire dish?
I bet Cookie missed you.
It’s per serving, Catherine. She did and I missed her! Great trip, but good to be back.
This looks delicious, but also, thank you so much for telling me arugula (or rocket as we call it in the UK English-speaking parts of the world) is a brassica! I have to avoid raw brassicas as I have thyroid disease and they have a bad effect on the thyroid, and I’ve been innocently chomping away on arugula for years.
You’re welcome, Sasha!
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! I just tweak it by using tiny slices of fresh coconut which gives it a little texture and chewiness. Sublime!
Oh that sounds lovely! Thank you, Pamela.
looks yummy… fried rice with coconutn cream..
this dish i defenetily try..
Thanks, Shelly!
Good Recipe!!!
Thank you!