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.
My wife and I made this and we both loved it! We skipped the egg and added some diced pineapple at the end as well. Definitely will be part of our regular rotation, like many of your recipes!
Love to hear that, Brad! I like the addition of the pineapple. Thanks for your review!
Hey
I made this for dinner last night.
Such a success- delicious and not too spicy for me but I put the sauce on the table for my partner to add chilli.
I used Brocolli, celery, asparagus for added veges and substituted leek as I cant tolerate onions.
My partner thought the coconut added in was inspired.
I used the whole of the lime juice but zested it before juicing and put zest on the table as a garnish – really added zing
Thanks again for a healthy and delicious meal!
And my kitchen smells of lime this morning!
Thanks for sharing your variation, Rosalie!
I need to try this, ASAP!
Yes you do, Gaby!
This is very good! I just finished making it and I love it. The additional veggie I used was Brussel sprouts, I use a mandolin and slice the Brussels thin. I used coconut oil.
Thanks for sharing, Sharon! Brussel spouts, delicious!
I absolutely loved this stir-fry and I’m so happy I stumbled across it! I made it for the first time last week and just made it again today. My husband was not complaining :) I used coconut oil because it was the only oil I had on hand besides olive oil and I used sambal oelek for the chili garlic sauce. This is such a different recipe with unique flavor combinations but it works so well together. Thank you for a fabulous recipe, Kate!
Love it! Coconut oil works well. Glad you have made it twice already! Thanks for the review, Moriah.
I loved this recipe!!! I will for sure make it again! Thank you :)
Wonderful!
Thank you, Joseph!
Love this combo! I’ve made it twice. Coconut flakes and rice are great texture, and I do sliced Brussels and red peppers for the added veggies. And I’m all about extra sriracha, lime and cilantro!!
Sounds like a great combination, Liza! I’m on board with extra of all of that too!
Loved it! Thanks for the recipe. So healthy and also so tasty !
You’re welcome, Nita!
Amazing! Wonderful combination of flavors (with lots of veggies).
Thanks, Melanie!
This was super delicious!!! So easy to make too!!! Loving your recipes! Thank you!
Love to hear that, Kimberly! Thanks so much for sharing.
Nasi Gorang Enak, traveling for months in Indonesia hardly a da y passed without a plate of fried rice. Fresh Kale out of the garden w Brown Rice this was a true treat. Vegetarian joy,
Thank you, James!
Funny question….this looks delicious, but I don’t like shredded coconut (which I’m assuming the flakes taste similar to?) However, I love coconut milk in curry dishes. Any ideas or suggestions where I could somehow use coconut milk in the recipe instead of flakes…? Or if it would work…lol
Hi Catherine, I mean you could try cooking the rice in coconut milk (see this post). I think toasting the flakes changes the flavor completely!
I make rice all the time with coconut milk…a family favorite in my family :)
Now a favorite in my family’s meal rotation! So tasty. We had this with a side of scallion pancakes. I followed the recipe exactly, choosing to make it with red bell pepper and carrots plus some shitake mushrooms because we love mushrooms. It came out perfect. Thank you for that! So often recipes need to be tweaked or just don’t come out as delicious as they seem. Yours always come out delish!
Thanks, Leslie!
I made this tonight for dinner and am now currently lying in bed still thinking about it! Such a yummy recipe.
I love it, Jessica! Thanks for sharing.
This has been a go-to recipe for me ever since I found it on your blog a few years ago. It is my absolute favorite meal to cook when having people over as it impresses them every time. The flavors of the lime and cilantro at the end are SO GOOD and it really brings it all together!
Thanks for the support, Samantha! I love you are a fan of this just as much as I am. :)
I made this recipe for company over the holidays and everyone loved it. Some of us like added crunch to our meals so we put slightly crushed peanuts on the top and that was a fun addition. Thanks Kate for another great recipe for my vegetarian friends and family members!
You’re welcome, Jan!
EXCELLENT! Added the red pepper and carrot. Used low-sodium soy sauce and sriracha. Also added leftover chicken (Sorry…vegetarians!). Would be great without the chicken!
I honestly LOVE your recipes! Will definitely make this again! Love the coconut!
Wonderful to hear, Fran! Thanks so much for your comment. If you would want to leave a star review since you loved it so much, I would appreciate it!
Forgot to STAR my comment!
EXCELLENT! Added the red pepper and carrot. Used low-sodium soy sauce and sriracha. Also added leftover chicken (Sorry…vegetarians!). Would be great without the chicken!
I honestly LOVE your recipes! Will definitely make this again! Love the coconut!
Thanks for coming back to review!! Thank you for sharing, Fran.
Delicious! For the added veggies, I threw in a bag of frozen mixed vegetables for ease. I’ll definitely make it again!
That works! Thanks, Amy for sharing.
I tried this for the first time this week and loved it! I used brussel sprouts, carrots and red pepper plus added edamame. There is so much delicious flavor and texture in this recipe. This yielded about 4 servings for me but I did use more veggies than suggested. Another winner for the regular rotation – thank you Kate!!
That sounds delicious, Mary! Thanks for sharing.
Oh my Goodness, it was so delicious!! I made this the other night for my husband, and we both loved it! I doubled the recipe, and we each had 2 servings :-). I used carrots, yellow and red bell peppers, as well as all the ingredients in the recipe except the coconut flakes. I forgot to buy those, and will definitely include the next time. I also didn’t read that fried rice is made with cold rice ;-). I’ll do that too next time too! The flavor was wonderful and this will be another Cookie and Kate recipe I’ll add to my faves!! It’s also really pretty, and colorful!
Thanks for sharing, Stace!
So excited to come across your site! Recipies sound delicious and perfect for our vegetarian – learning vegan family
I feel like all I make is stir fry or veggie pasta dishes so hopefully now I can expand our daily dinner menu :) TY!
Thanks for your feedback, Jacqui! I’m happy you came across it too.
Have made this several times and it is so interesting and yummy. Both my kids love it and they are not huge kale fans. Also lends itself to the addition of those sad veggies at the bottom of the crisper!
Question for Kate…could I sub quinoa for the brown rice or is basmati a better choice? Thanks for your amazing site that is helping my family discover the deliciousness of a plant-based diet!
Thank you, Cate! I think either would be ok, depending on your personal preference.
So I recently downloaded your app and I was looking for this recipe on the app and I couldn’t find it. Is it under a different name or am I just blind? TIA
Hi Liv! The app has the top 100 C+K recipes on it. More to come, but not all recipes on the blog are on the app. I hope this helps!
Just made this for lunch today and I have to say it was delicious! I left out the egg and added red bell pepper and some frozen mixed veggies. I LOVE the coconut flakes in this.
Thanks for sharing, Amy!
Great recipe. I toasted the coconut and added it at the end. I will make this often!
I absolutely love this recipe but I’m disappointed it isn’t on the app. I always have to look it up on the internet and I can’t save it on the app like all the other recipes I saved.
Thank you for your feedback, Liv!
Love this! I made it last night for dinner and it was a hit! My husband added a boneless chicken breast he baked for lunch, but I’m not a meat eater and it was delicious standing alone. Follow the tip of having everything prepped and handy, near the stove. It makes it easier. I actually measured the lime juice, Tamari and Sriracha and mixed into a small prep bowl before even starting. Sure it added a dish to wash, but was so much better than trying to measure them all out to polish off the prep while it is hot. I will make this again!
Hooray! I’m so happy you loved it. Thanks for your comment, Cindy.
Just made this for dinner……YUM!!! saving this one!
Great to hear, Lindsay! Thanks for your review.
I made this last night and it was spectacular. I had my doubts as the instructions were very different from how I usually make fried rice and there wasn’t a lot of spices added. But it was lovely. Fresh and great textures. I appreciate you letting us know about how quick the ingredients are cooked, You were not joking! I don’t think I have ever made such good scrambled eggs before either. Thanks.
I’m glad you enjoyed it and you found the tips helpful! Thanks for the review, L.
This turned out so good! I used broccoli and peppers. And also added cashews and some nutritional yeast flakes on top. Yum!
Great meal, fun to make; used young asparagus with the scallions for a nice crunch. Used coconut amino instead of tamari; and freshly cooked rice added at the end.
Thank you for the review, Valerie!
I adore this dish and have made it many many times. I always make double quantities so that I can stand at the open fridge door and eat the leftovers straight from the tub (with a fork)
Thanks Kate, I owe you one!
Thank you for sharing, Tracy!
We make this about once a month in my house. I love this recipe so much – the toasted coconut adds an almost-meaty flavor. We like to switch up the veggies in the stir fry depending on our mood/what’s available in the fridge.
I love that! What’s your favorite way to mix it up, Brittaney? Thank you for your review!
My coconut flakes came out a little soggy with the coconut oil. Is there a way to make them less soggy. Should I try less coonut oil next time?
My coconut flakes made the whole meal very chewy, my jaw was so tired I couldn’t finish my portion, lol :-)
How long did you have them in the skillet?
Just a couple minutes until they turned brown. Also the entire dish is delicious by the way, even better the next day! Just curious how to make those coconut pieces crispy :)
Loved this! Used carrot, red pepper, kale, and onion for veggies. I’ll add t time too. Had coconut aminos on hand instead of tamari and it was great! Thanks so much Kate.
You’re welcome, Sam!
It was absolutely delicious and easy to make. This is now the only stir-fried rice I make.
Happy to hear! Thanks, Lesya.
This is my first time trying one of your recipes and it was very good! T
I’m happy to hear that, Kristina!
Love this! Have made it a few times, and am planning to again later. Perfect when I’m trying to use up leftover kale and cooked rice, which happens to be frequently for me. I also add some ginger and/or the white parts of the green onion (when I have them) at the same time as the garlic, which is nice. I always keep mixed frozen veggies in hand which is perfect if I don’t have leftover carrots or other veggies to use with it.
What a delicious recipe!! I substituted farro for the brown rice because I need grains that have higher protein content. Loved it. Can’t wait to make it again.
This recipe has become not only a go to but a comfort eat. Pre-cut pre-washed kale makes this recipe come together even faster! Though cutting your own makes it more meditative I love frying up a decent amount of red pepper flakes in the pan while I’m frying the coconut flakes.
I like your mindset with cutting your vegetables! Thanks for sharing, Katie.
What happens if you use shredded unsweetened coconut? I have everything for this recipe.. I think I’m going to go for it. I will let you know what happens.
You will just have a lot more, if you use the full amount. I would cut it in at least half, and make sure to watch it so it doesn’t burn.
Thanks for sharing spicy kale and coconut fried rice. Its look delicious and healthy. I will try.
Thank you, Jack!
I’m not a vegetarian, but whenever I want to make a vegetarian recipe the first thing I do is come here and search for whatever vegetable I have in my garden and need to use lots of, fast.
This time it was kale and I’m SO GLAD I found this recipe!!! I was a bit nervous because I made this for the first time for company (goes to show how much I love this blog) and it was amazing. We used the pre-baked coconut flakes we found in the organic section and I also topped with a sprinkle of “crunchy little lentils” (baked lentils, also in the “snack” part of the organics section). It was very satisfying, the lime and coconut combo are to die for. I’ll be making this one again and again, finally something filling to eat with my kale!
I’m so glad you found it too, Erica! Thank you for sharing what you loved about this salad.
This was so good! I am terrible at cooking and I am trying to do better for my vegetarian family. This was easy & tasty & we even got to use some ingredients from our garden. Thnak you!!
You’re welcome, Kristina!
I’ll be honest: as a meat enthusiast looking for vegetarian recipes, I was skeptical with this one. But boy was I wrong!!! As soon as the coconut flakes mixed with the lime juice attacked my taste buds, I felt like I was eating some Emirates, first class type of delicacy. Will be making this again later this week…and in a much larger quantity. Special thanks from all the future girlfriends I’ll prepare this for.
I’m happy you tried it and loved it, Marcel! Thanks for your review.
Hi! Do you have nutrition info for this?
When I calculate the recipe, it’s outrageously high for fat, calories, and saturated fat. It was delicious, but I am super concerned about the nutrition info.
Hi Lindsey! The nutrition information is below the recipe. Be sure you have cookies allowed in your browser. Here’s more on my nutrition information: https://capital-fly.pro/nutrition-disclaimer/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
So many great flavors and a great way to eat a ton of veggies!
Thank you!
This dish was amazing! My teenaged don said that we should have it more often. Thank you!
I love it! You’re welcome, Elizabeth.
I added pineapple and it was super yummy! One of my fav recipes.
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing.
We made this tonight and loved it! Skipped the eggs to make it vegan and added bell peppers. Next time we’ll add a different protein. Great flavor.