Who says you can't enjoy hash browns if you eat clean? These Cauliflower Hash Browns are the real deal and will satisfy your hash brown cravings. Plus, they're low carb, gluten-free, keto, paleo, and so delicious!
Back in the day – before my clean eating lifestyle – I LOVED hash browns. And I made them very often. Frankly, I still love the taste, heartiness, and deliciousness. But I’m not the biggest fan of the ingredients - especially when I get them out at restaurants. They're just so oily now.
If you love hash browns, too, but without the fried greasiness that makes you feel blah and heavy all day, I have a solution! And it involves my all time favorite magical cruciferous veggie. Can you guess which veggie I’m talking about?
Cauliflower!!!
This is yet more proof cauliflower can do pretty much anything. And in a healthy way.
Introducing – cauliflower hash browns.
This cauliflower hash brown recipe is packed full of flavor and yummy goodness. Just the kind of thing we all can use at the breakfast table. Or the dinner table, if you’re into that sort of thing. Personally, I love breakfast for dinner. Also, this cauliflower hash brown recipe is healthy, low-carb, and low-calorie. And you’ll be using only a little bit of olive oil to cook the hash browns. Get ready for tastiness.
In This Post You'll Find:
- Watch My Cauliflower Hash Browns Recipe Video
- Cauliflower VS Potato Health Benefits
- How To Make Cauliflower Hash Browns
- How To Rice Cauliflower
- How Long To Cook Cauliflower Hash Browns?
- What To Pair With Cauliflower Hash Browns
- How Long Can You Keep Cauliflower Hash Browns?
- More Healthy Cauliflower Recipes
- Cauliflower Hash Browns
- Reviews
Watch My Cauliflower Hash Browns Recipe Video
Cauliflower VS Potato Health Benefits
I don’t want to turn this post into a competition, but, I gotta say, if there’s a cauliflower vs potato dispute, cauliflower wins by a landslide. Because the health benefits of cauliflower are impressive. Don’t get me wrong, both veggies are nutritious, but cauliflower is also…
- lower in calories (134 calories for potatoes compared to the 28 calories for cauliflower in a single serving);
- lower in carbs;
- higher in fiber;
- higher in antioxidants;
- a greater source of minerals;
- a greater source of vitamins.
However, we have to be fair with potatoes and say they are not at all bad. If you don’t turn them into French fries, potatoes contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals (different than the ones found in cauliflower. They just contain more carbs and calories, too.
So, if you want low-carb hash browns, cauliflower is the best choice out of the two.
How To Make Cauliflower Hash Browns
Once you’re done celebrating the wonderful news, get ready to have your mind blown! Because these low-carb hash browns are not only a healthy alternative to hash browns, they are super easy to make, too.
Once you’ve got all the ingredients prepped, all you have to do is…
- combine the ingredients together
- cook the cauliflower hash on both sides, in a little olive oil
Yes, that’s it! No complicated steps, no crazy effort, nothing!
However, since these are cauliflower rice hash browns, you’ll have to learn how to rice cauliflower and how to make cauliflower rice first. But don’t worry, this is also very easy. And I highlighted the steps for you below.
How To Rice Cauliflower
I’ll keep this section short because I wrote an entire post about how to rice cauliflower and how to make cauliflower rice. You can read it here if you feel these simple instructions are not enough.
To make cauliflower rice, all you have to do is to…
- cut cauliflower into florets
- pulse with a food processor or grate with a kitchen grater until you obtain the rice-like consistency
How Long To Cook Cauliflower Hash Browns?
If you want to make crispy cauliflower hash browns, you have to be very careful during the cooking part. You don’t want them to fall apart when you flip them but you don’t want them burned on one side, either.
For perfect hash browns…
- heat the olive oil on medium-high heat until hot – don’t place the cauliflower hash browns before the oil is hot!
- cook until the edges of the cauliflower hash browns are golden-brown and the hash browns stick together, approx. 2-3 minutes;
- flip carefully;
- cook for additional 2-3 minutes on the other side.
See? It’s super easy to make them.
What To Pair With Cauliflower Hash Browns
For a healthy and filling breakfast, you have to pair the cauliflower breakfast with… something. But what? What goes well with cauliflower hash browns?
- eggs – any type of eggs, really – you can make scrambled eggs, fried eggs or omelets – all pair nicely with the crispy cauliflower hash browns;
- cheese – your favorite type of cheese paired with these crispy cauliflower hash browns = amazeballs breakfast;
- salmon or ham - top the cauliflower hash browns with salmon or ham for a hearty breakfast.
Let’s be honest here: hash browns are not only for breakfast. They are great as a side for dinner as well - delicious for roasted pork chops or roasted chicken.
How Long Can You Keep Cauliflower Hash Browns?
If you’re obsessed with meal prep (me too, let’s be friends!) and you want to make keto hash browns ahead and store them for later? Well, you can do that, too!
Properly stored in airtight containers or Ziploc bags, cauliflower hash browns last for 3-5 days in the fridge.
More Healthy Cauliflower Recipes
I said cauliflower is magical, and this is why. Here are tons more cauliflower recipes showing off just how much this veggie can do! Nothing beats this versatile veggie!
- Low-Carb Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
- How To Make Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- Cauliflower Tortillas (Just 42 Calories!)
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cauliflower Curry
- Cauliflower Cheese Sauce
- Spicy Cauliflower Burgers
Cauliflower Hash Browns
Equipment
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets (to yield 2 cups shredded, packed)
- 2 eggs (can sub with flax eggs)
- ⅓ cup green onions, sliced, plus more for garnish (approx. 2 onions)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for greasing pan
Instructions
- Grate the cauliflower head on a cheese grater or use food processor to create cauliflower "rice."
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded cauliflower with eggs, green onion, sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir to mix well.
- Add ¼ cup of the cauliflower mixture to the pan and gently press down with a spatula to flatten to be approx. 3 inches wide, working to keep the hash brown together as much as possible.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the edges start to turn golden brown, and the hash brown begins to stick together when nudged.
- Carefully flip over and cook an additional 2-3 minutes to let the edges brown and the cauliflower cook through. Use the spatula to form back into a circular shape, as needed. Repeat with remaining mix. Note: there will be residual liquid left at the bottom of the mixing bowl - that is normal and can be discarded.
- Garnish with chopped green onion, if desired, and serve hot.
Meg
Hi Lacey,
These look awesome!
Do you know if there would be a way to cook these in the oven, so it's less 'hands on' cooking time?
Lacey Baier
You can totally cook them in the oven, though they won't get as crispy. I'm betting finishing them off with a broiler would help, though!
Kathy
I had a lot of raw cauliflower and wanted to make something for breakfast and found this awesome recipe!!! I am thrilled with the outcome! Since this was all I was having for breakfast I treated myself to three of them with a 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce and 1 T low fat sour cream! Decadent, and the whole thing had 225 calories. The recipe was easy to make. I riced the cauliflower in a food chopper (tupperware product that I use almost every day for something). Thank you for sharing your talent!!
Kathy
Two more comments to add to my review based on other's notes. I didn't add salt and yet found the taste delicious. I also didn't have green onions so I added a regular onion, and more fresh ground pepper than it called for using. So YUMMY! This one is a keeper!
Lacey Baier
YES! So love how you enjoyed them, Kathy! Aren't they amazing? 🙂
Tammy L Childs
Lacey.. I just don't know..the consistency was good..super easy to make but we were disappointed..5 carbs & no flavor? They didn't taste like cauliflower which is a good thing for breakfast ..lol but other than the onion..it had no flavor..i need to try the smothered & covered option as well..hope it has more flavor w/o jacking up the carbs..(on keto)
Lacey Baier
Perhaps they needed to be more salted for next time?
Brittany
This is such a great recipe! I am always trying to find clever low carb options for breakfast. Can you substitute egg whites for the whole egg?
Lacey Baier
Yes, you can certainly sub with whole eggs, though the texture will be slightly different.
Dustin
Some homemade hash browns sound great!
Lacey Baier
Right? We need to make these again 🙂
Jessica
I tried making these the other day. Is one full tbsp of salt right? I thought it was way too salty. I am planning on trying these again in the morning with only a small amount of salt.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yikes! I'm so sorry, Jessica. That was an unfortunate typo. I've replaced it with 1 tsp and then add more to taste if needed. My apologies!!
Jessica
No worries. I had fixed breakfast for dinner (one of my favorites) for my boyfriend that night and he was kind enough to eat every bite.
I just tried them again with the reduced salt, very good! Thanks for the recipe.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Oh good! Thanks for sharing and for trying it again!
Lindsay
We just made these for breakfast, and they were so flavorful and delicious! Thanks Lacey 🙂
Lacey Baier
Yay, so glad to hear it 🙂
Jasanna
I totally agree with you! Those restaurant hashbrowns=nasty!! I am looking forward to trying this!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
I hope these hash browns make the grade, Jasanna! 😉
Nealey @ Dixie Caviar
Not sure why I've never made hash browns at home before. They always seemed a little complicated. Thanks for showing me the light!
I might have to take them one step further, though, and make mine scattered, smothered, and covered...
lacey - a sweet pea chef
You're, very welcome, Nealey 🙂 Ooh, I like where you're going with that, though. I definitely need to make mine scattered, smothered and covered next time, too! 😉
Sherri B.
Hash browns are one of my breakfast favorites but I can never get it right, the salad spinner might just be the trick, thanks.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yeah, Sherri, try to make them as dry as possible. The salad spinner has been the best tool to do the job for me. Good luck!