Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms cooks in minutes, and this is a seriously delicious low-carb way to cook cauliflower! And if you like cauliflower and you’ve never had fried cauliflower before; I bet you’ll make this over and over.

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Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms close-up shot of cauliflower on plate

Some people think of cauliflower as strictly a winter food, but cauliflower is such a great low-carb ingredient that I love to use it any time of year. Of course when it’s hot outside you aren’t going to want dishes that need the oven, but this Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms cooks quickly on top of the stove, and this cauliflower side dish is loaded with amazing flavor.

And personally I think this fried cauliflower is perfect as a season-spanning side dish. And this is a dish I would always enjoy!

I took some new photos for this recipe, so hopefully they will entice you to try this tasty combination with cauliflower, bacon, and mushrooms. And if you’ve never heard of the idea of frying cauliflower, I bet you’re going to love this dish!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  • bacon
  • butter (or oil of your choice)
  • cauliflower
  • mushrooms
  • fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper

What kind of bacon did I use with the fried cauliflower?

When I first made this recipe I used pre-cooked bacon. This time I started with raw bacon that I cut in strips to fry, and I used a little bit of the bacon fat with butter when I cooked the cauliflower and mushrooms. That touch of bacon fat added even more flavor to the fried cauliflower, but you can definitely cook the veggies in olive oil or coconut oil and skip the bacon fat and butter if you prefer.

What mushrooms did I use with the fried cauliflower?

I’m a huge fan of brown Cremini mushrooms, so that’s what I used for this recipe. But if you have regular white mushrooms, they will also be delicious!

How low in carbs is this fried cauliflower recipe?

This amazing way to cook cauliflower with bacon and mushrooms makes a dish with only 4 net carbs per serving!

Are you a cauliflower fan?

I’m such a huge cauliflower fan that I’m always making new recipes with this healthy low-carb vegetable. You can use Cauliflower Recipes to see all the tasty things I’ve made with cauliflower!

Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms process shots collage

How to Make Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Prep every thing before you start cooking: Slice bacon into thin strips, cut cauliflower into same-size florets, wash and dry mushrooms and cut in half and then into thick slices, and chop some parsley.
  2. Cook the bacon in the largest frying pan you have until it’s very crisp.
  3. Then remove bacon and drain it on a paper towel, keeping about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan.
  4. Heat the frying pan again over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon butter to the bacon fat, and let the butter melt.
  5. When it’s melted turn the heat to high, add the cauliflower and the mushrooms, and cook about 5-7 minutes, stirring often, or until the vegetables are starting to brown and the cauliflower is cooked through.
  6. Add the chopped parsley and the crisp pieces of bacon and cook 2-3 minutes more.
  7. Season to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper and serve hot.
  8. Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated, but this is definitely best when it’s freshly made. And you probably won’t have any left over anyway!

Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms shown on serving plate

More Low-Carb Cauliflower Favorites:

Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms
Yield: 4 servings

Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms takes just a few minutes to cook, and this fried cauliflower recipe is such a great way to cook cauliflower that you'll probably want to make over and over.

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon (see notes)
  • 1 T butter
  • 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small bite-size pieces
  • 8 oz. mushrooms, cut in half, then into thick slices
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Prepare all the ingredients before you start to cook, because this cooks pretty quickly.
  2. Cut the bacon slices into crosswise strips.
  3. Cut cauliflower apart into smallish same-size florets.
  4. Wash mushrooms if needed and spin dry or dry with paper towels, then cut mushrooms into half and slice each half into thick slices. (You want mushroom slices that are all relatively the same size.)
  5. Chop the parsley.
  6. Cook the bacon over medium-high heat in a very large frying pan until it’s very crisp. Use the biggest frying pan you have; I used my 12 inch Green Pan (affiliate link).
  7. Then remove bacon to drain on a paper towels and remove all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease. (Or if you prefer to use olive oil or coconut oil, remove all the bacon grease.)
  8.  Add the butter (or oil of your choice) to the pan and heat for 1 minute.
  9. Then add the chopped cauliflower and sliced mushrooms and cook over very high heat, stirring constantly, for about 5-7 minutes or until all mushroom liquid has evaporated, cauliflower is starting to brown a bit and the cauliflower is getting tender.
  10.  Add crisp pieces of bacon and parsley and cook 2-3 minutes more.
  11. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper and serve hot.

Notes

You can definitely use less bacon if you prefer. If you prefer not to use bacon fat and/or butter, you can replace either with an equal amount of olive oil or coconut oil.

This recipe adapted from Vegetable Love (affiliate link).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 140Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 402mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 9g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms on serving plate.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms is a good side dish for any low-carb or Keto diet. Bacon and butter both are not recommended for the original South Beach Diet but personally I’d eat this as a personal choice for South Beach, or make it with turkey bacon and olive oil if you prefer and it will still be delicious.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Stir-Fry Recipes to see more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This amazing Fried Cauliflower was first posted in 2006. The photos were greatly improved in 2017 and the recipe was last updated with more information in 2024.

Pinterest image of Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms

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