Keto pork and rice is a savory 20-minute skillet dinner — tender leftover roast pork in a creamy mushroom soup sauce over hearts of palm or cauliflower rice. 5.5g net carbs and 28g protein, and it lands on my table almost weekly.
I started making this stir fry to use up leftover pork roast, and now I cook extra pork on Sundays just so I have some ready for it during the week. The original version was fine, but the cream of mushroom soup is what turned it into a real meal. Without it, you just have seasoned pork and vegetables in a pan. The soup gives everything a sauce that coats the rice and holds the whole skillet together.
After making this probably 30 times, I switched to ground pork as my default. Ground pork breaks into small pieces that get completely coated in the mushroom soup, so every bite has sauce on it. Cubed leftover pork works when that's what I have, but the stir fry comes together better with ground. If you like one-pan dinners, my chicken stir fry uses the same quick-skillet approach.
The technique that made the biggest difference: pat leftover pork completely dry before it hits the skillet, and make sure the pan is properly hot. A lukewarm skillet steams the pork no matter how well you dried it. You want edges browning before the soup goes in. That browning is where most of the flavor lives. I heat the oil until it shimmers, then add the pork in a single layer without crowding. If you're using ground pork, skip the drying step, but the hot pan still matters.
Seasoning needs more than what I originally listed. I use closer to 2 teaspoons of garlic powder now (double the recipe amount) and add a pinch of red pepper flakes. The mushroom soup absorbs more seasoning than you'd think, so if the dish tastes flat, that's probably why. A splash of coconut aminos at the end adds depth without adding carbs, which is how I season my keto beef and broccoli too.
If you want it closer to fried rice, scramble an egg or two in the skillet before building the rest of the dish. I crack them in, break into small pieces, then layer everything on top. It gives a more authentic texture without adding many carbs.
This stores well in the fridge for 3-4 days. The hearts of palm rice absorbs more of the soup as it sits overnight, so day two leftovers are thicker and the flavors meld together. I portion into individual containers straight from the skillet. You can also freeze portions for up to two months: thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a skillet, not the microwave (it makes the rice soggy). This low carb dinner rotates through our weekly plan alongside other skillet dinners like keto hamburger helper and keto chicken noodle skillet.
Keto Pork and Rice Recipe
This is the keto skillet dinner I come back to when I need something on the table fast. I started making it to use up leftover roast pork, and now I cook extra pork on Sundays just so I have some ready. Two pork loins on Sunday means this stir fry is already half done on Tuesday.
Even without leftover pork, ground pork works just as well (I actually prefer it now). Cook a pound in the skillet until browned, and it breaks into pieces that get completely coated in the mushroom soup base. The whole thing comes together in one pan. If you don’t have cream of mushroom soup, 2-3 oz of cream cheese gives you a similar creamy base, or make your own sauce with coconut milk and mushrooms.
I rotate this into our meal plan almost every week because it’s different each time depending on what’s in the fridge. Same approach as my keto chicken casserole where the base stays the same but the add-ins change.
Best Vegetables for This Stir Fry
I used sliced mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion in the version above, but I swap these out constantly. The real rule is: if it’s low carb and about to go bad in your fridge, throw it in. I’ve cleaned out the vegetable drawer into this skillet more times than I can count, similar to how I load up my sheet pan chicken and veggies. Here are the ones that work best:
green beans
zucchini
cauliflower florets
broccoli
spinach
kale
red bell pepper
Hearts of Palm Rice vs. Cauliflower Rice
I’ve tested both rice options in this recipe extensively. Hearts of palm rice has a more neutral flavor and holds up in a hot pan without going watery. It looks and feels closer to actual rice, which matters if you’re cooking for someone who notices the difference. My family prefers it over cauliflower rice for that reason.
If you go with cauliflower rice, buy it pre-riced from the produce section or use frozen. My tip: use frozen cauliflower rice straight from the bag without thawing. I tested this side by side and the frozen version puts less water in the pan. Thawed cauliflower rice releases moisture as it heats and can turn the whole skillet watery. Similar to how I handle the rice in my keto chicken and rice soup, the texture matters more than the type.
Add avocado oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add mushrooms, bell pepper and onion and stir fry vegetables. Use any vegetables that pair well in this recipe. Cook until vegetables have softened.
2
Cook pork
Add pork to the skillet and cook until heated through or browned (if using ground pork). Sprinkle in garlic powder, onion powder and salt.
NOTE: If using raw pork, remove vegetables first and set them aside.
3
Cream of Mushroom
Pour in mushroom soup and stir until heated through.
4
Add rice
Add hearts of palm rice or cauliflower rice to the skillet and stir until heated through. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/4 of recipe
Calories
280
Fat
16.7g
Protein
28g
Total carbs
8.2g
Net carbs
5.5g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze leftover pork and rice?
I freeze portions of this all the time. Let it cool completely, portion into freezer-safe containers, and it keeps for about two months. When I reheat, I thaw overnight in the fridge and warm it in a skillet over medium heat. The microwave makes the rice go soggy, so I avoid it. Hearts of palm rice holds up better after freezing than cauliflower rice does in my experience.
Should I use ground pork or cubed leftover pork?
I've made this both ways dozens of times, and I reach for ground pork now. It breaks into small pieces that get fully coated in the mushroom soup, so every bite has sauce. Cubed leftover pork works when that's what I have in the fridge, but the texture is different. If you go the leftover route, pat it completely dry first or it will steam instead of brown.
What's the difference between hearts of palm rice and cauliflower rice in this dish?
I've tested both extensively in this recipe. Hearts of palm rice has a more neutral flavor and a texture closer to actual rice. It also absorbs the soup overnight, so leftovers thicken up nicely the next day. Cauliflower rice soaks up flavors faster during cooking but can get watery if you thaw it first. My move is frozen cauliflower rice straight from the bag. Less water in the pan.
Can I add an egg to make it more like fried rice?
I've done this and it works well for a keto fried rice style. Scramble one or two eggs in the skillet before adding the pork, break them into small pieces, then build the rest of the dish on top. It gives a more authentic fried rice texture and the egg gets distributed throughout rather than sitting in clumps. I add the egg early so it mixes into everything.
What can I use instead of cream of mushroom soup?
I've subbed in 2-3 ounces of cream cheese when I didn't have mushroom soup on hand, and it works. The sauce is thicker and less savory, but still creamy. You can also make your own with coconut milk and sauteed mushrooms if you want to keep it dairy-free. I wouldn't skip the sauce element entirely though. Without it, the flavors just sit next to each other instead of coming together as a dish.
How do I get the pork to actually brown instead of steaming?
Two things I figured out after making this more times than I want to admit. First, pat leftover pork completely dry with paper towels. Any surface moisture steams instead of sears. Second, get the skillet properly hot before the pork goes in. I heat the oil until it shimmers, then add pork in a single layer without crowding. A lukewarm pan steams it no matter how dry the meat is.
Roast pork is what I had in mind when I wrote this one. Pat it dry before it hits the pan, Danielle. The fridge pulls moisture to the surface and you’ll get steam instead of a sear.
Meal prepping this weekend and want to add this to my rotation, does hearts of palm rice hold up in the fridge for a few days or does it go mushy? I’ve only ever done cauliflower rice.
Four days in the fridge, no problem. Hearts of palm absorbs the mushroom soup as it sits so the texture on day 3 is actually better than day 1. Cauliflower goes the other direction, gets watery. You made the right call switching.
Eight or nine batches in and the mushroom step is still the thing I keep refining. Going almost twice as long on them (8 minutes, until they’re actually starting to brown) before the pork and soup go in makes the sauce richer and darker, like it’s been going for an hour not 20 minutes. Still can’t believe this comes together in a skillet that fast. Hearts of palm rice has been my pick since batch two, holds up without going soft. 28 grams of protein is why I make it this often, but the mushroom sauce is what I actually think about.
Eight minutes until they actually brown is longer than I usually go, and that darker sauce is exactly what I’m chasing when I make this. Trying that next time.
My husband always notices when I swap something out, and he spent the whole dinner convinced I’d used actual rice. Had to show him the hearts of palm bag. Something about the mushroom soup coating everything makes it feel way more substantial than it looks. This is my Sunday answer now when I have leftover pork in the fridge.
Finally found my Sunday meal prep staple and it’s this. The cream of mushroom sauce reheats beautifully and the hearts of palm rice doesn’t turn to mush by Wednesday like cauliflower always does.
The hearts of palm actually absorbs the mushroom soup overnight so by day 3 it’s thicker. Cauliflower does the opposite, releases liquid, gets soggy. Not even close.
My daughter is dairy-sensitive. I’m always scanning ingredient labels, especially for soups and sauces. Cream of mushroom soup is where I get stuck, since most canned versions have dairy. Would coconut milk work here, or is there something you’d swap in?
Full-fat coconut milk with sauteed mushrooms works for a homemade version. I’d simmer it down a few minutes first so it thickens before you add the pork. Flavor’s a little different but it still coats everything the same way.
Made this Sunday with leftover roast pork and my wife, who has been vocally skeptical about hearts of palm rice since I first brought it home, cleaned her plate and then asked if there was more. The mushroom soup sauce is what got her, I think. She kept asking what made it so creamy and rich, and I told her after she went back for seconds. She is now fully bought in on the hearts of palm thing and that alone was worth it.
First time using hearts of palm rice and I was ready to be underwhelmed, but the mushroom soup pulls everything together in a way I did not expect. This is going into my weeknight rotation.
First time using hearts of palm rice. Always been a cauliflower rice person, so I was skeptical. But the way it absorbed the mushroom soup and pork drippings together just got me. Made this on a Tuesday and I’m still thinking about it.
I’ve tried enough keto pork stir fry recipes to know most of them end up as just vegetables and meat in avocado oil with some seasoning. The cream of mushroom soup is what actually changes things. Gives everything a real sauce, not just a coating. Used leftover pork from a Sunday roast and it came together in about 20 minutes. One thing: cauliflower rice soaked up the flavors better than hearts of palm did, so I’ll go that route next time.
Pat leftover pork completely dry before it hits the skillet. First time I skipped that, everything steamed into a gray heap. Tasted fine, but missed the point. Second time, dried pork, properly hot pan, and the edges actually browned before the cream of mushroom soup went in. That’s a standing rule now whenever there’s Sunday roast pork left over.
Had leftover pork in the fridge from Sunday dinner and figured I’d try this instead of just reheating it plain again. I used frozen cauliflower rice straight from the bag without thawing it first, just threw it in at the end, and I was pretty sure it was going to turn into a watery mess. It didn’t. It cooked down in a few minutes and soaked up all the mushroom soup, which I really didn’t expect. The whole thing was done before I even finished washing the cutting board, and I’m not a fast cook by any stretch. My husband didn’t realize I used leftovers, thought I made it fresh. Starting to think I should just cook a bigger pork roast on Sundays so I always have some ready for this.
Frozen straight from the bag is actually better than thawed. Less water in the pan. And yeah, Sunday pork roast going into this is exactly how I use it.
Yeah the canned soup is pretty neutral. I go heavy on the garlic powder (closer to 2 teaspoons) and add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cayenne works too.
