Fried Rice Recipe
Fried rice is a versatile side dish that pairs perfectly with all Chinese and Asian cuisines. This recipe rivals your favorite Chinese restaurant's version and is a reader favorite featured in my debut cookbook, "Dinner." Check the notes for tips on scaling the recipe, using a skillet instead of a wok, and for gluten-free options.
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Servings: 3 people
Ingredients
- 3 eggs whisked
- 2 cups packed cooked day-old white rice, refrigerated or defrosted (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3/4 cup green onions sliced (shallots/scallions)
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 120 g/4 oz bacon chopped (optional, or use ham)
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups diced vegetables frozen or fresh (Note 1)
Sauce:
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine sub Mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce or all-purpose (Note 5)
- 1 tsp sesame oil optional
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Instructions
- Start by heating 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or 2 tablespoons in a skillet over high heat until it starts to smoke. Add the finely chopped onion, minced garlic, and bacon. Stir-fry until the bacon becomes lightly golden, about 1 1/2 minutes.
- Toss in the vegetables, even if they are still frozen. Stir them around for about 2 minutes to ensure they thaw and any water content evaporates. Next, introduce the rice and sauce ingredients into the mix. Stir and cook for approximately 1 1/2 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and everything is well combined.
- Push the rice to one side of the wok or skillet. Pour 1/2 tablespoon of oil into the cleared space and shift the wok so that the heat is centered over this area. Pour in the whisked eggs and scramble them thoroughly, making sure they are cooked through and not soft-scrambled.
- Finally, add the sliced green onions to the mix, stirring the scrambled eggs into the rice. Once everything is well combined, remove the wok or skillet from the heat. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Vegetables: I used frozen peas, corn, and carrots without thawing them. You can use 2 cups of any vegetables you prefer. Dice firm vegetables like carrots, and for leafy greens, chop the stems into small bite-sized pieces and the leaves into 2.5 cm/1″ pieces (they will wilt as they cook).
- Cold, Day-Old Rice: For the best fried rice, use day-old rice that has been refrigerated or frozen and then thawed. This process dries out the rice grains, making them ideal for frying. Freshly cooked rice is too sticky and will result in gluey fried rice. Long grain white rice is the best choice, but any cold, cooked rice (white or brown) will work. If you don’t have day-old rice, try our reader-favorite Emergency Baked Fried Rice instead!
- Chinese Cooking Wine or Mirin: This is a key ingredient for achieving restaurant-quality fried rice. While some recipes suggest using liquid chicken broth, avoid this as it makes the rice wet and gluey. If you cannot consume alcohol, reduce the oyster and soy sauce to 2 teaspoons each, add 1 tablespoon of water to the sauce, and proceed with the recipe. When adding the rice, mix in 1/2 teaspoon of chicken or vegetable stock powder (or a crumbled bouillon cube), then add the remaining sauce ingredients except the cooking wine. Add a tiny sprinkle of salt at the end if needed.
- Soy Sauce: Any soy sauce will do, but avoid sweet or flavored varieties. Light and all-purpose soy sauce will keep the fried rice a light color, similar to what you find in Chinese restaurants. Dark soy sauce will give the rice a mahogany color and a stronger soy flavor, which many people enjoy.
- Skillet: If using a skillet, add about 1/2 tablespoon of extra oil at the start to compensate for the larger cooking surface. With a large skillet, you can increase the recipe by 50% – just adjust the servings so the rice amount changes to 3 cups, and all ingredients will adjust accordingly. When you add the rice, use two wooden spoons to toss it, which helps compensate for not having the high walls of a wok.
- Gluten-Free: To make this recipe gluten-free, ensure you use gluten-free soy sauce and oyster sauce.