This Chinese-inspired fried rice recipe is my absolute fave. It’s quick and easy to make, customizable with any of your favorite mix-ins, and so irresistibly delicious.
Hey friends! I’m digging back into the blog archives today to share one of my all-time favorite recipes.
Growing up, our family had a tradition of eating lunch every Saturday at our neighborhood’s favorite local Chinese restaurant. And every single Saturday for lunch, I ordered the same thing — egg drop soup and fried rice, my absolute favorites. This restaurant set the bar high for me early when it comes to how amazing fried rice could be. Theirs was always perfectly al dente with slightly crispy edges, full of rich savory flavors, and loaded up with plenty of extra veggies, eggs, and whatever protein sounded good.
After our favorite restaurant sadly closed over a decade ago, I spent years tinkering around with dozens and dozens of batches of fried rice, attempting to recreate a fried recipe that tasted as good as theirs. And while nothing will ever match the original in my book, this fried rice recipe that I’ve landed on is as close as I’ve come and has been my favorite go-to ever since. It’s surprisingly speedy to make, easy to customize with your favorite add-ins, and SO flavorful and comforting. Thousands of our readers have also made and enjoyed it over the years since. So if you’re looking for a good recipe to try, I hope you’ll enjoy it too.
Fried Rice
Learn how to make fried rice with this classic recipe. It only takes 15 minutes to make, it’s easy to customize with your favorite add-ins, and it’s SO flavorful and delicious!
Prep: 5min
Total: 15min
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and black pepper
- 4 cups cooked and chilled rice (I prefer short-grain white rice)
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 3-4 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Instruction:
- Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a large sauté pan* over medium-high heat until melted. Add egg, and cook until scrambled, stirring occasionally. Remove egg, and transfer to a separate plate.
- Add an additional 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and heat until melted. Add carrots, onion, peas and garlic, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onion and carrots are soft. Increase heat to high, add in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, and stir until melted. Immediately add the rice, green onions, soy sauce and oyster sauce (if using), and stir until combined. Continue sautéing for an additional 3 minutes to fry the rice, stirring occasionally. (I like to let the rice rest for a bit between stirs so that it can crisp up on the bottom.) Then add in the eggs and stir to combine. Remove from heat, and stir in the sesame oil until combined. Taste and season with extra soy sauce, if needed.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Easy Fried Rice
An easy and delicious fried rice that will go perfectly to any chinese dish!
Prep: 15min
Total: 35min
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: Carbohydrate 20 g, Protein 4 g, Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 41 mg, Sodium 282 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g, calories 142 kcal, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 3 cups cooked rice *
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 small white onion, (chopped)
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, (thawed)
- 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce (more or less to taste)
- 2 eggs, (lightly beaten)
- 2 tablespoons green onions, (chopped, optional)
Instruction:
- Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Add the sesame oil, onion, peas, and carrots. Cook until tender.
- Slide the onion, peas, and carrots to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side of the skillet. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetable mix.
- Add the rice to the veggie and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce on top. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until warmed through and combined.
- Add chopped green onions if desired.
Yangzhou Fried Rice (揚州炒飯)
Learn how to make this classic fried rice dish at home!
Prep: 30min
Total: 40min
Yield: 5
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Thai rice
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 oz carrot
- 2 oz peas
- 5 oz char siu
- 4 oz shrimp
- 2 egg
- 2 scallions
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 0.5 tsp salt
Instruction:
- Wash the rice three times.
- Dice carrots into medium-sized cubes.
- In a medium-sized pot, add water and bring to a boil.
- Heat up the wok to high heat for one minute before adding oil. The oil is ready when you see it is rippling.
- After 2.5 to 3 minutes of frying the rice and eggs on high heat, turn down the heat and add salt and light soy sauce.
- Taste to adjust the flavors and plate once it’s to your taste! This is usually served in a large serving bowl or plate and everyone can take the amount they want.
HOW TO MAKE A DELICIOUS CHINESE FRIED RICE RECIPE
FAQ
What gives Chinese fried rice its taste?
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