To make baked fried rice, just place uncooked rice, stock, soy sauce and a few other flavourings in a baking pan, give it a mix then shove it in the oven. Out comes fluffy, seasoned fried rice that’s so good, you may never wok-toss fried rice ever again!
(Well, maybe not. Nothing beats the real deal, after all. But this emergency version is excellent for the minimal effort required!)
Emergency baked fried rice
OK, you’re right, this isn’t fried rice per se! It’s a baked rice. But I call it a baked fried rice because it’s everything we love about fried rice, without the frying! It will save you on all those nights when you’re scrambling for a quick side dish that will go with almost everything and please everyone.
Unlike the normal way fried rice is cooked, there’s no need to plan ahead and cook rice the day before so that it has time to dry out overnight in the fridge. You don’t even need to chop anything (hello, frozen veg!).
Just dump everything in the pan – uncooked rice, stock, frozen pre-chopped vegetables, raw bacon – then whack it in the oven. There’s no need to stir while cooking – in fact, I forbid it, because it makes the rice mushy!
And for all that effort, you will be rewarded with THIS ↓↓↓ (“this” being a big pan of fluffy seasoned fried rice that’s littered with vegetables and oh wow, even the bacon is nice and golden!!🙌🏻)
Ingredients for baked fried rice
This is an excellent recipe to customise and make your own, with lots of options for changing up add-ins! Here’s what I use in this baked fried rice recipe:
Rice – Best made with long grain white rice because it’s the least sticky. This means you get that nice, crumbly and fluffy fried rice texture with this “dump ‘n bake” cooking method.
Other rice types that work:
→ Basmati rice: Has the same fluffy texture but you get the basmati aroma (it’s not traditional with fried rice seasoning, but it’s rather nice!)
→ Medium and short grain white rice: Works perfectly but these rices are a bit stickier so don’t expect quite the same rice texture you see in the video (it will clump a little more).
→ Jasmine rice: Reduce water by 1/4 cup (water to rice ratio is lower, see here for cooking plain jasmine rice).This recipe won’t work as-written for the following: Brown rice, paella or risotto rice, wild rice, quinoa or other speciality rices. I’d need to figure out special liquid/rice ratios and bake times, which I have not done!
Stock/broth – Chicken stock will give a better flavour (it’s not chicken-y as such, it has just a more deeply seasoned flavour), but vegetable stock works just fine too. Whichever you use, make sure it’s low sodium otherwise the rice ends up a tad saltier than is ideal.
Don’t have liquid stock? Use water plus stock powder. Make up 2 cups according to the stock powder directions and use per the recipe.
Vegetables – Because this is conceived as a recipe for “dinner emergencies”, I’ve used frozen diced vegetables here. Fresh vegetables can be used, but you’ll need to increase the water by 1/4 cup because the liquid to rice ratio factors in the water that comes off the frozen vegetables (a surprising amount!).
Garlic – I can’t ever imagine making any type of fried rice without garlic. And that includes an emergency baked version!
Bacon (uncooked) or ham – Just like we do in wok tossed fried rice! Here, it’s scattered across the surface and it adds flavour into the stock as it cooks.
There’s no need to cook the bacon beforehand, it will brown at the end when we finish the rice off uncovered in the oven.
Soy sauce – I’ve used light soy sauce here which adds seasoning without discolouring the rice too much. All purpose soy sauce will work just fine too.
Dark soy sauce – It’s much more intense in flavour so use half the quantity and be prepared for your rice to be much browner in colour.
Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) – adds umami / depth of flavour which is important for this method of cooking that skips the usual “sauté garlic and onion” etc.
Best substitute – Dry sherry, followed by cooking sake, followed by mirin (though rice will be a touch sweeter).
Non alcoholic option – Skip the wine and add an extra 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce PLUS add 30g / 2 tbsp of unsalted butter with the sesame (butter compensates for loss of flavour from skipping the cooking wine). It’s not the same, but equally delicious!
Pepper – For a touch of warmth. White pepper is typically used for fried rice because you can’t see it. Substitute with black pepper.
Sesame oil & green onion – For finishing. We add sesame oil at the end to preserve the flavour, and the green onion is tossed through at the end for a hit of freshness and colour.
How to make baked fried rice
Are you ready to see how easy it is??
Put the uncooked rice into the baking pan;
Add everything else except the bacon;
Give it a mix, then scatter the bacon across the surface (because we want it to get some colour when we bake it uncovered);
Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes at 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan);
Remove foil and bake for a further 15 minutes. This gives the bacon some nice colour;
Remove from the oven, cover with foil then let it rest for 10 minutes. To finish the dish, add sesame oil and green onion, fluff with a fork then serve!
Why we rest rice – When you take it out of the oven, there should be no liquid left in the pan and the rice will be cooked through though a tiny bit firmer than ideal. You’ll also notice that the surface of the rice grains will be wet.
When we rest the rice for 10 minutes, the grains finish cooking through using the residual heat, and the wetness on the rice grains gets absorbed. This is an essential step with any rice you cook, no matter what method you use – stove, absorption, boil and drain, oven, microwave or rice cooker!
Here’s a nice close up for you so you can see how the grains are fluffy and separated, and how the bacon bits are lovely and golden.
No mushy, overcooked rice in sight!
What to serve with baked fried rice
Serve to accompany dishes you would with fried rice, which these days is far and beyond just Asian foods! Try it with the Mushroom Stuffed Chicken I shared a couple of weeks ago, or as a side for a fillet of seasoned pan fried fish.
Pair it with something sticky like this Chilli Chicken, Honey Garlic Chicken or a tropical Hawaiian Huli-Huli chicken. For vegetarian options, skip the bacon and instead, pile over juicy and buttery garlic mushrooms or a medley of marinated grilled vegetables.
The rules are: there are no rules! This is a rice side that will go with virtually anything, Asian or not! – Nagi x
PS. I just had a fleeting thought. If you’d like to turn this into a meal, trying stirring through a big handful of baby spinach or chopped English spinach when fluffing it up at the end. By upping the veg in this, it would be great as a meal!
Watch how to make it
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Emergency “Dump ‘n Bake” Fried Rice
Ingredients
Baked Fried Rice:
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice , UNCOOKED (Note 1)
- 2 cups chicken or veg stock , low sodium
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (dry sherry, mirin or sake, Note 3)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced with crusher (straight into pan)
- 2 cups frozen diced veg (carrots, peas, corn mix, Note 4 fresh veg)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 1/4 cups / 180g bacon (uncooked) or ham , chopped (I use store bought chopped bacon, Note 5)
Finishing:
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup green onion , finely sliced (2 – 3 stems)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan).
- Mix ingredients in baking dish: Place all Baked Fried Rice ingredients except bacon in a baking dish (~22 x 32cm / 9 x 13"). Stir, then spread rice evenly across pan.
- Top with bacon: Scatter bacon across surface.
- Bake covered 40 min: Cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes.
- Bake uncovered 15 min: Remove foil. Bake uncovered 15 minutes – this will colour the bacon. Liquid should be absorbed, rice should be cooked (but will seem wet, will absorb and soften while resting).
- Rest 10 min: Cover loosely with foil, stand for 10 minutes.
- Fluff: Add green onion and sesame oil. Fluff rice with fork, marvel at how perfectly cooked the rice grains are. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
1. Rice types – Best made with long grain rice because it’s the least sticky so you get that nice crumbly, fluffy fried rice texture with this “dump ‘n bake” cooking method. Other rice types that work:
- Basmati rice – same fluffy texture but you get the basmati aroma (it’s not traditional with fried rice seasoning, but it’s rather nice!)
- Medium and short grain white rice – works perfectly but the rice is a bit stickier (that’s the way it is) so don’t expect the same rice texture you see in the video (it will clump a little more).
- Jasmine rice – NOT RECOMMENDED. This rice is softer and difficult to get exactly right for this recipe.
- Carrots, peas, corn, onion – use in recipe as written.
- Cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, asparagus, zucchini, capsicum/bell peppers (chopped) – add them 30 min into bake time.
- Egg – Cook separately and stir in when fluffing rice. Either scramble, or make ribbons (cook a thin omelette using 2 whisked eggs, roll it up like a cigar then finely slice)
- Cooked chicken (or other cooked protein), char siu – dice or shred, toss on top of rice when resting (residual heat will warm up), then mix through well fluffing rice.
- Raw prawns/shrimp – small ones. When you remove the foil, scatter them across the surface, pop into oven for the last 15 min uncovered bake time.
- Baby spinach or chopped spinach – Stir it through at end with fluffing rice, residual heat will make it wilt.
- Spicy! Add a squirt of sriracha or dollop of your favourite chilli paste during cooking, or stir through a big handful of chopped kimchi just before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Weekend car problems. Dozer was keen to help. (Well that’s a big fat lie! We all know he was just snuffling around for treats from the road side assistance man.)
Cathie says
I think you need to give Dozer some steak!
Nagi says
Don’t worry, he gets plenty of meat!! N x
Robyn says
I made this substituted corn and shallots (didn’t have any) with brown onion and capsicum Delicious this remains on the menu thank you Nagi
Nagi says
Perfect Robyn!!! N x
Julia Wood says
This was amazing and so easy to make. Thank you Nagi for your wonderful recipes and stories
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Julia, thanks so much for the great feedback, I truly appreciate it! N x
Erika Wolfe says
Made this tonight with diced ham….my hubby & so. didn’t even get a bowl just used the fork I used to fluff the rice and ate half of a 13×9 pan. Rest was ate after soccer camp at 10pm and requested to be put in with favorite dinner rotation schedule!!! Thank you love all your recipes
Nagi says
YESS!!!! I love this Erika!! N x
Elizabeth Tame says
If prawns were added to this, at what stage would you add them
Nagi says
Hi Elizabeth, I mention this in the recipe notes 🙂 N x
DebM. says
Love this way of making fried rice and it still tastes like it. Surprised no else has thought of it. 👏❤️🇨🇦✋👍
Ann Ball says
Hi Nagi, this recipe looks awesome can’t wait to try it! Just wondering about Dozer ??? the last couple of pics he looks like he has lost weight ? Or maybe it was just the camera angle 😳😂😂😂😂
Nagi says
He’s fine Ann, could just be the angle, some days his perm is fluffier than others 😉 N x
Gloria says
Saw this recipe and thought it would be perfect for my husband to make today. Made it with ham but I forgot to tell him you’re from Australia and he mistakenly cooked it at 200*F. Still delicious and we will definitely make it again!
Jenn says
Oh Nagi, you genius 🤩
Jenny Godfrey says
Question? Can I use Brown rice? I don’t normally eat white rice. Would I need to bake it longer? Brown rice takes longer to cook when I boil it than white rice does. Would that apply here too? Or would Brown rice just not work?
Nagi says
Hi Jenny, I’ve mentioned this in the recipe notes 🙂 N x
TJ says
Let’s hope Uncle Roger doesn’t find out about this recipe!!!!……..
Nagi says
He’ll love it! N x
Mary Ann says
Should I use Kame Rice cooking wine (12% alcohol) or Kame Chinese Cooking Rice Wine (14-15% alcohol)? Both have 170 mg sodium in 2 tbs.
Recipe sounds great!
Nagi says
Either will work fine here Mary Ann, the alcohol burns off when cooking. N x
roz says
substitute for bacon/ham for vegans or kosher eaters? Need something that replaces the salt and fat, plus some flavor. Not for vegans, but maybe smoked salmon (fat and smoky)? slices of smoked turkey? For vegans: fried smoked tofu and extra oil? I don’t want to give up this genius idea.
Nagi says
Roz – just updated recipe notes with some ideas! I suggested sliced fried tofu puffs, or adding a handful of crispy fried shallots or onions before serving. Otherwise, just leave it out – it’s still very good! N x
Didina Gnagnide Angorinie says
Question: if we add vegetables with shorter cooking time like zucchini, asparagus etc halfway during the cooking, do we just scatter them on the surface or mix with the rice and other stuff?
Nagi says
Hi Didina, asparagus would be ok to add in the last 15 minutes of cook time but steer clear of watery veg like zucchini or it will add excess moisture and you’l end up with gluey rice! N x
Didina Gnagnide Angorinie says
You did mention zucchini in the notes “Cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, asparagus, zucchini, capsicum/bell peppers (chopped) – add them 30 min into bake time.”. So are zucchinis out? And should I mix these veggies with the rice or just scatter them on top 🤔? Sorry to ask but I have a picky eater with a very limited veggie “ok list” and green peas and corn are out…
Nagi says
Facon? Is there such thing as “fake bacon”? 😂
Didina Gnagnide Angorinie says
Very nice! Making ‘fried rice’ in the oven is a great idea. Question: can I skip the garlic and the green onion (I’m no onion no garlic atm)? Or sub them with something else? Also, if I wanted to make curry fried rice, how much curry powder would you add?
Nagi says
Hi Didina, curry fried rice is a different recipe – something to add to my list though!! If you’re off the onion, I would add 1 tsp of asafoetida for flavour – a great sub to use when you can’t have onion or garlic ❤️ N x
Didina Gnagnide Angorinie says
Thanks Nagi, 1 tsp asafoetida seems a lot to me, I would try with 1/2 tsp…asafoetida works best as a background spice with something else in the foreground, just adding an allium-like note to the rest; on its own it’s very powerful and dominates in an excessively sulphury way. I might add some soffritto with dried red pepper, asafoetida and a bit of 5 spices powder. That’s what I would try if I make it.
Don Frank says
If one wants to make this recipe without meat,what would you change?
Nagi says
Hi Don, simply leave it out 🙂 N x
Don Frank says
Thank you!!
Norm Green says
We don’t eat ham or bacon, but it seems like it will not only add flavor and protein but also perhaps other moisture and fat. So, how might I adjust the recipe to replace or omit bacon, ham, etc.?
Nagi says
Hi Norm, I’ve just updated the recipe notes 🙂 N x
Norman Green says
Thanks! I’ll make it soon; maybe this Friday!
roz says
oops. should have read all comments. i just asked the same question. 🙂
Ron Wilson says
Cooked this first time tonight, worried rice would either burn or dry out but it was great! Combined frozen and ‘fresh’ from the depths of the fridge, a winner! Than you.
Nagi says
PERFECT Ron!!!!! N x
Mary says
This sounds great..and so easy. Could I use Brown Chinese Jasmine rice for this recipe? Can’t wait to rate it!
Nagi says
Hi Mary, this one won’t work as written with brown rice sorry – N x
Mary says
Hi Nagi – I wanted to make this tonight (7/26 USA time) and was just too impatient to wait for your response 😁. I followed the recipe as written and crossed my fingers. It was amazing!! The brown jasmine rice isn’t as sticky as plain brown rice and it worked beautifully. THANK YOU!! This recipe’s a “keeper”!!
Linda J Wampler says
I’ve gotten the best tips and recipes from you! Your personality makes me laugh and eggs me on to try crazy ideas! I LOVE handsome Dozer! I’m gathering ingreds now for rice to make today. Xx
Nagi says
That’s awesome Linda, thanks so much!! N x
Hatsumi says
I love your comments on Dozer, it always makes me smile
Nagi says
He always steals the show Hatsumi!! N x