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Home Quick and Easy

Chinese Fried Rice with Shrimp / Prawns

By:Nagi
Published:11 May '16Updated:7 Sep '22
143 Comments
Recipe v Dozer v

It takes more than soy sauce to make a proper Chinese Fried Rice, just like what you get at Chinese restaurants. I learnt how to make proper Chinese Fried Rice from Australia’s most well known Chinese chef, Kylie Kwong!

Chinese Fried Rice - A recipe for those who want Chinese Fried Rice that really does taste like what you get at restaurants..

The first thing some might notice is that there’s bacon in this Fried Rice. “That’s not authentic!”, you may be thinking.

And that’s true. Authentic Chinese restaurants make Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage. I’m betting that the vast majority of readers have never bought or cooked Chinese Sausage before.

But you know what? Kylie Kwong says bacon is ok. In fact, it’s the alternative in her recipe to Chinese Sausage. And as someone who has bought, cooked and eaten Chinese Sausage, I can assure you that bacon brings a very similar salty / oily / meaty pop to fried rice.

And as someone who has eaten a lot of fried rice in her time, here in Sydney, in China, Hong Kong, the US and London, I can also tell you that I’ve seen a fair share of fried rice made with bacon and even with ham!

Chinese Fried Rice with Shrimp | Finally, a Chinese fried recipe that actually really tastes like what you get from restaurants!

Chinese Fried Rice - A recipe for those who want Chinese Fried Rice that really does taste like what you get at restaurants..

So this recipe I have for you today is not so much about exactly what should be in the Fried Rice. Because even in China, and certainly in Chinese restaurants around the world, it’s clear that there are no hard and fast rules about what should be in a fried rice.

However! And there is a big “however”. While I give much concession to the additions, the thing you cannot skimp on is the sauce! The sauce has to be right – and it isn’t just soy sauce and chicken broth!

Chinese Fried Rice - A recipe for those who want Chinese Fried Rice that really does taste like what you get at restaurants..

So here are my 10 8 commandments for making a great (proper!) Fried Rice. (I really wanted to say 10, but I can only think of 8 key ones.)

  1. No chicken broth / stock. This adds moisture to the rice which goes against the very core of what the texture of fried rice should be. Unless you’re trying to make Stewed Rice, not Fried Rice … 🤔

  2. Day old rice is best. Fried rice is not meant to be sticky and the only way to achieve that is with cooked rice that’s been refrigerated overnight. If you don’t have day old rice, you can cook rice, spread it on a tray then refrigerate to speed up the process (about 1 1/2 hours). Or keep bags of cooked rice in the freezer – that’s what I do!

  3. Chinese cooking wine is key. It’s the secret ingredient that makes this into a fried rice that really does taste like what you get in restaurants.

  4. High heat. Get that wok or skillet stinking hot and cook it hard and fast!

  5. Get everything prepared. Once you start cooking, it comes together fast. So have everything lined up and ready to throw into the wok!

  6. Keep it moving! Stir fry, stir fry, stir fry! Don’t let your ingredients sit still for a second!

  7. Don’t overcrowd. Even in a large home wok, 4 cups of rice is the max. Unless, as with #1, you are trying to make Stewed Rice.

  8. Char flavour is authentic. Next time you get takeout, notice how the fried rice has a distinct mild char flavour. That’s the real deal! So don’t stress if you get burnt bits!

Chinese Fried Rice - A recipe for those who want Chinese Fried Rice that really does taste like what you get at restaurants..

This recipe that I’m sharing with you today is how I make it as a usual midweek meal, hence why it has bacon in it rather than Chinese sausage. I swap out the prawns for whatever other proteins I have on hand, or leave it out. I’ve also been known to increase the veggies in this – and for a super speedy version, to even use frozen diced veggies. If you substantially increase the veggies, reduce the quantity of rice, otherwise there won’t be enough sauce.

Really, other than the rice, the cooking technique and the sauce, feel free to substitute the other ingredients for whatever you want. That’s the beauty of fried rice – it’s so flexible! – Nagi x

Chinese Fried Rice - A recipe for those who want Chinese Fried Rice that really does taste like what you get at restaurants..

Chinese Fried Rice - A recipe for those who want Chinese Fried Rice that really does taste like what you get at restaurants..

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Chinese Fried Rice - A recipe for those who want Chinese Fried Rice that really does taste like what you get at restaurants..

Chinese Fried Rice with Shrimp / Prawns

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Dinner, Side
Asian, Chinese
4.98 from 41 votes
Servings3 - 5
Tap or hover to scale
Print
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This is a simple, traditional Chinese Fried Rice recipe by Kylie Kwong, Australia's most well known Chinese Chef. The key to an authentic tasting fried rice like you get at proper Chinese restaurants is the Sauce, using day old or cold fresh cooked rice and ensuring you don't overcrowd the wok, causing the rice to stew instead of stir fry! Feel free to add more vegetables (not too much otherwise the sauce will thin out) or substitute the prawns with other proteins.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable), separated
  • 2 eggs , lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup bacon , excess fat trimmed, chopped (or 1/2 cup Chinese Sausage) (Note 1)
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 3 tsp ginger , minced or very finely chopped
  • 1/2 onion , finely chopped (about 3/4 cup) (brown, white or yellow)
  • 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry (or sake, Japanese cooking wine) (Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 5 oz/150g small shrimp/prawns , cooked and peeled (Note 3)
  • 3 cups cooked long grain white rice , refrigerated overnight (Note 4)
  • 3 scallions , thinly sliced

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose or light) (Note 3)
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil (roasted - i.e. dark colour)

Instructions

  • Mix together Sauce ingredients, set aside.
  • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok (or heavy based skillet/fry pan) over medium heat. Add eggs and cook until scrambled, then remove onto plate.
  • Increase heat to high and add bacon. Cook until golden, then remove onto plate with egg - about 2 minutes.
  • Drain off excess bacon fat.
  • Add remaining 2 tbsp oil, garlic and ginger. (Note 5) Return wok to stove on high heat. Stir fry as it comes up to heat, don’t let it burn. When garlic starts to sizzle, add onion and stir fry for 2 minutes until golden.
  • Add Chinese wine and sugar and let it simmer rapidly, stirring, for 20 seconds, until mostly evaporated.
  • Add prawns/shrimp and stir fry for 1 minute to heat through (if pre-cooked, cook longer to cook if raw).
  • Add rice, Sauce, eggs, bacon and all but 2 tbsp of shallots/scallions. Stir fry for 2 minutes until rice is hot - around 2 minutes.
  • Transfer to serving plate, sprinkle with remaining scallions and serve.

Recipe Notes:

1. The original recipe uses Chinese Sausage, but Kylie recommends bacon as a substitute and that's what I usually use, though Chinese Sausage is available in vacuum sealed packets in Asian section of large supermarkets. The flavour it adds to the fried rice is very similar.
2. The Chinese cooking wine is key to this recipe. You can substitute with dry sherry for Japanese cooking sake. If you can't consume alcohol, as a last resort, substitute with chicken broth/chicken stock.
3. Ordinarily whenever I cook shrimp/prawns, I use fresh raw ones I peel myself. This is one of the rare occasions when I buy already cooked and peeled prawns - because the best ones to use are small prawns and they are a PAIN to peel myself! Cooked prawns, at least in Australia, from good fish mongers are really great quality because they are often cooked on the fishing boat the minute they are caught. Now THAT's fresh cooking!
4. Please ensure you use day old or at least refrigerator cold freshly cooked rice - this is key! If making this with freshly cooked rice, spread it out on a baking tray then refrigerate until cold.
Long grain rice is the authentic rice to use for fried rice. Medium grain will be ok but will be a bit stickier. Short grain rice, risotto, basmati or jasmine rice are not suitable. Brown rice will be ok but will have a nutty flavour from the rice.
3 cups may not sound like a lot of rice but once you stir fry it, it fluffs up and makes lots more than you expect!
5. You can use light soy sauce or all purpose soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is not suitable for this recipe.
6. This Chinese Fried Rice recipe is based on this recipe by Kylie Kwong, Australia's most well known Chinese Chef. Here are the amendments I made:
i) Scaled the recipe down - her idea of a "large wok" is much larger than mine (about 30cm/1 foot diameter);
ii) Her original recipe uses Chinese Sausage and she recommends bacon as a substitute and that's what I usually use, though Chinese Sausage is available in vacuum sealed packets in Asian section of large supermarkets.
ii) I added prawns.
7. This makes enough for 3 as a main or 5 as a side as part of a multi-course meal.
8. Nutrition per serving, assuming 3 servings as a main. Assuming 5 servings as a side: 313 calories.
Chinese Fried Rice Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 165gCalories: 522cal (26%)Carbohydrates: 42.5g (14%)Protein: 19.2g (38%)Fat: 30.1g (46%)Saturated Fat: 7.5g (47%)Cholesterol: 142mg (47%)Sodium: 1227mg (53%)Potassium: 356mg (10%)Fiber: 1.5g (6%)Sugar: 2.2g (2%)Vitamin A: 300IU (6%)Vitamin C: 6.6mg (8%)Calcium: 50mg (5%)Iron: 3.4mg (19%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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143 Comments

  1. Ruth Weiss says

    November 14, 2022 at 10:02 am

    Love, love, love this recipe. We added peas and it was visually excellent and tasted very good

    Reply
  2. Priya says

    September 15, 2022 at 2:19 pm

    Brilliant! Just Brilliant. Can’t wait for your cook book, ordered 3 copies for gifts and myself.

    Reply
  3. Linda Torson says

    May 29, 2022 at 3:21 am

    5 stars
    Made this today for lunch. I’ve always been leery of making fried rice but this was amazing! Cooked the rice yesterday and refrigerated until today. Doubled the sauce because, why not? Added some peas to it and oh my, it was so flavorful. Definitely going into my rotation and I have leftovers for tomorrow. Thanks Nagi for another great recipe. #mygotorecipesite.

    Reply
  4. Christine Richens says

    May 23, 2022 at 3:20 pm

    I am definitely going to make this. I have always made the one in AWW, since the book was released years ago, which we all love. Yours looks amazing and will be the first making other AWW version. Chris

    Reply
  5. Roger says

    August 20, 2021 at 1:55 pm

    5 stars
    Hey Nagi
    Another great recipe from you!
    I upped the amount to 9 servings, added a cup of corn kernels and a cup of green baby peas, to bulk it up a bit and colour. Also added a Corolina Reaper to give it a little kick (I like it when my food bites back)! 😀

    Reply
  6. Vicki Oorthuis says

    June 20, 2021 at 4:48 pm

    amazing recipe so easy on the tummy was so good thank you Kylie Kwong <3

    Reply
  7. Jodi says

    May 29, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for the kids for the second time last night. Subbed the scallion/spring onion for a handful of frozen green peas to tick the veg box. The kids can’t get enough of it. Thanks again Nagi!

    Reply
  8. Stephen says

    May 25, 2021 at 8:06 pm

    Delicious and easy. I included some sliced mushrooms which added a little more texture.

    Reply
  9. Jackie Laws says

    May 12, 2021 at 7:16 pm

    5 stars
    Soooo delicious and easy, thanks Nagi 😘

    Reply
  10. Jonni Sharland says

    April 20, 2021 at 9:14 am

    5 stars
    This has become a regular favourite in my family. We usually add a few vegetables according to what is on hand and it is always delicious.

    Reply
  11. mike tyndall says

    April 10, 2021 at 11:59 pm

    5 stars
    used this recipe for years, comes out good every time. Love your recipes!!

    Reply
  12. LalaBella says

    March 27, 2021 at 6:32 am

    5 stars
    This was great. I did not use bacon or onions and used one less spoonful of soy sauce… I also used basmati rice that I cooked earlier in the day and it turned out really delicious.

    Reply
  13. Maddi says

    January 8, 2021 at 3:44 pm

    Hey Nagi. I want to make this but want to confirm how to correctly quick long grain rice in a rice cooker – 1 cup to 1 cup ratio or different? I have tried before and failed ha!
    Thanks again for the epic meals! x

    Reply
    • DTR says

      March 20, 2021 at 1:15 am

      1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water is the usual ratio for the rice cooker.

      Reply
  14. Jan R says

    January 6, 2021 at 10:05 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely lovely dish, thank you Nagi, very easy to make with beautiful flavours

    Reply
  15. Mark J Skiba says

    September 8, 2020 at 12:36 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect, the bacon give it the magic touch.
    Only problem is there is a typo in the recipe, left out peas and carrot.
    Thanks for the recipe

    Reply
  16. Sue Scrimshaw says

    August 26, 2020 at 6:49 pm

    Hi Nagi, today I am going to make your Chinese Fried Rice with Prawns. I always read your instructions before I cook the recipe. I notice that in the recipe note 4 you said Basmati and Jasmine rice are not suitable. I always thought they were both long grain rice. Am I wrong? Can’t wait to try this recipe. Sue

    Reply
    • DTR says

      March 20, 2021 at 1:22 am

      I’ve used both types of rice with success. Basmati is less starchy and less sticky than Jasmine.

      Reply
  17. Rachel says

    June 16, 2020 at 1:35 pm

    5 stars
    When do you add the sauce?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 16, 2020 at 5:11 pm

      Hi Rachel – step 8. I hope you love it! N x

      Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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