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Fried Rice

By:Nagi
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Get the sauce right and you can make a fried rice that really stacks up to your favourite Chinese restaurant in 10 minutes! This fried rice recipe is super quick, made with egg, veggies and a handful of bacon. But it’s totally customisable – make it your own! 

Don’t have day old rice? No worries. Make this reader-favourite Emergency Baked Fried Rice instead!

Close up of Egg Fried Rice in a wok with a wooden spoon, fresh off the stove

Fried Rice

This is a quick, 15 minute fried rice recipe that’s highly versatile. Terrific as it is, but totally adaptable to add what you want.

I’ve used egg and a basic mix of frozen chopped vegetables – because I totally buy into the whole “snap frozen” thing and this is intended to be super quick ‘n easy. Just carrots, peas and corn (still frozen, don’t even need to thaw).

But don’t let my laziness influence you! Feel free to use fresh veggies – whatever you want. Try adding proteins like chicken, shrimp/prawns, tofu.

Because here’s the thing about fried rice: when you get the sauce right, you can put anything into it – and indeed, the Chinese do!

This Fried Rice recipe is a classic side for all your favourite Chinese dishes!

Overhead photo of 2 dark brown bowls with Egg Fried Rice, ready to be eaten

How to make Fried Rice

  • Sauté flavour base – Start by sautéing onion, garlic and bacon

  • Add diced vegetables – I’ve used frozen corn, carrots and peas for convenience here, but any diced vegetables will be great

  • Add cooked cold rice and sauce and give it a toss

  • Move everything to the side and scramble egg in the wok or pan. It sounds cheeky, but actually, this is a technique common in Thai Stir Fries, like in the ever popular Pad See Ew. It works great!

  • Add green onion and toss it all together, then serve immediately!

This Egg Fried Rice is tossed with fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, colourful vegetables and a savoury Chinese restaurant fried rice sauce.

Fried Rice Sauce

Here’s what goes in Fried Rice Sauce:

  • Chinese cooking wine or Mirin (secret ingredient!) – this is the secret to a really great fried rice that truly stacks up to your favourite Chinese restaurant. If you omit these, it will not taste like real Chinese takeout, however, see recipe for the best non-alcoholic subs.

  • Oyster sauce – it’s like using 10 different sauces, all conveniently packed into one bottle 🙂

  • Soy sauce – dark, light or all-purpose fine there

  • Sesame oil and pepper (not critical)

How to make Egg Fried Rice

Best type of rice for fried rice

Chinese fried rice is made with white long grain rice. But it can be made with any type of cooked, chilled rice – long grain, short grain, jasmine, basmati, even brown rice.

Every Asian country has their version of fried rice, and use different rices. For example, Jasmine rice is used to make Thai Fried Rice. The Japanese use short grain white rice for Japanese Fried Rice. And Basmati Rice is used in Indian rice dishes, such as Biryani.

All are tasty!

Why does the rice have to be cold or day old?

The rice needs to be cold, day old rice because the rice dries out in the fridge so the Fried Rice will have the right texture. Freshly cooked rice is too wet so it makes the rice clump together. But it’s still tasty – so don’t not make fried rice just because you don’t have time to chill the rice!

Do I have to use a wok?

Nope. A skillet will work just fine – just make sure it’s a big one so you can toss the rice around without it flying everywhere (the shape of woks is designed especially for wild tossing!).

Egg Fried Rice in a silver wok.
Close up of Egg Fried Rice in a dark brown bowl, ready to be eaten

Fried Rice is so good, I’d happily scoff down an entire bowl of it as a meal. But let’s face it, it’s not the most well rounded meal.

So serve it as a side for any Chinese or Asian main dish, or make a larger banquet. Here are some ideas:

What to serve with Fried Rice

Main Dishes to go with fried rice

Make a meal out of starters

Make a meal out of dishes ordinarily served as starters by adding a side of Fried Rice. Things such Hot and Sour Soup, Chinese Corn Soup, Spring Rolls, Chinese Lettuce Wraps (San Choy Bau) or Egg Foo Young.

Banquet!

Indulge in a homemade Yum Cha (Dim Sum) style banquet with dishes such as Potstickers, Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork), Chinese Steamed Pork Buns, or Crispy Chinese Pork Belly with a side of Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce.

– Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Close up of Egg Fried Rice in a wok with a wooden spoon, fresh off the stove

Fried Rice

Author: Nagi
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 15 mins
Side
Asian, Chinese
5 from 137 votes
Servings2 – 3 people
Tap or hover to scale
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Recipe video above. Fried rice is a side that goes with all Chinese and Asian foods! This one truly stacks up to your favourite Chinese restaurant. See notes for scaling recipe up and using skillet instead of wok, and for GF option.
Don't have day old rice? No worries. Make this reader-favourite Emergency Baked Fried Rice instead!

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1/2 onion , finely chopped
  • 120 g/4 oz bacon , chopped (optional, or use ham)
  • 1 – 1 1/2 cups diced vegetables , frozen or fresh (Note 1)
  • 2 cups (packed) cooked day old white rice (refrigerated or frozen defrosted (Note 2)
  • 3 eggs, whisked
  • 3/4 cup green onions , (shallots / scallions) sliced

Sauce:

  • 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or Mirin (or sake, dry sherry) (Note 4)
  • 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (or light or all purpose) (Note 5)
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil , optional
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper

Instructions

  • Heat about 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a wok or 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over high heat until smoking.
  • Add onion, garlic and bacon. Cook until bacon is light golden – about 1 1/2 minutes.
  • Add vegetables (still frozen is fine). Cook for 2 minutes so they defrost and water evaporates.
  • Add rice and Sauce ingredients. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes until liquid evaporates.
  • Shove rice to the side of the wok / skillet. Add 1/2 tbsp oil into the cleared space, shift wok so the heat is centred over the cleared space. Pour in egg then scramble – cook it through properly, don’t “soft scramble”.
  • Add shallots then stir the egg into the rice. Remove from heat and serve immediately!

Recipe Notes:

1. Vegetables – I used peas, corn, carrots frozen (no need to thaw). Use 2 cups of any vegetables you want. Dice firm vegetables like carrots. For leafy things like Asian greens, chop the stems into small bite size pieces, and chop the leaves into 2.5cm/1″ pieces (they will wilt).
2. Cold, day old rice – You need day old rice that’s been refrigerated or frozen (then thawed) because the rice grains dry out, making them ideal for fried rice. Sticky freshly cooked rice is no good for fried rice – it makes fried rice gluey. Long grain white rice is best for Chinese fried rice. But any cooked, cold rice will be fine – white or brown.
Don’t have day old rice? Make this reader-favourite Emergency Baked Fried Rice instead!
3. Here is how I cook white rice: Place 1 cup rice in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water over medium high heat. Put lid on, then when the water starts to simmer, immediately turn down to low or medium low so the water simmers gently. Leave for 12 minutes or until water is absorbed into rice (tilt saucepan to check). Do not stir or remove lid during cook time. Remove from stove but leave lid on, leave for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork. Refrigerate or freeze (for use in fried rice). If it’s an emergency, cook the rice per above, spread on a tray and refrigerate until cold, then proceed with recipe.
4. Chinese cooking wine or Mirin (or cooking sake or dry sherry) is an essential ingredient for making a truly “restaurant standard” fried rice. Though many recipes suggest using liquid chicken broth, please do not do this – it makes your fried rice wet and gluey!
If you can’t consume alcohol, adjust recipe as follows: Reduce oyster and soy sauce to 2 tsp each, and add 1 tbsp water to the Sauce. Proceed with recipe. When you add the rice, add 1/2 tsp chicken or vegetable stock powder (or bouillon cube crumbled). Stir through, then add remaining Sauce ingredients exc the Cooking wine. Proceed with recipe, add tiny sprinkle of salt at end if you want it saltier.
5. Soy sauce – Any soy sauce is fine here (but not sweet or flavoured). I like dark soy because it adds colour. 
6. SKILLET: If using a skillet, add about 1/2 tbsp extra oil at the start to compensate for larger cooking surface. Also, if you use a large skillet, you can scale up the recipe by 50% – click on the Servings number and slide the scaler until the rice becomes 3 cups, it will change all the ingredients. Once you add the rice, use 2 wooden spoons to toss it – makes up for not having the high walls of a wok.
7. GLUTEN FREE: Make sure you use gluten free soy sauce and Oyster Sauce if you want to make this gluten free. 
7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 3 servings. I find that this is sufficient for a meal – and no one has ever accused me of eating like a bird!

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 315gCalories: 522cal (26%)
Keywords: Fried Rice
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Originally published March 2018, updated with extra information March 2019 – no change to recipe.

Some more quick 15 minute Asian foods

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All that for a bloody dog, and yet he was so unhappy shoved in the boot, he’d stand with his chin on the back seat so that drool dripped down the leather seats (sorry to gross you out).

I caved and folded down the back seat to give him more space. I find it so ironic that I upsized to a larger car just for him, and yet I drive around with the back seat permanently folded down. 🙄

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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!

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420 Comments

  1. Elizabeth says

    5 stars
    I love this sauce. I have used it countless times when a recipe looks ’empty”, think: RTE!

    It really is good!

    Thank you.

    Reply
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