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!
Try adding chicken or shrimp/prawns, and any vegetables you want. Serve this as a side with all your favourite Chinese and Asian foods, from Kung Pao Chicken to Beef and Broccoli, Cashew Chicken to Potstickers!
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!
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)
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!).
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
On the side of Main Dishes
Stir Fry favourites such as General Tso’s Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, Kung Pao Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, Cashew Chicken and Chop Suey Chicken Stir Fry.
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
Some more quick 15 minute Asian foods
- Quick Asian Beef RAMEN Noodles – 15 minutes, made in one pot
- Asian Beef Bowls – reader fave!
- Chinese Chicken and Corn Soup with Egg Ribbons – so simple, this will blow your mind…
- Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans – flavour packed!
- Egg Fried Rice – this recipe
- See 15 Minute Recipes
Egg Fried Rice
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Fried Rice
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:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published March 2018, updated with extra information March 2019 – no change to recipe.
LIFE OF DOZER
I upsized my little 2 seater convertible to a smallish 4WD because he grew out of it and hated the wind in his eyes when we were zooming around with the top down.
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. 🙄
OMG I’ve been making fried rice so wrong for so long. I’m kinda embarrassed.
I made this last night with sticky chicken wings and gosh doesn’t it have the WOW factor. Who ever knew the humble fried rice could taste so good.
Nagi, you’re a genius!
WOOT!!! I’m so glad you loved it Barb!! N X
All my friends know I’m a Nagi stalker and have recommended your website to gizzilions of family and friends.
Lucky for you I’m in BrisVegas otherwise I’d be stalking Harris Farm’s around the Northern Beaches.
I was really craving some fried rice tonight, and where better to find a great recipe, you guessed it…
I made your recipe and it was great, didn’t want to wait overnight for the cooked rice, so put it into the fridge for an hour or so til’ it was cold and dried out a bit, it worked great, the dish was amazing, simple, compared to other recipes I have seen, doesn’t need to be over the top to taste great.
Thank you again Nagi, and give Dozer a big hug for me
All the best for 2021 Xx
Hi Nagi i am allergic to fish so what can i ues instead of oyster sauce please
It’s a challenge finding authentic fried rice. So happy I found you! BTW, something about oyster sauce changes the entire fried rice game
This was exceptional – even though I forgot to add a chili!!!!!
Best. Rice. Ever.
I’m so glad you loved it Alimak!! N x
Hi Nagi, I recently picked up the staple items on your Asian Market Shopping List and I am excited to try the associated recipes. So far I’ve done the potstickers and this fried rice dish. Both turned out so delicious! Sincere thanks for the amazing content and recipes!!
Looking forward to checking out your recipes!!! God bless!!!
So, I purchased the Chinese cooking wine and doubled the recipe..added some chicken and my teenagers ate it all! Every recipe..every time Nagi is five star! Thank you so much!
This is my go -to for my vegetarian daughter. I sneak in some tofu and she loves it. I even caught her carnivore brother eating it off her plate.
We had this for dinner tonight, thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks
This is amazing! My family devours it.
Have made this a few times now and it is so delicious. Tastes just like the ones from the restaurants. Love how versatile it it. Thank you!
Hi Nagi, please can I ask if would add the metric measurements for this recipe.
Many thanks
Caroline
My rice is 5 hours old is that ok? Thanks
Hi there, have left over roast chook – can i just it in the end of the process?? need to use it up and thought it may work with this recipe…
Hi Nagi, is this recipe using two cups of cooked rice as opposed to cooking 2 cups of rice (which will then expand). I’m wanting to double the recipe to serve 16 people as a side…should I put 2 cups of rice on to cook? Thank you!
Hi Ali, the recipe calls for 2 cups of already cooked rice. This serves 3 as a main, so if you’re wanting to serve 16 as a side, I would suggest 6 cups of cooked rice (3 uncooked) which is triple the recipe. N x
Everyone loved this recipie so much I had to make 2 batches!
Absolutely the best fried rice recipe I have ever used. Entire family loved it. Thanks Nagi. You are my go to recipe website.
Hey Nagi. Thanks for this recipe. It was the best fried rice I’ve made even with lowFODMAPping it!!
Couldn’t work out why my rice was so much darker than yours, (Tasted fabulous) on rechecking the sauces I find I had picked up mushroom flavoured dark soy sauce. I’m guessing this is why?
Hi Jo – yes if you used a different soy I imagine that’s why. N x
My rice turned out dark too. Followed the recipe exactly.
Would prefer my rice lighter like the photo