An authentic recipe for Thai fried rice – just like you get in Thailand and at Thai restaurants!
Make this with shrimp/prawns, chicken or any protein you wish. If you’re feeling inspired, indulge in a Thai banquet at home with Chicken Satay Skewers, Thai Fish Cakes, and a Thai Red Curry or Green Curry!
Thai Fried Rice
I’m pretty sure every Asian country has their version of Fried Rice, and this is how the Thais make it!
This is a regular when I go out for Thai. While the “normal” thing to do is to have Thai Red Curry or Green Curry with plain steamed jasmine rice, I just can’t resist ordering fried rice instead.
Actually, come to think of it, it’s not just restricted to Thai food… Chinese Fried Rice, Nasi Goreng Indonesian Fried Rice, Indian Biryani, Mexican Red Rice, Middle Eastern spiced pilaf…… I’m a big fan of flavoured rice dishes!
What’s the difference between Thai Fried Rice and Chinese Fried Rice?
Traditionally, Thai Fried Rice is not made with soy sauce. Purists will tell you that if you use soy sauce, it becomes Chinese Fried Rice.
Though this may be the case in the past, the reality is that soy sauce is sometimes used in Thai Fried Rice – both in Thailand and in restaurants outside of Thailand. Also, a few cookbooks I have by by Thai restaurateurs use soy sauce.
So I’ve provided a choice of three sauces to choose from. Which is handy – you can choose depending on what you have or can source.
The other difference is the rice – Thai Fried Rice is made with jasmine rice whereas Chinese fried rice is made with white long grain rice.
What you need
Here’s what goes in Thai Fried Rice.
Why cold cooked rice?
A must for any fried rice, from Chinese to Indonesian! Cold, day old cooked rice dries out so the grains are separate and easy to “stir fry” to make fried rice. Freshly cooked rice becomes gluey when stir fried.
For a truly authentic Thai Fried Rice, use Jasmine Rice.
How to make it
It’s a very straightforward recipe, all cooked up in a single wok or large skillet in a matter of 5 minutes or less.
A unique technique used in Thai cooking is the way the egg is cooked – the other ingredients are pushed to the side, then the egg is scrambled on the other side before tossing through the remaining ingredients.
This same technique is also used in Pad See Ew, a popular Thai Noodle dish.
How and what to serve with Thai Fried Rice
For a truly authentic experience, serve Thai Fried Rice simply with plain wedges of tomato and slices of cucumber. This is just how Thai Fried Rice is served in Thailand!
My favourite way to serve it at home is with Chicken Satay and Thai Fish Cakes. These are dishes usually served as starters at Thai restaurants, but by adding Thai Fried Rice, I make it into a meal.
Otherwise, serve it as part of a multi-dish banquet with a selection of your favourite Thai dishes, such as:
-
Grilled Marinated Thai Chicken (Gai Yang) or Southern Thai Tumeric Chicken (Grilled or Baked)
-
Pad Thai and Pad See Ew
For more ideas, have a browse of the Thai recipe collection!
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Thai Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola or peanut oil)
- 2 large garlic cloves , very finely chopped
- 1/2 onion , diced
- 5 oz / 150 g small prawns/shrimp (cooked or raw) , or chicken breast thinly sliced (Note 1)
- 3 green onion (shallots) , cut into 1.5 "/4 cm pieces
- 2 eggs , lightly beaten
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice , cold (preferably refrigerated overnight) (Note 2)
- ONE Sauce Option (see below for options)
Sauce Option 1
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
Sauce Option 2
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar (any type)
Sauce Option 3
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Thai Seasoning (Gold Mountain) (Note 4)
To Serve (optional)
- Tomato wedges
- Cucumber slices
- Fresh coriander
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large wok or a large skillet over medium high heat. (Add 1 tbsp extra oil if using a skillet)
- Add garlic and onion, stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add prawns/shrimp and white part of green onion, stir fry for 1 minute.
- Push everything to the side and pour the egg onto the other side. Scramble it quickly - about 20 seconds.
- Add the rice and Sauce of choice. Stir fry for 2 minutes, adding green part of green onions halfway through, until all the rice is coated with the Sauce.
- Serve immediately, garnished with fresh cilantro/coriander with tomato and cucumbers on the side. (See in post for more serving ideas)
Recipe Notes:
- Soy Sauce + Oyster Sauce is more akin to Thai home cooking
- Fish sauce + Oyster Sauce is the version that purists say is "real" Thai fried rice without soy sauce
- Sauce with Thai Seasoning Sauce is commonly used by Thai restaurants in Australia.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published September 2015. Updated with much needed new photos, brand new video, new writing, new process photos!
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My family and I loved this recipe, I’ve made it twice and used two of your variations for the sauce. The lime juice added acidity and this recipe is a new family favorite.
Hi! Excited to make this, would love to try and replicate a Thai Basil Fried rice. Could I use this same recipe and just add the basil?
This is a great recipe Nagi, easy and tasty and a change from the usual Chinese style fried rice I make. Tried the soy/oyster sauce tonight but next time will go back to the fish sauce/oyster/sugar. Thank you.
I want to cook this receipe after cooking Pad See Ew which everyone loved. But I can never get the rice right when cooking fried rice. Can anyone give me any tips on the rice?
Hi Susie – see this post here: https://www.recipetineats.com/how-to-cook-rice/ N x
fantastic, i used pork fillet, super yum, cooked the egg as an omelette first just like i learnt in thailand. then removed from the wok adding again at the end. Really easy saturday lunch….family happy!
I followed the recipe exactly. It was very Good! My wife, which is a picky eater, even had seconds. This is a keeper!
I admit to riffing on this a bit but it was great! Repurposed leftovers from Xmas/New Yrs. Pork sausage, pineapple, chix thighs. Threw in a bag of frozen veggies. Used fish sauce, leftover white & brown rice and 2 jumbo eggs. Great method, by far the best fried rice I’ve ever made
Hi Nagi,
Thanks so much for this recipe.. We made it with brown rice and whatever veggies we could find in the fridge during Brisbane lock-down and it was another Nagi Hit!! Not much left in the wok, thats for sure! You are the best, our kids are slowly moving out of home and taking you with them! Thanks again, we love you!!
Hi Nagi,
Thanks for posting this. I actually tried your recipe with Basmati Rice and it came out great, very authentic. I was in Thailand in 2008, and I have fond memories of everything that I ate. I had some difficulty locating fish sauce, in my country, but the oyster/soy combination worked very well.
Thanks for posting this.
Hi Nagi, I love your receipes thank you. I am allergic to soy, so always substitute oyster. However I really miss that flavour of soy sauce in my asian recipes. Can you recommend any other ingredients that might help me get a better flavour to replace the soy?
Look for Tamari as a soy sauce substitute.
Quick question! If we’re making chicken fried rice, do we cut and cook the chicken first?
Can I substitute oyster sauce for something else?
Hi Jane, you could use option 3 for the sauce which doesn’t contain oyster sauce, or there is a mushroom based “oyster” sauce which is a great sub 🙂 N x
I’ve made this recipe THREE TIMES and my family will not let me take a picture. We used to go to a Thai Restaurant that made this rice with chicken, beef and shrimp, called House Special Thai Rice. Unfortunately the restaurant changed hands and the rice suffered. This recipe is SPOT ON for appearance and taste. Thank you so much, Nagi. You’ve saved the Thai Rice for us. We love it!
I only found this a few weeks ago but it’s Quickly become my favorite base for fried rice! I tend to add a little extra sauce (#1) and some Sriracha with a drizzle of lime. I’ve made this with and without protein (I love tofu), different types of white rice and now quinoa, and every time it’s delicious. Thank you thank you!!
i was sick of buying fried rice to keep my 14 year old boys tummys full and satisfied. I love Nagis recipies so did a search and it is even better!! kids have requested it for lunch every day. Amazing!
Delicious thank you Nagi
You’re so welcome Robyn!
me and my roomates LOVE this recipe! we used sauce option one, and added sausage for the meat. also, we added 6 eggs but you could go even higher than that
it was amazing!
I’m so glad you love it Aneesa!
I used the oyster and fish sauce option. Then added small bits of pork chop, some pineapple, cashews, raisins and basil and made the most fantastic pineapple fried rice! It turned out better than my favorite Thai Restuarant ! It’s a keeper! Thanks for sharing!
Woot, that sounds perfect Barb!!
I feel like every time I make something from your website, I HAVE to come and rate it or else I feel so incomplete! It’s like the cherry on top to a fantastic meal. This fried rice was delicious, surprisingly easy and fast to make and tasted like the local Thai restaurants. I opted with Sauce Option 2, because fish sauce is everything in Asian food! 😉 Delicious!!
Thank you so much Esther, I really appreciate it!! – N x
Hi,
Love your Thai recipes, and especially the explanations and the video how to’s. I lived in Thailand years ago and remember a fried rice version with a fried egg on top. Would you then leave out the scrambled eggs? Thanks!!
Hi Hilary, you could leave them out if you prefer, I would personally still add it!- N x