This flavorful and nutritious Fried Rice Recipe can be ready in 20 minutes or less! It’s easy to prepare, packed with veggies, loaded with perfectly cooked eggs, and coated with a delicious sauce.
The Best Fried Rice Recipe
My husband affectionately calls this the world’s best Fried Rice recipe. With all three of our children, including the little one, eagerly devouring it every time, it’s become a frequent dish in our home. It’s our go-to meal on hectic days or when we’re looking to use up leftovers from the fridge. Fried Rice can be tailored in numerous ways, and today, I’ll offer a myriad of variations to help you create your perfect version.
Quick Tip
For Fried Rice, medium to long grain or Jasmine rice is preferred to avoid mushiness. Basmati is recommended for its fluffiness. Rinse rice until clear, soak for 5-10 minutes, boil for 5 minutes, then drain and fluff. This method is quick and effective.
Ingredients In This Fried Rice Recipe
- Butter & Olive Oil: Used to fry the eggs and sauté the veggies, adding a rich and smooth texture.
- Eggs: Adds protein and a creamy texture.
- Yellow Onion, Garlic & Ginger: Forms the delicious, aromatic base flavor.
- Frozen Carrots, Peas & Corn: Provide color, texture, and nutrients.
- Day-Old Rice: Acts as the primary carbohydrate; its dryness ensures non-mushy fried rice. Read more about why day-old rice is best here.
- Green Onions: Adds freshness and color to this fried rice recipe.
- Sauce (Oyster Sauce, Chicken Bouillon, Soy Sauce, White Pepper, Rice Vinegar, Sesame Oil): Creates a rich, savory, slightly acidic, and delicious flavor profile.
Variations
- For more heat: Add some red pepper flakes to taste, or drizzle on some Sriracha at the end.
- Add some crunch: Top with some cashews.
- Add meat: Stir in some cooked and diced meat, like leftover leftover ham or leftover pork. You can also fry up some chopped bacon alongside the veggies. You may also want to try using some cooked seafood.
- Chicken fried rice: Dice some leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken and toss it in at the end to warm through. You can also sauté some chicken in a separate skillet while making the fried rice.
- Beef fried rice: Add thinly sliced cooked steak or browned and crumbled ground beef to the fried rice.
- Shrimp fried rice: Sauté about half a pound of peeled and deveined raw shrimp in a separate pan. Add to the finished rice.
- Change up the veggies: Any stir-fry-friendly veggie will go well in this recipe. I recommend using smallish-sized frozen veggies. Simply cook the veggies until they’re no longer frozen and the water from them has evaporated.
- Some other ideas: Broccoli florets, edamame, sugar peas, snap peas, celery, cabbage, etc. are great choices in this fried rice recipe.
- Vegetarian fried rice: To make this recipe vegetarian friendly, use a vegetarian oyster sauce and leave out the chicken bouillon powder.
How To Make Fried Rice
- Start by scrambling the eggs (see photo collage above this one). Once they’re scrambled, transfer them to a plate and keep warm.
- Add oil and the onion to the skillet or wok and sauté with garlic and ginger until tender and fragrant.
- Next come in the veggies: We use frozen (straight from the freezer — no need to thaw).
- Cook and stir the veggies until hot and the moisture has evaporated.
- Add in the cooked leftover rice and stir fry it with the…
- Sauce! This sauce has just a few quick ingredients whisked together and is poured on top of the rice. Mix to coat.
- Add the eggs back in and fresh green onions and the fried rice recipe is ready!
Quick Tip
Can You Make Fried Rice With Fresh Rice? Yes, while leftover is preferred, if using fresh rice, spread it on a sheet pan, let it cool for a few minutes, then chill in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
More Easy Dinner Recipes:
- Chicken Ramen better than take-out
- Easy 30-minute Chicken Chow Mein
- Curry Chicken Salad minimal ingredients
- Rotisserie Chicken Tacos with simple taco-seasoned meat
- Chicken Stir Fry addictive savory sauce
Fried Rice
This flavorful and nutritious Fried Rice Recipe can be ready in 20 minutes or less! It's easy to prepare, packed with veggies, loaded with perfectly cooked eggs, and coated with a delightful yet straightforward sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (~2 cloves)
- 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (~1/2 inch piece)
- 1 cup frozen diced carrots and peas
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 2 cups cooked day-old rice, from the fridge (Note 1)
- 3/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (or toasted sesame oil)
Instructions
- SAUCE: Start by whisking together all of the sauce ingredients EXCEPT the sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside until needed. You might also want to prep all the veggies here now too because the cooking goes FAST (dice onion, mince garlic, mince ginger).
- EGGS: Add butter to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. While the butter is melting, add all three eggs to a small bowl and whisk together. As soon as the butter is melted, pour all the whisked egg mixture into the skillet. Swirl the skillet to get the eggs in one layer covering the bottom of the pan. Let stand for 30 seconds. Use a silicone spatula to press one side of the eggs to the other side. Tilt the skillet to get any uncooked eggs to fill that section of the pan. Continue to press the eggs gently to the other side of the pan and tilting the pan to move any uncooked eggs to touch the hot skillet. Barely break up the eggs with the spatula and then transfer them to a plate and tent with foil.
- FRIED RICE: Add the oil to the skillet and increase the heat to high. Add diced onion and stir for about 3-4 minutes or until beginning to turn translucent. Add garlic and ginger and stir for about 20 seconds. Add in the frozen peas, carrots, and corn (no need to thaw). Stir around and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until veggies are defrosted and the excess water has evaporated completely. Add in the cooked and cold rice and then the prepared sauce. Cook for 1 and 1/2 - 2 minutes or until the sauce coats all the ingredients.
- SERVE: Add in the cooked and reserved egg and the green onions. Stir together, taste and season with salt if needed (I usually add a big pinch) and remove from heat. Drizzle the top with sesame oil and enjoy hot!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Rice: If you don't have leftover rice, that's fine! Here's what to do: spread freshly cooked rice out on a sheet pan (lined for quick cleanup) while it's still hot and let it stand for a few minutes. Stick the pan in the fridge (or better, the freezer), until chilled through to use in this recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 4servings | Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 403mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3802IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wonderful, easy and delicious. My family loves this recipe.
I add leftover pork tenderloin the two time I’ve made this (twice in one month).
Yay! I’m so happy you guys are loving this Fried Rice! Thanks so much for your comment and tip on the pork tenderloin! 🙂
Delicious and so easy to make! Thank you
I’m so happy you enjoyed this Fried Rice! Thanks so much for your comment Carol! 🙂
This was the best fried rice I’ve ever made!
I had to change a few things, like I had already made brown rice, I had shallots and a bag of mixed veg, but the proportions I kept the same.
The compliments made me blush since I just followed this recipe! Can’t wait to make it again!
I am so happy to hear this! Way to work with what you had and still make it amazing! Thanks so much for your comment Rae! 🙂
In Peru this is called Chaufa. It’s a national dish brought there by the Chinese long ago.
That’s awesome!! Thanks for the fun fact! 🙂
I can’t wait to make this!!
Hope you love it 🙂
Hi Chelsea
I love the sound of this but I can’t use oyster sauce for religious reasons. Any ideas on a substitute?
Hey Riva, you could use extra soy sauce or hoisin sauce; not a perfect substitute but should add a little more flavor! You may also want to slightly increase the salt.
I love having this as a side to a meat main dish or even on it’s own! So good!
Thanks Katie! 🙂
You had me at 20 minutes! We love cooking up quick meals! The family devoured this!
Oh yum. Delicious classic fried rice. This is just perfect and turns out right every time!
Glad to hear it!
I LOVE fried rice. This recipe is simple and looks amazing! 🙂
Thanks Matt