by Alyssa Rivers
Fried Rice is a combination of long grained rice, mixture of warm peas, carrots and onions with scrambled eggs mixed all together! You will not be getting take out any longer!
Have fried rice as an entree or a side dish when serving it! If you love fried rice try these variations of fried rice: Bacon Fried Rice, Shrimp Fried Rice, Ham Fried Rice or Chicken Fried Rice.
Easy Fried Rice
I have always loved fried rice. I could probably eat an entire bowl. The great thing about this recipe is that you can add whatever you would like! I have added bacon, chicken, and ham. It is the perfect fried rice base and they say the secret ingredient to get the authentic Chinese taste is sesame oil. Whatever it may be it is fantastic!
I had my entire family over for chinese night. It was a lot of work, but I wanted them to experience my famous sweet and sour chicken. They absolutely loved it and agreed that it tasted straight from a restaurant.
I always serve this amazing fried rice with all of my Chinese dishes. It is easy and goes perfectly as a side!
Ingredients in Fried Rice
- White long grain rice- Day old and cold rice help to keep it from being mushy.
- Small white onion
- Vegetables- Peas and Carrots. You can also add in other veggies such as bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, snow peas and cabbage.
- Eggs
- Sesame Oil
- Soy Sauce
- Green Onions- Garnish with adding in sliced green onions right at the end!
How to make Fried Rice
Preheat Skillet. Turn your skillet to medium high heat and pour sesame oil into the bottom of your skillet and add the onion, peas and carrots. Fry this until they are tender.
Slide the veggies to the side. Pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Use a spatula to scramble the eggs. Mix them together with the veggies.
Add the rice. Combine it with the veggie and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce on top and stir until it is heated throughout. Garnish with green onions.
Tips for making Fried Rice:
My Chinese sister in law gave me these awesome tips and recipe that I feel make it truly authentic. This is a tried and true family recipe that tastes even better than take out. We love have family gatherings and this is always a favorite recipe to use.
Here are some tips that will make this fried rice simple and easy for you to make. The great thing about this fried rice is made all in one pan. Less clean up for you and more time to sit and enjoy your fried rice as a family.
- Cold rice or day old rice is best. This helps to prevent and keep the rice from sticking together and getting mushy. It does not have to be cold, but it is best to have day old rice instead of fresh rice.
- Scramble the egg in the same pan. To save on dishes you can just slide the veggies to one side and pour the egg in the other side. Scramble the egg with a spatula and then combine with the vegetables.
- Use Jasmine or long grain rice. Using a long grain rice will produce the best results and is most commonly used.
- Use Sesame oil. For the authentic flavor this is a MUST! Sesame oil has distinctive nutty aroma that brings the flavors together in this dish.
- Soy sauce is your best friend. Little to a lot is all up to you. Don’t be afraid to go wild or stay true to the recipe. You will enjoy the extra flavoring soy sauce has to offer mixed with veggies and rice.
- Cook the veggies and egg in the same pan. This is my favorite trick to making this recipe all in one pan. As soon as the veggies are tender just slide them over to the side, pour the eggs onto the other side and scramble. It is as easy as that!
Fried Rice is great for leftovers!
- Can you reheat Fried Rice? Yes! This is an easy fried rice recipe that is great to double to have left overs for the following day. The best way to reheat fried rice is either on the stove top or in the microwave. You don’t want to reheat fried rice more than once for best results.
- Can you freeze Fried Rice? Yes! It is best to place cooked fried rice in air tight containers or ziplock bags. When ready to reheat, the microwave is the best option.
- How long does Fried Rice last? After you cook fried rice, it is best to refrigerate in air tight containers. If it is properly stored, fried rice will usually keep between 5-7 days in the refrigerator.
Is it healthy for you?
This Quinoa Fried Rice or even this Cauliflower “Fried Rice” are both healthier ways to make fried rice. Quinoa and cauliflower fried rice are perfect for making the dish low carb. You will get that same authentic and delicious Chinese flavor. Fried rice on average is about 333 calories in 1 cup. You better have 2!
What to serve with Fried Rice
- Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli
- Sticky Asian Glazed Chicken
- Baked Kung Pao Chicken
- Firecracker Chicken
Here is a 1 minute video on how to make fried rice
Easy Fried rice
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked rice *
- 2 Tbs sesame oil
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots thawed
- 2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce more or less to taste
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 2 Tbsp chopped green onions optional
Instructions
Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Pour sesame oil in the bottom. Add white onion and peas and carrots and fry until tender.
Slide the onion, peas and carrots to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetable mix.
Add the rice to the veggie and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce on top. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined. Add chopped green onions if desired.
Recipe Notes
*Day old cold rice works best and prevents the rice from being mushy.
Post Update 8/19
hi.i want to make the baked honey sesame chicken, when you say 1 T cornstarch etc is that teaspoon or tablespoon? thank you
Tablespoon
I made the fried rice tonight for the very first time and it was amazing!!! It taste just like the rice from Panda Express. This is a simple and quick recipe. I had to go to the store to get green onion, white onion and frozen peas and carrots. I had everything else in the cabinets. I used minute rice. The one you cook in the microwave for ten minutes. I let it sit for an hour before cooking. I made teriyaki chicken with the fried rice and it was a big hit!.
You are fantastic and I truely appreciate you and all the wonderful blogs you write to help me be a better and more frugal housewife!
This is exactly how I make my fried rice. It’s a go-to recipe on nights where we need something quick. I just throw in whatever protein (or not) and veggies we have on hand and make some brown minute rice. It’s the best! We have your baked honey chicken in the oven right now. I will post our review on that recipes link. I love love love to make take out type food at home, and our standard has been the Good Morning America Cashew Chicken from Charlie Gibson (highly recommend).
Thanks for the recipes!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! So much flavor for such a simple dish!
I used cocunut oil, can peas and corn instead of carrots because i had none on hand i used onion powder and garlic powder And soy sAuce and a dash of two of teriyaki sauce it came out delicious
I’ve been looking for a good fried rice recipe on and off for a while. I get cravings for the stuff, but not being familiar with the Chinese restaurants around here, I’m never sure what kind of veges they’re using (whether it’s big chunky stuff that does not compliment the rice at all, or really sloppy rice). Anyway, I cooked this up tonight and omitted the green onion (also known as Spring onion in some places) because just getting him to eat regular onion can be hard and it turned out perfectly. I’ve now got my own vege fried rice recipe that’s a no-fail.
Tremendous! I’ll modify it in future by adding water chestnuts and or/bamboo shoots.. love all the veggies. Added 1 chicken breast last night.. seasame oil amount was perfect. I also added a touch of oyster sauce. A real winner.. looking forward to going thru this site. Thanks!
You could “probably” eat “an entire” bowl? Understatement!
This recipe is dead simple and ridiculously easy to add stuff too.. tonight it’s 1 cup of chicken and some water chestnuts.. great base recipe!
I just made this fried rice and is was fantastic! I had everything and it went together so easily. So delicious that my husband had seconds and he is not a rice eater :). For some reason I couldn’t rate the recipe but if I could I would have given it 5 stars.
I made this recipe using all the stated ingredients and serving sizes. It was so good I ate it all in one sitting. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Love your recipe! Do you have recipies of any vegetarian dishes to go with the fried rice?
I add oyster sauce for extra flavor. Great recipe!
Is nice recipes and healthy…thank you 🙂
Easy
Do you mean carrots and peas combined into one cup or one cup carrots and one cup peas
Could you provide me with a recipe for Chinese “beef, broccoli and onion” to go with your other great Chinese style dishes? Your recipe, if you have one or one that you could suggest.
Thanks, Garry
What a great recipe! I’m adding it to my “main menu”. Thanks for sharing!
what would you suggest for an easy teriyaki chicken?
Made this rice last week and was a big hit thank u so much for ur recipe
Love your recipe! My brother loves fried rice, it’s his fave so I wanted to try and make it and this was honestly the best! I was so impressed by how well it tasted! I tried your chicken added fried rice recipe too. Both Great! Easy to follow, and super delicious!
what is type of white rice? Is it Jasmine, Basamati or any other type?
Thank you.
Felt compelled to leave a comment. Thank you so much for a quick, easy & delicious recipe.
Our entire family enjoyed it!
Thank you so much ur recipe
I didn’t like this recipe, I LOVED it! I wish I could give it more than five stars. At first, I was skeptical of scrambled eggs in the dish, but when I tried it, it all came together. The only thing I changed slightly was the onion. I don’t like sliced onion, but I love how the rice tastes with onion in it. I decided to use onion powder instead for the taste and it still turned out well. The only thing I will do differently next time is make more! Thank you soooo much for this recipe.
Can you use vegetable or canola oil instead of sesame oil? And what about brown rice instead of white?
I cook the rice (long grain white rice ) in the microwave. 1 cup rice, 2 cups chicken or beef broth, and 12 minutes high. I also use a little canola oil with the sesame oil (which can be a bit too strong in flavor).
Good to know!! I will have to try this way out!
For teriyaki I use kikkoman’s teriyaki glaze and baste sauce. Brown thinly sliced meat (I use 1 pound Boneless skinless chicken thighs) until no longer pink in vegetable oil. Add entire bottle of sauce and 2-3 tablespoons water. Pour 1 pound frozen oriental vegetables on top. simmer covered on medium heat 5 minutes. You can add cornstarch or flour and water mixture to thicken, if needed. Serve with fried rice.
I should make an amendum however – this dish should be using dark sesame oil. White sesame oil has a higher smoke point, and may be used to cook with, but also has little for flavour. This fact may cause some confusion for western cooks when using sesame oil.
A good frame of refference is this – if a dish is being deep fried, and calls for sesame oil, the oil is white and may be used to do the actual cooking.
If a dish is NOT deep fried, such as this stir-fried rice, then the oil is used as a flavouring ingredient, and thusly should be dark, and drizzled ovedr the finished product.
Is it two or three cups of rice? And am I measuring it dry or am I mearsuring it after it is cooked? The original recipe says 3 cups COOKED rice. Some one commented saying 2 cups. HELP!!!Making this tomorrow! Thanks!
this is the best fried rice I have ever made.
Great recipe .
THIS IS AMAZING! I was worried that it would have too much of a soy-saucy taste. To me, it tasted a lot like panda express! Making it for the 2nd time tonight!! Yummy!
Have made this recipe a couple of times, once using rice cooked in chicken stock once used in vegetable stock. Both times I used different vegetables. Great recipe! Super easy and tasty – although I wouldn’t recommend cooking the rice in vegetable stock… Your slow-cooker cashew chicken is in the slow cooker now!
This is my first time making fried rice ever and it was fantastic! This recipe is so great and I also made the sweet and sour chicken which I am in love with. Definitely going to be making again!
Sesame oil is never used for frying due to it’s low smoke point… doh!
I have a culinary arts degree and we used every type of oil for every application of cooking, you just have to know what you’re doing (:
this is an excellent recipe, we used jasmati (A Texas Rice), I toasted the rice with some butter and toasted sesame oil (just stir the raw rice over heat in the pan you plan on cooking the rice in, until it turns light brown, then add the required water and cook as usual) and it was delicious! Also used the imitation crab chunks. This is a recipe that you can add your own twist to.
Can this fried rice recipe be frozen?
I am making this tonight and adding some chicken. Thanks for the meal idea.
While in the USNavy for 20 years I had ample opportunity to enjoy this dish as made by the local people. Each one delicious. Just about any variation of chicken works greatly. Sweat and sour pork is delicious as well. I’m sure many more out there also. But until now I have not been able to find a simple recipe. Thank you very much. I’ve now got a simple and foolproof recipe for fried rice. And I don’t plan on losing it. Lolol poor is all the people over seas had and they. Always did food wonderfully. And always willing to share. So thank you once again.
I think I may have screwed up by using low sodium soy sauce. It wasn’t quite flavorful enough. Has anyone else made this mistake before?
It was my first time making fried rice & still very good! Next time I think I’ll tweak it by using full flavor soy sauce, extra garlic & some chili sauce. Thank you for the great recipe for us beginners out here 🙂
I always use regular soy sauce. It can tend to be a little bland to my taste with low sodium.
I love
Hi any other oil I can use to substitute for the rice I can’t quite find sesame…
The sesame oil is by the soy sauce on the Asian food isle. You can substitute with a regular cooking oil although the sesame oil is what gives it the authentic flavor. 🙂
What can I use if I don’t have sesame oil???
You can replace it with regular cooking oil. Although sesame oil is what gives it the authentic flavor. 🙂
Making the fried rice and firecracker chicken for dinner tonight, for the 2nd time. This is, without a doubt, one of the BEST recipes I’ve tried with rave reviews from the people enjoying it. Relatively simple and way better (or at least as good as) any Chinese food we have had out. Any chance there may be any nutritional info on it anywhere? Thanks!
I like Chinese fried rice, it is simple and quick breakfast.
http://www.google.com/search?tbm=blg
Could I use seasoned or unseasoned sushi rice?
Tried the Fried Rice and it came out tasty (sad part is I over cooked the rice and it became mushy), kids and my wife liked it anyway along with spicy pepper chicken 🙂
Thank you for the recipe
This is Amazing Fried rice, i like this food
I LOVE this fried rice!! It is so easy and you can always add or switch out any type of meat and vegetables. XOXO