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!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
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 – Any soy sauce is fine here (but not sweet or flavoured). Light and all-purpose soy keeps the fried rice a light colour like you get at Chinese restaurants. Dark soy will stain the rice a mahogany colour which is also appealing, and the rice will have a stronger soy flavour which many people enjoy!
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 (that recipe is on my mother’s website RecipeTin Japan). 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
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
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/2 onion , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 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 (sub Mirin, cooking sake or dry sherry) (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (or all purpose) (Note 5)
- 1 tsp sesame oil , optional
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil – 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.
- Scramble egg – 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".
- Serve – Add green onion 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.
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
Kimchi Fried Rice – packs loads of flavour but not too much heat!
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. 🙄
My kids absolutely love this. I never bothered with a recipe for fried rice before but now I only use this one (although rarely exactly the same, depending on how much I have of the various add-ins). I use the microwave packet rice instead of day old rice and it works really well. Thanks Nagi.
Nagi, yours is the only food site I trust because every recipe I’ve followed turns out EXACTLY how you have prescribed, Thank you for a great site and fantastic recipes!
Thank you for a great recipe, even my husband who is no fan of rice loved it.
Absolutely delicious. Cook for a friend and family, they love it too. So passed on your recipe and website to her.
I added more veg plus sausages. Used kecap manis instead of soy sauce. Thank you Nagi.
It is delicious! Thank you! I have tried it with a small amount of cooked brown rice mixed with the white which was not noticeable. I find cooking the egg on the side doesn’t work so well for me because in my pan everything sticks – so I just fried 2 little omelettes in a tiny non stick pan that I have. I sliced the omelettes into nice pieces and added them back into the rice at the last minute. I’m vegetarian so I used vegetarian oyster sauce and omitted the bacon. I used carrot, onion, green beans, sweet corn, red pepper, frozen peas and finely sliced celery. Very nice meal!!
Another winner, Nagi, this was delicious. Thank you for using easy to find ingredients/options in all your recipes, I live on a remote island where ‘basic’ items can be hard to find. I’ve never had to skip a recipe that you’ve posted, you make it so easy without compromising the taste. Thank you!!
This is the best fried rice that I have ever made. Thank you so much for sharing this, I like it better than my favorite take out restaurant
Good
Make this for my little granddaughters 2nd birthday & we all loved it!
Blest fried rice ever. So easy to make.
Hi – is this similar to your “Chinese Fried Rice with Shrimp” recipe?
How many days would this keep in the fridge please !?
Another winner. Made this last night for dinner. The sauce makes such a difference, such an authentic flavour. I used home made char siu pork instead of bacon, so had to add a little more salt.
Wow this is so delicious! Way better than my local Chinese restaurant which we used to rate so highly
Best fried rice I have ever made! I’ve made a few other fried rice recipes and they don’t taste the same as what I could get from a restaurant but this was delicious. I made a double batch of plain rice and cooked fried rice over two nights. My picky kids loved it and had 3 bowls each night
You’ve done it again. I love a good fried rice but I’ve never been able to make one I was happy with. This was better than any I have ever bought.
We have bought 2 out of 3 Goldens a new vehicle…first time in 1998. I feel your pain..I mean joy. They are so worth it!
Loved this recipe, so easy. I totally cheated and used the packets of microwave rice from the supermarket. Great easy recipe, thank you Nagi, just love all your recipes. I know they will not fail.
You are not alone….so did I …I am as old as dirt….I do not do pots of boiling hot liquid…..I love recipetineats….I have been able to tweak many recipes for me.
Yum. So easy to make, and it tasted fabulous. Thank you Nagi
Thank you Nagi! I’m always looking at your recipes for food inspo. I love reading about Dozer. The stories make me smile. Keep up the wonderful work you do.