Name: Chinese Fried Rice (炒飯)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1/2 large white onion (diced); 2 C cooked rice (preferably cooled and day-old); ½ C mixed vegetables (peas, carrots); 2 large eggs (beaten); 1 1/2-2 Tbsp soy sauce (or to your taste); ½ tsp white pepper (or black pepper); ½ C your choice of cooked protein (diced (BBQ pork char siu, shrimp, chicken, or tofu), optional); ½ tsp toasted sesame oil; 2 stalks green onions (chopped, reserve some for garnish)

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This recipe for Chinese Fried Rice is a quick and delicious meal that comes together easily. It's one of our favorite clearing-out-the-fridge meals and is a great way to use up leftover rice.

A bowl of Chinese fried rice on a wooden plate, with chopsticks on the side.

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What is Chinese fried rice?

Chinese Fried Rice (炒飯) is a staple dish in Chinese cuisine, featuring cooked rice stir-fried with eggs, vegetables, and seasonings.

It's often customized with proteins like roasted BBQ pork, chicken or shrimp.

Fried rice has a signature smoky wok flavor (known as wok hei in Cantonese), which is achieved with cooking the rice over high heat.

Why you'll love this recipe

Quick & easy: this classic Chinese fried rice dish is ready in under 20 minutes.

Customizable: change it up and add your favorite proteins or veggies.

Use up leftovers: it's an easy way to make a meal using bits and bobs in the fridge and pantry.

Ingredients you'll need

vegetable oil: any high smoke-point vegetable oil
white onion: diced
cooked rice: preferably cooled and day-old
mixed vegetables: peas, carrots, corn, or sub with chopped bok choy, gai lan
large eggs: beaten
seasonings: soy sauce, white pepper, or black pepper; you can also add in a little oyster sauce or chicken bouillon for more umami flavor
cooked protein: diced; BBQ pork char siu, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, optional
sesame oil: toasted
green onions/scallions: chopped

Where to find?

You can find these ingredients at your local grocery store or Asian supermarket.

How to make Chinese fried rice at home

Add in onion and sauté, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add in the rice and allow it to evenly heat up, breaking any clumps with a spatula, stir frying for about 2-3 minutes.

Push the rice to the edges of the wok and pour the scrambled egg in the center of the wok, letting it set a little, before combining the egg with the rice.

Pour in the soy sauce and white pepper and stir well to coat the rice evenly.

Add in the protein (if using), mixed veggies and continue to stir fry with the rice for another 2 minutes.

Drizzle in toasted sesame oil and add chopped green onions.

Give it a final toss and remove from heat.

Step by step photos on how to make fried rice, with number overlay.

How to serve

Serve Chinese Fried Rice hot or at room temperature.

Add chili garlic sauce or chili oil if you like it spicy.

Enjoy as a main dish or as a side with other Chinese dishes, such as yu choy sum, spring rolls, BBQ pork, Cantonese roast duck, salt & pepper pork, steamed egg, baked tofu, and sweet & sour pork.

How to store & reheat

Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezer: You can freeze fried rice in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge overnight before heating.

Reheat: Stir-fry in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water or microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until heated through.

Variations

Yeungchow/yangzhou fried rice: a Cantonese-style version with a combination of proteins: usually shrimp, BBQ pork, and egg, as well as green onions/scallions.

Yin-yang fried rice: is topped with two different types of sauce, typically a savory white sauce on one half and a red tomato-based sauce on the other half. In some restaurants, the sauces are arranged as a yin-yang symbol, and is served at Chinese celebrations.

Kimchi fried rice: add chopped kimchi and gochujang for a spicy kick. Add in chopped bulgogi beef for more of a Korean-style fried rice.

SPAM fried rice: swap in SPAM luncheon meat or ham in place of the protein for a flavorful addition. Reduce or omit the soy sauce.

Thai green curry fried rice: a little different as it is more of wet-style fried rice; swap in green curry paste and coconut milk for a spicy variation.

Expert tips

Use day-old rice: freshly cooked rice can be a little too moist and mushy. However, you can still use fresh rice -- just cool it and let it air dry a little before frying.

Cook on high heat: if you can use a wok with an open gas flame, this can help you achieve that signature "wok hei" (smoky wok flavor). You can still make fried rice using a conventional/electric stove, but note that you won't be able to get that wok hei flavor.

Work quickly: when working with high heat, you will need to have everything prepped and ready to go beforehand so you don't risk burning the dish.

Consistent cuts: ensure that the diced proteins are about the same size as the mixed veggies/onions. That way, everything will cook uniformly.

Don't add too much soy sauce: too much liquid can make the rice soggy. If you've added too much, just continue to stir fry until excess moisture evaporates.

Mix up the proteins: try shrimp, chicken, SPAM, salted fish, or pan-fried tofu for variety.

Other rice dish recipes you may like

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5 from 5 votes