I tried to make a fried rice recipe many times over the years; the first few times I was in my early 20s. When I think back on that now, I just about shudder! It was pretty horrible, and since I love Fried Rice, I’d try now and then with a just bit of improvement, but it was nothing to brag about.
Fried Rice Recipe – I don’t ever measure so the color can vary a bit.
Back then, we didn’t have the internet, and only a couple of TV shows, and you’d better be up early on Saturday morning to see them on PBS! And we didn’t have the Asian Grandmother, Patricia Tanumihardja. And I didn’t have this Fried Rice Recipe!
About My Fried Rice Recipe:
I think you are going to love this Fried Rice Recipe; it’s absolutely simple & really outstanding. But that being said, what makes this recipe so great is that I customized my Fried Rice Recipe from Pat’s Five Secrets to Make Fabulous Fried Rice.
My first batch, following Pat’s careful instructions, was a vast improvement, and the taste was out of this world. I shared a second batch with a neighbor, who thought I was a genius, and by the third batch, I started feeling like a pro!
Pat, by the way, in addition to being a blogger and a cookbook author, Pat has a new site, Pickles & Tea, a part of the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center.
Fried Rice Recipe
The Ingredients:
And while I am using the sauces and ingredients I love, feel free to stop by Pat’s site and check out some of the options she gives. I varied my ingredients just a touch to adapt to my tastes.
The Rice:
- It’s important to have day-old rice; it’s harder, and the starches change, and that helps to keep the rice distinct and not mushy.
- In a pinch, rinse rice well (as you should anyway), saute in a little oil, then cook with 1/3 cup less water. Remove from heat, place a towel on top, then replace the lid. Let it sit 10 minutes. Spread on a sheet tray over a rack, let sit 10 more minutes, then put in the fridge for 20. Use immediately.
The Flavors:
Use a mix of one thick and flavorful sauce, like oyster or hoisin, and the other a thin sauce, like soy or fish sauce. I like to go half and half on soy and fish sauces.
Onion and garlic are a must in my book, but what is really key is white pepper and just a whiff of sesame oil.
The Add-Ins:
Eggs are a must, and you’ll classically find bean sprouts, carrots, and peas. Add in any small bits of vegetables you like, and fried rice is a great place to use any bits of leftover meat. See below.
grinding whole spices
Making The Fried Rice Recipe:
First of all, I’ve owned a couple of woks over the years and always found storage in my tiny kitchen lacking, and my stoves, for the most part, not hot enough to give me the high heat to cook with. (Alton Brown uses the grill with his wok.)
I have better results with my cast-iron skillet; it’s very well seasoned from decades of use. Don’t use cast iron if yours isn’t well-seasoned, or your rice will stick. A good stainless steel skillet works great. too. Use the largest skillet youhave.
Key to Know when making any Fried Rice Recipe:
- Have all ingredients ready.
- Cook hot and fast.
- Make in small batches, they take minutes, so do one after another.
- Don’t stir, just fold in ingredients as needed, and not too often.
- Don’t use too much sauce.
And as far as cooking, you can keep your fried rice light colored and take it off when it’s just hot if you want. That’s always good. Even better is to leave the rice, when finished, and let it toast just a bit. Turn it when you get a whiff of that tasty toasty flavor; don’t overdo or burn it.
If you like this Fried Rice Recipe, You Might Also Like:
Simple Steak lo Mein
Classic Midwestern Chow Mein
A couple of money-saving hints:
Saving Money on Groceries:
Fried Rice has actually become a “go-to” recipe for me when I have leftover rice. Heck, I make extra rice now when I cook any rice, just as a shortcut to make this Fried Rice. When we get takeout, it seems we always have too much rice, so this is a great way to use that up because it’s pretty sad to have leftover rice just sitting there all alone in the fridge only to be tossed later.
When meat prices aren’t what I think they should be, I start looking for alternative ways to feed my family and still get some vegetables and protein into them. This fried rice, even as is with no meat, still has enough protein.
And this Fried Rice Recipe is so great when started with the classic vegetables, but is a great place to sneak in any leftover vegetables from the previous few days. You can chop up and add any leftover vegetables to heat through just before you add your rice.
And you can do the same with any bits of just about any meat you might have. Think of this Fried Rice Recipe as the perfect place to hide small bits of just about any veggie or meat in your fridge that needs to be used up.
Note on the White Pepper: If this is something you might not use often, buy it as a peppercorn and grind up a little (finely) when you need it. The peppercorns will stay potent for years until ground.
Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you’ll enjoy this fried rice recipe as much as we have! I love to make this whenever I have leftover rice, and it’s my go-to when there are just a few other leftovers, bits of this or bits of that on hand that might not be enough for another meal.
Take care and hope to see you next time!
Mollie
Fried Rice Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: main dish vegetarian
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
-
3 to 4 cups (about) cooked long or medium grain rice, leftover from the day before or refrigerated for at least 2 hours
- 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil (see note)
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 carrots, small dice
- 3 eggs, mixed together in a small bowl
- 1 cup of frozen peas, defrosted and well-drained
- 1/2 of small can of bean sprouts, well-drained
- 2 tablespoons oyster or hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce or fish sauce or 1/2 tablespoon each
- White pepper (see note)
- a few shakes of sesame oil (see note)
- Green onion for garnish, optional
Instructions
Cook this in two batches, so mentally divide the ingredients but prep them all at once. Break up large clumps of rice and separate the grains. Mix eggs together. Have everything ready because it cooks in minutes.
Cook the vegetables and eggs all at once, then take half of that mixture out and set aside for the second batch. That saves a few minutes.
Heat a large 12-inch (or bigger) skillet over high heat for about 1 minute. Add oil. Slightly reduce heat to medium and add the onion, carrots, and garlic, and cook three to four minutes until vegetables have just begun to soften.
Push aside the vegetables and pour half the eggs in. Let them set up for a minute, then scramble with your spatula. Continue to cook until lightly cooked through; not wet but not completely dry throughout.
Divide your vegetable egg mixture in half; reserve half on a plate for the second batch.
Into the skillet, with the remaining vegetables, add half the rice, then half the peas and 1/2 the bean sprouts, tossing between each addition. Use your spatula to break up any clumps. Add the sauces, half of each, white pepper, and fold over several times to mix. A few bits of white rice here and there are ok. Continue to cook for three to four more minutes longer.
Add more oil if the rice begins to stick to the pan; reduce the heat if it starts to scorch. Sprinkle with sesame oil, carefully; it can be strong. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Divide the rice among 2 serving plates. Serve immediately, garnishing with green onion if desired.
Wipe the skillet, reheat, and add the reserved vegetables, heat through for about a minute, and cook the second batch of fried rice.
Notes:
- A full can of bean sprouts can be overwhelming. Drain a can into a container, catching the liquid. Use half of the sprouts but put the rest, covered in the liquid in the fridge and have another recipe planned for them.
- White Pepper and Sesame Oil – these add the elusive taste so many feel can’t be recreated at home.
- Even with no meat, the nutritional values show there is enough protein, but many leftover or already cooked meats can be added to fried rice.
very slightly adapted from the Asian Grandmother
Nutrition: Per Serving (estimation based on 3/4 cup of rice, four servings total): 276 Calories; 14g Fat, 10g Protein; 58g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber.
