Here we are at the beginning of February and Mardi Gras is coming up – that’s a great reminder to make a dish with a bit of heat and a bit of spice to ward off the winter blues. A dish like this Cajun Fried Rice with Pulled Pork.
Cajun Fried Rice with Pork Shoulder
Of course, there’s no need to wait for Carnival season to make this dish! It’s perfect any time of the year. If you’d like to read more about Carnival Season, Mardi Gras & Fat Tuesday, check out the History of Mardi Gras. In the meantime, enjoy this dish! If you’d like to see a round-up of my fave Cajun/Creole dishes, click over to my post Over 45 Recipes for a Mardi Gras Party.
2 dozen recipes for a mardi gras party
About Cajun Fried Rice with Pulled Pork:
Some of my favorite dishes are a mash-up of cultures, and this one, as far as I know, got its start in New Orleans. (Yaka Mein is another fave mash up from the same area.)
While I’ve been wanting to make Cajun Fried Rice for a long time, it wasn’t until I saw a version from Robert Irvine on his show Restaurant Impossible that I all of a sudden got motivated!
Long story short, I was getting ready to leave on a trip and Cajun Fried Rice was a great way to use up some of the bits and pieces and odds and ends in the fridge. I took the recipe more to the Asian side, based on my Fried Rice Recipe.
Most importantly, I changed up the number of veggies – there were so many I ended up freezing half. It’s not a big deal for me, though, coz I’ll use them for garnish the next time I make my Wild Rice & Smoked Turkey Chowder.
I also used leftover pork for my recipe, and the pork came from my Braised Pork Roast. I just sauced it up with BBQ sauce. Try this recipe with my Instant Pot Pulled Pork or my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork. Making your own is the most cost-effective but if you have leftovers from a restaurant meal or maybe pick up some in the grocer’s refrigerator section, that works, too.
About the Rice for Cajun Fried Rice with Pulled Pork:
One of the essential tips for success with any fried rice recipe is to start with rice that’s on the drier side. My best recipes come from day or two old rice. It’s important to note that cooked rice needs to be refrigerated promptly or tossed. Don’t eat or reuse rice that has been sitting around for any length of time at room temperature.
I always rinse my rice before cooking, and I do have a couple of great posts on rice here on my site with lots of tips. Check out Perfect Instant Pot Rice and the stove-top version of Cilantro Lime Rice (obviously, leave out the cilantro and lime!)
Making Cajun Fried Rice with Pork Shoulder:
The best-fried rice dishes are usually ones that are on the drier side; the individual grains of rice aren’t all soft and clumped together.
This ensures that by removing the veggies and sausage (they have a lot of moisture) from the pan, then adding in the rice (leftover rice is best) to heat, then slightly toasting the rice. Only then are the egg, the seasonings, and the reserved veggies added back to the pan.
Options:
Make this recipe your own by changing up the veggies, the seasonings, or any other component of the recipe you wish. Except for the rice! Just keep the same proportions (roughly) of veggies and rice.
Use pulled pork if you wish, omit it if you don’t want it, or use more! You can never go wrong with more pulled pork! If you don’t eat pork, choose beef or vegetarian sausage, and try brisket instead of pork.
Cajun Fried Rice
Storing and Reheating:
Store any leftovers promptly and use them within three to four days. This recipe reheats in the microwave very well. Cover loosely and heat a serving for about a minute and a half to two minutes.
While it is possible to store it in the freezer, the texture of the sausage seems to suffer and the dish dries out. The dish will be, once frozen, more like the commercial frozen diner bowls. In your fridge freezer, store for a month or two in a stand-alone, a little longer.
Saving Money:
- Sausage and pork shoulder both go on sale regularly and you are likely to find some of the best pricing in the fall. Look for fabulous prices prior to the Superbowl as well as Summer holidays.
- Making your own spice blends, such as Cajun or Creole seasonings is a great way not only to customize to your taste but to save money! Here’s my list of spice blend recipes, including several Cajun blends.
- Eggs are usually at their lowest before any major holiday. They keep for six to eight weeks in the fridge, so stock up. Check your buyers club, Aldi or Lidl for great prices, too.
- This is a great recipe to raid your fridge for bits of this and bits of that. Know that in the winter, canned veggies are going to be your cheapest option, and in a dish like this, you probably won’t guess that canned corn was used. Rinse corn and beans if canned.
Hi Peeps! I’ve been traveling & this was my Clean out the Fridge recipe! It could be a great have on hand in the fridge and pantry recipe, too. If you don’t want to go out in the cold.
I’m back home in Minnesota, welcomed by a temp of minus 1 F. That’s minus 18.33 in Celcius. I guess I could have gone w/o knowing that last! 🙂 Take care all and stay warm!
Mollie
Cajun Fried Rice
Cajun Fried Rice
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 to 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tablespoons oil, divided
- 1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced & diced
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small rib celery, diced
- 4 ounces sweet potato, peeled and in small dice
- 1 cup red kidney or black beans, canned drained & rinsed
- 1 cup corn, canned drained & rinsed
- 1 cup long grain rice, cooked and cooled, about 3 cups cooked (preferably day old)
- 2 eggs, stirred
- 1 tablespoons oyster or hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Cajun Spice (this is mild, add more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- a few shakes of sesame oil
- 1 cup (or more) pulled pork
- barbecue sauce to taste
Instructions
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add the oil, then add andouille, stirring now and then until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Add onions, peppers, celery, and sweet potatoes to the skillet. Cook for about 5 to 8 minutes stirring occasionally, unitl vegetables are softened. Add kidney beans and corn and heat through. Remove all to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaaving any old/drippings behind.
There should be about 2 tablespoons of oil/drippings, if not add more oil. Increase heat to medium-high. Add already cooked rice and heat through, then allow to sit until slightly toasted on the bottom, turning once or twice with a spatula.
Turn heat down to medium-low, make a well in the center, and add the eggs. Allow to sit until eggs are almost totally cooked through, then chop up with spatula and incorporate them with the rice.
Sprinkle the oyster or hoisin sauce, soy sauce, Cajun spice, white pepper, and sesame oil over the rice. Gently fold rice to incorporate. Add the reserved vegetable/andouille mixture and fold again.
Finish the rice with a scoop of pulled pork on each serving. Drizzle barbecue sauce over pork or pass barbecue sauce so each individual may add as desired..
Keywords: Andouille, Asian, Barbecue Sauce, Bell Peppers, Cajun & Creole, canned beans, celery, Corn, Dried Bean and Peas Leftovers, Dried Beans, Eggs, fried rice, Hoisin, leftover pulled pork, Leftovers, Oyster Sauce, Pork, Pulled Pork, Rice, Robert Irving, Sausage, sesame oil, Soy, Sweet potato
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