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Fried Rice

Adding shrimp, pork or beef and vegetables to leftover rice makes Chinese fried rice a quick and easy recipe everyone will love.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons peanut sesame or other oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger optional, minced
  • 1/2 cup diced onion or 4 green onions thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup diced carrot cooked
  • 1/4 cup frozen peas thawed
  • 4 cups cooked white or brown rice cooled completely
  • 1 cup chopped cooked shrimp, pork or beef
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
  • Add the garlic, ginger and onion and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
  • Reduce the heat to medium, and add the carrot, peas, rice and meat and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
  • Use your stirring spoon to make a well in the center of the rice and pour the eggs into it. Let the eggs cook for 1 minute, then slowly start to stir and incorporate the egg into the rice.
  • Add the soy sauce and cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring and tossing with the spoon.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

Tips & Warnings
  • The amount of oil you use is up to you. You need only a tablespoon or so to keep the rice from sticking.
  • You can put anything you want in fried rice: leftover vegetables, stir-fry or anything that seems interesting. Try fried rice with ham and eggs for breakfast.
  • Traditionally, fried rice is seasoned with salt instead of soy sauce, because soy sauce turns the rice brown. Whichever you choose, be conservative when you first add it. You can always add more, but you can't take too much back.
  • Try a few drops of sesame oil in the egg before you cook it.
  • For a spicy fried rice, add crushed red pepper flakes to the wok with the garlic.
  • For an added touch of flavor, serve the fried rice with hoisin or oyster sauce on the side.
  • Don't use hot rice, or you'll have a gloppy mess. Cooling the rice makes the grains separate