When I have leftover rice in the fridge, there’s a 98% chance I’m making this. My egg fried rice takes mere minutes to whip up. Minimal ingredients, simple steps, brilliantly delicious. Perfecting tender, savory, smoky and eggy Chinese wok-fried rice at home is actually deceptively easy. This is Ben’s favorite!
My husband is what you might call a fried rice fiend. On the nights he cooks dinner, I’d bet the farm he’s whipping up shrimp fried rice or maybe this yakimeshi recipe.
But my egg fried rice is his new obsession – and it’s even easier for me to make on the nights it’s my turn to cook. It’s tender, chewy and partially crispy stir-fried rice mixed with puffy eggs and aromatic chopped scallions. I just need a simple dash of soy sauce, salt and pepper – and I personally like to add a bit of toasted sesame oil. While it only takes me 5 minutes to cook, the result is smoky, savory Chinese comfort food perfection – infinitely greater than the sum of its parts. We’re both crazy for it.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Cooking Oil: Any neutral cooking oil will work here. I use grapeseed oil. Keep in mind, olive oil – with it’s low smoke point and assertive natural flavor – is not a good choice for this recipe.
- Eggs: I’m using 3 large eggs. Try to track down eggs that are certified humane. Here’s how to decode all that confusing language on the egg carton.
- Day-old Rice: This is important. When making egg fried rice, I always use leftover rice. Freshly-cooked rice is plump with moisture. Day old rice (or longer) has had a chance to dry out a bit in the refrigerator. Rice grains that have dried out can soak up a bit of cooking oil and liquid seasoning without becoming waterlogged and mushy. I personally prefer Japanese short grain rice – but also love leftover long/medium grain jasmine rice. Brown rice works as well.
- Green onions: I finely chop 3 green onions for fragrance and crunchy texture.
- Soy Sauce: Japanese shoyu is great for adding savory umami.
- Sesame Oil: I add a teaspoon of sesame oil just before turning the heat off. The nutty, toasted flavor adds a ton of depth to this otherwise simple dish.
- Salt and Pepper: Season to taste.
What if I Don’t Have Day Old Rice?
Cook fresh rice – and then spread it out on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours uncovered (a bit longer if you have time). This will dry it out quickly.
If you’re new to making rice at home, I’ve got you. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to make rice – both on the stovetop and in a rice cooker.
How to Make Egg Fried Rice
- Start with the egg. Get a wok or frying pan going over medium-high heat. Once it’s ripping hot, add your cooking oil. Add the beaten eggs and cook the eggs until they are almost set.
- Next: rice. Add the leftover rice on top of the egg. I use a spatula to break up the rice and fold in the egg. As the grains of rice cook, they meld with the eggy mixture – and the egg gets thoroughly incorporated into the rice grains. Keep tossing.
- Liquid ingredients and green onions. Drizzle the soy sauce around the outer edge of the hot pan. Add the sesame oil and green onions – and toss to evenly combine.
- Salt and pepper and serve. Finally season with salt and pepper to taste. Give your egg fried rice a final stir. Plate and serve while hot.
Expert Tip Drizzle the soy sauce around the edge of your hot pan or wok (instead of adding it directly on top of the rice). It bubbles from the heat of the wok immediately, and it imparts ‘wok hei’ – or wok breath – that deep smokiness you get from stir fried dishes at Chinese restaurants. I’ve also found that it results in more even seasoning levels.
Recipe Variations
My Chinese egg fried rice recipe is intentionally simple, and delicious as-is. But fried rice is one of those things I love to shape-shift as a clearinghouse for ingredients I need to get out of my refrigerator and on to plates before they pass their expiration dates.
- Add a protein. Chicken, shrimp and smoked tofu are great contenders. My mom used to make ham fried rice in the days following Christmas (and it was divine).
- Use veggies. Diced carrots and peas are delicious in fried rice. In fact, I keep a bag of frozen peas in the freezer just to indulge my (frequent) late night fried rice cravings.
- Make it gluten-free. If you’re following a wheat free diet, just use tamari or liquid aminos instead of the soy sauce.
- Spice it up. For a bit of tingly heat, experiment with Japanese sansho pepper or ground Sichuan peppercorns. Chili sauces like Sichuan chili oil or sambal oelek will change the flavor profile entirely, but can be a delicious additions. My husband likes to breathe actual fire, and uses chopped Thai chilis to scratch that particular itch.
- Go super savory. Sauces like oyster sauce and Maggi seasoning can ratchet up the savory notes pretty quickly. The key when using additional sauce in fried rice is to not add so much that it overwhelms the palate – or ends up introducing too much additional moisture. My favorite solution for getting flavor into your fried rice (without making it soggy in the process) is adding a pinch or two of MSG. Powdered bouillon works too.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Any large skillet or pan will work. Don’t get hung up on this.
Great question! Too runny is no good – and an overcooked egg is a rubbery nightmare. The solution: start with hot oil in a hot skillet. The wok or skillet should be hot enough that the whisked egg starts to cook as soon as it hits the cooking surface. The egg may bubble up around the edges. That’s good! Once it has started to set on the bottom, move it around so that more of the liquid bits come into contact with the cooking surface. But don’t cook it all the way. I like my eggs to be just shy of set when I add the rice. They’ll continue to cook as the rice heats up and seasonings are added.
Storage
Save the leftovers in a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To reheat fried rice:
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave in a vented food storage container on high for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Or, for best results, reheat in a hot wok with a little oil and a drizzle of soy sauce.
What to Serve With Fried Rice
When I’m making a full on feast at my place, here are some of my favorites that go hand in hand with fried rice.
- Chinese Eggplant With Garlic Sauce
- Stir Fried Bean Sprouts With Tofu and Garlic Chives
- Honey Sriracha Tofu
- Baked General Tso Chicken
- Garlic Shrimp With Chili Crisp
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Did you like this easy egg fried rice recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Egg Fried Rice
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Rice
- Method: Stir fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Make my simple egg fried rice – with fluffy eggs, crunchy scallions and savory, smoky rice.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or grapeseed oil
- 3 large eggs, whisked
- 3 cups cooked Japanese short grain or long grain Jasmine rice – day old rice that’s been refrigerated is best
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the wok. Place a wok or deep skillet over medium high heat. When it’s hot, add the vegetable oil and swirl the oil around to cover its surface.
- Scramble the eggs. Add the eggs and scramble them for 1 minute, until they are almost set.
- Add the rice. Lightly break it up using a spatula.
- Stir fry. Toss the eggs and rice for 2 minutes, until the rice has warmed up and softened a little.
- Add liquid ingredients and green onions. Pour the soy sauce around the outer edge of the skillet and toss to combine. Add the green onions and sesame oil and toss until combined.
- Season and serve. Turn the heat off, taste the rice, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy while it’s hot.
Notes
Save the leftover fried rice in a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 278
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 126.2mg
- Fat: 8.4g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40.8g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 8.3g
- Cholesterol: 139.5mg
