Pickled Plum
Egg Fried Rice

Get your egg fried rice just right in minutes. Making tender, savory, smoky and eggy Chinese wok-fried rice at home is actually deceptively easy. But there are a few simple rules to follow. Let’s talk about why you should use leftover rice, exactly when to add the eggs to the pan – plus flavor tips and recipe variations.

What is Egg Fried Rice

Egg fried rice is tender, chewy and partially crispy stir-fried rice mixed with puffy eggs and aromatic chopped scallions. It’s flavored with a simple dash of soy sauce, salt and pepper – and I personally like to add a bit of sesame oil. While it only takes 5 minutes to cook, the result is smoky, savory Chinese comfort food perfection.

Egg Fried Rice Ingredients

• Cooking Oil: Any neutral cooking oil will work here. Common choices are grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, canola oil or even peanut 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, 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 like to use Japanese short grain rice but you can use leftover long/medium grain jasmine rice, or brown rice as well.
• Scallions: 3 finely chopped green onions bring a fragrant garden freshness and crunchy texture to the party.
• Soy Sauce: This adds savory umami to your egg fried rice. Drizzle the soy sauce around the edge of your hot pan or wok (instead of adding it directly on top of the rice) for even seasoning and wok hei – or ‘wok breath’ – that deep smokiness you get from stir fried dishes at Chinese restaurants.
• Sesame Oil: Add a tsp just before turning the heat off. The nutty, toasted flavor adds a ton of depth to this otherwise simple fried rice with egg.
• Salt and Pepper: Season to your individual taste.

Fried Rice Tips and Variations

This Chinese egg fried rice recipe is intentionally simple, and delicious as-is. But fried rice is one of those recipes you can shape-shift either to fit your personal tastes – or as a clearinghouse for ingredients you need to get out of the refrigerator and on to plates before they pass their expiration date.

• Add a protein. Chicken, shrimp and smoked tofu are great contenders. And, in keeping with the ‘leftover repository’ nature of fried rice, you could even add a bit of that beef and broccoli sitting in the forgotten takeout container in the back of the fridge. 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, we keep a bag of frozen peas in the freezer just to indulge our (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 sambal oelek will change the flavor profile entirely, but can be a delicious addition. If you like to breathe actual fire, chopped Thai chilis can 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. A great solution for getting flavor into your fried rice (without making it soggy in the process) is adding a pinch or two of MSG powder.

What to Serve With Fried Rice

• Chinese Eggplant With Garlic Sauce
• Stir Fried Bean Sprouts With Tofu and Garlic Chives
• Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry
• The Best Vegan Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐
• Garlic Shrimp With Chili Crisp

Japanese Fried Rice (Yakimeshi) Video

If you like this recipe, you might be interested to try this Japanese fried rice a try!

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!