Best Fried Rice

This is our family’s favorite Chinese-inspired fried rice. It’s easy and quick to make with leftover rice, eggs, and mixed veggies.

I make this easy fried rice recipe on a weekly basis because it’s one of the few dishes that my picky toddler absolutely loves! Plus, it includes a little protein from the eggs and fiber from the vegetables, which is a win-win in my book.

This is a savory and comforting side dish for your favorite Chinese dishes or a quick meal. Chilled, day-old rice works best because fresh rice tends to get too mushy.

You can use fresh or frozen veggies, depending on what you have available. Sometimes I like to add extra protein, such as chicken, shrimp, or tofu.  

Fried Rice Ingredients

Rice: My favorite rice to use for fried rice is Thai jasmine rice. I recommend using day-old, chilled long-grain white rice.

Chilling the rice helps to dry out the grains to prevent a mushy or clumpy texture.

How to cook jasmine rice: Place 1 cup of washed and rinsed jasmine rice in a medium saucepan. Add 1¼ cups of water. Bring to a rapid simmer (without the lid on) over medium-high heat.

Turn the heat down to low and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 12 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed by the rice.

Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes with the lid on. Fluff the rice with a fork and let cool before transferring to the fridge in an airtight container.

Butter and coconut oil: Chinese fried rice is usually cooked at a high heat in oil. Japanese fried rice (known as Yakimeshi or Hibachi-style), is usually cooked in a combination of both butter and oil.

The butter adds richness and good flavor, while the oil prevents the butter from burning when cooked at a high temperature.

Eggs: This adds a little protein and is common in Chinese-style egg fried rice.

Veggies: I use onion, carrots, and green peas. You can save time by using frozen veggies. Sometimes I like to do a mix of frozen carrots, peas, and corn.

Ginger: This adds a slightly pepper and aromatic flavor to the rice. It’s important to finely mince or grate the ginger so it infuses the rice with good flavor.

Garlic: Garlic is a must in fried rice. It makes it tastes so much better in my opinion.

Green onion (scallions): This adds good flavor to the rice.

Soy sauce: I use low sodium soy sauce for this recipe. You can use your favorite soy sauce.

Oyster sauce: This is a key ingredient to get that restaurant flavor. It adds a savory and slightly sweet note to the fried rice.

If you don’t have or don’t like oyster sauce, you can use more soy sauce.

Sesame oil: Add this at the very end of cooking, just before serving, as a finishing oil. This helps to deepen the flavor of the fried rice.

How to make the best fried rice

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-low heat in a large skillet or a flat-bottomed wok.

Once the butter has melted and bubbles have started to form, add the whisked eggs to the pan.

Use a rubber spatula to gently stir the eggs, pushing them from one end of the skillet or wok to the other.

Continue doing this until soft curds form, then gently fold the egg onto itself a few times until the eggs come together and are fully cooked. (You don’t want to do a soft scramble). Transfer the eggs to a plate and set aside.

Add the coconut oil (or vegetable oil if using) to the skillet or wok. Turn up the heat to medium high and add the onion, carrots, and green peas.

Cook the veggies for 5 minutes, or until they are tender. Add the garlic and ginger and let cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet or wok.

Add the chilled rice and stir fry constantly, breaking up any clumps of rice with a spatula. Alternatively, you can break up the clumps of rice with your hands before adding it to the hot wok.

Turn the heat down low and add the green onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and scrambled eggs.

Increase the heat back up to medium-high and stir fry everything for 2 or 3 minutes, until the rice is warmed through and evenly mixed.

Add the sesame oil (if using) and stir fry until everything is combined. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Remove from the heat and serve.

What is the secret to good fried rice?

The secret to making good fried rice is to use cold, day-old Jasmine rice cooked in a hot wok (or skillet).

You want to take care not to overcrowd the pan, so you can remove excess moisture to achieve that restaurant-style fried rice.

What are the best ingredients for fried rice?

The best ingredients for fried rice include cold, day-old Jasmine rice, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, butter, eggs, garlic, green onions (scallions), and veggies like frozen green peas and carrots.

What gives Chinese fried rice its flavor?

Chinese fried rice gets its flavor from a combination of savory sauces like soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, using aromatic garlic, green onions, and high-heat searing in a wok.

Please let me know how you like this fried rice recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this fried rice as much as I do.

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