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Homemade Fried Rice (Better Than Take-Out)

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close up overhead shot of better than take-out fried rice in a pan with a wooden spoon
Make this simple one-pan Better Than Take-Out Fried Rice recipe for a delicious side dish to go with a range of meals.
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Table of Contents
  1. Best Fried Rice Recipe Ingredients
  2. How to make Fried Rice
  3. Fried Rice Recipe Substitutions And Additions
  4. How to serve this Easy Fried Rice Recipe
  5. Storing Homemade Fried Rice
  6. Easy Fried Rice FAQs
  7. More Recipes You’ll Love
  8. JUMP TO RECIPE
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One of the best things about a take-out is the fried rice you get with it. There’s always something so tasty about it. But with this Better Than Take-Out Fried Rice, you can make your own version that’s even more delicious and available whenever you want it.

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Check out the fried rice recipe that has been pinned over a million times on Pinterest!

close up overhead shot of a serving of better than take-out fried rice in a bowl with chopsticks

Best Fried Rice Recipe Ingredients

ingredients to make fried rice including a bowl of cooked rice, eggs, and veggies

You will need:

  • 3 cups cooked rice
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ¼ large Vidalia onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of minced garlic
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoon soy sauce
  • Green onions

PRO TIP:

White or brown rice can also be used in this recipe. Just keep in mind that brown rice takes about 30 minutes longer than white rice to cook.

How to make Fried Rice

STEP ONE: Prepare your rice according to the package directions. Set aside.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

This is a handy recipe if you happen to have rice leftover from another meal as well.

STEP TWO: In a large skillet or wok, heat vegetable oil over medium heat and add onion and garlic.

Cook until onions are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally to keep the garlic from burning.

Add peas and carrots and cook until partially thawed, 1 to 2 minutes. You’ll need to adjust this time if you use fresh veggies.

PRO TIP:

One of the secrets of delicious fried rice is a nice hot wok and plenty of oil so that your veggies don’t burn to the bottom.

ingredients being cooked in a pan

STEP THREE: Turn the heat up to medium-high and add cooked rice. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until rice is nice and hot and starts to brown.

STEP FOUR: Reduce heat and push the rice to the sides of the pan, making a hole in the center of the pan for the eggs. Crack eggs into the bottom of the pan. 

ingredients in a pan

STEP FIVE: Scramble the eggs in the middle of the pan. Once the eggs are cooked, stir the cooked egg into the rice.

ingredients being stirred together in a pan

STEP SIX: Mix soy sauce and sesame oil together and pour over rice. Stir until rice is evenly coated with sauce.

ingredients being added to pan then stirred together

STEP SEVEN: To serve this fried rice, top with chopped green onions. You could even use cilantro and toasted sesame seeds as additional toppings.

Fried Rice Recipe Substitutions And Additions

RICE: You can use your favorite kind of rice for this recipe. Be sure to check the packaging and prepare it according to the instructions.

This recipe uses three cups of cooked rice. Leftover rice also works great for this dish!

VEGETABLES: Select any vegetables you love or have in the house to make the dish. You can also use frozen vegetables; just let them defrost first.

A few ideas include broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, sweet corn, red peppers, and bell peppers. You can also use a vegetable mix full of colorful vegetables in this recipe.

MEAT: You can also add some meat to the recipe, such as leftover chicken, to make it into something like takeout chicken fried rice.

Shredded pork, bacon, or beef works well. You can also add shrimp if you like seafood.

How to serve this Easy Fried Rice Recipe

Serve as a dish on its own by adding cooked chicken or other protein into the rice, or make a yummy stir fry to top this homemade fried rice.

Our zucchini and mushroom chicken, sheet pan stir fry, or beef and broccoli would be delicious dishes to serve alongside the rice.

Want to go further with fried rice? Then check out this cauliflower fried rice recipe. Or you could try shrimp fried rice as a delicious light meal.

Storing Homemade Fried Rice

IN THE FRIDGE: You can store leftover rice in an airtight container once cooled and put them in the fridge for three to four days. Reheat in the pan to serve.

IN THE FREEZER: Freeze fried rice in portions to make it easy to defrost and use. Once it is cooled, pop the portions in a freezer bag and use within three months.

Defrost overnight then pop in the skillet to heat up.

close up shot of better than take-out fried rice in a bowl

This classic takeout fried rice recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, which is perfect for busy weeknights and can be upgraded in lots of different ways.

It works perfectly with Chinese food dishes as well as being an easy and filling light meal on its own.

Easy Fried Rice FAQs

Can I use day-old rice in this recipe?

You can use either day-old rice or fresh rice in this easy recipe.

Can I use other Asian sauces that I have on hand?

While it will alter the flavor of the fried rice, you can use whichever sauces you like to use in your cooking. Try hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, or extra soy sauce.

What is the best rice to use for fried rice?

Long-grain rice, such as basmati or jasmine, is a good choice because it is light and fluffy. This type of rice will absorb the flavors of the other ingredients in the dish without becoming too mushy.

What gives Chinese fried rice its flavor?

One key ingredient is rice, and the type of rice used can make a big difference in the flavor of the dish. Another important factor is the oil that is used for frying.

Chinese cooks typically use vegetable oil, which adds a light and delicate flavor to the dish. Finally, fried rice is often seasoned with soy sauce, which provides a salty flavor.

How do you make fried rice taste like a restaurant?

The key to making fried rice that tastes just like it came from your favorite Chinese restaurant is to use cooked and cooled rice.

This means you have to plan to make this dish ahead of time, or if you happen to have had rice the day before, this is a great way to use your leftover rice.

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close up overhead shot of better than take-out fried rice in a pan with a wooden spoon

Best Fried Rice Recipe

5 from 81 votes
Make this simple one-pan Better Than Take-Out Fried Rice recipe for a delicious side dish to go with a range of meals.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups rice, cooked
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ¼ large Vidalia onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup peas and carrots, frozen
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • green onions
  • cilantro, optional

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet or wok, preheat vegetable oil over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Cook until onions are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the garlic from burning.
  • Add peas and carrots and cook until partially thawed, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Turn the heat up to medium-high and add cooked rice. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until rice is nice and hot and starts to brown. Reduce heat and push rice to the sides of the pan, making a hole for the eggs.
  • Crack the eggs into the middle of the pan and scramble. Once eggs are cooked, stir them into the rice.
  • Mix soy sauce and sesame oil together and pour over rice. Stir until rice is evenly coated with sauce.
  • Top with chopped green onions and/or cilantro, optional.

Video

Notes

  • White or brown rice can also be used in this recipe. Just keep in mind that brown rice takes about 30 minutes longer than white rice to cook.

Nutrition

Calories: 612kcal | Carbohydrates: 118g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 826mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3459IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg
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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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    Comments

  1. Sandy says

    5 stars
    This is the best fried recipe I have ever found. I fixed if a week ago and am fixing it again tonight. The only change I made to it was adding fresh ginger and adding hoisin sauce and fish sauce to the sauce. Absolutely great recipe.

    • Layne Kangas says

      Hi, Ashley – there isn’t actually any chicken in this recipe. You could definitely add cooked chicken or beef to this recipe if you’d like, it’s very yummy that way! Enjoy 🙂

  2. Rhonda says

    Made this tonight following the recipe exactly as written. For someone that doesn’t cook much, I found it to be incredibly easy and it was delicious! I have lunch for the next 2 days😉 Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!

  3. Caroline says

    My daughter and I made this in 10 minutes with things we found in the refrigerator. So fun, easy, delicious, and economical! We sprinkled it with nutritional yeast and used Bragg’s amino acids. Thanks!

  4. Colleen says

    5 stars
    The easiest recipe to follow! Made it with jasmine rice also. Love it better than white rice for sure!

  5. Marla says

    Hi! Any chance there is a substitution for sesame oil? Or would it matter too much if I just leave that out? Thank you.

  6. Hayley says

    Hi, I need some clarification on “3 cups of cooked rice”.. as in, do I cook 1.5 cups of (uncooked) rice first (which doubles in size when cooked), or do I cook 3 cups of rice (and end up with like 25000 cups of rice)?

  7. Barb Pist says

    5 stars
    I made this for the first time tonight and oh my goodness is it delicious!! I used ingredients that I had on hand – brown basmati rice, frozen corn and broccoli – and added cubed chicken and loved it! Can’t wait to try with jasmine rice, peas and carrots like the recipe states. The sauce is perfect and delicious. Didn’t take too long to prepare even with adding the chicken, which I cooked while the rice was cooking then just added the onion and garlic to the chicken – worked great!

  8. Reta says

    5 stars
    We loved this recipe! I added a bag of frozen stir fry veggies, chunks of rotisserie chicken and shrimp. This will be our go to instead of carry out fried rice. Thanks for sharing!

  9. Sheridan says

    5 stars
    We made this according to the recipe. Served with roast pork smothered in rhubarb chutney. The fried rice was a perfect side dish, although I plan to eat the leftovers cold in the morning!

  10. Margaret says

    5 stars
    This was very easy to make and really good! I had a stir fry chicken I was making to go with the rice, so needless to say, I didn’t add the chicken. I used shredded carrots because I already had them, and added frozen peas which I always have on hand. I did chop up the shredded carrots into smaller pieces. It was perfect!

  11. Keywalk says

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. Yea it taste just like takeout. Easy to recreate Chinese fried rice with few ingredients. I used long grain rice, seasoned my chicken with S%P, garlic powder and ginger. My family devoured it.

  12. Susan says

    5 stars
    I had basic long grain white rice which I used. I did not have sesame oil. However I added a few pats of butter at the end and this dish was fantastic. My family loved this rice. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to order fried rice from our local NYC restaurant!

  13. Samantha says

    hi, so what you mean is topping with the green onions and cilantro is optional? we don’t have to top with anything? Thank you

      • Samantha says

        Hi, this recipe mentions jasmine rice…I don’t have that I only have sushi rice. Can I use that instead? Also can I substitute extra virgin olive oil for vegetable oil? Also instead of frozen peas and carrots can I use a mixture of frozen peas and fresh carrots?
        Thank you so much.

      • Layne Kangas says

        I haven’t used sushi rice before, so I can’t say for sure how well it will turn out! You can substitute EVOO for the veggie oil. Yes, you can use the mix as well. Enjoy 🙂

  14. Samantha says

    Hi, this recipe mentions jasmine rice…I don’t have that I only have sushi rice. Can I use that instead? Also can I substitute extra virgin olive oil for vegetable oil? Also instead of frozen peas and carrots can I use a mixture of frozen peas and fresh carrots?
    Thank you!

  15. Pam says

    How do you add the meat to this recipe? Do you cook separately in another sauce or do you cook in pan with rice?(chicken or beef)

  16. Donna says

    5 stars
    This recipe is THE BOMB!!! Not too heavy on the soy sauce and the rest is hard to fault. It was just perfect. One ting I did differently is that I cooked my rice with about 3 cloves of minced garlic in about 2 tbsp. butter. The end result was more garlic, which we love. Next time I might add a touch of fresh ginger. ☺️

    • Layne Kangas says

      Jasmine rice is long-grain, has a sweet, nutty flavor, and has a delicious smell. You can substitute another type of rice in this recipe just fine, however! I’ve made it with brown and white rice before. Enjoy 🙂

      • Sharon C says

        5 stars
        I made this for dinner tonight and It tasted ok. I realized i forgot to buy the sesame oil. I’m Not sure how much that changed things. I think if I make it again I’ll remove the rice from the pan before cooking the egg then add the rice back in. I used my wok and made the hole for the egg but my rice kept sliding down I to the egg which resulted in egg coated rice. LOL

    • Gail. Orriskn says

      5 stars
      I had leftover chicken,rice and a Broccoli,carrot,cauliflower mix and was looking for a fried rice recipe. I’ll admit,I almost didn’t try this one because I don’t like food blogs and lengthy recipes….I like quick and to the point. So I basically skipped right to the recipe and made it. It was very good,simple,easy and delicious. I will make again!

  17. Randi says

    Love this recipe!

    Every time I attempt fried rice, my rice in the end becomes mushy and muddled, and sometimes a big sticky mess. How can I prevent this?!

    • Layne Kangas says

      It’s best to use cold, leftover rice instead of cooking the rice fresh right before making fried rice. If you are making rice specifically for this, I would suggest making the rice first and putting it in the fridge for a couple of hours before proceeding with the fried rice. Enjoy! 🙂

  18. Jen says

    5 stars
    This was a simple and tasty recipe. I eyeballed my ingredients and only wished I had added some fresh ginger for the added flavor. Delicious!

  19. Tammy Henson says

    5 stars
    I loved this recipe. I didn’t have peas or carrots on hand so I added canned corn and it was delicious. It was super easy and I’ll definitely be making this again.

  20. Megan says

    5 stars
    I made this today, but loaded up on the veggies (broccoli, red pepper, zucchini, and carrots) and it was fantastic! I made it with fresh rice and found that it was kind of mushy when hot, but when we let on leftovers cool it was the perfect fried rice consistency. This was a easy recipe and didn’t require me to go to the store. Thank you!

  21. Kathy says

    5 stars
    Very tasty, and I loved the crunch of the green onions on top! I served it with a little additional soy sauce.

  22. Katie says

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I love ginger so I added some along with black pepper and it gave it a little kick. Love it!

  23. Erin says

    5 stars
    This is the best fried rice recipe I’ve ever made! I posted it on my IG story and have tons of people asking for it!

  24. Debby says

    5 stars
    I tried this last night and amazing! Used a bunch of green onions (saving some for garnish) because out of Vidalia onions, and did add a few more peas and carrots but delicious!! And Easy!!

  25. Debby says

    5 stars
    I tried this last night and amazing! Used a bunch of green onions (saving some for garnish) because out of Vidalia onions, and did add a few more peas and carrots but delicious!!

  26. Family of 5 says

    5 stars
    Most recipes I use online are mediocre at best. Everyone has different tastes so some recipes you will have to adjust to meet your preference. This recipe is perfect the way it is and I have used it several times. The only suggestion I would make is to use kikoman soy sauce. Its a little sweeter than authentic asian style soy sauces. The only addition I would add is a meat of your choice. I have used shrimp and chicken. Both are great with this recipe.

  27. Idalia says

    5 stars
    I tried this for the first time a few weeks ago and my family loved it. I doubled the recipe and my husband and daughters said that this is the best fried rice ever. They even had seconds. He said it tasted better than the Chinese restaurant. I want to make some tonight, but I forgot to save it or print it. I was panicking. Yes it’s that good. After searching the internet for over 30 minutes, I found it. Yay. Heading to cook now! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!!

  28. vicki says

    5 stars
    loved this recipe!..easy to make and it was delicious. we will definitely keep this to make again. i used Basmati rice and avocado oil in place of sesame oil, still tasted great. hubby wanted more.

  29. Katie says

    I’m making this for supper but I only have fresh broccoli and carrots to use for vegetables. Can you suggest how long they may need to cook and at that point I should add them to the recipe? Thanks!

    • Layne Kangas says

      You could steam the broccoli and carrots for a few minutes before adding. The carrots will probably take more time than the broccoli. I wouldn’t get them fully tender so that they don’t overcook when you add to the fried rice. Enjoy!

  30. Shannon says

    5 stars
    Family loved this. Added red, yellow and orange peppers. Of all the fried rice recipes we have tried the family liked this one the best. Thank you!

  31. Juliane says

    5 stars
    Wonderful instructions with lots of room for improvising with alternatives. I didn’t have peas/carrots, so used 1/2 cup leftover steak with 3 mushrooms chopped into small pieces, 1 cup chopped frozen bokchoy, 1/2 cup corn and 1/2 cup green pepper. The best part was the combination of soya sauce and sesame oil. Yummy and more than enough to serve two adults with four more portions set aside in the freezer for future use.

  32. Sarah says

    5 stars
    Brilliant recipe and so easy to follow! Did this with Crispy Asian Chicken with Sticky Sauce and they went down a treat!!
    Thank you for sharing this.

  33. Keith says

    5 stars
    I Used this recipe as a guide to compliment leftover Chinese food. I used the vegetables I had at hand such as fresh green beans and mushrooms. The leftovers had broccoli, onions, and carrots. In addition to the soy and sesame oil I used some spicy chili crisp to give it a slight kick. It turned out well and my wife was pleased which makes everything worthwhile.

  34. Kelly says

    5 stars
    So easy and yummy! I added chicken and used bachmans Japanese bbq sauce instead of soy and sesame oil. So good!!!

  35. Jack says

    5 stars
    Probably didn’t follow the steps exactly and made several substitutions, but its a flexible recipe. Rough amounts are correct and times are about right. Works well with a little cooking sense. I’m sure following word for word would be good too.

  36. Kathi says

    5 stars
    My favorite fried rice recipe. We always use our leftover white rice when we order Chinese to make this. Easy and delicious!

  37. Peggy Counts says

    5 stars
    I always look forward to and print your many recipes! Thanks for sharing them, they are delicious! Appreciate it!

  38. Mandy says

    5 stars
    This was so good! I made it as a side and followed the recipe exactly! You definitely can play with veggies. I will be making this again and adding chicken as a main dish! I think this would be a good side to bring to a holiday!!!!

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