January 31, 2024
Review PostHomemade Fried Rice (Better Than Take-Out)
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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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.
Check out the fried rice recipe that has been pinned over a million times on Pinterest!
Best Fried Rice Ingredients
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.
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 Make Fried Rice Recipe
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.
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.
STEP FIVE: Scramble the eggs in the middle of the pan. Once the eggs are cooked, stir the cooked egg into the rice.
STEP SIX: Mix soy sauce and sesame oil together and pour over rice. Stir until rice is evenly coated with sauce.
STEP SEVEN: To serve this fried rice, top with chopped green onions. You could even use cilantro and toasted sesame seeds as additional toppings.
How To Serve This Recipe For Fried Rice
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.
MORE RICE RECIPES
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.
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.
Best Fried Rice Recipe FAQ
Can I freeze fried rice?
This easy fried rice recipe freezes well. Cool and place in an airtight container for easy reheating later.
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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Fried Rice Recipe
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
Have You Tried This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @spaceshipslb
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Comments
Hannah Griffin says
This really is better than takeout and my kids love it!
Rae says
I love homemade fried rice with chicken stir-fry
Tin Lopez says
Very delicious! I will recommend it to my friends!
Vonnie says
Does T equal teaspoon or tablespoon?
Layne Henderson says
Hi, Vonnie – tablespoon! We hope you enjoy!
Kim~madeinaday says
Definitely looks better than takeout! Yum! Thanks for the recipe! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
treena says
No lie this actually is better than take out fried rice. I added chicken to ours and it was a great meal!
Sandy says
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.
Treena says
Wonderful recipe. I added chicken and corn and the whole family were quite happy with dinner.
Layne Kangas says
We absolutely LOVE this fried rice – it’s SO easy to make and has the best flavor. I also like adding extra eggs, chicken or beef and it’s so yummy!
Carllene says
What if yout don’t have sesame seed oil
Layne Kangas says
Most light oils will work (light olive, peanut, canola, sunflower as a substitution! Enjoy 🙂
Ashley says
How does the raw chicken and rice cook in only 3 minutes ?
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 🙂
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!
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!
Colleen says
The easiest recipe to follow! Made it with jasmine rice also. Love it better than white rice for sure!
Vicky says
Best fried rice ever! The rice is better before you begin if it’s a little dried out.
Lisa says
Delicious and easy
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.
Layne Kangas says
Yes, you could use olive oil instead if you don’t have sesame oil on hand. Enjoy 🙂
Martha Culp says
Best fried rice I’ve ever had!!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Gwen says
Yum. I made this recipe tonight. My husband and I really enjoyed it. And so easy to make!
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)?
Layne Kangas says
You need to use three cups of cooked rice for the recipe, so you would need to follow the directions on the box to make sure of the ratio you need to use to get that. Enjoy!
Hayley says
Thanks 😊
Barb Pist says
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!
Reta says
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!
Sheridan says
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!
Margaret says
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!
Valerie says
Delicious!
Keywalk says
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.
Peg says
Absolutely amazing! We love this rice! We have it about once a week!
Justin says
Is that one cup each of carrots and 1 cup of peas? Or 1 cup mixture of peas/carrots
Layne Kangas says
It’s one cup of the mix. You could always add more if you want – there is no wrong way to do it! 🙂 Enjoy!!
Chris & Jamie Brackney says
AHHH MAZING! Thank you!
Char says
Loved this recipe. Thank you so much. It was easy and I used it to stuff roasted acorn squash
Traci Arkle says
Can you freeze this recipe?
Layne Kangas says
Yes!
Natalie J says
Family Favorite! The recipe was right on! I suggest garlic teriyaki sauce opposed to or in addition to the soy sauce. We love garlic in our house.
Susan says
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!
Mojoblogs says
This is perfect! Better than takeouts and you can make it more healthy by adding other ingredients of your choice. Thanks for sharing you awesome recipe.
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
Layne Kangas says
You don’t have to top with anything if you don’t want to – but the green onions and cilantro were a suggestion if you’d like to add them. Enjoy 🙂
Samantha says
hello, looks yummy! I found some sweet onions, are sweet onions the same as vidalia onions?
Layne Kangas says
They are very similar, so you can use sweet onions in this recipe! Enjoy 🙂
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 🙂
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!
Rena says
This fried rice really was better than take out! Highly recommend this. Thanks for the recipe!
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)
Layne Kangas says
Yes, I cook separately and then add whatever meat we are having in! Enjoy 🙂
Donna says
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. ☺️
Sharon C says
I’ve never used jasmine rice. Does it have a different flavor than long grain white rice?
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
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
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!
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! 🙂
Jen says
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!
Ellie says
So easy and family loves it! I add extra veggies and use coconut aminos instead of soy.
Angkhana says
Turned out great! Family loved it and it was super easy!
Tammy Henson says
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.
Tonya says
We love this recipe! For protein add chicken. Yummm.
Gloria says
One of the best meals!!!!!
Megan says
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!
Kathy says
Very tasty, and I loved the crunch of the green onions on top! I served it with a little additional soy sauce.
Katie says
Great recipe! I love ginger so I added some along with black pepper and it gave it a little kick. Love it!
Erin says
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!
Karht says
Very good and very easy. Added some pork and had pork fried rice.
Nancy Lilly says
Love this recipe and so does my family. So easy to make!
Patti B. says
Love this recipe. Tastes great! Added some chicken. Perfect!
Armand says
I made this tonight with Basmati rice!
It was a HUGE hit at dinner time!
Thank you so much!!!
Pat says
Making this for the 2nd time my whole family loves it & it’s so easy@
Debby says
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!!
Debby says
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!!
Family of 5 says
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.
Idalia says
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!!
vicki says
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.
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!
Shannon says
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!
Robert says
Made the fried rice today for our dinner not much left everyone loved it awesome recipe thanks
Linda says
I added chicken to it and it was good.
Juliane says
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.
Luella says
I served it with sweet and sour meat balls.
Family enjoyed it.
it was very good
Sarah says
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.
sue says
really good!!
sue says
really good!!
sue says
really good!!
Keith says
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.
Linda says
Quick and easy and tastes delicious 😋
Sonia says
Added bean sprouts and shrimp and it was deeeeelicious!
Kelly says
So easy and yummy! I added chicken and used bachmans Japanese bbq sauce instead of soy and sesame oil. So good!!!
Melissa says
This came out better than any restaurant
Denise says
Easy to make and delicious. Will definitely be making this again.
Lynnmp says
Very good added small corns
Made the jasmine rice day earlier
Definitely will make again
Jack says
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.
Isabel says
Made this tonight. It was delicious. We all enjoyed enjoyed it. Thank you.
Kathi says
My favorite fried rice recipe. We always use our leftover white rice when we order Chinese to make this. Easy and delicious!
Karen says
I love this recipe and have made it several times.
Hayley Brown says
Made this today with some leftover sticky white rice – super simple and turned out delicious!
Sue Wendt says
This was simply delicious!!! And easy to make.
JMeeks says
Easy and delicious! Just as good as any restaurant fried rice!
Sherri says
I made this twice now. Really love it. Thanks for the recipe–
Lori says
Super easy, fast and really good.
Peggy Counts says
I always look forward to and print your many recipes! Thanks for sharing them, they are delicious! Appreciate it!
Karen Clapham says
So easy to make and sooo Good!!
Deborah Yokoi says
My favorite fried rice
Jamie Cowan says
Yum!!!!!!
Ree says
Delicious! I added chicken and my husband loved it.
Dj says
Really good!!
Thank you
Ladydi says
Very good thank you 😊
Christal W says
just made.it.and.its.bomb!!!
Kat Lofts says
Delish! And super easy to make.
Patricia E. Demers says
Great recipe! I used precooked rice and added shrimp and more soy sauce and oyster sauce.
Dorothy says
Awesome fried rice recipe, will be my go to recipe going forward. Highly recommend.
J says
Awesome recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Mandy says
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!!!!