Better Than Take-Out Fried Rice

Make this simple one-pan Better Than Take-Out Fried Rice recipe for a delicious side dish to go with a range of meals.

Table of Contents

Best Fried Rice Recipe Ingredients
How to make Fried Rice
Fried Rice Recipe Substitutions And Additions
How to serve this Easy Fried Rice Recipe
Storing Homemade Fried Rice
Easy Fried Rice FAQs
More Recipes You’ll Love
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.

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.

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.

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.

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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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Best Fried Rice Recipe

5 from 82 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

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

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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

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

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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Layne Kangas Marketing
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Homemade Fried Rice (Better Than Take-Out)