Best Fried Rice Recipe
One-pan delicious homemade fried rice that is better than take out. Made with jasmine rice but you can use basmati or white rice, too.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 612kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups day old jasmine rice cooked according to package directions and chilled overnight
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided (1 tablespoon to cook the vegetables and 1 tablespoon to cook the rice)
- ½ cup diced sweet yellow onion
- 1 cup frozen vegetables peas and carrots combination
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions garnish
Instructions
- In a large (12-inch) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon canola oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for 1 minute before adding the frozen vegetables and garlic. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the onions are translucent, the frozen vegetables have warmed through completely, and the garlic is fragrant.
- Push the cooked vegetables to the side of the skillet, pour the lightly beaten eggs into the clear side of the skillet and allow the eggs to cook and scramble until no wet egg remains. Allowing the eggs to sit undisturbed for 30-45 seconds, or until the edges start to firm, before you start to scramble them, will ensure that the eggs do not stick to the hot skillet. Push the scrambled eggs to the side of the skillet with the cooked vegetables.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil and sesame oil to the clean side of the skillet.
- Transfer the chilled rice into the skillet on top of the hot oil then lightly mix the vegetables and egg into the rice, being sure to break apart any large lumps of chilled rice. Season the rice with salt and black pepper.
- Allow the rice to sit undisturbed in the hot skillet for 2 minutes or until you start to hear the sizzle of the rice frying. This will help to get that signature “fried rice” texture. Continue to cook the rice, stirring occasionally to prevent burning and sticking, for 7-8 minutes or until the rice is lightly fried and heated through completely.
- Pour in the soy sauce, stirring to fully coat the fried rice and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until all the soy sauce has been absorbed into the rice.
- Transfer the fried rice to a serving bowl and garnish with the sliced green onions before serving.
Notes
- Prepare the jasmine rice according to package directions (to yield 3 cups total cooked rice). Transfer the rice to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place into the refrigerator, uncovered, overnight to chill and dry thoroughly before using.
- Cold dry rice will yield the best results for this fried rice recipe. Day old rice, that has been refrigerated overnight, works best. However, you can speed up the chilling process, to make this dish in a few hours, by placing the tray of cooked rice into the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or in the freezer for 30-60 minutes to chill and dry thoroughly.
- Frozen pre-cooked jasmine rice can also be used as a shortcut ingredient in this recipe. It may take 3-4 more minutes to fully cook and warm through but will yield the same final results as the chilled day old rice.
- Jasmine rice is used in this recipe because it holds its shape while maintaining a softer texture when cooked and cooled. Other long-grain white rice varieties can be substituted however, they will yield slightly different results. Basmati rice for example, will yield a firmer texture that is slightly drier when fried. Standard long-grain white rice will yield a stickier, fluffier rice when cooked and cooled. It tends to clump more when fried.
- If using standard soy sauce (not the low-sodium called for in the recipe), you may want to reduce the amount of salt added to rice to prevent your finished fried rice from tasting too salty.
- Your favorite blend of frozen vegetables can be substituted for the peas and carrots combination used for this recipe. Do not add more than 1 cup of frozen vegetables.
- The canola oil can be substituted with peanut oil, avocado oil, or any oil that can handle high heat.
- If adding a protein (shrimp, chicken, or pork) to your fried rice, you will want to cook it in the skillet then transfer to a clean plate before proceeding with the fried rice recipe. Once the fried rice is fully cooked, you can transfer the cooked protein to the skillet and lightly toss to combine with the fried rice before serving.
- For best results, be sure to use a non-stick skillet or well seasoned cast iron skillet. Rice sticks to a stainless steel skillet in the small amount of oil called for in this recipe. If using stainless steel, be sure to preheat properly and add extra oil to the skillet if needed when frying the rice to avoid sticking.
- This fried rice is best served immediately. Leftovers, once cooled completely, can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This fried rice can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months, thawed completely in the refrigerator before reheating in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
- If you'd like to add a protein, you're looking for my chicken fried rice.
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
