Simple and tasty fried rice takes just a few minutes to make.
I used to feel like fried rice was too complicated for me to make properly. When I tried to make it the rice would stick to the pan, or it would taste bland, or be way too soggy. A lot of trail and error went into making this recipe and now it's my go-to. There are a few things you need to know about making really good fried rice and today I'm sharing them with you.
Rule 1- Use cold leftover/day old long grain rice. Why day old long grain rice? Because it has the right texture and moisture level for making the perfect friend rice. Using it allows you to add in your flavored sauces without creating a soggy mess. The day old long gain can absorb a bit of moisture without becoming sticky, allowing you to have flavorful and tender fried rice.
And why long gain over short? Starch content. Short gain rices tend not to dry out as much, even as day old rice, and the starches clump them together. Clumpy rice = yucky fried rice.
I make extra rice, knowing I'll be making fried rice the next day or I will make a pot of rice for the sole purpose of using it for friend rice the next day. I just let my rice cooker pot cool before I put the pot of rice in the fridge.
Rule 2- Have all the ingredients prepped before you start cooking. Fried rice cooks fast and you won't have time to scramble those eggs or cut up that green onion between stirs unless you want to risk having burnt rice.
Rule 3- Have fun adding whatever veggies you want. I don't like peas so I don't add them. I add celery instead. You can add whatever vegetable you desire, but keep moisture content in mind. If you wanna add kimchi , use less chicken stock to compensate for the liquid that the kimchi will add.
Next time you have leftover rice, save it and try this recipe the next day. You'll thank yourself.
PrintSimple Fried Rice
Quick and easy Fried rice full of veggies, ham, and eggs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
- 3 TBS Butter
- 2 Eggs (Scrambled)
- 2 TBS Onion oil (Can sub in avocado oil)
- ½ cup Ham diced (I used a few slices of lunch meat but a ham steak would work well too)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
- 1 Large Carrot (Diced)
- 2 Stalks Celery (Diced)
- 2 Green onions (Diced)
- 3 cups Day old rice (Long grain (like basmati) work the best)
- 4 TBS Chicken stock
- 3 TBS Coco aminos (Can sub with gluten free soy sauce)
Instructions
- Prep all the ingredients and have them ready to go.
- In a non-stick skillet or Wok melt 1 TBS butter over medium heat. Once butter has melted add in the egg's and scramble them. Once eggs are done remove them from the pan and set them aside (do not over cook them).
- Add the remaining butter and onion oil to the pan and turn the heat up to med-hi.
- When the pan is hot add in the ham and garlic. Allow this to cook for a minute, letting the ham get a tiny bit brown and letting the garlic start to cook. Then add the carrots, celery and green onion. Cook this for a few minutes before moving to the next step. Stir occasionally to allow the veggies to soften but not burn.
- Add the day old rice to the pan and pour the chicken stock and coco aminos over the top. Stir to combine and allow to fry up, string occasionally. Once the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is getting golden brown, add the egg in and toss to combine.
- Serve while still warm.
Notes
While a large non-stick pan can work in a pinch, it's best to use a Wok when frying up your fried rice. I recommend this one.
This recipe also calls for Onion oil. If you haven't made it yet (check out the recipe here) you can substitute it with a neutral flavored oil like Avocado oil.
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Keywords: comfort food, Fried rice, Gluten free
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