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Chinese

Tomato Egg Rice

Eggs scramble first, then tomatoes cook down and fold back through warm rice. It is a Chinese home-style plate that takes about 20 minutes and uses a couple of ripe tomatoes.

Prep
8 min
Cook
12 min
Total
20 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
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Tomato egg rice with scallions in a skillet.

Why you’ll love it

  • Eggs and tomatoes are the sauce.
  • Rice you already cooked makes it fast.
  • A pinch of sugar balances a sharp tomato.
  • It is inexpensive and still tastes like a recipe, not leftovers tossed together.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

Rough grocery estimate for the full recipe: about $6–9 at a typical US supermarket. Prices vary by store, region, and season.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Beat the eggs with the salt.

  2. 2

    Scramble them in 1 tbsp oil over medium-high until just set. Move them out while they are still soft.

  3. 3

    Add the remaining oil and the tomatoes. Cook 4 minutes, until they collapse. Stir in the sugar.

  4. 4

    Add the rice, soy sauce, and pepper. Toss until hot.

  5. 5

    Fold the eggs back in.

  6. 6

    Finish with scallions.

Pro tips

  • Pull the eggs early. They finish warming in the rice.
  • Very ripe tomatoes need less cooking. Firm ones need the full 4 minutes.
  • Break up cold rice before it hits the pan.

Easy substitutions

Soy sauce
Tamari for gluten-free.
Fresh tomatoes
1 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained a little.
Scallions
A few cilantro leaves.

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Reheating

Warm in a skillet with a few drops of oil until the grains loosen.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
320
Protein
12 g
Carbs
42 g
Fat
12 g
Fiber
2 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop · Vegetarian, Dairy-Free

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients