Chinese
Vegetable Fried Rice
Cold rice is fried with egg, peas, carrots, garlic, and ginger in a hot skillet. Soy sauce and sesame oil season the grains without a meat stock.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 27 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Cold, dry rice fries into separate grains. Freshly cooked rice steams and clumps.
- Eggs scrambled in the same pan coat the rice so it tastes rich without meat.
- A wide skillet, not a crowded pot, lets the rice toast instead of stew.
- Sesame oil goes in at the end so the heat does not burn off the aroma.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Break up the cold cooked white rice with your fingers so there are no large clumps.
- 2
Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the eggs and scramble them until just set. Move the eggs to a plate.
- 3
Add the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Cook the carrots for 2 minutes. Add the peas, garlic, and ginger and cook 1 minute.
- 4
Add the rice and spread it in the skillet. Let it sit 30 seconds so the bottom toasts, then toss.
- 5
Pour in the soy sauce and toss until the rice is evenly colored. Season with the kosher salt and black pepper.
- 6
Return the eggs to the skillet. Drizzle with the sesame oil and fold in the scallions.
- 7
Serve hot.
Pro tips
- If the rice is sticky, spread it on a sheet pan for 10 minutes so the surface dries before frying.
- Do not add a splash of water. Moisture is what makes fried rice gummy.
- Taste the salt after the soy sauce. Some soy sauces are salty enough on their own.
Easy substitutions
- Soy sauce
- Tamari
- Peas and carrots
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- White rice
- Cold cooked brown rice, fried a minute longer
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container up to 4 days.
Reheating
Warm in a skillet over medium heat with a teaspoon of oil, tossing, until hot. A microwave works if you break up the clumps halfway through.
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
- 393
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop · Vegetarian
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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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