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Prep 3 minutesmins
Cook 7 minutesmins
Total 10 minutesmins
If you love eggs and rice, this dish was made for you. Egg fried rice uses easy everyday pantry staple ingredients for the tastiest most satisfying meal.
Egg fried rice is so incredibly delicious and takes less than 10 minutes to make! The combination of fluffy, lightly seasoned white rice paired with softly scrambled eggs, soy sauce, and minced green onions is so satisfying. The secret to getting the fluffiest rice is to use day-old refrigerated rice.
This easy fried rice is a household staple popular in both Chinese and Taiwanese cuisines. This simple fried rice is made with day-old white jasmine rice, eggs, salt, white pepper, soy sauce, green onion, and a hint of chicken bouillon powder.
This dish can also be customized to include vegetables and proteins like shrimp, pork, beef, or chicken. This recipe is incredibly versatile and can be served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Garnish your bowl with some garlic chili oil for the perfect finish.
Ingredients
You can find all the ingredients for this recipe at your local grocery store. Full measurements and links to everything I used are listed in the recipe card below.
Eggs: are the star ingredient! Use fresh, high quality eggs for the best flavor.
Day-old Jasmine White Rice: Be sure to use rice that has been cooked in a rice cooker or on the stove for at least 24 hours and stored in the refrigerator. The refrigerator dries out the rice, which allows it to absorb the sauces without getting too clumpy and mushy. You will use day-old rice with any fried rice recipe, like in Thai fried rice and spam fried rice.
Green Onions: are the main aromatics.
Light Soy Sauce: adds a subtle umami, salty flavor to the fried rice.
Salt and White Pepper: to season the eggs and rice.
Chicken Bouillon Powder: is the sneaky ingredient that adds a savory finish.
Substitutions and Additions
Substitutions
Soy sauce alternatives: tamari or coconut aminos are gluten-free soy sauce alternatives.
MSG: an alternative for chicken bouillon powder.
Black pepper: a substitute for white pepper.
Additions
Protein: cooked beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu.
Vegetables: frozen green beans, peas, carrots and corn for added nutrients.
Spice: fresh chili peppers, Chinese chili oil, sambal oelek, chili flakes, or sriracha can add more heat to the fried rice.
Sauces and seasonings: for additional flavors, add fish sauce, dark soy sauce, and/or oyster sauce.
Garlic and Ginger: for more aromatics, you can add minced garlic and ginger as well.
How to Make
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this easy 10-minute recipe.
In a small mixing bowl, gently whisk together the eggs and salt until just combined. In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat until hot. Once the pan is hot, add the eggs and scramble them until mostly set and glossy on top.
Then add the day-old rice on top of the eggs, toss to combine. Cook until the rice is heated through.
Next, add the green onion, light soy sauce, salt, white pepper, and chicken bouillon powder. And toss until everything is combined.
Transfer the fried rice into individual bowls or a large serving plate. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Use day-old rice. To prevent your rice from becoming mushy, cook it at least 24 hours before and store it in the refrigerator. This will slightly dry out the rice, allowing it be able to be tossed in a wok without getting mushy.
Have all the ingredients prepped. The cooking process is fast when you begin, so having all your ingredients measured, prepped, and near your cooking station will guarantee a successful cook.
Try not to overcook the eggs. When you scramble your eggs, make sure to cook them until they are holding together with a touch of moisture and runniness at the top of the eggs before adding in the rice.
Use a wok. A wok is the ideal pan because its high sides conduct heat evenly and prevent the rice from falling out when you toss it.
Storage Instructions
You can store this dish in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheat: You can cook any leftovers in a wok or skillet over medium heat until warm, or microwave covered with a wet paper towel until warm. Sprinkle a few drops of water to restore moisture to the rice.
Freeze: You can freeze the fried rice in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Pairing Suggestions
This Chinese fried rice can be served on its own for lunch or dinner as a complete meal, or you can serve it with the following pairing suggestions.
Day-old rice is recommended to avoid mushy rice. However, you can make this recipe without day-old rice by using less water when cooking the rice, laying the rice out on a baking sheet when cooked, and storing it in the freezer for at least 1 hour to dry out and cool slightly.
Can I add vegetables and protein to this?
Yes! You can add vegetables such as frozen green beans, carrots and corn, and protein such as cooked chicken, beef, pork, tofu or shrimp.
Can you freeze fried rice?
Yes! You can freeze this fried rice in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.
If you love eggs and rice, this dish is perfect for you. This easy fried rice uses simple, everyday pantry staple ingredients to create the tastiest and most satisfying meal.
Scramble the eggs. In a small mixing bowl, gently whisk together the eggs and salt until just combined. In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat until hot. Once the pan is hot, add the eggs and wait until the bottom is lightly set. Then scramble the eggs until mostly set and lightly runny.
Add rice. Then add the day-old rice on top of the eggs, toss to combine, and break up the rice clumps as much as possible. Cook until the rice is heated through, about 3-4 minutes.
Add green onion and seasonings. Next, add the green onion, light soy sauce, salt, white pepper, and chicken bouillon powder. And toss until everything is combined and the rice is evenly coated.
Serve. Transfer into individual bowls or a large serving plate. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
This is a wonderful base recipe. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. I cooked garlic, ginger, cauliflower & celery together, I squeezed in a whole lime. Then added the rice, egg & left over roasted chicken. Then soy, sesame oil & white pepper. No salt added because there is enough salt in the soy I use. It was very yummy and very easy. Thank you
This is a wonderful base recipe. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. I cooked garlic, ginger, cauliflower & celery together, I squeezed in a whole lime. Then added the rice, egg & left over roasted chicken. Then soy, sesame oil & white pepper. No salt added because there is enough salt in the soy I use. It was very yummy and very easy. Thank you
I’m so glad you love it!