Easy Fried Rice with Egg

It’s so easy to make delicious fried rice with egg at home. You only need a handful of ingredients, which you can find in any grocery store, and it’s a great way to use up leftovers.

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My 8-year-old daughter knows good food. When her favorite Italian wedding soup was discontinued a few years ago, I was inspired to create my own version, which has become a staple in our house (and the most popular recipe on this blog to date).

Recently she’s adopted a new favorite: fried rice. The first time she tried it a local restaurant, she was immediately hooked. She’s had it at many different restaurants since then, but the fried rice near our house has remained #1.

So, just like with the wedding soup, I decided to take a stab at making her favorite fried rice at home. It’s the perfect simple dinner to add to my repertoire because:

1. it’s inexpensive
2. it’s quick
3. it’s a “one skillet” meal
4. we all like it
5. AND it’s customizable. You can swap in/out any protein or veggies you like, making it a fantastic way to use up leftovers.

Another thing I discovered when I made my own fried rice is that it’s a lot healthier than I realized. The word “fried” always led me to believe that the rice was drowned in oil, but in my homemade version I only used two tablespoons of canola oil for several cups of rice. And adding scrambled eggs gives it a great texture, and an inexpensive way to add protein.

After I made this fried rice the other night, my daughter declared my version her new #1. If you knew how particular she is about her fried rice, you’d know that’s a huge and hard-won compliment!

Since my fried rice won such rave reviews, and it was such an easy recipe, I decided that it needed to go on the blog.

Do you need a wok to cook fried rice?

The first time I made it, I used a regular stainless steel skillet because we didn’t own a wok. The end result came out tasting great, but I did have a hard time preventing the rice from sticking, and clean-up was a bit of a pain.

Once I realized that fried rice was going to be our new weeknight staple, I did decide to buy this inexpensive wok, and it made the cooking process MUCH easier the next time around.

For $25, I thought the wok was a worthwhile investment since I’ll be cooking fried rice often, and I also enjoy making chicken stir-fry and other Asian dishes.

So the short answer to the question is: sort of. I wouldn’t go out and buy a wok just to make this dish…a large non-stick skillet should work fine. But if you DO plan on cooking fried rice, stir-fry, or Asian noodle dishes with any regularity, then a wok will make your life a whole lot easier.

Before I get to the printable recipe, there are a few cooking notes I want to share.

What type of rice is best for making fried rice?

Fried rice can be made with regular long-grain white rice, but the rice needs to be COLD before you cook it. So if you’re planning to make fried rice, either cook the rice a day or two ahead, or cook it in the morning and put it in the fridge until dinnertime. You can also use leftover rice from a restaurant or take-out order if you have some on hand.

Ingredient substitutions:

There are lots of substitutions you can make in this recipe. You can swap white rice with brown, you can use any sort of protein you like (chicken, shrimp, pork, steak, tofu, or a combination), and you can add in a wide variety of veggies. I prefer to buy the frozen pea/carrot mixture because that’s what was in my daughter’s favorite restaurant version, but you could also use corn, green beans, edamame, broccoli, or anything else you have in your freezer or fridge.

You can also choose to omit the sesame oil if you prefer your fried rice without sesame oil.

If you like your fried rice with spice:

If you like a little heat, drizzle some sriracha over your finished fried rice before serving. It’s a delicious way to add flavor and spice.

Easy Fried Rice

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: chinese food, meatless monday recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 572 kcal

This easy fried rice with egg only uses a handful of ingredients, yet has all of the deliciousness of your favorite restaurant's fried rice.

Print

Ingredients

• 4.5 c cooked cold white rice 1.5 c uncooked
• 1/3 c soy sauce divided
• 1 green onion chopped
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1 c frozen pea & carrot mixture
• 3 tbsp canola oil divided
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1.5 c cooked chicken, pork or shrimp optional

Instructions

1. Heat a skillet or wok to medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp canola oil. When oil is warm, add the eggs and cook, scrambling. Remove to a platter and set aside.
2. Cook frozen pea and carrot mixture according to package directions until just barely cooked.*
3. In skillet or wok, heat to medium-high. Add 2 tbsp canola oil.
4. When oil is hot, add cold rice and 1/4 cup of soy sauce. Stir constantly with wooden spoon until rice is evenly coated in soy sauce and hot, adding more oil if necessary to prevent sticking.

5. Add meat/seafood (if using), cooked egg, chopped scallions, peas and carrots and sesame oil. Stir until everything is combined and hot.

6. Add more soy sauce to taste as needed.
7. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

*I prefer to microwave the veggies so that they're just slightly undercooked, and can finish cooking quickly in the wok/skillet. My package said to microwave for 4-6 minutes, and I cooked for 3.5 minutes.

*If you want to add some heat, drizzle sriracha over the fried rice before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Fried Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 572 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3g 5%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 81mg 27%

Sodium 759mg 32%

Potassium 276mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates 115g 38%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 1g

Protein 15g 30%

Vitamin A 6.5%

Vitamin C 12.2%

Calcium 6%

Iron 12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.