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My delicious and easy Egg Fried Rice recipe is made with simple, easy to customize ingredients. This better than takeout dinner is ready in just 20 minutes!
Egg Fried Rice has protein, veggies, and carbs all in one meal so you don’t even need sides. However, we do like to serve egg fried rice with Asian-inspired dinners like Crockpot Orange Chicken or Honey Lemon Chicken and Green Beans.
Why I Love This Meal
I love this recipe because it’s simple to make with ingredients I always have on hand and it’s incredibly easy to customize. It’s a lot cheaper and tastier than take-out and only takes 20 minutes to make.
Fried Rice can be made with scrambled egg, and sometimes I add chicken, pork or even bacon to my fried rice recipes! I have been stir-frying this recipe for at least 15 years, and it’s one of my family’s favorite meals for nights when I have no meals planned.
The Best Rice for Egg Fried Rice
I prefer Jasmine rice with it’s long grains, but any type of long-grained rice will do. What is more important about the rice is that it’s day-old rice, and chilled.
Day-Old Rice
Fried Rice is the best way to repurpose rice that was cooked with a meal a day or two earlier because it’s had time to dry out. Let it cool, store in an airtight container, and you’ll be ready to go. Avoid using fresh rice because there will be a lot of moisture, resulting in a sticky, mushy rice.
However, if you decide on a whim that it’s fried rice night but you don’t have any pre-cooked, you can use this little trick. Cook some rice and spread it onto rimmed baking sheets. Let it air out for a couple of hours then chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- Eggs – Lightly whisked in a bowl.
- Butter – Used in several parts of the recipe, so I like to keep a stick nearby, cut into 1-tablespoon pats, in case I need extra.
- Onion – Diced.
- Garlic Cloves – Fresh is best, but I always keep a jar of minced garlic on hand.
- Frozen peas and carrots – You can also use fresh veggies, but they will need extra time to saute.
- Corn – Fresh, frozen or canned. If using fresh you’ll need to cook it first.
- White Rice – Day-old rice, cooked and chilled. The type of rice isn’t as important. Leftovers work the best.
- Soy sauce – Add as much or as little as you want. I highly recommend using a low-sodium variety.
- Freshly cracked black pepper – This is an important ingredient for flavor, at least in my family. We love the extra bite it provides.
- Sesame seeds and sliced green onions – optional, for garnish
Step by Step Instructions
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
When I say simple, I mean, seriously as simple as it gets. Grab a nonstick deep skillet or Wok and let’s make some egg fried rice!
Scramble some eggs in tiny bit of oil or butter. Remove them from the pan and set aside on a plate or in a bowl.
Add a bit more oil or butter to the skillet and saute some onions. I like to keep my onions diced pretty small so my kids don’t have to pick them out, because they can’t even see them. Let the onions cook until they’re soft; about 3 minutes.
Add some thawed frozen veggies and some minced garlic to the pan. Heck you could even toss them in frozen. I add some butter at this point because it helps to flavor the veggies. You could easily swap the frozen for fresh, or add things like bok choy, broccoli or bean sprouts.
Add cold rice to the skillet and stir it with a flat wooden spatula. Fry rice until it’s completely heated through, stirring a few times to heat evenly. Don’t worry if you get a few rice clumps – they are my favorite part!
Once the rice is heated through you can add black pepper, soy sauce and sesame seeds until you have an umami taste you love, then serve right away.
Storage and Reheating
I think this rice is even better the next day!
Storage: Make sure to refrigerate the rice as soon as possible after serving, and store it in a sealed, airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days or freeze for 3-4 months. If your rice has been sitting out more than two hours, discard it.
Reheating: If frozen, thaw the rice in the fridge first. To reheat fried rice, microwave on high until it’s piping hot, stirring a few times. I will sometimes toss a wet paper towel over the bowl so the steam can help to rehydrate the rice without adding too much moisture. You can also reheat in a skillet on the stove with a little bit of olive oil or butter if you want to get a few crispy bits.
FAQs
The easiest way to add eggs to rice is the cook the scrambled egg first in the skillet, then transfer it to a plate until you’re ready to add it. Then cook the veggies and add the rice. Once the rice is mixed in, you can add the egg.
I have also been known to cook the veggies, add the rice, and then push everything aside and make a hole in the center and just cook the egg there. It’s really all just a matter of preference. Or you could go really crazy and just add a fried egg to the top of your rice bowl.
For stir-frying, canola oil or vegetable oil are neutral oils that don’t add any flavor. Olive oil is usually my preference to work with, though, because it’s a little healthier. Any oil that can withstand high heat is good to use. You can also stir fry in oyster sauce.
Expert Tips
- Use butter instead of oil. I make this dish pretty regularly, and I often switch up using butter or olive oil. Hands down rice made with real butter has the best flavor. If you prefer, you can use olive oil or canola oil, or a combination of both.
- Vegetarian Fried Rice: Feel free to omit the egg and just add tons of veggies like bell peppers, bean sprouts and green onions. This recipe is a great way to use up whatever is leftover in the fridge. Any veggies will need to be sauteed and fully cooked before adding to the rice.
- Protein variations: You can use this same method to make Ham Fried Rice, Chicken Fried Rice or Pork Fried Rice.
- What can I use instead of white rice? Cooked basmati rice, jasmine rice, brown rice or quinoa can easily replace the white rice.
- Freshly-cooked rice – If you don’t have chilled rice, you can make some fresh. Once cooked, spread it out on a baking sheet to cook quickly. In a pinch you can use fresh, hot rice, it just won’t have the same sticky texture.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Beef and Broccoli
- Kung Pao Chicken
- The Best Copycat Bang Bang Shrimp
- Korean Short Ribs
- Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
- Pan Fried Noodles
Egg Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 4 Large eggs whisked lightly
- 5 tablespoons Butter divided
- 1 Small onion diced
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 cups Frozen peas and carrots thawed
- 1 cup Frozen corn thawed
- 4-5 cups Day-old white rice fully cooked and chilled
- 3 tablespoons Low sodium soy sauce more or less, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Freshly cracked black pepper more or less, to taste
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil
- Whisk in the eggs and cook, stirring often, until set. Transfer to a plate.
- Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, along with a tablespoon of butter. Add onion and cook until translucent; about 2 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add another tablespoon of butter to the pan and stir in vegetables.
- Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the center of the pan, then add the cold rice to the skillet and begin tossing with the vegetables, break up the rice as you go.
- Add the egg and continue tossing and stirring to combine everything together.
- Press the rice down into the pan to lightly brown it. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes – you'll hear popping and sizzling. Stir and repeat a few times until you have plenty of bits of crispy fried rice throughout. You may need two spatulas to fully turn the rice.
- Remove from heat, then stir in a few tablespoons of soy sauce. Use more or less based on your liking.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use any veggies you like; fresh instead of frozen, broccoli, bok choy, bean sprouts, etc.
- Use any protein you like; chicken, pork, bacon, etc.
- Cooked brown rice or quinoa could also be used.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
SO delicious AND easy! My entire family loved this, and we have some very picky eaters. This is becoming our stand-by!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Joy.
I don’t even like eggs but need to improve my protein intake and this was a very delicious little breakfast, light and nutritious. Definitely a keeper. Thank you so much
You are so welcome Beatriz! Thanks for stopping by.
This was excellent, easy to make, fried rice. I’ve tried several fried rice recipes in the past and they were always a disappointment. This recipe was fantastic. So easy and the instructions were simple to follow. I loved that there were no specialty ingriedents required. Everything you need is most likely already in your panty. I followed the recipe exactly as written and it tasted great but I can see where you can add pretty much any protein or veggie you want and it will work. This is a keeper.
Hi Lorrie, thank you so much for the awesome feedback. Glad it’s a keeper!
Another super easy fried rice would be to whisk your eggs. Combine with rice and veggies. Stir fry in wok. Toss in your seasoning choices in the last minute or two when the rice is light, fluffy and evenly mixed with veggies, stir fry to mix well. Grab your plate and enjoy!
OMG! I opened up this posting this morning and thought I would make and hold for stir fry tomorrow, but it smelled so good, I ate half for breakfast! What an outstanding recipe! To be able to add any kind of protein is a plus. I will be making this often! Thanks so much for posting your creation!
You are so welcome Wendy! Thanks for the awesome feedback.
I love your recipes and the simplicity of them.
If you ever created a cookbook , I’d be your first buyer!
That was such a nice comment Linda! Thank you so much for stopping by.
Hi Kistin,
Recalling your recipe from last year I found it again today. I’ll shop later this week but had rice, eggs, scallions, onions & frozen corn. Added garlic, salt, pepper & light soy sauce made this Egg Fried Rice better than ordering it. Your tip on cold rice worked. I froze the cooked rice for a bit and added it to the Egg Fried Rice. Thanks for a wonderful quick and easy recipe!
You are so welcome Joan! Thank you for taking time to leave your awesome feedback.
Kristin
Quick, easy, and yummy XP
Thank you Amelia!
Thanks! It was the best fried rice I’ve tasted for ages ?
Best thing ever I recommend this to literally anyone and it was super easy to make and all in all just tasted really good so thank you for this delicious recipe.???
You are so welcome Ethan! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Nice way of presentation. Yummy recipe. Excellent photography.
Thank you Farida!
Easy to do but my rice was a bit mushy. Can you tell me which rice you use for your family? Thanks
I use eith botan rice, long grain rice or Jasmine rice. They have all worked great. I haven’t ever had fried rice come out mushy.
Hi, I thought your page was great!
Thank you!
I was looking for a recipe for some leftover rice, this sounds perfect! Looks like a great way to use up any veggies that might end up spoiling too.
Yes, this is a great “clean out the fridge” totally adaptable recipe!
I just made this to extend the little bit of food i have left until my next shopping trip. Im so happy with the way it turned out. Not only is it tasty and healthy, but i now have 3 mwals from my rice when i would have had 1.
That’s great! And that’s why I love this recipe so much!
Great
Hi Kristin,
The recipe is very well formulated. I make this very often. It is an easy lunch or dinner with dry chicken curry. YOU can add a twist to this by adding some curry powder/ Indian Garam masala. This is great!
Thanks Biji! and thanks for sharing your experience!
Super easy to make in my dorm! The only problem is that it’s so delicious I won’t be able to stop making it! 5/5
This easy stor fry was amazing!! I enjoyed making it and eating it. I had to cut the recipe in half because I’m only serving for two. I had about two scoops and my husband finished the rest. He was So full and satisfied.
Thank you Krystal! So happy that you and your husband loved this recipe!