This easy egg fried rice takes only 15 minutes to make, which is perfect for a quick weekday meal or as a side to go with Chinese takeout entrees like chicken and broccoli and sesame chicken. Or try our shrimp fried rice if you like it with seafood!
A simple egg fried rice is no doubt a must have for Chinese takeout entrees like beef with broccoli and General Tso's tofu. Shoot, it's amazing on it's own too!
We love making egg fried rice for quick lunches and dinners, especially during the weekdays. It's really easy to make. Sometimes, we like to add whatever vegetables we have to our fried rice as well.
Perfect for a meal or as a side!
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Ingredients
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
- Day old rice - Old rice is always better for making fried rice than freshly cooked rice because older rice tends to be drier, which helps to prevent the rice from clumping together, becoming mushy, and gives fried rice a nice, chewy texture.
- Eggs - What's egg fried rice without eggs?! Plus, fried eggs makes fried rice more aromatic and give it lots of flavor.
- Yellow onion - Besides eggs, yellow onion is another ingredient that adds to fried rice's aromatic flavor.
- Peas and carrots - These two vegetables are iconic in egg fried rice. You can just use the frozen packet of mixed peas and carrots or use fresh peas and cut your own carrots. Feel free to also omit it you're not a fan of peas and carrots.
- Shaoxing rice wine - In Chinese cooking, shaoxing rice wine helps to make a dish more aromatic, adds extra fragrance, and give a slight "wok hei" flavor. Although we highly recommend it, you can omit the rice wine if you prefer.
- Soy sauce - Not only does soy sauce seasons the the fried rice, it also gives fried rice their golden color. This recipe is made with light sodium soy sauce, if using regular sodium soy sauce, use a little less.
- Oyster sauce - This other seasoning that adds both color and flavor to the fried rice. Oyster sauce also adds umami to the fried rice, making it tastier and more well rounded.
- Sesame oil, green onion, sesame seeds - These are all optional garnishes and flavoring. They all add an extra touch to this simple egg fried rice, but can be omitted as well.
What can I substitute for oyster sauce?
Soy sauce and oyster sauce combo is the easiest way to season fried rice at home. However, if you don't have oyster sauce or if you're allergic to shellfish, here are a couple of substitutes:
- Sweet soy sauce - You can use ½ tablespoon of sweet soy sauce along with 1 ½ tablespoons of regular soy sauce.
- Use more soy sauce - Although this substitution won't replicate the same flavor as using oyster sauce, it'll still taste good! Just use 2 tablespoons of soy sauce total and omit the oyster sauce.
- Also add a couple pinches of sugar to substitute for the mild sweetness in the oyster sauce.
Instruction
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions!
1. Prepare day old rice. Break up the day old rice by rubbing between your hands or in a resealable bag. Set aside until needed.
2. Precook the eggs. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beaten eggs. Scramble and cook briefly until just done. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Stir fry the vegetables. In the same sauté pan over medium to medium high heat, add more oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, peas, and carrots. Stir fry until the onion starts to turn translucent and smells fragrant.
4. Add the rice. To the pan, add the day old rice and scrambled eggs. Drizzle a bit more oil around the pan and stir fry briefly until everyone is well combined.
🌟 Pro tip: If using medium grain or short grain rice, stir fry the rice in some oil first to help keep them from clumping as much. Before stir frying the vegetables, heat a couple tablespoons of oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the day old rice and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until the rice grains are lightly coated with oil and are just starting to warm up. Use a little more oil if needed. You can then push the rice to one side and stir fry the vegetables on the other side of the pan.
5. Add the rice wine. Drizzle the shaoxing rice wine around the pan and stir fry until the rice is fragrant and the alcohol is cooked off, about 30 seconds.
7. Season. Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir fry and toss the fried rice for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sauces are well distributed and the rice is hot throughout.
8. Finish. Drizzle in the sesame oil and some green onions. Toss to combine. Garnish with more green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Enjoy while hot!
Recipe Tips
- Dry out cooked white rice. The best way to ensure that your fried rice doesn't turn out mushy is by using day old rice that's been slightly dried out.
- You can dry out your freshly cooked rice by spreading it on a plate or a sheet pan. Let the rice cool completely then transfer to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Cook the rice in some oil. Stir fry your day old rice with a couple tablespoons of oil will help keep the rice grains separate as they heat up. When the rice is hot, the starch tends to clump the rice together.
- This step is especially helpful if your rice is on the stickier side, whether if the rice is a bit on the wetter side or if you are using medium or short grain rice.
- If you want to shape your fried rice into a mound, use a bowl. Pack the fried rice into a bowl and flatten the top. Place a plate on top of the bowl, then flip the plate with the bowl.
Storage and reheating
Leftover egg fried rice can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days once it is completely cooled.
To reheat, you can use the either microwave it or heat it on the stovetop. For the microwave method, drizzle a little water on the egg fried rice and heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until hot. To heat on the stovetop, add the leftover fried rice into a sauté pan over medium heat. Break up the rice and add a small amount of water. Stir fry until the the fried rice is thoroughly heated.
FAQ
Chinese takeout fried rice is usually seasoned with soy sauce, while the shaoxing rice wine makes it extra aromatic. Sometimes, oyster sauce and sesame oil may also be added. Lastly, although eggs and onion are not seasonings, they both add lots of flavor to the fried rice and make it super fragrant.
Any day old rice can make good fried rice. But long grain rice is definitely the best rice to use. Because long grain rice contains less starch, the rice is less likely to clump together and become sticky when cooking.
Mushy fried rice is usually caused by overcooked white rice, rice that is too wet for fried rice, or if too much liquid seasoning is used. The easiest way to prevent your egg fried rice from becoming mushy is using day old rice or rice that is cooked a little on the drier side. By the time your seasonings are added, the rice that seems a little dry will be perfect fried rice texture.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Egg Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups day old white rice preferably long grain
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoons frozen peas and carrots thawed (optional)
- ¼ medium yellow onion small dice (about ½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (optional)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce light sodium
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
- 1 stalk green onion just the green part sliced (optional for garnish)
- Toasted sesame seed (optional for garnish)
- oil (as needed)
Instructions
- Break apart the day old rice by rubbing the rice between your hands. Set aside until needed.*You can also place your day old rice in a gallon freezer bag, seal it, and rub the bag until the rice grains are separated.*
- In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add about 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, add the beaten eggs. The eggs should sizzle and bubble immediate. Let the eggs cook for a few seconds, then scramble the eggs and break it into smaller pieces. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan over medium to medium high heat, add a small amount of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, peas, and carrots. Stir fry briefly until the onion is fragrant and starts to turn translucent, about 15 to 30 seconds.
- Add the rice and scrambled eggs to the pan, along with a generous drizzle of oil around the pan, about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Stir fry briefly until everything is well combined.
- Optional (if using medium or short grain rice or if rice is a bit wetter):Before stir frying the onions, peas, and carrots, heat a couple tablespoons of oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the prepared day old rice and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until the rice grains are lightly coated in oil and are just starting to warm up. Add a little more oil if needed. Then, push the rice to one side of the pan and stir fry the veggies on the other side of the pan. Once done, add the scrambled eggs and follow the recipe as is.
- Drizzle the shaoxing cooking wine around the pan and stir fry everything for about 30 seconds until the rice is fragrant and the alcohol is cooked off. You'll know when you can't smell anymore alcohol.
- Then, add the soy sauce and oyster sauce and stir fry for a few minutes, until everything is evenly combined and the rice looks even in color and thoroughly heated through.
- Finish the fried rice by adding the sesame oil and some green onions. Toss briefly to combine.
- Garnish with more green onion and some sesame seeds if you wish. Enjoy while hot!
Notes
- Rice - Day old, long grain rice gives fried rice the best texture because it's a little drier and less sticky than rice that is just cooked. This will give fried rice chewier texture. If you are making rice for fried rice, we recommend you make the white rice a little drier than your normal preference.
- Break up the rice before using - It'll save you time when cooking and prevent the fried rice from having large clumps of bland white rice. Our favorite way is to rub the rice between our hands, clean or gloved. You can also do it in a resealable gallon bag.
- Please refer to the post for oyster sauce alternatives.
Emma says
This was an easy and delicious weeknight meal- made it last night! Thank you 🙂 Love your blog and the set-up. Can't wait to try more.
Mei says
Hi Emma!
Thank you so much for trying our recipe, and we really appreciate your feedback! So glad you enjoyed it =)
Happy cooking!
Mei ❤️
Carol D says
This is hands down the best recipe for fried rice I've ever had. I've made it twice so far and everyone loved it!
Mei says
Hi Carol!
Thank you so much for your kind comment! So glad everyone enjoyed it!
Mei ❤️
Thea Lassen says
Loves this recipe so much!
First time I made it with leftover sticky rice, don’t recommend 😂
I added 1 teaspoon of msg though the second time, really delicious 😍😍
Mei says
Oh no! Yes, please do not use sticky rice! It will become a chewy rice ball. So glad you enjoyed the fried rice second time around, Thea! Thank you for trying our recipe!
Mei ❤️
Andrea says
Simply delicious. Our daughters have been asking us to make fried rice for them to take to school for lunch, so I finally did it today. So far it’s a hit with 3/6 people in the house (the other 3 haven’t tried it yet, but I’m confident). I didn’t have rice wine, but I can’t wait to try it with that ingredient soon. Thank you for sharing your cooking expertise with us!
Mei says
Hi Andrea! Thank you for trying our egg fried rice recipe and so glad everyone's been enjoying it! I'm so excited for when you add Shaoxing rice wine to your pantry! It's not a must ingredient but it's definitely one of those ingredients that is used very often in Chinese cooking and adds extra fragrant and oompf to a dish =)
Mei ❤️