Fried rice is a great dish because it’s easy to make and can be made into so many different variations and leftovers of all types can be added to the recipe.
Fried rice is easy to make.
Even though fried rice is easy to make there are some important things to remember when making really good fried rice.
- Rinse the rice to remove excess starch.
- Use long grain rice (the shorter the grain the stickier).
- Your rice must be cold.
- The wok or pan should be very hot.
- Soy sauce adds flavor but don’t overdo it (you can always serve it on the side).
Wok or pan, which is best?
There is no question that some of the flavor comes from the fire in any fried rice recipe be it Chinese, American Chinese or Thai. So, even though I often use a wok to cook my fried rice (especially for demonstration purposes) it may be better to use a frying pan if you have one that has a lot of surface area and holds heat well.
I say this because the average household stove does not have enough fire to heat a wok properly, you will get good heat from the bottom but not on the sides and we need high surface heat to produce really good fried rice. That being said I love using a wok I usually just cook smaller amounts of rice per batch.
In this recipe I used a wok like pan but, everyone may not be able to flip food around in a wok or pan. The truth of the matter is that woks only really work properly if you have a wok burner then it has heat from all sides.
Make sure your rice is cold.
This is a very important but often overlooked step in preparing fried rice. If the rice is hot or even slightly warm there’s a good chance that you will be making gummy fried rice. Cook your rice the day before or in enough advanced time to refrigerate it for at least 6 – 8 hours, I prefer overnight. Often times I use leftover rice from a day or two before. Once you get the idea of how to make fried rice you will probably use leftover rice yourself because you will begin making many different variations. I’ve left some variations in the notes section of this fried rice recipe.
Soy sauce is important to the recipe.
I cannot stress the importance of using the right soy sauce. When you begin to make fried rice consider what you want it to taste like. Fried rice should have great Asian flavors coming together so, the taste of soy sauce should not be over baring I usually use a light soy sauce or a low sodium soy. When using soy sauce, regular or other make sure to taste it first and you will have a good idea of how much to use in any recipe.
This is a short video on Chinese Style Fried Rice the full version is near the bottom of the recipe card.
Chinese Style Fried Rice
Ingredients
Instructions
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Make 2-3 cups white rice set aside and cool completely or use leftover rice or rice that has been cooled for at least 6 - 8 hours.
Over medium - high heat bring oil to medium high temperature.
Add onion and sauté quickly (1-2 minutes), do not brown.
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Add bean sprouts, green and red peppers and scallions continue cooking another minute and mix until well blended.
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Add ginger and cook for another minute.
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Add cold rice and blend with vegetables then fry for 3-4 minutes.
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Add soy sauce and mix over heat until well blended, about one minute. then remove from heat.
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This step is totally optional.
In a separate pan over medium high heat lightly fry egg, set aside and let cool enough to handle. Chop egg and add to rice then mix until well blended.
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Serve with soy sauce on the side if desired.
Serving Size 4oz
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 160
- Calories from Fat 36
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 4g7%
- Saturated Fat 1g5%
- Cholesterol 41mg14%
- Sodium 317mg14%
- Total Carbohydrate 24g8%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Sugars 3g
- Protein 7g15%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
If you are having a hard time accepting brown rice as a part of your regular diet then try this recipe with brown rice. But, don’t add soy serve it on the side, it turns out just as good.
Other Variations:
Pork fried rice add 3/4 cup sautéed diced or chopped pork.
Chicken fried rice add 3/4 cup sautéed diced or chopped chicken
Shrimp fried rice add 3/4 cup sautéed medium chopped shrimp or cooked baby shrimp.
You can also bulk up the meal by adding any vegetable desired (frozen veg stirfry mix, peas, peapods, broccoli etc.
