Easy Fried Rice Recipe – Better And Healthier Than Takeout!

One of the most versatile and easy-to-make side dishes is this homemade fried rice recipe. You can enjoy this popular takeout staple right in your own home but without all of the unnecessary ingredients that some Chinese food places include.

I get it, sometimes you just don’t want to mess with cooking and instead want to reach for those iconic takeout boxes of fried rice. However, once you realize just how simple and easy it is to make homemade fried rice, you won’t need to go back!

The best part is that you can customize this recipe to use ingredients you already have on hand. Change it up to include fresh vegetables harvested from your garden or from those leftover bags in your freezer. You can also easily add your favorite protein like chicken or shrimp to make this a truly stand-alone meal.

In about 25 minutes, you can go from a pile of ingredients to homemade fried rice, which makes it a great recipe to have on hand for those quick weeknight meals. What’s even better, if you already have leftover rice on hand, then you can make this recipe in even less time!

This is one of my favorite ways to use garden fresh ingredients during the summer months depending on what we can harvest. Mixed with our farm-fresh eggs, this is an almost completely from scratch recipe that won’t make you miss the takeout cartons one bit!

An Easy And Customizable Fried Rice Recipe

*Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe, including exact measurements and amounts. You can also print out the instructions. I go into a bit more detail about the recipe here first, just in case you need it.

Ingredients

There are 7 main ingredients to my easy fried rice recipe. Some of those ingredients can be adapted or added to depending on what you have on hand at the moment or what you are in the mood for. This recipe makes a big batch of fried rice, but you can divide the recipe in half if you aren’t a fan of leftovers or have a smaller family.

White Rice

You are going to need about 3 to 4 cups of cooked rice for this recipe. We like to use white rice and use our Instant Pot to cook it while I am preparing the other ingredients. Feel free to use leftover rice if you have some on hand. (This is the newer version of the Instant Pot I love for cooking rice – Product Link: Instant Pot Due Electric Pressure Cooker.)

To make instant pot rice, add 1 cup of white rice and 1 cup of water to an instant pot. Add in a teaspoon of salt (optional) and 1 tablespoon of oil (also optional). Stir these ingredients together. (We normally make a double batch when cooking the rice so we have plenty on hand.)

Cook on the “rice” setting for 12 minutes on low. Allow the instant pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes when the time is up, then manually release. Fuff the rice with a fork and set aside to add to the fried rice later.

Other Ingredients

Sesame Oil – This is the one ingredient that you might not have on hand in your pantry. However, it adds such a richness and depth of flavor that it is well worth buying if you enjoy authentic Asian food flavors. (Product Link: Kikkoman 100% Pure Sesame Oil)

Vegetables – My initial recipe calls for a mixture of vegetables, traditionally peas and carrots. However, feel free to branch out and use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

When it’s summertime, we like to use all sorts of veggies from the garden, including garlic scapes, broccoli, sugar snap peas, green beans, and zucchini. This recipe is also a great way to empty out all of those half-used bags of frozen vegetables that are buried in the back of your refrigerator, too!

Onion – You will need a small white onion, but you can also use yellow if you prefer a milder onion flavor.

Garlic – Again, we use garlic that we harvest from our garden. Any type of garlic works fine, including pre-minced jars of garlic.

Eggs – Our family loves eggs in our fried rice. To make the recipe a bit healthier, we use only the egg whites for some of the eggs. Feel free to use more or less depending on your family’s preferences.

Soy Sauce – We use regular soy sauce, but if you prefer a less salty version, then swap it out for a reduced-sodium version.

Recipe Instructions For Easy Fried Rice

If you need to, start by getting your rice into the instant pot and cooking so that can work while you make the rest of the ingredients.

Next, heat your sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. We have a large, 12-inch cast iron skillet that I use for this recipe and it is plenty big enough to hold all the ingredients while allowing me to stir it easily. (Product Link: Lodge 12″ Cast Iron Skillet)

Once the oil is nice and warm, add in the vegetables and onions. Stir to evenly coat. If you have harder vegetables like carrots that take longer to cook, add those first and cook for a few minutes. Then toss in the softer veggies and cook for a few more minutes.

The actual cooking time will vary on the vegetables used, how large your pieces are chopped into, and how crispy or tender you like them to be. Some people like their veggies to still be crunchy when stir-frying. However, we like softer veggies for our fried rice. Just cook the vegetables according to your preference. (I told you this recipe was very customizable!)

Once the vegetables are close to being done, add in your minced garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes until it has started to soften slightly and gives off that Heavenly aroma! (Garlic is my favorite seasoning if you couldn’t tell!)

Cooking The Eggs

Next, lower the heat to low and push the vegetables off to one side of the skillet. The goal is to get them out of the way and mostly off the heat so you can concentrate on cooking your eggs. This method allows you to use the same pan for all of the cooking instead of dirtying up additional cookware.

If needed, add in a bit more oil to reseason the pan to help prevent the eggs from sticking. Allow the oil to heat slightly, then add in your eggs.

We like to use 8 eggs total – 4 whole eggs and 4 egg whites. You can do more or less depending on your preferences. This is a great way to use up all those farm-fresh eggs and add plenty of protein to your dish.

Use a spatula or spoon to break apart and “scramble” the eggs directly in the pan. Stir only the eggs continually so they don’t burn or cook too quickly in some areas. The vegetables should still be pushed to the side at this point.

Once the eggs are mostly done, combine them with the vegetables until the eggs are fully cooked. Stir to evenly distribute the eggs. (If you are having issues with your eggs sticking to your cast iron skillet, check out my article, “Refinish A Modern Cast Iron Skillet So It Works Like A Vintage One” to make them more non-stick.)

The Final Step Of Fried Rice Recipe

Add your rice and the soy sauce to the mixture in the pan. Mix thoroughly until it is all blended together and the rice is reheated.

If you want to add a protein source, now is the time to do that. You might need to increase the soy sauce amount slightly depending on your taste preferences and what protein you are using. Tasting while cooking is always encouraged!

Continue to stir fry until all the ingredients are heated through and well combined. Serve this fried rice as a side dish to your other favorite Chinese dishes or have it as a stand-alone meal. Refrigerate any leftovers. Enjoy!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea

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