Fried Rice Recipe

Easy fried
rice recipe.

Buttery rice, soft eggs and plenty of vegetables. Turn cold cooked rice into a hot, savory dinner in just 15 minutes.

Jump to recipe
15 min
Total time
4-6
Servings
Easy
One skillet

Start with cooked, chilled rice. Cooking and cooling rice takes extra time.

Golden fried rice with eggs, carrots, peas and green onions in a skillet

The recipe

A familiar egg-and-vegetable fried rice, with butter for browning and toasted sesame oil to finish.

Prep time
5 min
Cook time
10 min
Servings
4-6

Updated

Ingredients

Cooked rice, eggs, butter, carrots, onion, peas, garlic, green onions and sauces arranged before cooking
Recipe size
Units
Custom portions use 4 servings per batch as the scaling base. Open About serving sizes for details.

Rice is measured after cooking. 1 US cup = 240 mL; 1 tbsp = 15 mL; 1 tsp = 5 mL.

Allergens: milk, egg, soy, sesame and usually wheat. Oyster sauce, when used, contains shellfish. Check packaged ingredients.

How to make it

Cook the eggs first, soften the vegetables, then fry the rice in a hot skillet. Chop and measure everything before you start.

  1. Scramble the eggs

    Soft scrambled eggs cooking in a stainless steel skillet

    Melt ½ tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beaten eggs and gently stir until just set. Lift them onto a plate.

  2. Soften the vegetables

    Diced carrots, onion and peas cooking in a skillet

    Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the same pan. Add carrots, onion, peas and garlic, with a little salt and pepper. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes, until the carrots and onion soften.

  3. Fry the rice

    Wooden turner folding chilled rice into vegetables in a stainless steel skillet

    Raise the heat and melt the remaining 1½ tablespoons butter. Add chilled rice, green onions, soy sauce and optional oyster sauce. Toss for about 3 minutes, pausing between stirs to let a little color develop.

  4. Finish and serve

    Hand using a wooden turner to lift egg and vegetable fried rice inside a stainless steel skillet

    Fold the eggs back in. Take the pan off the heat, then stir in toasted sesame oil. Taste before adding any extra soy sauce, and serve hot.

How do I make fried rice taste better?

Start with cold rice, give it room in the pan, and add sesame oil off the heat.

Cold rice makes the difference

Break up refrigerated rice before cooking. Warm, damp grains tend to clump, making it harder to get the separated texture you want. Cool it quickly, then refrigerate it (food-safety note).

Give it a moment in the pan

A short pause between stirs lets the rice brown. Use a roomy skillet and avoid piling it too high.

Add sesame oil at the end

Take the pan off the heat before adding toasted sesame oil. Taste first, then add more soy sauce if needed.

What can I add to fried rice?

Cooked chicken, shrimp, tofu or extra vegetables all work. Add them once the rice is hot.

  • Add a protein. Fold in cooked chicken, shrimp, pork or tofu and heat through.
  • Change the vegetables. Try diced bell pepper, mushrooms or broccoli, cooking them until tender before adding rice.
  • Try brown rice. Use the same volume of cold cooked brown rice for a firmer bite.
  • Serve it simply. Pair with a cucumber salad, steamed greens or a bowl of egg drop soup.

Is leftover fried rice safe to reheat?

Usually yes, if the rice was chilled quickly. Reheating makes it hot again, but it cannot undo hours spent at room temperature.

Chill it within two hours

Spread leftover rice in a shallow container so it cools fast, then refrigerate it at 40 °F (4 °C) or below within two hours. Discard rice that sat out longer (USDA FSIS).

“The emetic syndrome … is mediated by a highly stable toxin that survives high temperatures.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bacillus cereus food poisoning associated with fried rice at two child day care centers — Virginia, 1993

Reheat it hot, but do not count on that

Reheat leftovers to 165 °F (74 °C) and keep hot rice at 140 °F (60 °C) or above until serving (USDA FSIS). The toxin above is not destroyed by heat, so how the rice was stored matters more than how hard you reheat it.

Finish it within four days

Refrigerated cooked rice keeps about four days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat and do not put the rest back in the fridge.

Frequently asked questions

Is that 4 cups of cooked or uncooked rice?

Cooked rice. Measure after cooking and chill it before frying. Four cups of dry rice would make a much larger batch.

Can I leave out the oyster sauce?

Yes. It is optional. Leave it out if you avoid seafood, and adjust the soy sauce after tasting.

Can I use regular soy sauce?

Yes, but begin with less because regular soy sauce can be saltier than reduced-sodium varieties. Taste before adding more.

How do I stop the rice sticking together?

Use thoroughly chilled rice, loosen the clumps before cooking and work in batches if your skillet is crowded.

Can I make a double batch?

The quantities can be doubled, but the skillet does not get bigger. Fry in separate batches and expect cooking to take longer.

Sources