5 Fried Rice Recipes That’ll Make Uncle Roger Proud
By now, we have all seen the disastrous video on BBC Food supposedly showing “how to cook fried rice.” The video, uploaded by mrnigelng on YouTube has amassed over 5 Million views in less than a month, features a BBC Food cook forgetting to rinse the rice before cooking and draining rice through a colander - just to name a few of the cardinal sins in an Asian household.
So just in case you’re unsure how to cook rice the right way (*cough* the Asian way *cough*), read through to find out how - PLUS some easy fried rice recipes including Egg Fried Rice!
How to Make the Rice:
- In a pot or a rice cooker liner, place your rice (of preferred measure). Add water and rinse the rice three or more times, or until water is clear, then drain. This rinsing method will take away the extra starch and dirt from the rice.
- Next, you add in the water for cooking. Do note that if you want fried rice, you will want your rice to be just a little drier because you will rehydrate this rice with all the sauces in your fried rice recipe! For this, a good rule of thumb is: 1 cup of rice = 1 cup of water.
- First Knuckle Method: Level out your rice and place your finger vertically just right on top of rice (barely touching) and pour in water up until just before your first knuckle.
- Finger Measure Method: You can also measure the rice by sinking in your finger vertically, touching the bottom of the pan and using your thumb to mark up to where the rice comes up to your middle finger. Then lift your hand to the top layer of the leveled rice and fill the pot with water to the mark you just made with your thumb.
- Measuring Cup: If you are using jasmine rice, a good rule of thumb is to use 1 ¼ cups of water or less. If you find this to be too dry, you can still add in more water.
- If you are using a rice cooker, simply follow the cooking instructions of the manufacturer and wait for rice to cook!
- For those using a pot: Cook the rice in medium heat until the water comes to a simmer, then continue cooking at the lowest level of heat for about 15-20 minutes. Be sure to keep the lid on the pot.
- Take it off the heat once you notice that bubbling has stopped and the rice has absorbed the water. Get a rubber spatula and from the side of the pot check to see if the bottom of your pan is still wet. If it is dry, you’re good to go!
- Fluff your rice and serve!
Easy Fried Rice Recipes to Try
1. Egg Fried Rice
Recipe from Chinese Recipes for All
Ingredients:
Serves 2
- 1 tbsp, vegetable oil
- 1 egg, beaten
- 250g, long-grain rice, cooked and cooled
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- White Pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp soya sauce, or to taste
- 1 spring onion, sliced thinly
Instructions:
- Heat oil in a wok, on high heat until hot.
- Pour beaten egg into wok, stirring constantly. While egg has cooked a little into a scramble (30-40 seconds), add in the rice.
- Fry for 6 minutes, pressing out any lumps.
- Add salt, white pepper, and soy sauce to taste and fry for another 2 minutes.
- Add spring onions on top and serve.
2. Yang Chow Fried Rice
Recipe from Panlasang Pinoy
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 6 cups cooked white rice refrigerated overnight
- 1 cup barbecued pork chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 8 to 10 pieces shrimps shelled and deveined
- 3/4 cup green peas
- 1/4 cup green onion chopped
- 2 pieces raw eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
Instructions:
- Heat cooking oil and sauté ginger and garlic.
- Add shrimps and cook for a minute. Remove the shrimps and set aside.
- Pour-in the beaten egg mixture and cook.
- When the egg is cooked, divide into small pieces. Add the rice and mix well.
- Put-in the soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Mix with the other ingredients.
- Add barbecued pork. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add green peas and shrimp. Cook for another 3 minutes.
- Put-in the green onions. Cook for 2 minutes while mixing with the other ingredients.
- Turn the heat off and then transfer to a serving plate.
- Serve. Share and enjoy!
3. Kimchi Fried Rice
Recipe from Korean Bapsang
Ingredients:
- 3 - 4 strips of bacon, diced (or about 4 ounces ham or spam, or 1 can of tuna, drained) See note 1 if using uncooked meat
- 3/4 cup diced kimchi See note 2
- 1/4 small onion, diced diced
- 1 scallion, chopped chopped
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped - optional
- 3 - 4 tablespoons juice from kimchi
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili pepper paste) See note 3
- 2-1/2 cups cooked rice See note 4
- oil for stir-frying
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- Optional: 2 fried rice
- Optional: 1 sheet of roasted gim (dried seaweed sheet)
Instructions:
- If using bacon, heat a lightly oiled large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces. Cook until the bacon is slightly browned. If you don't want all the rendered fat, remove it from the pan and add a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil. If using ham, spam or canned tuna instead of bacon, you can simply add it while stir-frying kimchi in step 2.
- Add the onion and scallion and stir-fry quickly over high heat. Add the kimchi, optional carrots, juice from kimchi, soy sauce and gochujang. Stir fry until the kimchi turns soft and deep in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Take the time to do this step so the rich flavors develop.
- Add the rice, and reduce the heat to medium low. Stir until everything is well incorporated and the clumped up rice is broken up, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Once the rice is evenly coated with the seasoning, turn up the heat high and continue to fry the rice, turning occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the sesame oil and the optional sesame seeds at the end.
- Top with the optional fried egg, and garnish with the optional sesame seeds, gim (dried seaweed) strips and/or chopped scallion and serve.
4. Beef and Broccoli Rice
Recipe from the Kitchn
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 1 medium broccoli crown (about 12 ounces), cut into bite-sized small florets (about 5 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, divided
- 4 cups cooked brown or white rice, chilled
- 1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
- Freshly ground black or white pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- Kosher salt
- 3 medium scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick frying pan or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the beef, break it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook until halfway cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli, cover, and cook, stirring every minute or so, until the broccoli is crisp tender and the beef is cooked through, about 4 minutes total.
- Add the garlic, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the tamari or soy sauce, stir to combine, and cook for 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl; set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan over medium-high heat. Add the rice, remaining 2 tablespoons of tamari or soy sauce, and sesame oil. Season with pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is heated through, about 4 minutes.
- Push the rice to one half of the pan and add the beaten eggs to the other half. Season the eggs with salt and pepper, then stir occasionally with a rubber spatula until almost set, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the broccoli and beef, sprinkle with the scallions, and gently fold everything together with the rubber spatula, breaking up any large pieces of egg. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
5. Sweet and Sour Chicken Fried Rice
Recipe from Dash of Sanity
Ingredients:
Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- salt to taste
Fried Rice
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 3/4 cup bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken I used a rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup frozen sweet green peas
- 3 cups cooked rice Minute® Brown Rice or Minute® White Rice
- chopped green onions optional
- sliced almonds optional
Instructions:
- In a large Mason jar or small mixing bowl, add all of the sauce ingredients and mix together, set aside until ready to use.
- Prepare rice as directed. Once fully cooked, set aside until ready to use.
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat and lightly oil with cooking spray. Add eggs and continuously stir for 2-3 minutes or until softly scrambled. Remove scrambled eggs from skillet and set aside.
- Using the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat; add onion, garlic, and red bell pepper, and stir-fry 3 minutes.
- Add cooked chicken and peas; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add cooked rice and stir-fry 1-2 minutes. Quickly remix sauce and then add it to the skillet; stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated and some of the rice feels seared from the pan. Chop the scrambled eggs and stir into the rice, remove from heat. Top with green onions and sliced almonds if desired and serve.