How to Make Fried Rice

Skip the takeout and make restaurant-style rice at home.

There's no need to rely on your favorite Chinese takeout joint for great fried rice when you can make your own right at home! Follow these simple steps to fry up a wok of basic vegetable fried rice, or get creative and add in your favorite flavor combinations. With fried rice's versatility, it's delicious with most any type of vegetables and meats. No wok at home? No problem. While traditionally prepared in a wok, a large skillet or frying pan works just fine, too. Just keep that pan hot and use cold cooked rice to get that restaurant-style crispness we crave. So the next time you yearn for fried rice, skip the takeout and fry up a pan of your own.

1 Cook & Chill the Rice

Chilled, day-old rice that's lost some of its moisture works best for fried rice. Rice that's just been cooked can create a sticky fried rice. One day in advance, cook white rice according to package directions to yield 4 cups of cooked rice. Cool, cover loosely and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

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For the most authentic fried rice, choose Chinese-style medium-grain white rice. However, long-grain white rice works fine as well.

2 Cook the Eggs

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 lightly-beaten eggs and tilt the pan to spread the eggs in a thin, even layer. Cook for 2 minutes and then flip. Cook on the second side for about 30 seconds until eggs are cooked through. Remove eggs from the pan.

3 Dice the Eggs

Dice the cooked eggs and set aside.

4 Sauté the Veggies

In the same pan used to cook the eggs, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup chopped onion, 1 to 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1/2 cup diced carrots; sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes until onion is limp. Add 1/2 cup thawed frozen peas.

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Fried rice is a very versatile dish that tastes fabulous with many types of vegetables. Try adding about 1/2 cup of other chopped veggies, like scallions, green or red bell pepper, Napa cabbage, corn or bean sprouts, to the mix. For a meat version, stir in about 1 cup cooked diced chicken, pork or ham, or 1/2 pound of shrimp.

5 Add & Season the Rice

Break up the chilled rice with a fork to remove lumps. Add to the hot pan. Season with 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and a bit of salt and pepper.

6 Sauté the Rice

Stir and sauté the rice for at least 3 minutes until the seasonings and rice are well combined and some of the rice grains get a bit crispy. Add the diced eggs and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with chopped cilantro, parsley or green onions, as desired. Serve and enjoy!

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For the best texture, act like you're searing meat and be sure the pan is hot before adding the rice. This will help the rice develop a bit of crispness as it fries.

About Kitchen Is My Playground

Tracey is the creator of the popular blog The Kitchen Is My Playground, which she founded in 2011. Her goal is to share recipes with other home cooks looking to create flavorful (and somewhat adventurous) food for their families and friends. Connect with her on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter or Google+.