Fried rice is a takeout basic as a result of it’s simple, filling, scrumptious, and cheap, which is all the things I would like from a meal made at residence, too! I really like making Vegetable Fried Rice at residence as a result of it saves me cash and offers leftover rice and any odds and ends in my fridge a second life. Consider this recipe as a easy base you may customise with no matter greens, proteins, or toppings you may have readily available. It’s all the time satisfying, it’s FAST, and it helps me stretch my grocery finances a bit additional!
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“YUM! Splendidly satisfying and savory, and so versatile – I’ve made this with all the things from leftover roasted broccoli & candy potato to a bundle of frozen blended veggies. Something goes, actually, so long as you may have about 2 cups of veggies whole. Agency tofu (cooker or raw) additionally makes an ideal, protein-rich addition.”
Rose
My Technique for Nice Fried Rice
Fried rice is historically made by stir-frying cooked rice in a wok with components like meat, seafood, greens, and eggs, then seasoning all the things with a savory sauce. However you don’t want a wok or any hard-to-find components to make nice fried rice at residence. My recipe right here is most undoubtedly an American adaptation, which I make in an everyday skillet with reasonably priced components from the grocery retailer. It’s a simple place to start out in case you’ve by no means made fried rice earlier than!
As a result of a skillet has much less floor space than a wok, I cook dinner the eggs, greens, and rice individually earlier than combining them on the finish. This offers every ingredient sufficient room to cook dinner correctly and makes the method simpler to handle. Garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil give the rice loads of savory taste, and the greens and eggs make it filling with out including a lot to the associated fee. As soon as you already know the essential methodology, you may regulate it to suit no matter greens you may have or add your favourite protein. I really like including hen when I’ve some readily available, so you should definitely attempt our simple hen fried rice subsequent!
- Put together all the things earlier than heating the skillet. Fried rice cooks rapidly. I all the time peel, chop, measure, and whisk all the things earlier than I activate the warmth. Reduce the carrot and bell pepper into small, equally sized items so that they cook dinner evenly within the quick time they’re within the skillet. Having all the things prepared additionally means nothing is left sitting over the warmth whilst you seek for the subsequent ingredient!
- You don’t want a wok for this methodology. Woks are great for stir-frying as a result of their giant floor space makes it attainable so as to add numerous components with out overcrowding. A frying pan has much less room, however I make up for that by cooking the eggs, greens, and rice individually, then combining them on the very finish. Giving every ingredient direct contact with the recent skillet helps the greens cook dinner evenly, the rice warmth by, and the eggs keep tender.
- Maintain the skillet scorching, however look ahead to scorching. I exploit medium warmth for the eggs, then improve it to medium-high for the greens and rice. It’s best to hear a gradual sizzle because the components hit the skillet. Decrease the warmth barely if the garlic or ginger begins darkening rapidly. And don’t fear if the rice sticks a bit earlier than the sauce is added. The soy sauce and toasted sesame oil will assist loosen it as you stir!
- Add the sauce towards the tip and regulate it to style. Including soy sauce after the rice is scorching permits the grains to fry earlier than additional moisture goes into the skillet (which helps stop soggy egg fried rice!). Stir till the grains are evenly coated, and style earlier than including extra as a result of the saltiness of soy sauce can fluctuate by model. I maintain this base recipe easy, however you may add virtually any greens, cooked protein, sauce, or crunchy topping you may have readily available. I’ll share a few of my favourite add-ins beneath!
Chilly, leftover rice is my not-so-secret trick for making GREAT fried rice at residence. Utilizing rice that’s been cooked and fully cooled (ideally in a single day) is the greatest option to maintain your rice from turning out clumpy or gummy. Because the rice cools, its starches agency up and the floor turns into drier, serving to the grains keep separate as they take up moisture from the sauce and greens with out turning into overly sticky. It’s why this recipe is one in all my favourite methods to make use of up leftover rice!
If you happen to don’t have rice left over from the day earlier than, I’ve a workaround for you. Cook dinner 1 cup of white rice to make about 3 cups cooked rice, and unfold it into a skinny layer on a baking sheet or large baking dish. This releases warmth and moisture a lot sooner than leaving it in a deep container. Refrigerate the rice till fully cool earlier than utilizing to assist replicate the firmer texture of day-old rice.
Vegetable Fried Rice
Value $4.22 recipe / $1.06 serving
Vegetable Fried Rice is a quick, simple, scrumptious, and budget-friendly meal which you can whip up with components readily available at any time!
Put together the greens earlier than hand so that they’re able to go when wanted. Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, cube the carrot and bell pepper, slice the inexperienced onions (separate the inexperienced ends from the white ends), and measure the frozen peas.
Calmly whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Warmth a big skillet over medium. As soon as scorching, add 2 Tbsp of cooking oil and swirl to coat the floor. Add the eggs and gently scramble till cooked by. Switch the cooked eggs to a clear bowl or plate.
There needs to be quantity of oil left within the skillet. Flip the warmth as much as medium-high. Add the diced carrots and stir and cook dinner for about two minutes. Subsequent add the bell pepper and the white agency ends of the inexperienced onions. Cook dinner and stir for one minute extra. Lastly, add the frozen peas and stir and cook dinner till heated by. Switch the greens to a clear bowl or plate.
Add the remaining 1 Tbsp cooking oil to the skillet and swirl to coat the floor. Add the garlic, ginger, and cooked and cooled rice to the skillet. Stir and cook dinner for about 2 minutes, or till the rice is heated by.
Pour the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil over the rice. Stir the rice and sauce collectively till evenly mixed. Flip the warmth off.
Add the eggs and greens again to the skillet with the rice and stir to mix. Enable the residual warmth to warmth all the things by. Prime with the remaining inexperienced ends of the sliced inexperienced onions. Style and regulate the soy sauce or sesame oil to your liking.
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**For reference, 1 cup of raw rice makes roughly 3 cups cooked. I exploit long-grain white rice because it’s an ideal budget-friendly choice, it cooks up fluffy, and the grains separate simply, however jasmine or brown rice will even work. Ensure that the cooked rice is totally cool earlier than beginning.
***Soy sauce varies in saltiness between manufacturers. Common or low-sodium soy sauce will work. I like to recommend tasting the completed rice earlier than including any additional.
****Toasted sesame oil has a deeper, nuttier taste than common sesame oil, however both will work right here. If you have already got common sesame oil, there’s no have to go purchase one other bottle!
Wish to double this recipe? Alter the variety of servings within the recipe card, and the ingredient quantities will robotically replace for you. I’d cook dinner it in batches so the components nonetheless have sufficient contact with the recent skillet.
Serving: 1.25cupsEnergy: 371kcal (19%)Carbohydrates: 44g (15%)Protein: 10g (20%)Fats: 17g (26%)Sodium: 807mg (35%)Fiber: 4g (17%)
Easy methods to Make Vegetable Fried Rice Step-by-Step Pictures
Collect your entire components.
Prep your greens: Mince 2 cloves of garlic and mince or grate about 1 tsp recent ginger. Peel and cube 1 giant carrot and 1 pink bell pepper. Slice 4 inexperienced onions, separating the tender inexperienced high half from the agency decrease half, and measure out 1 cup of frozen peas.
Cook dinner the eggs: Calmly whisk 2 giant eggs and warmth a big skillet over medium warmth. As soon as scorching, add 2 Tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat the floor. Add the eggs to the skillet and gently scramble till cooked by. Take away the scrambled eggs to a clear bowl or plate.
Stir fry the veggies: There needs to be fairly a little bit of oil left within the skillet after eradicating the eggs. Flip the warmth as much as medium-high. Add the diced carrot to the skillet and stir fry for about two minutes. Subsequent, add the bell pepper and the agency white ends of the sliced inexperienced onion. Stir fry for a couple of minute extra. Lastly, add the frozen peas and stir fry simply till heated by. Take away the greens to a clear bowl or plate.
Fry the rice: Break up any giant clumps in 3 cups of cooked and cooled rice. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp cooking oil to the skillet and swirl to coat the floor. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and rice. Stir and cook dinner for about 1-2 minutes, or till the grains are largely separated and the rice is scorching all through. Don’t fear if the rice sticks barely to the underside of the skillet. The sauce will assist loosen it as you stir.
Add 3 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil to the rice. Fold the rice and sauce collectively till the rice is evenly coated within the sauce.
Mix all components: Add the greens and eggs again to the skillet. Flip the warmth off and stir to mix, permitting the residual warmth to reheat all the things by.
End and serve: Prime with the sliced inexperienced ends of the inexperienced onions and also you’re accomplished! Give it a style and add additional soy sauce or sesame oil to suit your style buds. Take pleasure in!
Right here’s my favourite half. This easy vegetable fried rice is a clean slate for all kinds of add-ins, whether or not that’s extra greens, a protein, a unique sauce, or a crunchy topping! Readers have informed us they not often make this recipe the identical approach twice, so have a look by your fridge and freezer earlier than shopping for something additional!
- Extra greens: Corn, broccoli, mushrooms, bean sprouts, inexperienced beans, cabbage, edamame, kimchi, and frozen blended greens (no have to thaw) all work effectively. Reduce bigger greens into small items so that they cook dinner rapidly. I’d additionally swap them for a number of the listed greens as a substitute of piling all the things into the skillet.
- A satisfying protein: Shrimp, ham, hen, beef, pork, sausage, and agency tofu can flip this fried rice into an much more filling meal. Cook dinner and season your protein individually, then stir it in on the finish so it doesn’t overcrowd the skillet or overcook. If you happen to’re utilizing tofu, my soy-marinated tofu is a good place to start out.
- A bit sweetness: One reader shared that they added recent pineapple, and I believe that candy, juicy taste could be scrumptious with the salty soy sauce and nutty toasted sesame oil!
- Extra sauce or warmth: Oyster sauce provides a deeper savory taste. I additionally looooove sriracha, so I virtually all the time drizzle a few of that over my bowl. Chili crisp or pink chiles are additionally simple methods so as to add warmth. Begin with a small quantity and style earlier than including extra.
- One thing crunchy: End every bowl with cashews, peanuts, sesame seeds, or crispy fried onions. Crushed up dried ramen noodles are additionally a enjoyable topping!! These give the tender rice and greens a bit extra texture. Add them on the finish to maintain them crunchy.
What do you add to your vegetable fried rice? Let me know within the feedback beneath!
Serving Solutions
This vegetable fried rice recipe makes about 5 cups whole, or 4 1¼-cup servings. I often serve one full portion as a light-weight principal dish, particularly for a fast lunch or once I’m utilizing it for meal prep. If you’d like one thing extra filling, pair it with air fryer tofu or add one of many proteins talked about above.
This rice additionally works effectively as a facet dish, in fact! Plan on about ½-¾ cup per particular person when it’s half of a bigger meal, which can stretch the recipe to about 8-10 servings. Serve it with crispy vegetable egg rolls or orange hen for a cheap takeout-inspired dinner at residence. I additionally suppose it could be a enjoyable addition to a family-style meal as a result of everybody can customise their portion with additional soy sauce, sriracha, chili crisp, or sesame seeds as wanted!
Storage & Reheating
Let the fried rice cool, then switch it to shallow, hermetic containers and refrigerate it inside two hours of cooking. Leftovers will maintain within the fridge for 3-4 days, which makes this recipe a GREAT choice for meal prep! I prefer to divide it into particular person parts so that they cool rapidly and are simple to reheat.
Meal Prep
You’ll be able to portion the completed rice into hermetic containers and refrigerate it for lunches over the subsequent 3-4 days. If you happen to’re packing it with a chilly facet (I like Thai cucumber salad or one other recent veggie like edamame beans or sugar snap peas), use divided meal prep containers so you may take away these earlier than reheating the rice.
Reheating
Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of water over every serving earlier than reheating. This creates a bit steam and retains the rice from drying out. Cowl loosely and microwave till heated by, stirring midway. You can too reheat it in a frivolously oiled skillet over medium warmth. Leftovers ought to attain 165°F earlier than serving.
Freezing
Divide the cooled rice into particular person parts and freeze it in hermetic, freezer-safe containers for as much as 3 months. Remember that the greens will be a lot softer after thawing. Thaw it in a single day within the fridge, then reheat as directed above.
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Our Vegetable Fried Rice recipe was initially revealed 6/2/2010. It was retested and republished to be higher than ever 8/12/26.
