If you've ever wondered how to make egg fried rice, it's a lot less complicated than you might think.
With a few simple steps and ingredients, you can make flavorful and delicious egg fried rice in your own home.
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Egg fried rice is a popular and versatile dish in Asian cuisine, particularly Chinese and Southeast Asian. It is a simple yet flavorful preparation made primarily from cooked rice, eggs, and a combination of seasonings.
Egg fried rice can be enjoyed on its own as a simple comfort food or as a base for various protein and vegetable additions.
This egg fried rice recipe is easy to make, and can also be made in advance.
What rice do I use for fried rice?
For making fried rice, it's best to use long-grain rice, such as basmati rice.
These rice varieties have grains that are long and slender, which helps prevent the rice from clumping together during the frying process.
The individual grains stay separated, resulting in the ideal texture for fried rice.
It is also better to use day old cooked rice, rather than fresh rice.
Using day-old cooked rice for fried rice is preferred as it has reduced moisture, resulting in separate grains and a firmer texture.
Other delicious fried rice recipes you might like to try include easy fried rice with frozen vegetables, ketchup fried rice, chorizo fried rice, char siu fried rice, spam fried rice, tuna fried rice, or Singapore fried rice.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Egg fried rice is a great way to use up leftover rice that you may have in your fridge. You could also use up any leftover vegetables you have in your fridge too.
- Enjoy this fried rice recipe for weeknight dinners, lunch boxes, or even special occasions or pot lucks.
- This egg fried rice recipe is budget friendly.
Cost To Make
Estimated cost = $4.50, or $1.12 a serve
Ingredients
Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.
- Cooking oil: e.g. vegetable oil
- Eggs: Beaten and lightly salted
- Small brown onion: Finely chopped
- Minced garlic
- Day old cooked basmati rice: It is best to use a long grain rice such as basmati rice for fried rice. This is because it will give you crisp fried rice that doesn't clump together. We also recommend you use day old cooked basmati rice for better results. If you are short on time and want to use freshly cooked rice, you may need to cook your fried rice for a bit longer and be aware that your fried rice may not turn out as crisp.
- Green (spring) onions: Finely chopped
- Soy sauce
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
This recipe for egg fried rice serves 4. The ingredient quantities can easily be adjused to suit how many serves you need to make.
Step One: In a wok or deep frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Once hot, pour in the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs. Remove the eggs once cooked and set aside.
Step Two: Add another 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to the wok. Cook the finely chopped brown onion for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft and lightly browned.
Step Three: Mix through the minced garlic for about half a minute and then add the cooked basmati rice. Turn the heat to high. Break up any clumps of rice, and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Step Four: Mix through the green onions, soy sauce, and cooked egg. Continue to fry rice for a further 4 to 5 minutes.
Step Five: Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir fry for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and serve.
Tips for Success
- For crisp fried rice, it is best to use day old cooked basmati rice. If you use freshly cooked rice, your fried rice may not turn out as crisp and instead the grains of the rice may clump together.
Substitutions / Variations
- Mix through any leftover vegetables, like capsicum, peas, or broccoli, that you may have in your fridge or freeze. Cut them into small pieces and fry them when you add the garlic to the rice.
- Mix through some crispy tofu or chicken.
Serving Suggestions
This egg fried rice recipe is great to enjoy on it's own, but if you are looking for ideas of what to serve with egg fried rice, you might like to try:
- A light chicken soup or broth.
- With Asian greens, like broccoli gomaee, kailan, or bok choy
- Grilled meats such as chicken, beef, or shrimp.
- A simple salad, such as a cucumber salad with a sesame dressing
- A curry
- Spring rolls
Storage
Store this egg fried rice in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
FAQ
For this recipe for egg fried rice, you fry the eggs before you fry the rice.
This recipe for egg fried rice is made of basmati rice, eggs, garlic, soy sauce, brown onion, and green onions.
Egg fried rice is a type of fried rice that uses eggs. There are some fried rice recipes that do not use eggs.
What rice is used for what?
Ever wondered which might be the best rice to use for a dish you're about to make.
Or maybe you're just curious and want to know more about rice in general.
Why not check out our pages on what is basmati rice and what is jasmine rice.
Helpful Rice Cooking Tips
Want to know how to cook rice or just need a little refresher?
Check out how to easily cook basmati rice, sushi rice, and jasmine rice on the stovetop.
Or, why not check out our recipes on how to make basmati rice, jasmine rice, and sushi rice in the Instant Pot.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below! We'd love to hear how it turned out.
More Mains Recipes
Recipe
How To Make Egg Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil e.g. vegetable oil
- 3 eggs beaten and lightly salted
- 90 grams (3.17 ounces) small brown onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 cups (380 grams, 13.40 ounces) day old cooked basmati rice
- ½ cup (40 grams, 1.41 ounces) green (spring) onions finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a wok or deep frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Once hot, pour in the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs. Remove the eggs once cooked and set aside.
- Add another 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to the wok. Cook the finely chopped brown onion for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft and lightly browned.
- Mix through the minced garlic for about half a minute, and then add the cooked basmati rice. Turn the heat to high. Break up any clumps of rice, and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Mix through the green onions, soy sauce, and cooked egg. Continue to fry rice for a further 4 to 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir fry for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and serve.
Jacinta says
I made egg fried rice using this recipe, and it was a great success. The eggs mixed in beautifully with the rice, creating a simple but tasty meal.
Emily says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the egg fried rice, Jacinta!