Egg Fried Rice

 This Chinese takeout-style egg fried rice is tasty, super easy to make, takes only 15 minutes, making it perfect for a quick weekday mea or as a side to go with chicken and broccoli and Mongolian beef. If you prefer shrimps in your fried rice, try our shrimp fried rice or make it a loaded fried rice with our house special fried rice recipe! Now you can make this quintessential Chinese takeout dish right at home.

What to eat with egg fried rice

Egg fried rice makes for a great light and simple lunch or dinner or as part of your homemade Chinese takeout feast! Here are a few of our favorites Chinese takeout dishes:

• Appetizers - classic egg rolls and crab rangoons
• Soups - wonton soup and egg drop soup, or hot and sour soup for something more intense
• Deep fried entrees - sesame chicken, sweet and sour chicken, and kung pao chicken
• Stir fry entrees - chicken with mixed vegetables, beef and broccoli, and black pepper chicken

Egg fried rice ingredients

• Day old rice - Old rice is always better for making fried rice than freshly cooked rice because older rice tends to be drier, which helps to prevent the rice from clumping together and becoming mushy. Day old rice also gives fried rice a nice, chewy texture.
• Eggs - What's egg fried rice without eggs?! Plus, fried eggs makes fried rice more aromatic and flavor.
• Yellow onion - Besides eggs, yellow onion is another ingredient that adds to fried rice's aromatic flavor, along with a lovely sweetness.
• Peas and carrots - These two vegetables are iconic in egg fried rice. You can just use the frozen packet of mixed peas and carrots or use fresh peas and cut your own carrots. Feel free to also omit it you're not a fan of peas and carrots.
• Shaoxing rice wine - The rice wine makes fried rice extra fragrant. It's a Chinese pantry staple and we highly recommend it for the fried rice.
• Soy sauce and oyster sauce - These two are the main seasoning for fried rice. Both add umami in their own way and flavors the rice. For the soy sauce, we used light sodium soy sauce. If using regular soy sauce, use a little less.
• Sesame oil, green onion, sesame seeds - These are all optional garnishes and flavoring. They all add an extra touch to this simple egg fried rice, but can be omitted as well.

Oyster sauce substitute

Soy sauce and oyster sauce combo is the easiest way to season fried rice at home. However, if you don't have oyster sauce or if you're allergic to shellfish, here are a couple of substitutes:

• Sweet soy sauce - You can use ½ tablespoon of sweet soy sauce along with 1 ½ tablespoons of regular soy sauce.
• Use more soy sauce - Although this substitution won't replicate the same flavor as using oyster sauce, it'll still taste good! Just use 2 tablespoons of soy sauce total and omit the oyster sauce.
• Also add a couple pinches of sugar to substitute for the mild sweetness in the oyster sauce.
• Mushroom oyster sauce - Use mushroom oyster sauce in place of regular oyster sauce. It's vegan friendly and contains no seafood or shellfish.

Instruction

1. Prepare day old rice. Break up the day old rice by rubbing between your hands or in a resealable bag. Set aside until needed.

2. Scramble eggs. Heat oil in a wok or large nonstick pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the beaten eggs and cook until scrambled. Remove from the wok and set aside.

3. Stir fry the vegetables. In the same wok over medium to medium high heat, add a little more oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, peas, and carrots. Stir fry until the onion starts to turn translucent and smells fragrant.

4. Add the rice. To the wok, add the day old rice and scrambled eggs. Drizzle a bit more oil around the pan, about another tablespoon and stir fry briefly until well combined.

5. Add the rice wine. Drizzle the shaoxing rice wine around the pan and stir fry until the rice is fragrant and the alcohol is cooked off, about 30 seconds.

7. Season. Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir fry and toss the fried rice a few minutes, until the rice is even in color and hot throughout.

8. Finish. Drizzle in the sesame oil and add the green onions. Toss to combine. Garnish with more green onions and sesame seeds if desired. Enjoy while hot!

Recipe Tips

• Use day old rice or dry out freshly made rice. The best way to ensure that your fried rice doesn't turn out mushy and clumpy is by using day old rice. Make sure the rice is not overcooked and is allowed to cool completely before cover and storing.
• You can dry out freshly cooked rice by spreading it on a plate or a sheet pan. Then, let the rice cool completely in an open space. The rice can then be transfer into an airtight container and stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
• Cook stickier rice in some oil first. Stickier rice, like freshly cooked white rice and medium and short grain rice, can easily clump up especially when it warms up. So before making fried rice, stir fry the rice with a couple tablespoons of oil. This will help keep the rice grains separated and prevent major clumping.
• If you want to shape your fried rice into a mound, use a bowl. Pack the fried rice into a bowl and flatten the top. Place a plate on top of the bowl, then flip the plate with the bowl.

Storage and reheating

Leftover egg fried rice can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days once it is completely cooled.

To reheat, you can use the either microwave it or heat it on the stovetop.

Microwave method: Drizzle a little water on the egg fried rice and heat in a microwave safe container until hot. Stir midway through to help heat up the fried rice evenly.

Stovetop method: In a wok or nonstick pan over medium heat, add the leftover fried rice. Break up the rice and drizzle in a small amount of water. Stir fry until the the fried rice is thoroughly heated and tender again.

FAQ

What gives fried rice its flavor?

Chinese takeout-style fried rice is usually seasoned with soy sauce and the shaoxing rice wine makes it extra aromatic. Oyster sauce and sesame oil are sometimes also added be added.

What is the best rice for making fried rice?

Any day old rice can make good fried rice. But long grain rice is definitely the best rice to use. Because long grain rice contains less starch, the rice is less likely to clump together and become sticky when cooking.

Why is my fried rice mushy?

Mushy fried rice is usually caused by overcooked white rice, rice that is too wet for fried rice or if too much liquid seasoning is used. The easiest way to prevent your egg fried rice from becoming mushy is using day old rice or rice that is cooked a little on the drier side. By the time your seasonings are added, the rice that seems a little dry will be perfect fried rice texture.