If you have eggs and leftover rice, this easy 10-minute fried rice recipe is the best go-to meal! Made with only 6 ingredients. A great main dish, side dish or meal that's budget friendly! I share tips to make it taste like Chinese takeout.
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Egg Fried Rice (蛋炒饭) is a very quick Chinese stir-fry rice dish featuring fluffy rice, scrambled eggs, soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onions.
It's a very popular Chinese dish made with humble ingredients making it a staple in many Chinese households.
Growing up my mother would cook this for us hungry kids to put dinner on the table fast! We would serve it with Char Siu or Chinese Roasted Pork Belly and Stir-Fried Snow Pea Leaves.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to the below Recipe card for measurements
- Day-Old Cold Cooked Jasmine Rice: or substitute with any cold cooked long grain white rice. Important Tip: cold cooked rice is recommended for fluffy fried rice. If you're making fresh hot rice for this, spread the hot rice in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and freeze it fully exposed for 45-60 minutes to remove excess moisture. Then break it up with clean hands before cooking.
- Green Onions
- Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: omit if allergic or substitute with oyster sauce to taste.
- Eggs
- Neutral Oil: any flavorless oil like avocado oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid using olive oil due to the low smoke point.
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check online stores, like Amazon.
Expert Tips
- Use a steel wok for smoky flavor. When the oil meets hot steel, it creates a smoke in the pan, also known as "wok hei" or "breathe of wok" in Chinese - a secret ingredient to Chinese takeout. This can't be achieved with a non-stick wok unfortunately.
- Use day-old cold rice and avoid using hot or warm rice for fluffy fried rice. If you're using hot or warm rice, spread it out on a large sheet pan, freeze for 45-60 minutes.
- Break up the cold rice with clean hands or a rice paddle before cooking to make it easier. This also exposes the surface area on the rice so it toasts better.
- If you're making fresh rice for this recipe, use a few tablespoons of cooking water when steaming rice, which creates firmer grains.
- Use eggs with Omega 3s for a bright yellow color.
- Pour the soy sauce along the edges of the wok for more flavor! When the soy sauce hits the hot pan first, it toasts the sauce creating more flavor in your fried rice.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make egg fried rice:
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan or wok. If you are using a wok, allow the oil to smoke and if using a normal pan, skip smoking the oil. Pour in beaten eggs. Quickly stir-fry the eggs so they take shape.
- Once the eggs take shape but are still moist, quickly toss in rice. If rice is clumped together, break apart in pan.
- Sweep everything to the side of the pan, add remaining oil into empty space with green onions. Mix green onions into rice and eggs.
- Add soy sauce and sesame oil along the edges of the pan. Then toss until grains are colored brown. Remove off heat. Serve hot and enjoy while it's hot!
Storage
- Leftovers will last 4 days in an airtight container stored in the fridge. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat on medium heat on the stovetop in a pan.
- Freezer-friendly? Fried rice can be frozen in freezer-friendly bags for up to 1 month. Be make sure to squeeze out any air before sealing the bags. When ready to enjoy, defrost it and reheat it in the microwave until hot or in a pan on the stovetop.
Pairing Suggestions
Egg fried rice serves well:
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
- chow mein, or lo mein
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- protein dishes like Mongolian Chicken, Orange Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Bang Bang Shrimp, Gochujang Chicken, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu and more!
FAQ
Egg fried rice can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
There are many ingredients you can add to egg fried rice to take it to the next level, such as peas, carrots, green beans, corn, broccoli florets, bean sprouts, butter, oyster sayce, chili oil, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp or tofu.
📖 Recipe
10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice cold & day-old (or sub with any white long grain rice)
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- 2.5 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce (avoid dark soy sauce)
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan or wok. If you are using a wok, allow the oil to smoke and if using a normal pan, skip smoking the oil.
- Pour in beaten eggs. Quickly stir-fry the eggs so they take shape.
- Once the eggs take shape but are still moist, quickly toss in rice. If rice is clumped together, break apart in pan.
- Sweep everything to the side of the pan, add remaining oil into empty space with green onions. Mix green onions into rice and eggs.
- Add soy sauce and sesame oil along the edges of the pan. Then toss until grains are colored brown. Remove off heat. Serve hot and enjoy while it's hot!
Jon Richards
Brilliant recipe in its simplicity, ease of cooking and taste.
I made this recipe last night and included prawns.
Thank you and please keep these coming.
PS: Hope you can do a shredded chilli beef recipe as the ones I’ve tried have failed.
Kind regards
Jon
christieathome
Thank you so much for these kind reviews, Jon! I am really happy to hear that this egg fried rice turned out so well with the prawns! I will continue to do my best to provide more recipes like this. I will also keep your suggestion in mind for the shredded chili beef 🙂
Hilary
So quick and easy - I used brown rice which was perfect because it didn't clump at all. I only had dark soy, so I cut back the amount a bit and added some fish sauce and added corn, peas and fresh diced carrot as well as the spring onion. Sprinkled it with sesame seeds and just popped the wok on the dining table along with two spicy chicken tenders each. I messed with the amounts a little for the 3 of us: 4 cups rice and 5 eggs, adult son came back for a second helping, but there was still enough for lunches for hubby and self - win-win!
christieathome
Thank you so much for sharing your delicious experience with my egg fried rice recipe, Hilary! I'm so happy your whole family enjoyed it with those tasty additions! 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Lisa
I needed a quick, yummy dinner from my sparse frig and found this recipe. Only had broccoli, eggs, rice, light olive oil and coconut aminos (am soy free) and it turned out delish. Next time I'll shop for scallions and try out some garlic in it. Question - can you freeze this dish after cooked? If so how to reheat? Thanks much
christieathome
Awesome! Thanks for making my recipe, Lisa! Unfortunately I wouldn't recommend freezing as the rice won't taste the same when it's frozen after it's fried.
Robin Messenheimer
Great recipe. I just needed a side dish and had some leftover plain Jasmine Rice. As I was using this as a side dish, I just used 2 eggs. Even so, the recipe set for 2 servings was enough to be a side dish again for the two of us. The recipe is in my "keep" file.
christieathome
Thank you so much for sharing your kind review with me, Robin! Happy it's now a keeper and glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Have a lovely one!
Tonya Day
Great recipe. Question: I'm needing to make enough for 20 people soon. Hints? Help? I'll transport in crackpot?
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe! As for making it for 20 people, I would really suggest cooking it in batches. I find that when recipes are multiplied and cooked altogether in one large batch, it never turns out right due to inconsistent heat distribution unless you have a very large wok. So for this recipe, I would at most multiply it by 3-4 for one batch and repeat until you have enough for 20.
Vanesse
I tried this and added sliced bacon and had sweet chilli sauce on the side and it was heavenly. I'm always looking for quick and easy dishes I can make in the weekend and this was super quick.
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Vanesse! Slice bacon and sweet chili sauce sound amazing as add-ons! Glad it was heavenly.
Cathy
I loved how quick and easy it was to make. I did feel it could use a little more flavour so may use a little hot sauce or cayenne pepper next time.
Sandy Stiner
Love this recipe! So easy and tastes so good! It’s a fav of ours!
christieathome
Thanks Sandy! Happy you enjoyed it and even happier that it's a favourite of yours 🙂
Jennifer
This recipe is great! Instead of green onions, I used white onions and it was amazing. WAY better than eating from my local takeout place. I will be making this again!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Jennifer! So glad you that you enjoyed it with the modifications!
Christina
I loved this fried rice…and even more important, so did my kids! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, and I can’t wait to try more of them!
Christina
I forgot to rate it…definitely 5 stars!
christieathome
Thank you so much Christina for the kind review and for making my recipe! So glad you and your kids enjoyed it! I hope you like my other recipes 🙂
Sarah
Just made this tonight for a quick dinner and it was super yum!! My daughter called the rice "soft and delicious" we both had two helpings and will prob fight over it for our lunches tomorrow. Thank you.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making it Sarah! So glad you and your daughter enjoyed it that much! I love what she called it 🙂
Charmaussie
Thank you, this was incredibly quick and simple to make. Perfect way to use up leftover rice. Next time, I'd like to add garlic and ginger but tonight's goal was to get a quick dinner together (and avoid fast food options) and your recipe was fantastic! The green onion imparts an amazing flavor.
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe! I'm so glad you enjoyed my quick and easy recipe. It really is a great way to use up leftover rice. Have a great day!
John Hutchison
Killer fried rice. Brought together several cooking techniques I've been having trouble with. More recipes!
christieathome
So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for making my recipe!
Rosemary
I am ALL about any meal that can come together in under 10 minutes. Yes please to busy weeknight dinners!
Ethelyn Dietrich
When I make fried rice, I usually cook them over easy in a non-stick pan with butter for about 3 minutes. Then, I flip them for about 60 seconds. But it sounds like your husband prefers Sunny Side Up. You should heat the pan to medium. Melt a pat of butter. Crack the rice into the pan. Season, cover and cook for about 8-9 minutes. I will do a little more research for you and add the perfect sunny side up egg egg recipe/tools to this post.
christieathome
Thanks for sharing that!
B
HI Christie
Thanks for the lovely recipe.
I like the wok that you are using and have recommended in your shop:
https://www.amazon.com/Hammered-Carbon-Wooden-Spatula-Handle/dp/B089YCBXG9?dchild=1&keywords=Hand+Hammered+Carbon+Steel+Wok&qid=1622667900&sr=8-9&linkCode=sl1&tag=christieath0e-20&linkId=a51ec47fd60b13013fa235be4e750d18&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
Could you share your experiences in using the wok, if possible in a blog post?
Thanks!
christieathome
Hi there, thanks for your suggestion! I will possibly consider this idea for a blog post in the future. But overall I truly enjoy my wok as I use it to boil, deep fry, stir fry and steam. It is on the heavier side but then again I don't have much forearm strength. I would highly recommend it, just make sure to research how to season it prior to usage.
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
That was a great tip you shared for not over cooking the eggs... and I can't believe this only takes 10 minutes. Talk about the perfect dinner solution for a busy weeknight!
Taheya
Hello! Can you use fresh jasmine rice if you don't have any day old rice?
Christie Lai
Yes, but I would recommend evenly spreading the cooked rice out on a baking sheet and freezing it for 45-60 minutes until it's cold and can easily break up into separate granules. Unfortunately if you use freshly cooked rice, it has a tendency to stick together and clump.