Rice stir-fried with savory spam, fluffy eggs, and vegetables, then seasoned with umami flavors - the ultimate comfort food! This one-pan, easy spam fried rice recipe is ready in 30 minutes with leftover rice. In little time, you'll have a delicious meal that's great for busy weeknights!
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If you're not familiar with Spam, it's a canned ingredient that contains mixed pork, and Asians love to cook with it as it's savory, cheap, and shelf-stable. The U.S. military brought spam to Asia during World War II and the Korean War as a food ration, and it's become a beloved comfort food used in rice and noodle dishes.
I've made spam fried rice for years and each time, I find ways to improve it. I've tested this with jasmine and short-grain rice and both versions work well.
This is such a tasty and flavorful rice recipe and my husband loves it too. I love to enjoy a big bowl of it as I watch my Korean drama!
Why This Recipe
- Unique secret ingredient: I add butter for rich depth and it helps to toast the rice.
- Great color and umami: I've tested this recipe with multiple dark soy sauces and Pearl River Bridge Superior or Lee Kum Kee Premium gives it a nice brown color and flavor.
- No clumpy rice: Fried rice can become very soggy and clumpy if you use the wrong type of rice. I recommend using chilled, day-old cooked rice for those fluffy grains.
- Made in one pan.
- Affordable and better than takeout.
If you love fried rice, check out my Chinese Chicken Fried Rice and Shrimp Fried Rice.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Cooked Jasmine Rice: Or substitute with cooked white, short-grain, medium-grain, long-grain rice. It's crucial to use cold, day-old rice as it's drier, which creates separated grains and fluffier fried rice. If using freshly cooked rice, I recommend spreading it on a large baking sheet and freezing it for 45 minutes to dry it out, then break it up.
- Spam: I recommend using low-sodium spam to control the saltiness. But if using regular spam, reduce the amount of soy sauce. Substitution: Diced ham.
- Large Eggs
- Diced Carrots, Corn, Peas: You can use fresh or frozen ones for convenience. Just rinse the frozen ones under cold water and strain them so it cooks faster. Substitutions: Chopped green beans, edamame, or diced bell peppers.
- Shallot: I recommend using shallots for a sweeter taste. Substitution: ¼ cup diced onion.
- Green Onion: To add aroma and color.
- Fresh Garlic: I recommend using fresh garlic for best flavor. Substitution: Jarred minced garlic.
- Neutral Oil: Use high-smoke-point oils like avocado, peanut, vegetable, canola/rapeseed, or sunflower oil. Avoid extra virgin olive oil (smokes at high heat).
- Regular Soy Sauce: Any all-purpose brand works [I recommend Kikkoman or Lee Kum Kee]. Low-sodium or light soy sauce also work.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Provides a deep brown color and umami [I recommend Pearl River Bridge Superior or Lee Kum Kee Premium]. Mushroom-flavored dark soy sauce is also a great option.
- Unsalted Butter: This is the secret ingredient to an amazing fried rice. I recommend using unsalted butter as the soy sauce and spam are salty, but you can sub with salted butter and adjust the amount of soy sauce.
- Salt
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Delivers a deep, nutty aroma [I recommend Kadoya or Maruhon]. Avoid substituting with untoasted sesame oil as it doesn't taste the same.
Note: Most Asian ingredients are typically found at Asian grocery stores, or you can check online.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Spam fried rice:
- Fry Spam and shallots: Heat a dry wok or large pan on medium-high heat. Then fry diced Spam until golden brown. Then add shallots and fry until softened.
- Stir-fry aromatics and vegetables: Next add vegetable oil, green onions, and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Then add corn, peas, and carrots, and toss until evenly combined. Push everything to the side of the pan to make an empty space.
- Cook the eggs: Then add the beaten eggs into the empty space. Let the eggs sit for 10-15 seconds first before scrambling and breaking up into bite-size pieces.
- Add rice and seasoning: Add cold, day-old rice. Then pour regular soy sauce and dark soy sauce along the edges of the pan and let it sizzle for 5 seconds. Then add unsalted butter and if needed, add salt to taste. Toss until evenly combined and the grains are no longer white. Season with sesame oil and garnish with more green onions. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use cold, day-old rice: Drier grains separate more easily, resulting in light, fluffy fried rice.
- If using freshly cooked rice: spread it on a sheet pan, freeze for 45–60 minutes, then break it up to separate the grains.
- Break up the rice before cooking: Use a rice paddle or clean hands to loosen any clumps so the grains can toast evenly in the pan.
- Use medium-high heat: Proper heat helps to toast the rice and prevents moisture buildup, which can cause soggy fried rice.
- Use a steel wok or steel pan: These retain high heat and create the smoky aroma known as wok hei (the secret ingredient in Chinese takeout). Nonstick pans can't achieve this.
- Pour the soy sauce along the edges of the pan: Let it sizzle briefly before mixing with the rice to develop a richer flavor.
Variations
- Ham version: Replace the spam with diced ham.
- Gluten-free version: Replace both soy sauces with tamari sauce, coconut aminos, or gluten-free soy sauce.
- Dairy-free version: Replace the butter with vegan butter or omit the butter altogether and it will still taste delicious!
Pairing Suggestions
Spam fried rice pairs well with:
- Starters: Egg Rolls, Crab Rangoon, Egg Drop Soup, or Hot and Sour Soup.
- Noodle Dishes: Chow Mein or Lo Mein.
- Vegetable Dishes: Spicy Garlic Bok Choy or Stir-fried Snow Pea Leaves.
- Protein Dishes: Szechuan Chicken, Black Pepper Beef, Bang Bang Shrimp, Egg Foo Young, or Soy Garlic Tofu.
Storage & Reheating
- Leftover spam fried rice can last up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
- Freezer-friendly? Spam fried rice can be frozen for up to 2-3 months when stored in smaller portions in freezer-safe bags. To enjoy, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
FAQ
Can I use freshly cooked rice instead?
Freshly steamed rice can be used, but you'll need to dry it out first, or it'll result in clumpy fried rice. To do this, evenly spread the cooked rice out on a large baking sheet, freeze for 45 minutes, and break it up with a rice paddle.
Do I need a wok to cook this?
You also don't need a wok to cook this dish, simply use a large pan and medium-high heat to ensure the grains toast evenly.
Why is my fried rice soggy?
Soggy fried rice can be caused by a few different factors, such as using freshly cooked or warm rice, not using cold dry rice, not breaking up the rice beforehand or in the pan, or not using a high enough heat such as medium-high heat.
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📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Spam Fried Rice
Rice stir-fried with savory Spam, fluffy eggs, and vegetables, then seasoned with umami flavors - the ultimate comfort food! This one-pan, easy Spam fried rice recipe is ready in 30 minutes with leftover rice. In little time, you'll have a restaurant-quality meal that's great for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice or long-grain or short-grain white rice, cold day-old
- 1 can spam low-sodium, diced into ½" cubes
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup frozen diced carrots rinsed with cold water & strained
- ⅓ cup frozen peas rinsed with cold water & strained
- ⅓ cup frozen corn rinsed with cold water & strained
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- ¼ teaspoon salt if needed
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Heat a dry wok or large pan on medium-high heat. Then fry diced Spam until golden brown. Then add shallots and fry until softened.
- Next add vegetable oil, green onions, and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
- Then add corn, peas, and carrots, and toss until evenly combined. Push everything to the side of the pan to make an empty space.
- Then add the beaten eggs into the empty space. Let the eggs sit for 10-15 seconds first before scrambling and breaking up into bite-size pieces.
- Add cold, day-old rice. Then pour regular soy sauce and dark soy sauce along the edges of the pan and let it sizzle for 5 seconds. Then add unsalted butter and if needed, add salt to taste.
- Toss until evenly combined and the grains are no longer white. Season with sesame oil and garnish with more green onions. Enjoy!
Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
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Nutrition
Calories: 1101kcal | Carbohydrates: 163g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 2168mg | Potassium: 840mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5624IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg
Soraya Garcia
So easy to make! Actually I didn't know what to do with the 2 cans of spam and when I saw your recipe I got really excited!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and so glad you liked it! Glad I could help give you an idea on how to use spam.
Elizabeth
First time making Spam Fried Rice, and I'm so glad I picked your recipe to follow. It was simply delicious ☺️
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for this positive review! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
tom
We always make a version of this, with red chilli, thank you for the day old rice trick
I didn't know that. Now I'll spread and freeze for one hour. Cheap n easy.
Christie Lai
Glad I could help with the tip! Thanks for the positive review!
Jeane
I made this last night, now having made it twice. It is so good and is now a regular on the family menu. I now do the prep work a few hours ahead of time- I cut up some extra carrot ( to cook with the garlic and onion/ shallot), dice up the spam and some pressed tofu dusted in cornstarch as well to stretch the protein (for family of 6). Because I have no wok, I cook the ingredients separately, and place each in a bowl and bring it all together in my skillet at the end and it works great. Thanks Christie, I'm looking forward to trying several of your recipes - you've made them very approachable. Good work!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for leaving such a kind and positive review, Jeane! I am so thrilled to hear that you enjoy this recipe so much and I hope you enjoy my other recipes 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Amanda S Fisher
Amazing combination of flavors! Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
christieathome
Thank you so much for the kind comment, Amanda! Happy I could share this recipe with you and glad you enjoyed it!
Sarah
I made this today for the first time and it is absolutely delicious. It's cold and rainy outside and this was the bowl of comfort I was searching for. Thank you very much.
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Sarah! I am so pleased that you enjoyed my dish 🙂 Have a lovely day!
George Moy
Christie; Hi your spam fried rice is delicious,I know I used to make it in the past, but I haven’t recently because when you buy spam at the grocery store (like Kroger) it is very expensive $3.89 for one can ,also you should let readers know sometimes when you order fried rice on a take out menu (as sides for your meal) all you will get fried rice all right,but no meat or vegetables,either.Another thing,you could make fried rice with,boil in bag rice or instant rice,(just use a sliver of water for instant rice) both rice will asorb soy sauce so easily that you should adjust how much soy sauce to season,now if you substitute the peppers (green,red, orange and yellow)it would make it more enjoyable because spam, and bacon is very salty, the green peppers will take the saltiness out with a little sweetness added to the dish.
George Moy
Also I forgot to mention to tell you instead of regular spam,you should try the new spam,that is bacon flavor spam,its like having fried bacon, but it tasted a little like Rath ham ,the bacon spam is very delicious too.
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it, George! Thanks for all this information and I'm sure the readers will find this comment helpful!
Rosemary
I love fried rice! You know it is such a great base recipe to throw different ingredients into! I definitely want to try this with some little pieces of chicken! And of course egg hehe
Letscurry
Christie, I'm planning this for a quick dinner and gonna replace spam with tofu. It's an amazing recipe to get more veggies in.
I agree with you about finding the right balance and working with our individual body rather than following the fad. We all are unique and so are our eating habits and too much of control will only backfire and make you binge more. Insightful eating is what we need but hey, life is too short to skip a packet of chips. Enjoy!
christieathome
That's wonderful! I'm so glad to hear you will try my recipe. I hope you enjoy it 🙂 It's a great foundation for any fried rice where you can swap out ingredients for what you prefer.
I'm also glad you're with me on that! It's very true, when we restrict ourselves it only leads to binge eating. Thanks for your kind comment Haseena! I truly appreciate it.
Katerina
I couldn't agree more - eating healthy is all about balance. What is the point of having the most nutritious diet if you're unhappy? I have to admit I only eat spam when we're in Hawaii (they do love their spam) but I love this idea - I don't think I'd be able to stop eating!
christieathome
Thanks Katerina! I am glad you're with me on that. It took me awhile to really get to this place of balanced wellness and I'm still learning as I go. I bet their spam is just amazing!
Never Ending Journeys
I absolutely love this recipe! Fried rice is one of my all time favorite dishes, so adding spam would take it to a whole new level. Thanks for sharing this!
christieathome
Thanks so much!! It was definitely one recipe that I was excited to share here because I'm sure so many people bought spam for the lockdown.
Rashmi
I just love fried rice... this looks so yummy... thanks for sharing the recipe dear 🙂
http://www.beautyandfashionfreaks.com
christieathome
Thank you so much! I appreciate that! It's a delicious one.
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
I LOVE this Christie! In my opinion, it's all about balance. We have to allow ourselves to find what balance works for us. It makes me happy to know that you are sharing recipes that you love and enjoy!! This Spam fried rice looks insanely delicious too!!
christieathome
Thanks so much for reading Tasia! You're totally right. It really is about balance and I'm so happy to be sharing recipes that I truly enjoy now 🙂