Savory, fluffy fried rice with eggs, mixed vegetables, and aromatics. This quick and easy vegetable fried rice recipe uses simple ingredients and it's ready in 15 minutes! A family-friendly, budget-friendly meal that's great for busy weeknights and better-than-takeout.
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Vegetable fried rice features fluffy rice stir-fried with scrambled eggs, frozen mixed veggies, broccoli, garlic, and scallions in a savory sauce and is served as a main or side.
This popular Chinese restaurant dish is packed with flavor, fiber, and protein. A tasty way to sneak vegetables into your diet, especially for picky eaters!
My best tip for fluffy fried rice: use cold, day-old cooked rice from the fridge. The cold grains are drier, which keeps them separated when stir-frying and prevent clumping.
If using freshly steamed rice, I recommend drying it out by evenly spreading it out on a large baking tray, freeze for 45-60 minutes, and break it up.
What makes this recipe unique is you can swap the vegetables with ones you enjoy - see Substitutes below. You can also replace the eggs with any protein of your choice.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Cold Day-Old Cooked Jasmine Rice or long-grain white rice: Use cold day-old rice to prevent soggy fried rice, as it contains less moisture.
- Broccoli: Or substitute chopped snap peas, snow peas, or diced bell peppers.
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables: Such as peas, carrots, corn, green beans, or lima beans.
- Green Onions
- Garlic
- Large Eggs
- Neutral Oil: Use a neutral oil like avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any low-smoke-point oil.
- Regular Soy Sauce: Or substitute with low-sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Or substitute with dark mushroom soy sauce or season with more regular soy sauce to taste at the end of cooking.
- Sesame Oil: Or substitute with sesame seeds.
- White Pepper: Or substitute with black pepper.
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or check online.
Variations
- Gluten-free version: Substitute the soy sauces with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce.
- Vegan version: Substitute the eggs with vegan egg replacer or diced firm tofu.
Expert Tips
- Use cold day-old rice to prevent soggy fried rice. If using fresh rice, spread it on a sheet pan and freeze for 45-60 minutes.
- Break up the cold rice to separate the grains, so they can toast better.
- Rinse the frozen mixed vegetables and strain them well so they cook quicker.
- Use medium-high heat to toast the grains and prevent moisture build-up in the pan.
- Prepare the ingredients in advance as the cooking process is fast!
- If you own a steel wok, use it for that smoky flavor (aka wok hei) - the secret ingredient in Chinese takeout. Nonstick pans can’t achieve this.
- Pour the soy sauce along the edges of the pan before mixing with the rice for more flavor.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make vegetable fried rice:
- Sauté aromatics: Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry scallion whites and garlic until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
- Stir-fry vegetables: Add broccoli florets and mixed vegetables and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until vibrant in color. Move to the side of the pan.
- Cook the eggs: Add remaining oil into empty space, followed by beaten eggs. Let the eggs set for 10 seconds before scrambling and break into chunks. Move to the side of the pan.
- Mix in rice and seasoning: Add rice, regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper. Toss until rice is evenly coated in sauce and no sauce remains in the bottom of the pan. Add scallion greens and toss again. Serve and enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
- Vegetable fried rice can last for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To enjoy, microwave or reheat on the stovetop until hot throughout.
- I don't recommend freezing vegetable fried rice as the vegetables will turn soggy and the eggs will taste rubbery after reheating.
Pairing Suggestions
This vegetable fried rice pairs well with:
- Starters: Egg rolls, Crab rangoon, Egg drop soup, or Hot and sour soup.
- Rice Dishes: White rice, Brown rice, or Fried rice.
- Noodle Dishes: Chow mein, Lo mein, Plain noodles, or Soup noodles.
- Vegetable Dishes: Chinese Garlic Bok Choy, Spicy Garlic Bok Choy, Chinese Garlic Yu Choy, Chinese Garlic Gai Lan, Garlic Green Beans or Stir-fried Snow Pea Leaves.
- Protein Dishes: Sweet Chili Chicken, Szechuan Chicken, Beef with Black Bean Sauce, Beef Vegetable Stir-Fry, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Bang Bang Shrimp, Egg Foo Young, Soy Garlic Tofu, and more!
FAQ
Vegetable fried rice can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave or reheat on the stovetop until hot throughout.
Freshly steamed rice can be used but you'll need to evenly spread it out on a large baking tray, freeze for 45-60 minutes until cold, and break it up. This process dries out the rice by removing excess moisture, which can cause clumpy fried rice.
Soggy fried rice can be caused by a few reasons, such as: using hot rice that has been freshly cooked, not breaking up the cold rice ahead of time or in the pan, not straining the vegetables well after rinsing, or using too low of a heat setting.
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📖 Recipe
15-min. Easy Vegetable Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice or white long-grain rice, cold day-old (or see Notes below if making fresh rice)
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables like peas, carrots, corn, green beans and/or lima beans
- 1 green onion finely chopped & divided into white and green parts
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1.5 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry scallion whites and garlic until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
- Add broccoli florets and mixed vegetables and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until vibrant in color. Move to the side of the pan.
- Add remaining oil into empty space, followed by beaten eggs. Let the eggs set for 10 seconds before scrambling and break into chunks. Move to the side of the pan.
- Add rice, regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper. Toss until rice is evenly coated in sauce and no sauce remains in the bottom of the pan. Add scallion greens and toss again. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
If you're cooking rice for this recipe
- Rinse ¾ cup or 150 grams of jasmine or white long-grain rice with cold water to make 2 cups of cooked rice.
- Cook rice in your rice cooker or on the stovetop.
- Evenly spread out the hot or warm cooked rice in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer, uncovered for 60 minutes so the cold air can dry out the rice.
- Once the rice is cold and dry, break up the rice with a rice paddle or spatula.
Janette
The BEST 10/10!!! It was easy to make and tasty delicious. Thank you. I will be making more of your dishes!
Christie Lai
This is music to my ears! Thank you so much for making my recipe and for leaving this positive review, Janette! Happy that you enjoyed it and I hope you enjoy my other recipes.
Jordan
Hi, I can’t find dark soy sauce at my grocery store. Any substitution suggestions?
Christie Lai
I would substitute with mushroom dark soy sauce or add more soy sauce to taste instead.
Lynn
I'm wondering if it's ok/good to use Frozen Broccoli in this???
Christie Lai
Yes, that will work too.