The BEST Chinese Fried Rice (Easy 15-Minute Recipe) (2024)

This restaurant-style Chinese Fried Rice recipe is the best ever! It tastes even better than takeout and is ready to eat in just 15 minutes. Learn how to make homemade fried rice with this easy recipe that is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.

Better-than-Takeout Fried Rice

You will want to add this easy fried rice recipe to your regular dinner rotation, because it is super flavorful and is ready to eat in mere minutes. It is a fast meal because it not only cooks quickly, but it also requires a very minimal amount of prep. You probably already have most of the ingredients on-hand in your kitchen too.

I bet you could make this dish inlesstime than it would take to get takeout. Plus, with such fantasticflavor and the fact that you know exactly what’s going into it, who needs takeout anyway? Now you can toss those takeout menus and makeperfect fried rice in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Tips for Making Fried Rice

Here are a few important things I have learned over the years about how to make the best fried rice:

• Use cold, cooked rice: The key to making perfect Chinese fried rice is using leftover, refrigerated rice. This is because chilled (preferably day-old) rice will separate nicely and won’t clump together in the pan. A freshly-cooked batch of warm rice will not fry well when it hits the hot pan, and will result in mushy clumps.
• Use long-grain, white rice: It cooks up fluffy and not sticky, with individual grains remaining distinct and firm. I find that Jasmine or Basmati rice gives the best consistency, fragrance, and flavor.
• Use butter: Japanese steakhouses use a big pat of butter when they’re making fried rice for good reason. Using butter (rather than oil) makes the rice brown up perfectly and just makes everything taste so much better.
• Use a wok or large skillet: You want to use a pan that seems large for the amount of rice and other ingredients you are using. This allows the ingredients in the pan to heat up quickly and evenly. It also gives you plenty of room to toss everything together without anything falling out of the pan.

Be sure to use the tips above to make sure your fried rice turns out perfect, every single time!

Chinese Fried Rice Ingredients

Okay, let’s talk ingredients. To make this homemade fried rice recipe, you will need:

• Cooked, chilled rice: Make sure your rice has been cooked in advance and thoroughly chilled in the fridge in a sealed container. As I said before, freshly-cooked rice will not work well in this recipe.
• Onions, carrots, peas, and green onions: This is the base mix of vegetables that I always use for fried rice, but feel free to substitute any other stir-fry vegetables you have on hand.
• Garlic and ginger: These two ingredients add a zesty kick and depth of flavor. Always use freshly minced garlic and grated ginger for the best flavor.
• Eggs: These add a good dose of protein, as well as flavor and texture. If possible, you should use organic, pasture-raised eggs for maximum health benefits.
• Soy sauce: This savory condiment forms the base of the rice’s flavor. You could also use tamari, which is essentially gluten-free soy sauce. I recommend always purchasing high-quality organic tamari and soy sauce. Soybeans are one of the top GMO and pesticide-laden crops, so it’s worth spending the extra money on organic.
• Sriracha: This spicy sauce adds a good amount of heat without overpowering the rest of the flavors in the dish.
• Butter: Again, butter just makes everything better. I recommend using grass-fed butter if you can.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Homemade Fried Rice

This recipe is prepared in stages so that everything gets cooked perfectly. To make homemade fried rice recipe, simply:

1. Saute the veggies: Start by cooking the vegetables and aromatics in a bit of butter until tender.
2. Cook the eggs: Push the veggies to one side of the pan. On the cleared side, scramble up the eggs in the last bit of butter. Then, stir to combine everything together.
3. Stir-fry the rice and sauces: Next, add the rice, tamari and Sriracha. Stir-fry the mixture for a couple of minutes to pull all the flavors together.
4. Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with some sliced green onions over top the fried rice, then serve it up nice and warm.

That’s it! Now you can skip the takeout and whip up a fast and fresh recipe for easy fried rice in just 15 minutes.

Chinese Fried Rice Variations

There are so different ways to make fried rice, so I encourage you to experiment with other ingredients you have on hand. Here are some ideas:

• Tofu Fried Rice: Drain a package of firm tofu and dice into cubes. Pan-fry and then mix it into your rice.
• Pineapple Fried Rice: Canned or fresh pineapple can be traditional in Chinese or Thai fried rice. Just dice and stir it in to combine.
• Kimchi Fried Rice: Kimchi adds an incredible flavor boost to fried rice. Just chop and mix it in your fried rice.
• Chicken Fried Rice: Cook a couple of chicken breasts in a pan. Then shred or dice and add it to your fried rice. For a shortcut, use leftover or rotisserie chicken.
• Shrimp Fried Rice: Pan-fry a pound of peeled, raw shrimp and then stir it into your fried rice.
• Pork Fried Rice: Cook a boneless pork chop in a pan, then dice and add to your rice.
• Beef Fried Rice: Sauté steak or brown ground beef in a pan, then crumble or dice and add to your fried rice.

Those are just some common variations of fried rice. However, your options for customizing it are truly endless, so feel free to get creative!

More Takeout-Style Recipes

If you’re interested in trying out some more takeout-inspired recipes, here are a few of my favorite ones on the blog:

• Chinese Chicken Fried Rice
• Korean Ground Beef Bulgogi
• Pineapple Coconut Rice
• Healthy Teriyaki Chicken
• Easy Sesame Noodles

If you make this easy Chinese Fried Rice recipe, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡

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