Enjoy a tasty and effortless meal of fragrant jasmine rice cooked in a flash with authentic seasonings, then combined with savory bacon and fresh green onions. It's the easiest fried rice you've ever made!
Many years ago, with a brand new baby and with no clue how to cook, I inherited a secondhand cookbook written by a group of church ladies from some Oregon town I’d never even heard of. It was more of a pamphlet than a book, but it had simple recipes, one of which was Fried Rice.
I tried the recipe and found success the first time! It was the first real success I’d ever had in the kitchen, and that little win lit a fire in me. Since then, I've explored other fried rice recipes, tweaked the original, and included more traditional ingredients in the new one, which still makes it one of my go-to dishes.
I will include the simple version I first learned. It is nice to have on hand because it comes together quickly and uses so few ingredients that most people already have what they need to make it.
Read on for all the loving details for Easy Fried Rice.
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Featured Ingredients
Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make Easy Fried Rice!
Rice -Jasmine rice is the best choice for fried rice because of its texture, size, and flavor. Just make sure to let the rice cool off completely before using it. You may have heard that day-old rice is the way to go, and I agree with that, but really, any cooled rice from the same day works as long as it's no longer sticky or clumpy.
To ensure you have enough cooked rice, start with 1 ½ - 2 cups of dry rice for stove-top cooking. I made a 2-scoop batch in my rice cooker, giving me just a little more than four cups cooked.
Bacon - OK, here I talk about authentic ingredients and put bacon in my fried rice! It gives it this incredible, smoky flavor that my whole family loves.
The amazing thing about making fried rice is that you can add whatever you want, depending on your mood or the food on hand. Have some leftover rotisserie chicken? Perfect! Feeling like shrimp? No problem - just cook it up and mix it in with the rice. Like veggies? Throw a handful of frozen vegetables into your Easy Fried Rice. The key is to experiment and make the recipe your own.
Eggs - In this recipe, I give a range of 2-3 eggs. I like mine with lots of scrambled eggs, so I use 3, but use what you prefer.
You'll notice I add the egg in two different steps in the cooking process. The first time will be at the beginning (1-2 eggs), which will give the dish larger bits of scrambled egg. The 2nd time (with 1 egg) is poured over the rice after it's fried to coat everything and create a soft, bouncy texture.
Seasonings - Create an authentic and layered flavor throughout the dish with you add the soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper mixture. However, if you want the fried rice to come together even faster or you don't have some of these ingredients, refer to the bonus recipe below!
White pepper is the customary choice used in authentic Chinese food. It is made from ripe peppercorn seeds and adds a light, subtle heat to your dish. It's super easy to dissolve, and you don't need to use much of it to bring out its flavor.
(Bonus recipe!) Super Simple and Easy Fried Rice
I learned this recipe when I first started cooking. It's incredibly easy and versatile, perfect for nights when you're short on time or ingredients but still want yummy fried rice.
Heat up 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan until shimmering, and then add 4 cups of cooked cold rice. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes, then add 2 raw scrambled eggs. Stir until the eggs are set, then add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook for a few more minutes, then stir in sliced green onions and bacon bits. That's it!
Tools for the job
- large fry pan, high-sided pan, wok, or braiser
- wooden spatula
- measuring cups and spoons
- small bowls
- whisk or fork
How to make Easy Fried Rice
Prepare a few things before you start cooking
- Warm a large skillet (10" or more) on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Scramble the eggs in a small bowl using a fork or whisk, seasoning them with a pinch of salt. You will be adding the egg to the dish in two different steps. I scramble them all into one bowl and just eyeball how much I use. Or do it in separate bowls; that's ok too!
- Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper to another small bowl and stir to combine. Slice the green onions, keeping the white and green parts separate. You will add them at different points in the recipe.
How to make bacon bits and pieces
I find it easier, cleaner, and faster to slice the raw bacon into smaller pieces and then fry it in a pan rather than fry whole strips.
- Warm an 8-10" skillet on the stove over medium heat and fill it with the raw sliced bacon. Don't worry about breaking up the pieces; they will fall apart from each other as they cook.
- Poke and stir them a few times while they are cooking. When the fat starts to render out (melt out of the bacon), turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook until the bacon no longer looks raw.
- It will continue to cook after it has drained from the oil, so take it out of the pan before it looks fully cooked. Using a slotted spoon or mesh strainer, drain the bacon from the grease and set it on a paper towel until you are ready to use it.
Cooking the rice
- Add the olive oil to the pan, and when it is hot and flows easily when you tilt the pan, pour 1-2 scrambled eggs into the hot oil. Using your wooden spatula or spoon, quickly start pushing the eggs from the outside into the center, starting from the top, then the bottom, then each side. Continue to do this until the eggs are mostly solid, then add the white parts of the green onions.
- Fry the whites of the scallions for a minute, then add all the rice to the pan. Stir the rice, coating it in oil and pushing the bits of egg into the rice while breaking it up.
- After 3-4 minutes of frying the rice, pour the last scrambled egg into the pan and quickly stir to incorporate it into the rice.
- Next, add the soy sauce mixture, again stirring quickly to coat all of the rice. Look for the color change to see what parts of the rice haven't been coated in the sauce. Let the rice cook for 2-3 more minutes.
- Taste now for salt levels and stir in the green parts of the scallions and the bacon. Enjoy it on its own or as a side dish with a larger meal.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add Frozen Vegetables - If you want to add veggies to your fried rice, using a frozen mixture is a quick and easy solution. Just grab ½-1 cup, give it a quick rinse with warm water to remove the chill, and mix it in when you add your soy sauce!
- Add fresh vegetables - Whenever I get fried rice from a Vietnamese restaurant, they top it with slices of cucumber, carrots, and cilantro, and it's a delicious twist!
- Spice it up - I like adding my favorite chili crisp brand, Kari Kari, for a toasty, crunchy, spicy kick. This sauce has it all! You can also stir in a teaspoon (or a few) of Sriracha to your soy sauce mixture before making the rice.
- Brown rice - I love making this with brown rice. For me, it's just so much heartier, and honestly, it feels better in my belly.
Leftovers
- Keep leftover fried rice for up to 3 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Reheat leftovers in a nonstick pan on the stove. Warm the pan over medium-high heat, then add the rice. Re-stir fry until it is warmed through, about 5 minutes. If the rice seems dry, add a few drops of water here and there to steam it while it cooks.
More recipes
Here are a few more complimentary recipes for you!
Easy Fried Rice
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Enjoy an effortless meal of fragrant jasmine rice cooked just right with authentic seasonings and combined with savory bacon and fresh green onions.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups rice, cooked and cooled, preferably overnight
- 2-3 eggs, scrambled, divided SEE NOTE 1
- pinch of salt, more to taste
- 3 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ pound bacon, diced and cooked
- ½ - 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed (optional) SEE NOTE 2
Instructions
- Warm a large skillet (10" or more) on the stove over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
- In a small bowl, scramble the eggs and add a pinch of salt.
- In another small bowl, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper and stir to combine.
- When the oil is hot and flows easily in the pan, pour half of the scrambled eggs into the hot oil. Using your wooden spatula or spoon, quickly push the eggs from the outside into the center, starting from the top, then the bottom, then each side. Continue to do this until the eggs are mostly solid, then add the white of the green onions.
- Fry the green onion whites for a minute, then add all the rice. Stir the rice around, getting it coated in oil, pushing the bits of egg into the rice, and breaking it up.
- After 3-4 minutes of frying the rice, pour the last scrambled egg into the pan and quickly stir to incorporate it into the rice.
- Next, add the soy sauce mixture, again stirring quickly to coat all of the rice. Look for the color change to see what parts of the rice haven't been coated in the sauce.
- Let the rice cook for 2-3 more minutes. Taste for salt levels and stir in the green parts of the sliced green onions and the bacon.
- Enjoy it on its own or as a side dish with a larger meal.
Notes
NOTE 1: For ease, scramble the eggs all together, but be aware you will add them in different steps. If using 3 eggs altogether, add 2 eggs (or ⅔rds of the bowl) in the first round and 1 egg in the 2nd.
If using 2 eggs, use half at a time.
NOTE 2: If using frozen vegetables in your easy fried rice, add them to the dish at the same time you add the soy sauce mixture.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: main dish, side dish
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: chinese
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