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This Chinese-inspired fried rice recipe is my absolute fave. It’s quick and easy to make, customizable with any of your favorite mix-ins, and so irresistibly delicious.
Hey friends! I’m digging back into the blog archives today to share one of my all-time favorite recipes.
My favorite homemade fried rice. ♡
Growing up, our family had a tradition of eating lunch every Saturday at our neighborhood’s favorite local Chinese restaurant. And every single Saturday for lunch, I ordered the same thing — egg drop soup and fried rice, my absolute favorites. This restaurant set the bar high for me early when it comes to how amazing fried rice could be. Theirs was always perfectly al dente with slightly crispy edges, full of rich savory flavors, and loaded up with plenty of extra veggies, eggs, and whatever protein sounded good.
After our favorite restaurant sadly closed over a decade ago, I spent years tinkering around with dozens and dozens of batches of fried rice, attempting to recreate a fried recipe that tasted as good as theirs. And while nothing will ever match the original in my book, this fried rice recipe that I’ve landed on is as close as I’ve come and has been my favorite go-to ever since. It’s surprisingly speedy to make, easy to customize with your favorite add-ins, and SO flavorful and comforting. Thousands of our readers have also made and enjoyed it over the years since. So if you’re looking for a good recipe to try, I hope you’ll enjoy it too.
Let’s make some homemade fried rice!
Fried Rice Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Tips For Making The Best Fried Rice:
Ok, let’s get right to it. Here are the important things I have learned over the years about how to make the best fried rice.
1) Use cold rice: You’ve gotta plan ahead and use thoroughly-chilled cooked rice. A fresh batch of warm (or even lukewarm) rice will not fry well when it hits the hot pan, and will result in soggy and sticky clumps — no good. So leftover refrigerated rice is ideal! Or, if you are in a hurry (or have an impulse craving for fried rice, which I completely understand ?), just cook up a fresh batch of rice. Then spread it out on a baking sheet or another large flat pan, drape the rice with a layer of plastic wrap, then pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes (or in the freezer for 10-15 minutes) until it is thoroughly chilled (not frozen).
2) Use butter: Yes, butter. I have made many a batch of fried rice using various oils, and I’m now convinced there’s a reason why Japanese steak houses use that big slab of butter when they’re making fried rice. It just tastes so much better, and also makes everything brown up perfectly. (Although by contrast to Japanese steak houses, we only use 3 tablespoons for a large batch of rice in this recipe.)
3) Use veggies: This is one of my big pet peeves with lame take-out fried rice — not enough veggies! In addition to adding some nice spots of color, veggies go a long way in adding some flavor and freshness to fried rice. Our local Chinese restaurant always added both white and green onions, too, which I included in this recipe. But feel free to modernize this recipe with some other delicious stir-fried veggies as well!
4) Use toasted sesame oil and oyster sauce: If you do not eat seafood, you can leave out the oyster sauce and your fried rice will still be great. But this ingredient makes such a difference in good fried rice, and a little goes a long way. So even if you’re not into oysters, don’t be scared of oyster sauce! Toasted sesame oil, on the other hand, is 100% non-negotiable. It is my favorite smelling ingredient in my kitchen, and tastes wonderful in fried rice. (Also note that sesame oil is meant as a finishing oil, not a cooking oil, so remove the pan from the heat and then stir it in.)
5) Use high heat: This will help fry and brown the rice and veggies well, and will also help prevent the rice from steaming in the pan instead of frying.
6) Let the rice brown a bit on the bottom: If you’re like me and love your rice to be a bit crispy, let it rest for a bit in between stirs so that it can brown a bit on the bottom. It also helps greatly to use a non-stick skillet so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
7) Don’t be afraid to add in some extra soy sauce at the end: I know that everyone has different sensitivities to salt, and different brands of soy sauce also contain pretty dramatically different levels of sodium. So I went a little light on soy sauce in the recipe below. But please add more at the end if this tastes good to you. I almost always stir an extra drizzle into my portion and love it.
Homemade Fried Rice Ingredients:
Alright, so let’s talk ingredients. To make this fried rice recipe, you will need (affiliate links included):
Cooked, chilled rice: Any kind of white or brown rice will do. Just be sure that it is cooked (I always cook mine in this rice cooker, which works like a charm) and thoroughly chilled (in a sealed container in the refrigerator) before adding it to your hot skillet. Again, freshly-cooked rice will not work well in this recipe.
Eggs: Which add great flavor, texture and protein.
Carrots, onions, green onions and peas: This is the base mix of veggies that I always use for fried rice, but feel free to add in other stir-fry veggies you love (see ideas below).
Garlic: Freshly-minced.
Soy sauce: I created this recipe using low-sodium soy sauce. So add less if you’re using traditional soy sauce.
Oyster sauce: This is a major flavor booster in fried rice and (don’t worry) doesn’t taste like oysters. You can find it in the Asian section of grocery stores, or order it on Amazon.
Toasted sesame oil: The finishing touch in this recipe, which is a must. You can also find it in the Asian section of grocery stores, or order it on Amazon.
Butter: My favorite way to stir fry rice.
How To Make Fried Rice:
To make this homemade fried rice recipe, simply:
Scramble eggs: Using a small pat of butter, scramble some eggs in a large sauté pan, breaking them into small pieces as you go. Then transfer the eggs to a separate plate, and set aside.
Sauté veggies and garlic: Return your sauté pan to the heat, and sauté the onions, carrots, peas and garlic until soft and cooked through.
Stir fry rice: Then turn the burner to high heat. Scooch the veggies over to one side of the pan, melt the remaining butter in the other half, and add the chilled rice, soy sauce, and oyster sauce (if using). Then stir to combine with the veggies and continue sautéing the rice, stirring every 15-20 seconds or so for 3 minutes, or until you notice the rice and veggies starting to brown slightly.
Remove pan from heat. And stir in your green onions, sesame oil, and scrambled eggs.
Taste and season. Give the rice a taste, and season with salt and pepper, plus any extra soy sauce or sesame oil if needed.
Serve! Then dish it up and serve nice and warm!
Easy Fried Rice Variations:
The sky’s the limit when it comes to homemade fried rice variations, so feel free to get creative and use up other leftover ingredients you may happen to have on hand. That said, here are some classic add-ins:
Chicken Fried Rice: You can either sauté some chicken in a separate sauté pan while making your fried rice. Then shred or dice and add to your fried rice. Or for a shortcut, I like to shred a rotisserie chicken. Or even better, shred leftovers from my favorite baked chicken breasts recipe.
Pork Fried Rice: Sauté a boneless pork chop in a separate sauté pan while making your fried rice. Then dice and add to your rice.
Beef Fried Rice: Sauté steak or brown ground beef in a separate sauté pan while making your fried rice. Then crumble or dice and add to your rice.
Shrimp Fried Rice: Sauté half a pound of peeled, raw shrimp in separate sauté pan while making your fried rice. Then add the shrimp to your rice.
Vegetable Fried Rice: Any stir-fry friendly veggies would be great in fried rice! Just sauté at the same time that you cook the onions, carrots, peas and garlic. Then stir to combine with the fried rice.
Kimchi Fried Rice: Fresh kimchi adds a major flavor boost to fried rice. Just chop and stir it in to make kimchi fried rice.
Pineapple Fried Rice: Fresh pineapple can be traditional in Chinese or Thai fried rice. Just chop and stir it in to combine.
Also, in lieu of using traditional white rice in this recipe, feel free to make:
Fried Brown Rice: For a healthier twist, feel free to use cooked brown rice in this recipe instead of white rice.
Learn how to make fried rice with this classic recipe. It only takes 15 minutes to make, it’s easy to customize with your favorite add-ins, and it’s SO flavorful and delicious!
Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a large sauté pan* over medium-high heat until melted. Add egg, and cook until scrambled, stirring occasionally. Remove egg, and transfer to a separate plate.
Add an additional 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and heat until melted. Add carrots, onion, peas and garlic, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onion and carrots are soft. Increase heat to high, add in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, and stir until melted. Immediately add the rice, green onions, soy sauce and oyster sauce (if using), and stir until combined. Continue sautéing for an additional 3 minutes to fry the rice, stirring occasionally. (I like to let the rice rest for a bit between stirs so that it can crisp up on the bottom.) Then add in the eggs and stir to combine. Remove from heat, and stir in the sesame oil until combined. Taste and season with extra soy sauce, if needed.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
*Sauté pan: If you happen to own a nonstick or cast-iron pan, I would recommend it for this recipe. But that said, any pan that you have can work — you may just have to be a bit more vigilant with stirring so that the rice and eggs don’t stick.
??? Fantastic!???? My first time ever cooking with sesame oil! I was very nervous lol. *Gasps and goes to heaven after the first bite and adds a tad bit more ? I also had to substitute fish sauce for oyster sauce. I don’t know the difference since I’ve never cooked with either lol. Thanks for the spectacular recipe?
I made this last weekend and it was fantastic! Had most of the ingredients on hand. I had bbq’d some pork chops with Ah So sauce a few days prior and had some leftovers, which I cubed and added at the end. Didn’t have oyster sauce; I combined some fish sauce and store-brand bold-n-spicy bbq sauce in the same amount as the oyster sauce and it was great. Family loved it.
Fried rice is the best way to use our leftovers xD and it’s also my favourite dishes all the time.
I have cooked almost the same as you did. It’s so good!
I’ve started making fried rice with cauliflower pearls instead of rice. It’s great when fresh but not very good for leftovers. Good for diabetics. Give it a try.
This is Bomdiggity!! I will never again have to go to a Chinese restaurant and hope they do it the way I like it!!! I added sauteed shrimp with the seasoning called Wicked. I also added lots of chopped veggies including peapod, bean sprouts, baby corn and mushrooms . I skipped frozen peas and added fresh carrots. Onions and green onions. Amazing!!!!
Wow, this was delicious. I made it exactly as you suggested, including oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil, and a little soy at the end. The only thing I didn’t have we’re peas. It’s so light and fresh and yummy! I wish I could explain it better, but it’s not overpowering, simply delicious. Thank you for helping me find a really great way to use up my leftover Chinese rice!
AMAZING RECIPE!!! I love making this dish. If you don’t have a wok or VERY large pan, I would cut the recipe in half or even just use one cup of rice if you only need 1-2 servings. If you have a large enogh pan, then go for it and make the entire recipe because it WILL get eaten I can promise you that!!
Finally, this is the perfect fried rice recipe. Your oyster sauce to soy sauce ratio is what I’ve been searching for, for years. My only adjustment was adding a teaspoon of white sugar and the rice was absolute perfection. Thank you for sharing, I can’t wait to use this recipe as the base and add some of your other ingredient suggestions.
It turned out really good. I also served with shrimp and orange chicken on the side. I just used orange sause and popcorn chicken. Easy peasy and completes the meal.
I really don’t like cooking and I’m not very good at it either, this recipe has helped me get my cooking badge! lol . Just keep on adding soy sauce till it taste good
I think I can easily say that this is my favorite meal of all time. The flavors combine so perfectly, it’s easy to make, leftover are still delicious even after freezing… the only problem is that this has ruined fried rice for me now for all time. I have never yet consumed restaurant-prepared fried rice which tastes this good. Well done, and thank you for much for sharing these secrets!
Em —
You mentioned successfully freezing the leftovers. Was the egg ok along with the rest?
I used frozen mixed veg and added pineapple and diced ham… this was a SUPER yummy, completely satisfying, easy main made with ingredients I always have on hand. Big win here!
Ok… this was delicious. You are absolutely right about the sesame oil making a huge difference. I used riced cauliflower instead of rice. This recipe is deliciously savory… I really didn’t notice it was cauliflower. I finished it off with Maldon sea salt. Yum. Huge difference in calories and carbs.
This I by far the best fried rice recipe I have found. We had a Vietnamese cook at our restaurant who made stir fry, homemade egg rolls and the best fried rice ever. This is the closest I found to hers. I think it has something to do with the butter. . She always put some butter in her fried rice.
It was so good. Taste was awesome and maybe my rice wasn’t cold enough cause it still wasn’t a good fry on the rice. ? will try again and make sure the rice is a day old.
By far, this is the best recipe I have tried, and trust me I have tried many of fried rice recipes. I used diced zucchini slices as my veggies and it was amazing!! Definitely saving this as the go to fried rice recipe.
This is truly the best fried rice recipe ever! I make it for my family at least twice a week. I love that it’s simple and quick and I usually have the ingredients already on hand.
Wow! Just made this. Amazing flavors. Used brown rice. I added a little ginger and a half jalapeño finely diced.
This is my forever “go to” for fried rice.
??? Fantastic!???? My first time ever cooking with sesame oil! I was very nervous lol. *Gasps and goes to heaven after the first bite and adds a tad bit more ? I also had to substitute fish sauce for oyster sauce. I don’t know the difference since I’ve never cooked with either lol. Thanks for the spectacular recipe?
Really good and easy. Followed pretty close the recipe. Cooked shrimp in butter on the side and added at the end. I will make this again! Thanks
We are trying to do low carb. I made this with cauliflower rice and it is amazing! The cauliflower takes a little more time to cook but so worth it.
Delicious and easy to make. It will be one of my go to recipes for sure.
I made this last weekend and it was fantastic! Had most of the ingredients on hand. I had bbq’d some pork chops with Ah So sauce a few days prior and had some leftovers, which I cubed and added at the end. Didn’t have oyster sauce; I combined some fish sauce and store-brand bold-n-spicy bbq sauce in the same amount as the oyster sauce and it was great. Family loved it.
This recipe is THE BEST! So much flavor!!
Delicious! So much flavor and you are right about the butter.
Absolutely love this recipe. Easy to follow, fast and super delicious fried rice! Definitely dealt with that craving. Thanks for sharing ?
Easy to follow directions. Quick easy meal that tasted fantastic! I added ground chicken.
Fried rice is the best way to use our leftovers xD and it’s also my favourite dishes all the time.
I have cooked almost the same as you did. It’s so good!
Thank you for this great recipe. It was a hit. It was so easy to make. So versatile when adding different protiens.
Yummy- will make it again
I have made this so many times that I’ve lost count. Easy and delicious! I follow the recipe and add chicken.
I just made this for dinner and was blown away by how good it is. I think it was the butter! Thank you for a solid base recipe :)
Easy to follow. Tasted great. Still wasn’t able to get the rice “fried”.
Gotta use HIGH heat
absolutely delicious, wife and I both loved it. Reminds me of Japan
I’ve started making fried rice with cauliflower pearls instead of rice. It’s great when fresh but not very good for leftovers. Good for diabetics. Give it a try.
Do you do this with blanched or raw pearls?
Would fish sauce be a decent sub for oyster sauce?
I made it with fish sauce and it turned out great!
I used it and while I don’t know if oyster would have been better, I felt the fish sauce was a nice addition and didn’t hurt the dish!
No. Oyster sauce is thick and fish sauce is just a liquid. I wouldn’t substitute it. Oyster sauce can be found in the international aisle.
Your Beef Fried Rice option calls for a pork chop as in the Pork Fried Rice option. Just thought you should know.
I just did this recipe for the first time and it was awesome thank you for the tip the butter make it special
Best recipe ever! My family loves this! Thank you for sharing
My whole family loved it! We did an entire week of “Gimme Some Oven” recipes and every one was a hit with them. Thanks for sharing your great ideas.
Hi! I am planning on making this tonight, I have sesame oil. Does the fact that it’s not toasted sesame oil make a difference?
Braggs Liquid Aminos are a good substitute for soy sauce.
Hey, that’s so true, Vanessa! I’ve just started making my own fried with w/brown rice, and Braggs Liquid Aminos is a great addition!
Butter and cold rice… best suggestion out there!
This was so good!! I’ve been disappointed by a few fried rice recipes, but this one will be my go to from now on!
This is Bomdiggity!! I will never again have to go to a Chinese restaurant and hope they do it the way I like it!!! I added sauteed shrimp with the seasoning called Wicked. I also added lots of chopped veggies including peapod, bean sprouts, baby corn and mushrooms . I skipped frozen peas and added fresh carrots. Onions and green onions. Amazing!!!!
I’m an avid home cook. And this is seriously the best recipe I’ve run across in years. The oyster sauce sets it off! Thanks for this!
I’d like to add my voice to the crowd and say this was fantastic and easy to make. I LOVED it!
Loved it!! It was easy to follow and tasty.
this recipe is amazing
Wow, this was delicious. I made it exactly as you suggested, including oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil, and a little soy at the end. The only thing I didn’t have we’re peas. It’s so light and fresh and yummy! I wish I could explain it better, but it’s not overpowering, simply delicious. Thank you for helping me find a really great way to use up my leftover Chinese rice!
Our family all loved it!!!
Made this for lunch added chicken and shrimp and it was so good thanks
AMAZING RECIPE!!! I love making this dish. If you don’t have a wok or VERY large pan, I would cut the recipe in half or even just use one cup of rice if you only need 1-2 servings. If you have a large enogh pan, then go for it and make the entire recipe because it WILL get eaten I can promise you that!!
Like my mother, she is a seller of fried rice for over 36 years.
Finally, this is the perfect fried rice recipe. Your oyster sauce to soy sauce ratio is what I’ve been searching for, for years. My only adjustment was adding a teaspoon of white sugar and the rice was absolute perfection. Thank you for sharing, I can’t wait to use this recipe as the base and add some of your other ingredient suggestions.
It turned out really good. I also served with shrimp and orange chicken on the side. I just used orange sause and popcorn chicken. Easy peasy and completes the meal.
I really don’t like cooking and I’m not very good at it either, this recipe has helped me get my cooking badge! lol . Just keep on adding soy sauce till it taste good
I think I can easily say that this is my favorite meal of all time. The flavors combine so perfectly, it’s easy to make, leftover are still delicious even after freezing… the only problem is that this has ruined fried rice for me now for all time. I have never yet consumed restaurant-prepared fried rice which tastes this good. Well done, and thank you for much for sharing these secrets!
You mentioned successfully freezing the leftovers. Was the egg ok along with the rest?
Love this recipe! It turned out great and the family loves it.
Can you double the recipe?
I used frozen mixed veg and added pineapple and diced ham… this was a SUPER yummy, completely satisfying, easy main made with ingredients I always have on hand. Big win here!
Ok… this was delicious. You are absolutely right about the sesame oil making a huge difference. I used riced cauliflower instead of rice. This recipe is deliciously savory… I really didn’t notice it was cauliflower. I finished it off with Maldon sea salt. Yum. Huge difference in calories and carbs.
This I by far the best fried rice recipe I have found. We had a Vietnamese cook at our restaurant who made stir fry, homemade egg rolls and the best fried rice ever. This is the closest I found to hers. I think it has something to do with the butter. . She always put some butter in her fried rice.
It was so good. Taste was awesome and maybe my rice wasn’t cold enough cause it still wasn’t a good fry on the rice. ? will try again and make sure the rice is a day old.
By far, this is the best recipe I have tried, and trust me I have tried many of fried rice recipes. I used diced zucchini slices as my veggies and it was amazing!! Definitely saving this as the go to fried rice recipe.
This is truly the best fried rice recipe ever! I make it for my family at least twice a week. I love that it’s simple and quick and I usually have the ingredients already on hand.
Have made this several times now! The family and I love love love this fried five recipe. We add pork, beef, or chicken to compliment the main course.
Wow! Just made this. Amazing flavors. Used brown rice. I added a little ginger and a half jalapeño finely diced.
This is my forever “go to” for fried rice.