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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.
Delicious! I used what I had in refrigerator..celery, bok choy, mushrooms, red pepper & onions. I also used brown rice and added shrimp. We loved it and will definitely make again.
JACiarcia —
Absolute great. Great directions. Really appreciate your insight.
Thanks JACiarcia
I love it, my husband loves it, his co-workers love it (although I didn’t make it for them. .. he was just bragging and let them taste it). And you’re right, DO use fresh garlic, it makes the biggest difference. My next adventure is the egg drop soup.
Thanks so much!
LynnS.
this was great! I happend to have leftover cooked brown rice I had made for a stir fry that didn’t happen. We also had all the cut up vegetables (peppers, broccoli, yellow & zucchini squash, mushrooms, white onions) so I just roasted the vegetables for 15 minutes on 400 & then stirred them in at the end. I added a dash of siracha sauce as well. The texture was great. Thanks for the tips about cold rice & butter!
Love the way you’ve set up your page/site. Simple, the way the writing (and cooking) should be. I think I actually visited your site before lol. Anyway I’ve bookmarked you and will try other recipes.
As to my take on this fried rice recipe, I went crazy on mushrooms: not only on types but on quantity! I liked it. The vegetarians liked it. Kept adding more broth and adjusting salt and pepper for the next few days. But I think I’ll make it today with just shitake mushrooms, and will copy your recipe straight up. Thank you and take care. Tony
Great recipe. Followed directions exactly. My veggies took a bit longer to soften but I had doubled the recipe for a family dinner (and leftovers). Definitely will make again. Leftovers reheated two days later in a skillet stirring frequently. I would recommend you go easy on added salt until tasting the finished product. I added precooked shredded chicken.
My family of 6 said hands down “it was the BEST fried rice we’d ever had!! ” Thank you for doing all the hard work to create the perfect recipe we can ALL enjoy and thank you for sharing your talents to bless others !
Well add me to the list! Just made this tonight and I’m joining the ranks of everyone who said it’s the best. I’ve tried a few fried rice recipes and I’m done looking. This is the one I’ll be using. I did add an extra egg because my hubby loves eggs. And I used a bit more sesame oil (1/2 tbls) and included the oyster sauce. I also added shrimp but both my husband and I said it had too much shrimp because the rice was so dang good. Not greasy at all. Made the rice (basmati) in the morning so it refrigerated all day. Used 1 2/3 cups of frozen veggies (carrots, peas, and corn). Followed the steps exactly and it was terrific! So glad I tried it!
Made this this evening and everyone loved it! I didn’t have any green onion. I used shallots, red pepper, carrots, garlic and frozen peas. Beautiful colors and great tasting! Thanks for sharing!
I have now made this 4 times in 4 weeks. and it is easier and better each time. This time I halved the recipe for three of us and tossed with big shrimps that I cooked first in garlic, oil and butter. YUM!
The only change I made each time is at the end of cooking I make a hole in the middle of the rice mixture and scramble the egg right into the pan, then incorporate it with the rice.
This is the BEST fried rice. Even better than a chinese restaurant. I had a big family get together and received raves from everyone. Will definitely be making it again.
Made this tonight for my husband and I. He said it was better than our fav Chinese restaurant Big hit.. and easy. Browned some ground chicken and added it. Delish!
Best fried rice recipe ever! I didn’t add salt or oyster sauce but added cut up leftover rotisserie chicken! This will be a favorite to make again and again.
Ahhh this was legit! I didn’t have the typical veggies so I used spinach, carrots, onions, and tomatoes. I added some sriracha and left over grilled salmon – boom! On fire! This is bookmarked forever!
These are great. Love them. But one thing that I have been looking for, with no luck, is how to easily make egg foo yung. Can’t find it anywhere. Found it in a Chinese cook book one time but it was so complicated it didn’t work. And it tasted awful. There must be a better way. This is my favorite go to Chinese food.
This recipe is really easy and delicious! Literally, the best fried rice, most Chinese restaurant’s fried rice is lacking flavor. This rice isn’t bland at all. I definitely recommend!
This was a great recipe. The only thing I did differently is cook everything ahead of time then re heat when ready to eat. Let everything soak in. Fabulous!!!
I just made this – and I agree with the title! This is the BEST fried rice I’ve ever made. It must be the addition of butter and oyster sauce. I used broccoli, edamame, peas, and carrots. I also added sauteed shrimp. My husband was very happy! Thank you for an awesome recipe.
Family loved the pork fried rice and think I should now take a second Job cooking in a restaurant but only cooking pork fried rice! They came back for seconds.
My rice ended up a little mushy. Any tips?
I used 2 day old Jasmine rice. Followed to recipe almost exactly. I didn’t measure the butter. Maybe I added too much?
Thank you so much for your recipe. I’ve made this twice now and both times it’s been a huge hit. I do use brown rice, but it still turns out great. Thanks again. I’ll try to remember to post a picture next time. ?
Love this… making it for the second time today. Realized I forgot to put the oyster sauce in the fridge so I’ll be trying it without this time. With the oyster sauce, it was fantastic!
First time attempting to cook fried rice. Not sure if it was the rice used (bagged instant white rice) or heat wasn’t high enough to fry but my meal turned out mushy/soggy. Additionally, I didn’t season well enough. I was afraid of over salting. I won’t give up on this recipe but I need some insight as what to do differently.
Very good recipe! Using cold rice does make a difference. We’ve made this twice and will definitely be making a lot more.
We made ours with shrimp and small-diced cooked crispy Spam because we like Spam lol. Also used egg, green onion, green cabbage, and carrots. We plan to add peas next time.
Thank you!
Just made this and it came out great. My son wanted shrimp and chicken in it so I cooked those first. I really appreciate the tip on cooling the rice, made a huge difference. And you are right about using butter. Will be saving this recipe to use again!
I have tried so many times to make fried rice (which I LOVE) and failed. This time it turned out wonderfully!! I am so happy! Thank you! I used frozen veggies cause I was in a rush and added canned chicken.
Made this recipe 8/23/19 and wow was it delicious! The only adjustment made was the oyster sauce, not a big fan. Thank you for sharing this quick and delicious recipe.
I made this recipe last night. It was truly delicious! I opted for the shrimp version and doubled the amount of shrimp. My wife won’t eat peas so we left those out. Thanks for posting this.
This was amazing and so easy to make! I added in mushrooms with the other veggies because I love them. My husband hates peas so I almost left them out but decided to keep them in. He ate 3 full bowls! Thank you for this keeper recipe!!!!!!
Delicious! I used what I had in refrigerator..celery, bok choy, mushrooms, red pepper & onions. I also used brown rice and added shrimp. We loved it and will definitely make again.
Absolute great. Great directions. Really appreciate your insight.
Thanks JACiarcia
I love it, my husband loves it, his co-workers love it (although I didn’t make it for them. .. he was just bragging and let them taste it). And you’re right, DO use fresh garlic, it makes the biggest difference. My next adventure is the egg drop soup.
Thanks so much!
LynnS.
this was great! I happend to have leftover cooked brown rice I had made for a stir fry that didn’t happen. We also had all the cut up vegetables (peppers, broccoli, yellow & zucchini squash, mushrooms, white onions) so I just roasted the vegetables for 15 minutes on 400 & then stirred them in at the end. I added a dash of siracha sauce as well. The texture was great. Thanks for the tips about cold rice & butter!
Wondering can I use fish sauce instead of oyster sauce? Thought I had the oyster and just realized its called fish sauce instead?!!? OOPS!
Was it ok with fish sauce?
Love the way you’ve set up your page/site. Simple, the way the writing (and cooking) should be. I think I actually visited your site before lol. Anyway I’ve bookmarked you and will try other recipes.
As to my take on this fried rice recipe, I went crazy on mushrooms: not only on types but on quantity! I liked it. The vegetarians liked it. Kept adding more broth and adjusting salt and pepper for the next few days. But I think I’ll make it today with just shitake mushrooms, and will copy your recipe straight up. Thank you and take care. Tony
Great recipe! I use slightly less rice, as I haven’t a pan big enough to fry 4 cups.
Great recipe. Followed directions exactly. My veggies took a bit longer to soften but I had doubled the recipe for a family dinner (and leftovers). Definitely will make again. Leftovers reheated two days later in a skillet stirring frequently. I would recommend you go easy on added salt until tasting the finished product. I added precooked shredded chicken.
My family of 6 said hands down “it was the BEST fried rice we’d ever had!! ” Thank you for doing all the hard work to create the perfect recipe we can ALL enjoy and thank you for sharing your talents to bless others !
Well add me to the list! Just made this tonight and I’m joining the ranks of everyone who said it’s the best. I’ve tried a few fried rice recipes and I’m done looking. This is the one I’ll be using. I did add an extra egg because my hubby loves eggs. And I used a bit more sesame oil (1/2 tbls) and included the oyster sauce. I also added shrimp but both my husband and I said it had too much shrimp because the rice was so dang good. Not greasy at all. Made the rice (basmati) in the morning so it refrigerated all day. Used 1 2/3 cups of frozen veggies (carrots, peas, and corn). Followed the steps exactly and it was terrific! So glad I tried it!
Made this this evening and everyone loved it! I didn’t have any green onion. I used shallots, red pepper, carrots, garlic and frozen peas. Beautiful colors and great tasting! Thanks for sharing!
I have now made this 4 times in 4 weeks. and it is easier and better each time. This time I halved the recipe for three of us and tossed with big shrimps that I cooked first in garlic, oil and butter. YUM!
The only change I made each time is at the end of cooking I make a hole in the middle of the rice mixture and scramble the egg right into the pan, then incorporate it with the rice.
This is the BEST fried rice. Even better than a chinese restaurant. I had a big family get together and received raves from everyone. Will definitely be making it again.
Could this be made with fresh cauliflower rice?
I have made fried cauliflower rice several times.
Yum, yum, yum! Even my picky eaters loved this!
Can I use regular sesame oil rather than toasted? Or can I cook the regular sesame oil for a few minute to give it a toasted flavor?? Thank you!
Made this tonight for my husband and I. He said it was better than our fav Chinese restaurant Big hit.. and easy. Browned some ground chicken and added it. Delish!
Made this tonight we absolutely loved it
Best fried rice recipe ever! I didn’t add salt or oyster sauce but added cut up leftover rotisserie chicken! This will be a favorite to make again and again.
Ahhh this was legit! I didn’t have the typical veggies so I used spinach, carrots, onions, and tomatoes. I added some sriracha and left over grilled salmon – boom! On fire! This is bookmarked forever!
These are great. Love them. But one thing that I have been looking for, with no luck, is how to easily make egg foo yung. Can’t find it anywhere. Found it in a Chinese cook book one time but it was so complicated it didn’t work. And it tasted awful. There must be a better way. This is my favorite go to Chinese food.
This is excellent there’s no need to order out again.
This is fantastic. My favorite fried rice I’ve ever made, and I’ve made quite a few different recipes. A+
I have never made fried rice and I just tried using this recipe. It is insanely good!
Fantastic! I had everything but the sesame oil and decided to try it anyway. This is wonderful! Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for the oyster sauce tip.
I have made this several times. It’s easy and delicious. We get take out egg rolls to go with it.
This recipe is really easy and delicious! Literally, the best fried rice, most Chinese restaurant’s fried rice is lacking flavor. This rice isn’t bland at all. I definitely recommend!
This was a great recipe. The only thing I did differently is cook everything ahead of time then re heat when ready to eat. Let everything soak in. Fabulous!!!
I just made this – and I agree with the title! This is the BEST fried rice I’ve ever made. It must be the addition of butter and oyster sauce. I used broccoli, edamame, peas, and carrots. I also added sauteed shrimp. My husband was very happy! Thank you for an awesome recipe.
Family loved the pork fried rice and think I should now take a second Job cooking in a restaurant but only cooking pork fried rice! They came back for seconds.
Best fried rice ever! Love this recipe! This is definitely my go to recipe. Thank you so much!
My rice ended up a little mushy. Any tips?
I used 2 day old Jasmine rice. Followed to recipe almost exactly. I didn’t measure the butter. Maybe I added too much?
So tasty! I used hoisin sauce instead of oyster, and cooked up some chicken in the hoisin as well. Added corn, extra garlic, and broccoli.
Thank you so much for your recipe. I’ve made this twice now and both times it’s been a huge hit. I do use brown rice, but it still turns out great. Thanks again. I’ll try to remember to post a picture next time. ?
Love this… making it for the second time today. Realized I forgot to put the oyster sauce in the fridge so I’ll be trying it without this time. With the oyster sauce, it was fantastic!
First time attempting to cook fried rice. Not sure if it was the rice used (bagged instant white rice) or heat wasn’t high enough to fry but my meal turned out mushy/soggy. Additionally, I didn’t season well enough. I was afraid of over salting. I won’t give up on this recipe but I need some insight as what to do differently.
I made this for the first time we added chicken and shrimp at the end but it was awesome
Very good recipe! Using cold rice does make a difference. We’ve made this twice and will definitely be making a lot more.
We made ours with shrimp and small-diced cooked crispy Spam because we like Spam lol. Also used egg, green onion, green cabbage, and carrots. We plan to add peas next time.
Thank you!
Just made this and it came out great. My son wanted shrimp and chicken in it so I cooked those first. I really appreciate the tip on cooling the rice, made a huge difference. And you are right about using butter. Will be saving this recipe to use again!
So delicious and these recipes are so beautiful.
What the heck! I’m eating it as I post. Flavor bomb for sure. I will definitely save this recipe.
I made this and it was SOO good. I made too much rice (used brown) by accident ad I’m so glad I did so I can make more of this tomorrow. Thank you!!!!
I have been making this recipe for the last year or two. It is the best we have ever eaten. Thank you!
Amazing recipe!
Very yummy! I love the addition of the oyster sauce. I also love how easy it was!! Thank you :)
I made it and it was great
I have tried so many times to make fried rice (which I LOVE) and failed. This time it turned out wonderfully!! I am so happy! Thank you! I used frozen veggies cause I was in a rush and added canned chicken.
Made this recipe 8/23/19 and wow was it delicious! The only adjustment made was the oyster sauce, not a big fan. Thank you for sharing this quick and delicious recipe.
I made this recipe last night. It was truly delicious! I opted for the shrimp version and doubled the amount of shrimp. My wife won’t eat peas so we left those out. Thanks for posting this.
This was amazing and so easy to make! I added in mushrooms with the other veggies because I love them. My husband hates peas so I almost left them out but decided to keep them in. He ate 3 full bowls! Thank you for this keeper recipe!!!!!!