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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.
The best fried rice I’ve ever eaten … and I made it myself!!!! Thank you so much for this excellent recipe.
ShanShan —
This was a great recipe. My daughter and I are eating it right now. I didn’t have oyster sauce so I used some fish sauce and I started with oil then used the butter before the rice. So good!
Best fried rice I’ve EVER made!
My grandsons asked for the leftovers to be in their lunches tomorrow!
I’m not a novice cook by any stretch …. but fried rice was something I fould Not seem to master…. UNTIL
NOW!
Thank you!!!!!!
( I had Some sliced water chestnuts on hand and added them, chopped)
I tried to hit five stars and for some reason it won’t let me!
The butter is a revelation – the whole dish comes together so well, and so easily. We will add red chilli next time but what a great starter recipe! Thank you
Thanks for another great recipe, Ali! Amazed that I just made the BEST fried rice I’ve ever had. I followed your directions exactly, only omitting oyster sauce because I’m a vegetarian. The flavor was awesome. I know I’ll be making this a lot. Love that ingredients are all things I always have on hand. This isn’t the first time I’ve become a better cook thanks to your simple articulate instructions. Keep up the great work!
I halved the recipe, but kept the veggie count the same. Added red peppers and celer, and chicken that I diced small and cooked ahead of time. Also added Chinese five spice and cayenne. Fantastic!
I absolutely love this fried rice. I have been so disappointed in the last few years with Chinese food in restaurants. This recipe makes the fried rice we used to get with the peas, carrots and green onions. Thank you for sharing this. I make it every week and my family love it,joan
I made this tonight for dinner with leftover rice I had made yesterday. It turned out perfect! It’s so good! I’ve eaten 2 bowls and may go get a little more! This recipe is definitely going into my handwritten recipe box! Thanks so much for sharing.
The directions for this helped me make the best fried rice I’ve ever made. I don’t know if it was the butter or cooking the eggs first or a combo of all your tips, but thank you!!
New favorite fried rice recipe. Simple and delicious, I always toss in some shrimp. Since all the ingredients are usually on hand it is a great go to pantry meal.
Made this last night with Kung Pao Chicken…absolutely amazing!! The addition of the butter makes is amazing. I used a bag of frozen peas and carrots as a time saver and kicked up the sesame oil just slightly. Fantastic recipe – love it!
I’ve struggled with fried rice for years. I honestly was about to throw out a rice cooker pot of rice that had been on fridge for days. Perfect for this recipe. I slap used my electric griddle. It was fun. A left over skewer of grilled shrimp and broccoli didn’t hurt either. ?
Hi Ali,
Made the fried rice dish tonight.
Very easy a plus.
It was fabulous. My older folks loved it. I did use edema instead of peas & added shrimp. It was a hit no left overs! A keeper in our recipe book!????
Thank You
Just made this tonight with the leftover rice I had—-what a great & versatile recipe! I ate a whole bowl, and it’s the comfort food I craved :)
This was so easy to make & I threw in whatever veggies & frozen veggies I had. Making the eggs in a separate buttered pan was key. For the 2 cups of rice I had, I used 4 scrambled eggs. Thank you for this great & easy recipe! Can’t wait to use with pork & chicken & shrimp in the near future.
First time I made fried rice, and it was delicious!! I added 1/2 cup chopped celery and chopped cabbage but otherwise it was exactly the same. I will add chopped sautéed chicken to stir in the left overs.
Tried making this fried rice and it was way too much rice to the ratio of any other ingredients. The rice was a big clump of mush that wouldn’t stir in with anything else after trying to refrigeration. Barely tastes like anything because four cups of rice is an ungodly quantity for the amount of sauce you put in.
So good!!! My roommate and I loved it. Is there another vegetarian protein besides egg, that you would recommend? Would tofu be good? And, final question, if tofu, how would you recommend cooking it?
Wow this is delicious!!! I have never made homemade fried rice before but this is going to become a regular meal in our house now. I added shredded chicken at the end. So easy and so good!!!
Just made this. I tweaked it a bit by adding an extra serving of the sauces, extra egg, and extra garlic. And it is so good. Love the explanation of this dish too. Def recommend. With 2 babies on the side, it took me about 15-20 mins to complete.
Delicious!!!! I love fried rice but rarely love it from a restaurant. This was the first time I tried making it for myself and I am so glad I did! I subbed peas (cause I hate peas) with red pepper and added a bit of siracha. Also sautéed chicken in “Everything But the Bagel” spices.
My daughter and I ate all of this in one sitting! ?
Will definitely make again and again and again…thank you for sharing.
My fiancé loved it and I was happily surprised. In addition I used up a leftover pork chop, peas, and sautéed mushrooms. It was better than most restaurants and we aren’t going out anymore right now. Thanks
I love fried rice and have made some decent ones. Last night my 10 year old daughter made this recipe and my entire family thought it was the best fried rice they had ever had. She made it exactly like the recipe, and wow. Just wow. Thank you!! This will be made often in our home!!
I was skeptical of using butter, but it does not taste buttery at all. Just so good. I did add shrimp. It is so easy and so delicious ?
ncage —
Made this tonight and it was Great!!! Thanks for the Recipe. It was better then my local Chinese joint. The only *minor* change i made was to use frozen peas & carrots. Since it already called for frozen peas i thought why not just use frozen peas & carrots so i won’t have to chop up carrots. Instead of 1/2 cup though I did one cup since it would be including carrots. I added part of a grilled pork tenderloin that we had for dinner the night before. My son is SUPER pick and he even liked it.
Holly —
It was good! I added diced ham. I didn’t have toasted sesame oil, so I used regular sesame seed oil and added actual toasted sesame seeds that I had toasted over the stove earlier that day. It added a nice crunch. The rice didn’t really fry and was mostly soft though. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Really good fried rice recipe, easy so tasty, added thin slices of red chilli , prawns, fine strips of bacon. My nearest yet to a Chinese take away?? If you like sauce I made a curry sauce to have with it.
I’ve been making this recipe (minus the green onions, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and using yellow onion instead of white onion) for a while now, and I always felt like i could never make it as good as restaurants.
So today I decided to use the green & white onions, oyster sauce, and sesame oil and HOLY COW WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Just wanted to leave a comment that those ingredients are so important and make all the difference. It still didn’t really taste like restaurant-style fried rice, but this is so much better than it was without those ingredients.
Loved, loved this recipe. This is truly the best fried rice I ever made. I added some additional vegetables such as baigan, spinach, corn, celery. Left out the frozen peas. Wish I had made more. I used some leftover frozen rice I had. This went well with some lemon garlic fish I baked. I’m gonna check out more recipes in this site for sure.
I made it even though I didn’t have oyster sauce nor sesame oil. It was still very good under my beef & Broccoli. I would have ruined it without your cold rice instructions. And the butter is spot on!
The best fried rice I’ve ever eaten … and I made it myself!!!! Thank you so much for this excellent recipe.
This was a great recipe. My daughter and I are eating it right now. I didn’t have oyster sauce so I used some fish sauce and I started with oil then used the butter before the rice. So good!
Best fried rice I’ve EVER made!
My grandsons asked for the leftovers to be in their lunches tomorrow!
I’m not a novice cook by any stretch …. but fried rice was something I fould Not seem to master…. UNTIL
NOW!
Thank you!!!!!!
( I had Some sliced water chestnuts on hand and added them, chopped)
I tried to hit five stars and for some reason it won’t let me!
It definitely is the best! Made it with brown rice and it turned out great! Definitely a keeper!
The name of the recipe says it all. Easily the best. I added more vegetables to mine.
The butter is a revelation – the whole dish comes together so well, and so easily. We will add red chilli next time but what a great starter recipe! Thank you
Thanks for another great recipe, Ali! Amazed that I just made the BEST fried rice I’ve ever had. I followed your directions exactly, only omitting oyster sauce because I’m a vegetarian. The flavor was awesome. I know I’ll be making this a lot. Love that ingredients are all things I always have on hand. This isn’t the first time I’ve become a better cook thanks to your simple articulate instructions. Keep up the great work!
If I wanted to add chicken to it, when would you suggest?
I’m so excited to try it!
I added it with the veggies and it turned out great. I didn’t let it cook fully before adding in the rice as I still wanted the juices in.
I halved the recipe, but kept the veggie count the same. Added red peppers and celer, and chicken that I diced small and cooked ahead of time. Also added Chinese five spice and cayenne. Fantastic!
I absolutely love this fried rice. I have been so disappointed in the last few years with Chinese food in restaurants. This recipe makes the fried rice we used to get with the peas, carrots and green onions. Thank you for sharing this. I make it every week and my family love it,joan
This is one of my favorite things to make. Can’t beat the flavor and ease with your detailed instructions. Love this stuff. Thank you!
I made this tonight for dinner with leftover rice I had made yesterday. It turned out perfect! It’s so good! I’ve eaten 2 bowls and may go get a little more! This recipe is definitely going into my handwritten recipe box! Thanks so much for sharing.
Made it tonight w chicken. It was delicious! I added more sesame oil, and it really was amazing. Thank you!
Couple of tips
1. Break up the rice before you dump it in. I just dumped it in straight from the fridge. It took a lot more work to mix it up.
2. Use the largest skillet you have. It was hard trying to stir it all together and keep it the pan.
Looks amazing can’t wait to try it. Any idea of the nutritional facts? Mainly calories and serving size?
too greasyyyyy
The directions for this helped me make the best fried rice I’ve ever made. I don’t know if it was the butter or cooking the eggs first or a combo of all your tips, but thank you!!
I’m making this tonight! Can Sesame Seed Oil replace Toasted Sesame Oil?
Very good
New favorite fried rice recipe. Simple and delicious, I always toss in some shrimp. Since all the ingredients are usually on hand it is a great go to pantry meal.
Made this last night with Kung Pao Chicken…absolutely amazing!! The addition of the butter makes is amazing. I used a bag of frozen peas and carrots as a time saver and kicked up the sesame oil just slightly. Fantastic recipe – love it!
on your variations of fried rice, how much meat are you putting in?
on pineapple variations again how much pineapple do you put? Does it taste OK in the regular fried rice recipe you made?
I’ve struggled with fried rice for years. I honestly was about to throw out a rice cooker pot of rice that had been on fridge for days. Perfect for this recipe. I slap used my electric griddle. It was fun. A left over skewer of grilled shrimp and broccoli didn’t hurt either. ?
Hi Ali,
Made the fried rice dish tonight.
Very easy a plus.
It was fabulous. My older folks loved it. I did use edema instead of peas & added shrimp. It was a hit no left overs! A keeper in our recipe book!????
Thank You
Just made this tonight with the leftover rice I had—-what a great & versatile recipe! I ate a whole bowl, and it’s the comfort food I craved :)
This was so easy to make & I threw in whatever veggies & frozen veggies I had. Making the eggs in a separate buttered pan was key. For the 2 cups of rice I had, I used 4 scrambled eggs. Thank you for this great & easy recipe! Can’t wait to use with pork & chicken & shrimp in the near future.
First time I made fried rice, and it was delicious!! I added 1/2 cup chopped celery and chopped cabbage but otherwise it was exactly the same. I will add chopped sautéed chicken to stir in the left overs.
Tried making this fried rice and it was way too much rice to the ratio of any other ingredients. The rice was a big clump of mush that wouldn’t stir in with anything else after trying to refrigeration. Barely tastes like anything because four cups of rice is an ungodly quantity for the amount of sauce you put in.
Soooo good, my family loves it, I add a bit of curry into my rice.
I used liquid aminos instead of soy sauce, added chicken, left out the oyster sauce, and used brown rice. It was so tasty!
So good!!! My roommate and I loved it. Is there another vegetarian protein besides egg, that you would recommend? Would tofu be good? And, final question, if tofu, how would you recommend cooking it?
Wow this is delicious!!! I have never made homemade fried rice before but this is going to become a regular meal in our house now. I added shredded chicken at the end. So easy and so good!!!
Just made this. I tweaked it a bit by adding an extra serving of the sauces, extra egg, and extra garlic. And it is so good. Love the explanation of this dish too. Def recommend. With 2 babies on the side, it took me about 15-20 mins to complete.
I discovered this recipe last week. I’ve made it twice now. Enough said?
Delicious!!!! I love fried rice but rarely love it from a restaurant. This was the first time I tried making it for myself and I am so glad I did! I subbed peas (cause I hate peas) with red pepper and added a bit of siracha. Also sautéed chicken in “Everything But the Bagel” spices.
My daughter and I ate all of this in one sitting! ?
Will definitely make again and again and again…thank you for sharing.
Delicious!
Tried the out-your-fresh-rice-in-the-freezer hack and it worked great. Really good flavor. Will definitely make again!!!
My fiancé loved it and I was happily surprised. In addition I used up a leftover pork chop, peas, and sautéed mushrooms. It was better than most restaurants and we aren’t going out anymore right now. Thanks
I love fried rice and have made some decent ones. Last night my 10 year old daughter made this recipe and my entire family thought it was the best fried rice they had ever had. She made it exactly like the recipe, and wow. Just wow. Thank you!! This will be made often in our home!!
Yuck! Soy sauce should never ever be used in fried rice. Never. YUCK.
If you don’t have sesame seed oil can you use Olive oil.
Great receipe. I added leftover spareribs . I will make it again. Thanks
I was skeptical of using butter, but it does not taste buttery at all. Just so good. I did add shrimp. It is so easy and so delicious ?
Made this tonight and it was Great!!! Thanks for the Recipe. It was better then my local Chinese joint. The only *minor* change i made was to use frozen peas & carrots. Since it already called for frozen peas i thought why not just use frozen peas & carrots so i won’t have to chop up carrots. Instead of 1/2 cup though I did one cup since it would be including carrots. I added part of a grilled pork tenderloin that we had for dinner the night before. My son is SUPER pick and he even liked it.
It was good! I added diced ham. I didn’t have toasted sesame oil, so I used regular sesame seed oil and added actual toasted sesame seeds that I had toasted over the stove earlier that day. It added a nice crunch. The rice didn’t really fry and was mostly soft though. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Really good fried rice recipe, easy so tasty, added thin slices of red chilli , prawns, fine strips of bacon. My nearest yet to a Chinese take away?? If you like sauce I made a curry sauce to have with it.
Delicious and easy, thanks!
Turned out just like in Panda Express!
I’ve been making this recipe (minus the green onions, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and using yellow onion instead of white onion) for a while now, and I always felt like i could never make it as good as restaurants.
So today I decided to use the green & white onions, oyster sauce, and sesame oil and HOLY COW WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Just wanted to leave a comment that those ingredients are so important and make all the difference. It still didn’t really taste like restaurant-style fried rice, but this is so much better than it was without those ingredients.
This is the best i’ve evered seen
Loved, loved this recipe. This is truly the best fried rice I ever made. I added some additional vegetables such as baigan, spinach, corn, celery. Left out the frozen peas. Wish I had made more. I used some leftover frozen rice I had. This went well with some lemon garlic fish I baked. I’m gonna check out more recipes in this site for sure.
I made it even though I didn’t have oyster sauce nor sesame oil. It was still very good under my beef & Broccoli. I would have ruined it without your cold rice instructions. And the butter is spot on!
Better than any fried rice I have ever had from a restaurant. I’ve made it a handful of times and always mix it up with different veggies for variety.
It’s the only one I make! We live it ! I sometimes ass very thin chicken slices.
It was no lie — this really is the best fried rice recipe I’ve run across… it’s been added to my stable of excellent recipes… a keeper for sure.