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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.
I love this recipe! Have made it at least six times. One of my favourite meals.
Thank you for sharing!
Add lots moreteen called for and some celery.
I add the frozen peas last.
And also use Bragg’s amino acid instead of soy sauce
Just made this and my kids and I loved it – very picky eaters! Thanks for the great tips! So delicious can’t wait to make it again with the variations!
Thank you! We have used this recipe for months now. I just made it on the blackstone for the first time last week after enjoying it on the stove during the colder months. We love it so much this is my first comment ever on a recipe.
This is the best fried rice recipe. Its very easy to add other ingredients or meats. We love it at my house. I served it gluten free to some friends and will be making it gluten free for a potluck. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent. The only tweaks I made were, one, I scrambled the eggs with a teaspoon of sesame oil, and, two, I omitted the peas. Oh, and I shredded the carrots instead of dicing.
EXCELLENT recipe…every time!!! Better then BeniHana too!!! I cook 3/4 pound ground chicken, add just a dash of salt/pepper and put aside. Then the scrambled eggs, and so on. One WOK cooking!!
I made this for my wifes family(cambodian) and my mil said this tasts like fried rice her mother used to make.
Only thing i changed was i added 1tsp of fish sauce. I’ve made it with chicken, pork, shrimp, smoked sausage, and chinese sausage and the recipe worked great with all the proteins i have tryed so far. This is a easy 5☆
The key to rice that doesn’t stick together and has that distinctly nutty flavor is to fry (toast) the rice before you boil or steam it. Put a bit of butter or oil in a fry pan toss in your uncooked rice and stir constantly over high heat for abt 3 min. then cook as uasual.
Fabulous! I was using Evoo, but plan on ramping it up the next time with butter! Also like Jasmine rice. Works well with either frozen or canned mixed veggies.
Made the fried rice, it was awesome. I will be making it again and again. Didn’t use the oyster sauce and it was still awesome. Also added in some shrimp.
This is the best fried rice recipe I have found that is easy and tastes great. I included the oyster sauce the first time I prepared it. Never included it using other recipes. Will be fixing this again Really good. Anxious to try with chicken, shrimp, pork, and/or beef or maybe all of them.
This fried rice recipe is A-W-E-S-O-M-E! THANK YOU. Followed your suggestions and this is now a family favorite and in my recipe book. Definitely a keeper. Looking forward to trying the spicy chicken fried rice and many more recipes! Thanks for sharing your gift and this recipe! :)
Excellent. First time making fried rice for me. Followed all instructions but added more oyster sauce and drizzled a bit of honey mixed in. Everyone loved it. Thank you!
Very tasty recipe! I used the equivalent of 2 Just Eggs, used some miyoko’s butter (I’m lactose intolerant), and I added some of the Omnipork luncheon meat to make it into a vegetarian pork fried rice. I’m not vegan so I still used the oyster sauce. Next time I’ll use my wok to cook it.
I thought this was super close to takeout flavors! We don’t have a good Chinese take-out place in our new hometown so I’ve been searching for alternatives and this was a great mimic! And probably *slightly* healthier too! Truly the butter does do something good to this dish and the note about finishing with the sesame oil was great!
Cannot get this to taste right. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong? My rice is just ugly brown, not yellowish brown like the picture. Only thing I didn’t use was oyster sauce. Frustrated.
(Giving 5 stars cause I’m sure it’s me!)
I am cooking this tomorrow and our friend has a shellfish allergy so just in case, I won’t be using oyster sauce. I was wondering if anyone has made this with vegetarian oyster sauce (basically mushroom sauce).
Thank you!
I loved this recipe! It was a hit with the whole family. I added a package of frozen stir fry veggies and a bought a small bag of pre cooked salad shrimp and it turned out fabulous! Thank you ! You made me stand out as a cook :)
Made it today. Followed exact & it was a bit wetter than what I like. I also used cold prepared Jasmine rice, which could have resulted in it being too wet for my liking, not sure. But thank you for a great tasting fried rice recipe.
Excellent recipe. I substituted green pepper for the peas and it was excellent. Would definitely make it again and might try throwing some chicken and/or pineapple in to the mix as well. Quick tip, I cooked it in a wok on extra high heat which made combining all the ingredients a breeze.
I am not too keen on rice, but I saw this recipe and it looked too good not to try and it was great! Loved it and ate it all and i’m sure my boyfriend will love me for introducing him to the recipe :)
Had some leftover rice in my fridge and made this on a whim. It’s SO great! My boyfriend was going to make his own lunch and he ended up stealing this instead. Have saved this recipe for the future, can’t wait to make again, Thank you for sharing!
This Fried Rice recipe is Delicious with a capital D. OMGoodness, I’ve been making some version of fried rice for years, but from now on this will be the only Fried Rice recipe we make. My 9 yo son after one bite said, ‘please make this every Monday’. The only thing I didn’t have on had was toasted sesame oil, which is a game changer for fried rice. Instead I used some organic tahini sauce once the fried rice was plated. I improvised with just a 1/4 a teaspoon per bowl. But, I will be buying more sesame oil for this recipe. YUMMY.
Our club had an international night where each group of two make a dish from a country. Then we let people buy tickets to taste each dish. Your recipe for fried rice was a hit. Your right the butter makes the difference!
Excellent, just don’t have a backseat driver (wife). She was hungry. I made this on a blackstone griddle. Could not.get toasted sesame oil, non toasted. Added cube chicken and more veggies, it was all gone that night. The wife did not want the rice to to done. Wrong! Still good, thanks.
So many great reviews for a reason. This is delish! The first time I made it without the oyster sauce, it was amazing too but the oyster sauce takes it to the next level. I use Tamari instead of soy. I’ll keep making it for sure.
This was amazing. I was skeptical at first, since homemade fried rice is not good. BUT THIS !!!!! bomb!! My husband couldn’t stop eating it. Me too! I added bean sprouts and snow peas for more vegetables. Delish. I will never make another.
Will make again! Oyster sauce…a must it is so yummy!
Everyone loves it when I make “my” fried rice. This recipe is great I add extra eggs and extra veggies. I make it a couple times a month lately.
I love this recipe! Have made it at least six times. One of my favourite meals.
Thank you for sharing!
Add lots moreteen called for and some celery.
I add the frozen peas last.
And also use Bragg’s amino acid instead of soy sauce
Just made this and my kids and I loved it – very picky eaters! Thanks for the great tips! So delicious can’t wait to make it again with the variations!
Thank you! We have used this recipe for months now. I just made it on the blackstone for the first time last week after enjoying it on the stove during the colder months. We love it so much this is my first comment ever on a recipe.
This recipe for fried rice is so tasty. Finally found one that has some flavor. It’s all the tips. Thx 😊
Delish😋! Added some cabbage, shrimp, and some pieces of Costco chicken as well..
When I adjust the ingredients for more servings, the recipe itself should update the quantities needed.
Absolutely unnecessary to update the recipe itself each time, unless you’re seriously lacking in reasoning skills!
This recipe brought my rice to the top level thank you so very much oyster sauce was the key. Hubby said no more take out.
This is the best fried rice recipe. Its very easy to add other ingredients or meats. We love it at my house. I served it gluten free to some friends and will be making it gluten free for a potluck. Thanks for sharing!
My family loves this recipe! We got a wok and it’s pretty cool using it. We like to pair this with the potstickers from Costco too! Soo good!
Excellent. The only tweaks I made were, one, I scrambled the eggs with a teaspoon of sesame oil, and, two, I omitted the peas. Oh, and I shredded the carrots instead of dicing.
EXCELLENT recipe…every time!!! Better then BeniHana too!!! I cook 3/4 pound ground chicken, add just a dash of salt/pepper and put aside. Then the scrambled eggs, and so on. One WOK cooking!!
Love cooking
I made this for my wifes family(cambodian) and my mil said this tasts like fried rice her mother used to make.
Only thing i changed was i added 1tsp of fish sauce. I’ve made it with chicken, pork, shrimp, smoked sausage, and chinese sausage and the recipe worked great with all the proteins i have tryed so far. This is a easy 5☆
Best fried rice I’ve ever had. Really accurate recipe!
The key to rice that doesn’t stick together and has that distinctly nutty flavor is to fry (toast) the rice before you boil or steam it. Put a bit of butter or oil in a fry pan toss in your uncooked rice and stir constantly over high heat for abt 3 min. then cook as uasual.
Fabulous! I was using Evoo, but plan on ramping it up the next time with butter! Also like Jasmine rice. Works well with either frozen or canned mixed veggies.
Super yummy! Definitely worth all the ⭐️!
Very good! You must use the oyster sauce. I also use extra eggs
Made the fried rice, it was awesome. I will be making it again and again. Didn’t use the oyster sauce and it was still awesome. Also added in some shrimp.
I made it for supper tonight, chicken fried rice, followed your recipe, it was easy, fast and very tasty. Thank-you! 🥰
Easy to make with instructions. True test. Husband loved it.
This is the best fried rice recipe I have found that is easy and tastes great. I included the oyster sauce the first time I prepared it. Never included it using other recipes. Will be fixing this again Really good. Anxious to try with chicken, shrimp, pork, and/or beef or maybe all of them.
Had some left over blackbean and corn salad that through in with the veggies and it all fried up nice with this recipe. Thanks for the tips!
This fried rice recipe is A-W-E-S-O-M-E! THANK YOU. Followed your suggestions and this is now a family favorite and in my recipe book. Definitely a keeper. Looking forward to trying the spicy chicken fried rice and many more recipes! Thanks for sharing your gift and this recipe! :)
Just made this, and my husband and I loved it! Definitely in our dinner rotation 😊
Excellent. First time making fried rice for me. Followed all instructions but added more oyster sauce and drizzled a bit of honey mixed in. Everyone loved it. Thank you!
Perfect! Just like our favorite dinner spot
Very tasty recipe! I used the equivalent of 2 Just Eggs, used some miyoko’s butter (I’m lactose intolerant), and I added some of the Omnipork luncheon meat to make it into a vegetarian pork fried rice. I’m not vegan so I still used the oyster sauce. Next time I’ll use my wok to cook it.
This is the very best fried rice recipe ever.
I thought this was super close to takeout flavors! We don’t have a good Chinese take-out place in our new hometown so I’ve been searching for alternatives and this was a great mimic! And probably *slightly* healthier too! Truly the butter does do something good to this dish and the note about finishing with the sesame oil was great!
I followed the recipe, it was absolutely the best fried rice I ever made!
Cannot get this to taste right. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong? My rice is just ugly brown, not yellowish brown like the picture. Only thing I didn’t use was oyster sauce. Frustrated.
(Giving 5 stars cause I’m sure it’s me!)
I am cooking this tomorrow and our friend has a shellfish allergy so just in case, I won’t be using oyster sauce. I was wondering if anyone has made this with vegetarian oyster sauce (basically mushroom sauce).
Thank you!
First time making fried rice, knocked it out of the park with this recipe. Thank you!
I loved this recipe! It was a hit with the whole family. I added a package of frozen stir fry veggies and a bought a small bag of pre cooked salad shrimp and it turned out fabulous! Thank you ! You made me stand out as a cook :)
Great recipe only thing I do differently is cook eggs in a little seseme oil and butter
Great recipe! I make it often! Thinking of adding cabbage this time! What do you think? Thanks for sharing!
Made it today. Followed exact & it was a bit wetter than what I like. I also used cold prepared Jasmine rice, which could have resulted in it being too wet for my liking, not sure. But thank you for a great tasting fried rice recipe.
Excellent recipe. I substituted green pepper for the peas and it was excellent. Would definitely make it again and might try throwing some chicken and/or pineapple in to the mix as well. Quick tip, I cooked it in a wok on extra high heat which made combining all the ingredients a breeze.
Excellent, thank you
I am not too keen on rice, but I saw this recipe and it looked too good not to try and it was great! Loved it and ate it all and i’m sure my boyfriend will love me for introducing him to the recipe :)
Had some leftover rice in my fridge and made this on a whim. It’s SO great! My boyfriend was going to make his own lunch and he ended up stealing this instead. Have saved this recipe for the future, can’t wait to make again, Thank you for sharing!
Perfect easy recipe … 🙏 thank you so much
This Fried Rice recipe is Delicious with a capital D. OMGoodness, I’ve been making some version of fried rice for years, but from now on this will be the only Fried Rice recipe we make. My 9 yo son after one bite said, ‘please make this every Monday’. The only thing I didn’t have on had was toasted sesame oil, which is a game changer for fried rice. Instead I used some organic tahini sauce once the fried rice was plated. I improvised with just a 1/4 a teaspoon per bowl. But, I will be buying more sesame oil for this recipe. YUMMY.
Our club had an international night where each group of two make a dish from a country. Then we let people buy tickets to taste each dish. Your recipe for fried rice was a hit. Your right the butter makes the difference!
Wanting to make this dinner party could it be made ahead and reheated. Trying to plan ahead.
Thanks
Jan
Excellent, just don’t have a backseat driver (wife). She was hungry. I made this on a blackstone griddle. Could not.get toasted sesame oil, non toasted. Added cube chicken and more veggies, it was all gone that night. The wife did not want the rice to to done. Wrong! Still good, thanks.
So many great reviews for a reason. This is delish! The first time I made it without the oyster sauce, it was amazing too but the oyster sauce takes it to the next level. I use Tamari instead of soy. I’ll keep making it for sure.
This was amazing. I was skeptical at first, since homemade fried rice is not good. BUT THIS !!!!! bomb!! My husband couldn’t stop eating it. Me too! I added bean sprouts and snow peas for more vegetables. Delish. I will never make another.