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Easy Fried Rice

This fried rice recipe only takes 15 minutes to cook and tastes just like you get at your favorite Chinese restaurant. Leftover rice, plus a couple of eggs, baby carrots, peas, and soy sauce is all you need. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 8 people
Calories 3468.1 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Wok or Large Skillet Essential for high-heat stir-frying to achieve optimal texture.
  • 1 Small Saucepan For blanching carrots and peas.
  • 1 Colander For efficiently draining blanched vegetables.
  • 1 High-Heat Spatula Preferably metal or silicone, suitable for vigorous stir-frying.
  • 1 Cutting Board and Chef's Knife For ingredient preparation, such as mincing garlic and chopping optional garnishes.

Ingredients
  

Main

  • ⅔ cup chopped baby carrots
  • ½ cup frozen green peas
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced, or to taste (Optional)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cups leftover cooked and chilled white rice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil or to taste

Instructions
 

  • Assemble ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Place carrots in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a low boil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in peas, then immediately drain in a colander. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Heat a wok over high heat. Pour in vegetable oil, then stir in carrots, peas, and garlic; cook for about 30 seconds. Add eggs; stir quickly to scramble eggs with vegetables. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Stir in cooked rice. Add soy sauce and toss rice to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil and toss again. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Serve hot and enjoy! DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS

Notes

Achieving truly restaurant-style fried rice hinges on a few key techniques. Always use day-old, chilled rice; its lower moisture content prevents gumminess and promotes distinct grains. Preheat your wok to screaming hot before adding oil, ensuring a quick, even sear and preventing ingredients from steaming. Work quickly and in batches if your wok is small, to maintain high heat and achieve the 'wok hei' or 'breath of the wok' flavor. Add aromatic elements like garlic early to infuse the oil, but be careful not to burn them. Incorporate sesame oil right at the end, as its flavor is delicate and can be lost with prolonged cooking. Feel free to customize with proteins like shrimp or chicken, ensuring they are cooked separately or pushed to the side before adding rice.