Tips to Make the BEST Fried Rice
I think November 5th is Chinese takeout day, but this year, I propose you make your own dish of the best fried rice you’ll ever make! And if you’re anything like me, you might get some Mandarin orange chicken and egg rolls to go with it.
Fried rice has been a bit of an obsession for me lately. I never thought that the best fried rice I would ever have would be at a very famous macadamia nut pancake place on Maui, but it is true! Everyone there seemed to know that the secret best breakfast combination ever isn’t pancakes, bacon and eggs, it’s macadamia nut pancakes with mashed banana and white chocolate chips and coconut syrup drizzled over the top with a nice hearty side of ham fried rice on the side.Ever since I got back from our first trip there, I cannot stop thinking about this fried rice and how I need to learn how to make amazing fried rice to hit that spot when the craving comes.
I chose a nearly five-star recipe with over 1,000 reviews and people cannot get enough of this recipe! It is from the blog, GimmeSomeOven.com, and she shares really great tips on how to make the best fried rice every time!
Tip #1: Always start with cold rice.
Making your rice the day ahead is kind of a must for the best fried rice. If you make it and then immediately put it in the pan to fry when it is still warm, it ends up tasting mushy and sticks together in a big lump. Using cold rice ensures al dente rice that still has some bite to it.
Tip #2: Use butter.
Some recipes call for various types of oil, but this recipe uses butter for the very best results. The butter brings so much flavor to the rice and veggies.
Tip #3: Use plenty of veggies.
A lot of times what sets apart meh fried rice from great fried rice is that the great one has plenty of veggies. I can’t stand it when restaurants skimp on the veggies! It enhances the dish so many to bring more flavors and textures. You can use any combination of carrots, onions, peas, or anything else you like.
Tip #4: Use toasted sesame oil and oyster sauce.
If you have always made your fried rice with just soy sauce, if you use both oyster sauce and toasted sesame oil, it will bring such depth to the flavor, you will soon realize what you’ve been missing out on! These two ingredients are game-changers!
Tip #5: Use high heat.
Using high heat will help brown and fry the veggies and rice really well. Try and brown the rice because it tastes so much better! Just let is rest a bit between stirs to let it get a bit crispy. But try and use a non-stick pan because that really helps so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Optional Mix-Ins:
Of course there are many variations you can make to your fried rice to make it just how you like it. You can cook up on the side anything from chicken, pork chops, shrimp or even pineapple and then add it and mix it in at the end.
Do you like to make your own fried rice at home? Or you do you usually get your fix with your favorite Chinese or Thai food takeout? spot Please let us know in the comments below.
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 eggs, whisked
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 small white onion, diced
1/2 cup frozen green peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
black pepper
salt
4 cups rice, cooked and chilled
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
2 teaspoons oyster sauce (optional)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, toasted
Directions:
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Fried rice has been a bit of an obsession for me lately. I never thought that the best fried rice I would ever have would be at a very famous macadamia nut pancake place on Maui, but it is true! Everyone there seemed to know that the secret best breakfast combination ever isn’t pancakes, bacon and eggs, it’s macadamia nut pancakes with mashed banana and white chocolate chips and coconut syrup drizzled over the top with a nice hearty side of ham fried rice on the side.Ever since I got back from our first trip there, I cannot stop thinking about this fried rice and how I need to learn how to make amazing fried rice to hit that spot when the craving comes.
I chose a nearly five-star recipe with over 1,000 reviews and people cannot get enough of this recipe! It is from the blog, GimmeSomeOven.com, and she shares really great tips on how to make the best fried rice every time!
Tip #1: Always start with cold rice.
Making your rice the day ahead is kind of a must for the best fried rice. If you make it and then immediately put it in the pan to fry when it is still warm, it ends up tasting mushy and sticks together in a big lump. Using cold rice ensures al dente rice that still has some bite to it.
Tip #2: Use butter.
Some recipes call for various types of oil, but this recipe uses butter for the very best results. The butter brings so much flavor to the rice and veggies.
Tip #3: Use plenty of veggies.
A lot of times what sets apart meh fried rice from great fried rice is that the great one has plenty of veggies. I can’t stand it when restaurants skimp on the veggies! It enhances the dish so many to bring more flavors and textures. You can use any combination of carrots, onions, peas, or anything else you like.
Tip #4: Use toasted sesame oil and oyster sauce.
If you have always made your fried rice with just soy sauce, if you use both oyster sauce and toasted sesame oil, it will bring such depth to the flavor, you will soon realize what you’ve been missing out on! These two ingredients are game-changers!
Tip #5: Use high heat.
Using high heat will help brown and fry the veggies and rice really well. Try and brown the rice because it tastes so much better! Just let is rest a bit between stirs to let it get a bit crispy. But try and use a non-stick pan because that really helps so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Optional Mix-Ins:
Of course there are many variations you can make to your fried rice to make it just how you like it. You can cook up on the side anything from chicken, pork chops, shrimp or even pineapple and then add it and mix it in at the end.
Do you like to make your own fried rice at home? Or you do you usually get your fix with your favorite Chinese or Thai food takeout? spot Please let us know in the comments below.
The Best Fried Rice
This easy fried rice recipe only takes 15 minutes to make, it's easy to customize with your favorite add-ins, and it's SO delicious!
Prep time:
Cook time:
Serving size: 4
Calories per serving: 777
Ingredients:
Cook time:
Serving size: 4
Calories per serving: 777
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 eggs, whisked
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 small white onion, diced
1/2 cup frozen green peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
black pepper
salt
4 cups rice, cooked and chilled
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
2 teaspoons oyster sauce (optional)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, toasted
Directions:
1) 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.
2) 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.
3) Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Source: gimmesomeoven.com
2) 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.
3) Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Source: gimmesomeoven.com
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Mary Richardson
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
Email the author! mary@dvo.com
Sources:
- www.commons.wikimedia.org
- www.flickr.com
- www.gimmesomeoven.com
