Better Than Takeout Fried Rice

We’ve been on a huge Chinese food kick lately. I’ve been craving fried rice and orange chicken like crazy! So I decided to whip up a batch of our favorite homemade fried rice- it’s so easy to make and tastes way better than any takeout you could order. Plus it’s ready to go in just 20 minutes… you can’t beat that!

The key to making crisp and flavorful fried rice at home is chilling the rice before using it. I’m talking overnight people. The longer it chills and dries out, the better the result! I like to cook my rice the night before, spread it out on a baking sheet and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator until the next evening when I’m ready to fry it up. Then all you have to do is chop up some vegetables, whisk a few eggs and you’re ready to go!

Like I mentioned above, this rice is soooo easy to make. Heat a large (the biggest you have) skillet over medium-high heat, then add some butter and scramble the eggs. Transfer them to a dish and add the remaining butter to your pan. Cook the Carrots and onion until they’re nice and soft, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Next comes the most important part. Turn your heat up (I do almost full heat) and add your COLD rice along with the peas. It will sizzle and brown a bit on the bottom as long as you leave it for a minute or two. I suggest tossing it about 3 times, that way the rice has a chance to get crispy. Add back in the eggs along with some green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil and oyster sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve piping hot! If you want to transform this side into a main dish, feel free to add some chicken, shrimp or pork. Sometimes we add sprouts or broccoli which helps bulk it up a bit. But it’s fantastic either way.

Our family loves this fried rice and I think yours will too! It’s crisp, flavorful and loaded with veggies and egg- just the way it should be! Once you try this dish, you’ll never want to order takeout again!

5.0 from 13 reviews

Better Than Takeout Fried Rice

 

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Prep time

8 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

There's no need to order out! This better than takeout fried rice is ready to go in just 20 minutes!

Author: Natalie

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. butter, divided
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cubed
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-5 c. cooked and chilled rice
• 1 c. frozen peas
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• ¼ c. soy sauce (plus more to taste)
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 3 tsp. oyster sauce
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat (I've used both a nonstick and a regular skillet, I kind of prefer a nonstick for this rice). Add 1 tbsp. of the butter into the pan. Once the butter has melted, add the lightly beaten eggs. Let them cook for about 30-40 seconds or until set, then scramble. Once the eggs are fully cooked, remove them and set them aside.
2. Add the remaining butter to the pan- when it's hot, add the carrot and onion and cook until tender, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, taking care not to brown. Turn the heat up slightly and add the cold rice and peas. Cook the the mixture for about 3-4 minutes (it will sizzle and should brown a bit), then add the eggs, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil and oyster sauce. Cook for a few more minutes or until the mixture is hot. Season with salt and pepper, serve immediately.

Notes

*We usually add about 1-2 tablespoons of additional soy sauce to this dish.


Recipe source: Life Made Simple

3.3.3070