This 3-ingredient egg fried rice has been my favorite snack since the time I was growing up. Yep, for me, the ideal afternoon or late night snack is a plate of fried rice. Not chips or cookies. I love it for breakfast as well. This fried rice is a life-saver because it’s so fast to make. It only uses three ingredients: leftover rice, eggs, and green onions, which I always have in the fridge. Whenever I’m craving some salty food, I rush to the kitchen to whip up this dish in five minutes. I have quite a few fried rice recipes that I love, for example, Yang Zhou Fried Rice, XO Fried Rice with Char Siu, and Chicken Fried Rice. But my go-to side dish is still this egg fried rice. It does not require any complicated seasoning or any special meat or vegetables. It’s so simple yet comforting and satisfying.
Egg Fried Rice Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients for egg fried rice:
Day-old riceEggsGreen onionsSalt (for extra flavor, you can add a touch of chicken bouillon or MSG as well)
What is day-old rice?
You might often see “day-old rice”, “overnight rice”, or “leftover rice” in a fried rice recipe. It simply means that you should use rice that is not freshly cooked, which is hot and sticky. The reason is, you want the rice to be a bit dried out and cold, so the grains separate easily during cooking and result in a nicely toasted crispy texture. Freshly cooked rice tends to get mushy and clumpy when made into fried rice.
The best way to prepare rice for fried rice
That said, if you do not have leftover rice but want to make this dish, it’s possible to make it from uncooked rice. What I usually do is to:
Use slightly less water when steaming, so it results in slightly firmer rice. Once the rice is cooked, spread it out into a thin layer on a large plate (or a tray) to cool completelyThen move the rice to the fridge to cool and dry off a bit before making the fried rice.
If you don’t plan to make the fried rice immediately, you can store the dried, cooled rice in a sealed container or ziplock bag in the fridge or freezer. The result gets even better when the rice is stored in a cold environment for a day or two, which removes the moisture from the grains.
What type of rice to use
The most commonly used rice in Chinese fried rice is Jasmine rice or regular medium grain rice. It is OK to use long grain rice as well, although it gives the dish a different look. I usually do not use short grain rice (or sushi rice) for fried rice, because the grains are stickier. It is totally OK to use brown rice to make egg fried rice as well.
How to make egg fried rice
To make egg fried rice: Adding the eggs into hot oil will set the bottom fast and create a lovely crust, which is quite delicious. The hot oil also causes the eggs to fluff up, creating an airy texture. I like to add the rice onto some uncooked eggs, so the eggs will coat the rice during stir fry for a nicer taste.
More egg fried rice cooking tips
Here are a few tricks to make the best fried rice. You can use an electric stove and a nonstick pan and still get great results. (1) Don’t skimp on the oil. This is the best way to make the rice crispy without making the dish too dry. I would use at least 2 tablespoons of oil for the recipe below. You can even use a bit more without having the rice taste greasy. (2) Use PLENTY of green onions. It is a key ingredient to make the rice fragrant. You can use regular onion as a substitute, but green onion always works best for fried rice. (3) Do not stir too frequently. This way, the rice will be perfectly toasted in the hot pan. That’s the other secret to creating super crispy rice without using a wok. (4) You can use a touch of chicken bouillon or MSG for extra flavor. When it comes to fried rice I keep it simple, because I want to taste the natural aroma of the rice and the eggs. But if you want to give the dish an extra kick, a touch of chicken bouillon or MSG is a great idea (and it’s commonly used in Chinese restaurants). You’d be surprised at how satisfying a plate of egg fried rice is, with just a handful of ingredients. You can serve it alongside stir fries, soup, or stew to make a full-on Chinese dinner. But sometimes I eat it as a main for breakfast or lunch because it’s so good!
Easy dishes to serve egg fried rice with
Pan Fried Salmon (香煎三文鱼)Beef with Snow PeasCrispy Peanut Butter ChickenCoca-Cola Chicken Wings (可乐鸡翅)Mongolian Beef (Without Using a Wok)
