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Make delicious fried rice and use up leftover meat and vegetables. Plus this secret ingredient adds the restaurant flavor you love!
Fried rice is a family favorite, and it’s so easy to make.
We call this “Loaded” Fried Rice because it’s loaded full of meats and veggies. It’s a great way to clean out the fridge without anyone knowing they’re eating leftovers!
It cooks up best when you use day old (not freshly made) rice. I make a big batch of rice in my Instant Pot and freeze it in zip bags to make a speedy meal.
Fried Rice Recipe
Make delicious fried rice and use up leftover meat and vegetables. Plus this secret ingredient adds the restaurant flavor you love!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked white or brown rice
- 1/2 pound uncooked bacon
- 2 eggs (optional)
- Soy sauce to taste
- Up to 4 cups veggies and meats. Go crazy! Here are some things we put in our rice:
- leftover carnitas
- that last piece of chicken that nobody can finish
- cooked shrimp
- zucchini
- carrots
- celery
- bok choi
- mushrooms
- onions
- spinach
Instructions
Cut your bacon into chunks and put it into a wok or big frypan on medium heat. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy.
Scoop the bacon out and keep the drippings in the pan. (This is critical! It's where all the amazing flavor comes from.)
Dice your veggies and stir-fry them in the bacon drippings until they're almost done. Carrots and celery will take longer; zucchini and mushrooms only need a minute or two. Chop up the meat and add it in (bacon too).
Plop the rice in the wok and stir everything together gently. Splash in a bit of soy sauce and taste.
Once everything is warm, it's time to add the eggs. Mix them in a separate bowl like you're making scrambled eggs.
Move the rice and veggies to the sides of the wok, so the hottest part in the center is open. Pour the eggs in and cook, stirring, until almost set. Then mix them into the rice until well incorporated.
You're done! Garnish with chopped chives or parsley for a bit of color.
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I absolutely love fried rice and this is a great reminder to use whatever’s on hand to customize your fried rice! Gonna have to try your recipe!
Enjoy! You’ll love it!
I have found some things that don’t work very well in fried rice though, like quinoa and radishes. I was actually taught that it is considered an insult to the chef to put soy sauce in fried rice, so when making it at home I never use soy sauce (but always toasted sesame oil). I guess there are millions of fried rice traditions!
When you think about it, at Asian restaurants you find the Soy Sauce on the table as a condiment..to add as you please…not sure that they cook with it. As for the insult to the chef, I agree. It would be like having someone put ketchup on your “made from scratch” lasagna.
My husband was a professional chef and was also Asian. He always put soy sauce in his fried rice. And a little garlic.
With the eggs and bacon, we called this “Breakfast Fried Rice.” The first time I had it was when I lived in Hawaii, which is heavily influenced by far eastern recipes and culture. It was awesome. Took me a while to figure out how to make this once I left. And I have to reiterate along with you, the rice really must be “old.” I start the rice cooker after dinner and make this for brunch and it works out great! Thanks for sharing… hmmm. I’m thinking rice sounds good about now. 😀
http://ourwholefoodjourney.blogspot.com