Egg Fried Rice is a humble but well-loved dish. It only takes about 5-10 minutes and uses basic pantry ingredients you may already have. It’s certainly a broke boyz dish, but it will never skip on flavor!
Many people will agree that one of the easiest and cheapest protein source is eggs. As a Korean, I’ve enjoyed them in many different ways like Steamed Egg (Gyeran Jjim) or Soy Marinated Eggs (Mayak Eggs). And today I’ll be sharing another egg recipe that you and your family will enjoy!
Egg Fried Rice is made with leftover rice, eggs, and Asian seasonings. It’s simple but yields a tasty main dish that you can pair with appetizers, stir-fries, or soup!
It’s quick and easy to make! Whether you’ve been cooking for a long time or simply trying things out in the kitchen, this is one of those recipes that you will always go back to because it can never go wrong. In this post, I’ll share my best tips and tricks so you can master this humble dish. With simple techniques, you can elevate your fried rice game right away!
What You’ll Need
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- Egg – Use two to be mixed in the fried rice and one for topping.
- Freshly Cooked Rice – Any type of rice is amenable to be used in this recipe and I love using freshly steamed rice!
- Scallions, Onions – The basic aromatics used to create “pagirum” or scallion oil which will add so much flavor to the fried rice.
- Carrots – This is optional, but I like to add carrots so my kids can have their veggies and for a pop of color!
- Soy Sauce and Oyster Sauce – This is for color and umami flavor. While it’s okay to use only soy sauce, its combination with oyster sauce makes the fried rice tastier!
- Sesame Oil – This is for a nutty, earthy complement to the soy sauce and oyster sauce!
- Butter – This is my secret ingredient for a creamy and tasty finish to the eggs and rice.
- Salt and Pepper – Add this to taste.
What’s the best rice to use?
Many people would recommend day-old rice, but I’d like to defer by saying you can also use freshly cooked rice. As long as it is cooked right, you can have fluffy and steamy fried rice! Follow my instructions in this blog post to learn how to cook perfectly steamed rice.
How do I prevent soggy and gummy fried rice?
If you prefer using day-old rice, crumble it using your hands to ensure that there will be no clumps. If you are using freshly cooked rice, ensure that you use just enough water otherwise it will be soggy, then cook it a little longer to dry out the rice. Afterward, fluff it to release excess steam so it cools down a bit to prevent it from being gummy.
What else can I add to egg fried rice?
While egg fried rice only needs a few aromatics and eggs, you can also add vegetables to make it more filling. Frozen or leftover vegetables like corn, peas, broccoli, or cabbage for more nutrition and color!
How to Make Egg Fried Rice?
To begin, prepare the ingredients by chopping the scallions, onions, and carrots. Fluff the rice, and have the eggs and condiments ready.
On high heat and a bit of oil, scramble the eggs. Once it is cooked, set it on the side of the pan and saute the scallions on the other side. Once it is fragrant, add the onion and carrots and continue sauteing. Once cooked, mix it all together, breaking the eggs into chunks.
Add the rice and season it with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil on top. We put the seasonings on top of the rice so that they can be absorbed better and it’s going to be easier to break the rice apart. Mix the rice thoroughly and ensure that every grain is seasoned well.
Add the butter, and continue mixing until the butter and eggs are spread out evenly. Taste, and use salt and pepper to adjust to your liking, then plate the fried rice nicely.
On a separate pan, on low heat and a little bit of oil, fry your eggs until cooked but still with a runny yolk. Top this on the fried rice and garnish with some sesame seeds. Serve this hot and enjoy!
Tips to Make the Best Egg Fried Rice:
- Add the egg before or after the rice. Depending on your preference, you can add the egg first to scramble so you have chunks of egg in every bite. However, you can also prefer to mix the eggs on the rice so that you can taste the egg flavor in every bite. Which one do you prefer?
- Have all your ingredients ready. Fried rice is a very quick dish and uses high heat as you make it so having everything ready prevents anything from burning in the pan.
- Use high heat. I highly recommend this to add smokiness to the fried rice. It will also dry up and crisp up the rice so you don’t have to worry about soggy and gummy fried rice.
- Make the rice crispy. Make a flat layer on the pan and let it sizzle for a minute then mix. Repeat this process. The sizzle equals drying up and crisping up, then mixing equals releasing any remaining steam. This will result in nicely fluffed, non-soggy fried rice! This also adds a nice texture if you like crispy rice!
- Use wok if you have one. This will add “wok hei” which will add flavor to the fried rice. It’s usually what makes the Chinese takeout smoky and delicious. However, it is not necessary. A normal pan or skillet is ok!
Serving Suggestions and Storage
Egg fried rice is already great as it is especially when you have a fried egg on top. However, this is also great with other dishes namely:
- Appetizers such as Shrimp Pancake, Mini Beef Patties, and Korean Dumplings
- Stir-fried dishes such as Chicken Teriyaki, Soy Garlic BBQ Chicken, or Korean Sausage Stir-Fry
- Soups like Egg Drop Soup, Seaweed Soup, or Soybean Sprout Soup
For any leftovers, you can store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for about 3 days. Just microwave to heat and have yourself delicious fried rice anytime!
Other rice dishes you might like:
- Fried Egg Over Rice (Gyeran Bap)
- Garlic Fried Rice
- Bibimbap (Korean Mixed Rice)
- Jjajangbap (Black Bean Sauce Over Rice)
- Omurice
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Easy Egg Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 stalk Scallions Chopped
- 1/2 medium-sized Onion Chopped
- 1/2 of Whole Carrot Minced
- 3 pcs Eggs Two on the fried rice, One for frying/garnishing
- 1 cup Rice
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter
- Salt and Pepper To taste
- Sesame Seeds For garnishing
- Vegetable or Canola Oil For stir-frying
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients by chopping the scallions, onions, and carrots. Fluff the rice, and prepare the eggs and seasonings.
- In a pan on high heat and a bit of oil, scramble the eggs, then set on the side.
- In the same pan, saute the scallions to make scallion oil. Once fragrant, add the onion and carrots, and continue sauteing.
- Add the rice and season with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil on top of it.
- Break apart the rice to evenly spread the seasoning, then mix it thoroughly.
- Add butter and continue mixing.
- Taste the fried rice and adjust using salt and pepper.
- Now, pack your fried rice in a bowl and place it on a plate.
- In a really low heat and oiled pan, cook an egg sunny side up.
- Top the fried rice with fried egg, garnish with sesame seeds, serve, and enjoy!
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