I have been craving fried rice like crazy! I have four kids, and they love Chinese Food, but it can get expensive, as you know. So, I decided to prepare my favorite homemade fried rice. The twins, Maddie and Gabbie, are vegans now, so this is easy to make, gluten-free, and vegetarian by eliminating the egg!
This is a great recipe to make with leftovers by tweaking it with any leftover protein hanging around your refrigerator. Pork chops or pork ribs leftover, mince it up, and you have pork fried rice! Likewise, take that chicken breast still lingering in the fridge and add it to the rice for a more yummy flavor. I have even made a complete catch-all approach for a “house” fried rice with shrimp, pork, and chicken all diced and added.
Try this recipe. It is tastier than any takeout you could eat. If you have day-old rice, you can get this ready to go in 15 minutes…you cannot beat that!! Look out for the entire series on Chinese Recipes that are upcoming, including an Easy Chow Mein, and a family favorite of ours, Almond Boneless Chicken.
INGREDIENTS THAT YOU WILL NEED FOR FRIED RICE
- Oil
- Garlic
- Onion
- Diced vegetables
- Cooked day-old white rice
- Eggs are a must as it adds proteins to make the meal filling.
- Green onions
- Fresh bean sprouts
- Chinese cooking wine
- White pepper
- Dark soy sauce: necessary for the final flavoring
- Sesame oil: use the standard variety, not the toasted sesame oil.
- Oyster sauce: can substitute it with fish sauce.
Start with day-old rice
Using day-old rice is the most critical adage for this fantastic recipe. So, why use day-old rice for fried rice?
Freshly cooked rice contains moisture, and if you use it, it clumps together and turns out soggy.
Day-old rice dries out when you cook this rice; the grains separate and form that signature feel. To get the best-fried rice, boil a pot of rice the night before preparation or if you have rice the night before, make a double batch to have leftovers for this recipe the next night.
What if I do not have day-old rice?
At times we do not think ahead enough to have rice made up the night before. This is the primary way to make the best fried rice. I have a simple trick to save the day. Here we go!
Make your rice, and once finished steaming, proceed to the next step.
Spread your rice on a tray; you will notice lots of steam since it is still hot, so be careful. Take the tray to the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes until the grains become cool. Some rice might become frozen; that is okay! They will heat right back up once they hit the pan.
How To Make Fried Rice?
The main components of homemade fried rice are eggs, rice, and oil. As I have mentioned before, the rice should be day-old rice for lower moisture content. And by the way, fried rice was invented to revitalize leftovers, and it does that exactly! It is a dish that allows artistry and experimentation. You can use any leftover proteins like shrimp, tofu, or meat. Roasted veggies can even work as long as they are not heavily spiced.
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