EASY 20-Minute Fried Rice Recipe - I Heart Naptime (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to Chinese fried rice? ›

The secret is all in the prep: use precooked rice for the best results, and leftover char siu pork is the perfect flavour burst. Make the fried rice stir-fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, shaoxing wine and sugar. Prepare, measure and chop all ingredients before cooking.

Season With Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, and Sesame Oil

While not every recipe calls for this fried rice trifecta, many of our favorites do. Why? Soy sauce is the salt element, rice vinegar gives the dish a touch of brightness, and sesame oil lends an utterly delicious, toasty note.

To get that perfect day-old rice without waiting 24 hours, the process is actually fairly simple. Just rinse and drain fresh, raw rice and sauté in oil. Add a little less water than you normally would to the pan, and bring to the boil before covering and simmering.

If you want an oil with a neutral flavor, go with canola oil. For a mildly nutty flavor, you'll want to pick peanut oil. If you want your oil to infuse your fried rice with a rich flavor, go with avocado oil, macadamia oil, or sesame, depending on what taste you're going for.

That's one of the major differences between how Chinese and Japanese restaurants prepare fried rice. Whereas the former only uses oil, the latter cooks leftover grains with butter (plus soy sauce).

The fine, long grains of jasmine rice with its delicate flavour are perfect for fried rice. Precook the rice at least 30 minutes, but preferably one day, before making fried rice and keep it uncovered in the fridge.

To get the best flavour, the vinegar needs to be folded into the rice while it is still warm.

Perfecting Your Fried Rice

Starting with the Right Rice: Ideally, use day-old rice, like in the 15-Minute Easy To Make Pork Fried Rice recipe. Cold, day-old rice from the fridge has reduced moisture content, which is crucial for preventing mushiness. High Heat is Key: Cook the rice over high heat, as in the P.F.

To give your dish that signature fried rice taste, you'll need to drizzle in sesame oil and soy sauce, but feel free to use as much or as little as you wish. You can even mix in things like garlic powder, ginger root, or Sriracha sauce and chili pepper for a bit of a kick.

What happens if you don't use old rice for fried rice? ›

In fact, it's critical. Unlike freshly cooked rice, which forms soft, mushy clumps when stir-fried, chilled leftover white rice undergoes a process called retrogradation, in which the starch molecules form crystalline structures that make the grains firm enough to withstand the second round of cooking.

Although your overall diet is what's most important for your health, it's best to prioritize healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado oil, and sesame oil, and limit less healthy cooking oils, such as soybean, corn, and canola oil.

Butter – Any oil will work, but butter gives the best flavor. It's why you see the Hibachi chefs use butter when they cook on the teppan!

Chinese cooks normally use soybean oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil, all of which have a high smoke point. Peanut oil usually has a pleasant nutty flavor and is suitable not only for stir-frying but also for deep-frying. Canola oil, which has a high smoke point but a neutral flavor, is also a good choice.

And if you'd like to replicate that light sugary taste when making fried rice at home, just add a little bit of sugar. By dusting your homemade fried rice with a small amount of sugar, it will develop a mildly sweet flavor that will make it taste like you bought it from your go-to takeout joint.

MSG is a flavor enhancer similar to salt that has gotten a bad reputation over the years. If you have personal concerns with this, then leave it out. However, MSG adds umami flavor to the rice which imitates that classic fried rice you get from Chinese takeout.

You can introduce smoky flavours to your rice by considering other methods such as using a flavoured oil to fry your rice with so perhaps a combination of butter and peanut oil in which you fry off smoked bacon first.