The first time my mom made me egg fried rice, I was convinced she had swapped out the rice with scrambled eggs by accident. That’s how much it looked like eggs! But when she told me that no, this was ‘real’ egg fried rice and not just scrambled eggs on top of rice, I was skeptical. Luckily, though, I’ve since been converted by her delicious technique and now make my own version at home, too — which is all thanks to these simple tips for making perfect egg fried rice every time.
Heat a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat.
Heat a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
Add egg and gently stir with chopsticks to break up into small pieces, then remove from wok with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
Add vegetables and garlic, season with salt and pepper, then cook until softened (about 3 minutes).
Add rice to wok along with soy sauce, oyster sauce (optional) and water; stir well until combined–the liquid should just cover all ingredients in your wok or pan by about 1/4″.
Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
The oil will prevent sticking, which means you won’t have to scrape your fried rice off of the pan. It also helps each grain of rice cook evenly, so that it doesn’t turn out mushy or crunchy in some spots. Finally, adding fat is an important step for flavor–fat helps carry flavor throughout your dish!
Add 3 cups cooked rice to the pan, spreading it out evenly across the base of the pan.
When you’re adding the rice, don’t use too much or it will be hard to stir. You also want to make sure you don’t add too little–you want your fried rice crispy and not soggy! But how do you know if this is happening? Well, there are two main factors that determine whether or not your egg fried rice has been cooked correctly: texture and temperature.
Texture is easy–if your egg fried rice feels mushy when stirred, then it’s probably undercooked. Give it another minute or two in the pan if this happens; otherwise, give up on making perfect egg fried rice at home altogether (and move on). Temperature is trickier because there isn’t really a way of measuring whether or not something is hot enough without using a thermometer (which we don’t recommend). Instead of investing in such an instrument just yet though…
Let it cook without stirring for 1 minute. Then stir gently until grains are separated and lightly browned, about 2 minutes more. (If using day-old rice, cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.)
Let it cook without stirring for 1 minute. Then stir gently until grains are separated and lightly browned, about 2 minutes more. (If using day-old rice, cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.)
If you want your fried rice to be even more flavorful, add a tablespoon of soy sauce or oyster sauce at this stage.
After cooking the egg and vegetables in the wok, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside in a separate bowl or plate while you continue with the remaining steps of making the dish.
Stir in 2 eggs, scrambled and broken up with a spatula as you stir them in. Scrambled eggs should be soft enough to be stirred into the rice easily but not overly runny or raw-looking. Add more eggs if needed to coat all of the rice. Remove from heat immediately after adding them so that they don’t overcook.
When you’re adding the eggs, they should be scrambled and broken up with a spatula as you stir them in. Scrambled eggs should be soft enough to be stirred into the rice easily but not overly runny or raw-looking. Add more eggs if needed to coat all of the rice. Remove from heat immediately after adding them so that they don’t overcook.
Perfect egg fried rice starts with perfect rice
First, you need to make sure that you have cooked rice. If you’re using day-old rice, cook it until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. If you are using fresh or refrigerated uncooked rice, follow the package instructions and use a wok or frying pan that is large enough to hold the entire batch of rice.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to make perfect egg fried rice, you can enjoy this delicious dish any time. It’s easy enough for a weeknight meal, but special enough to serve at a party or potluck. And if you’re not sure what type of rice is best for fried rice, we have some suggestions!
