# Simplest fried rice recipe



## kenny1999 (Apr 16, 2019)

Hi, this is the first time ever I am here to share my recipe. Hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients
cooked rice that is cooled (one cup of rice)
chopped green shallots * you can skip but usually I like it for 
chopped onion * you can skip too if you want to be simple
better flavor and color
egg x1
soy sauce
salt

OK, any rice is fine, but I tend to use rice of the cheapest I can get
because honestly speaking, I think the best rice should not be served fried.

First, I recommend using a little bit less water for cooking the rice (normally 
the water to rice ratio is 1:1) but a little bit less water will make the rice less
wet which will make the cooling faster and the frying easier.

After the rice is cooked let them cool in the room temperature for some time.

During the time, you can stir the egg first. IMO one egg is enough for one cup of rice. Egg is very important or the rice grains will stick together which is not a good fried rice.

When the rice is cooled enough, mix the egg with the rice roughly.

(Another extra tips is to separate the egg white from the yolk, and mix only the yolk with the rice, leave the egg white behind)

In this case, fry the egg white first.

Add enough oil to the heated wok, as the wok is hot enough, turn down the heat (especially important if you are using stainless steel cookware), put the rice mixed with yolk and then fry it quickly. 

You'll easily find that there must be some rice grains sticking with each other, in that case, try to cut them with your spatula as you are frying.

It's difficult to tell how long it takes to fry because we only have rice and the rice is cooked. IMO stop whenever you think most of the rice grains are
not sticking into a ball.

Remember to add some salt and the chopped green shallot and mix them 
with the rice for a few seconds then it's done.


If you have ingredients like onion, garlic or meat, remember always to fry them first, and rice second, because they need to be cooked, but the rice is already cooked.

A picture of my work


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## Addie (Apr 16, 2019)

That looks like a ceramic plate to me, not a wok.


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## GotGarlic (Apr 16, 2019)

Addie said:


> That looks like a ceramic plate to me, not a wok.


It says WORK, not wok.


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## Cheryl J (Apr 16, 2019)

GotGarlic said:


> *It says WORK, not wok*.


 
 +1
-------------------------

Kenny, thank you for sharing your fried rice recipe.  It sounds delicious. And I love your plate.  

Just this morning I had something similar for breakfast.  A cup of leftover refrigerated rice, heated in a small skillet, with a splash of soy sauce.  Pushed it to the side, scrambled an egg in the same pan and then mixed it all together. Yummy.


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## roadfix (Apr 16, 2019)

kenny1999 said:


> ...any rice is fine, but I tend to use rice of the cheapest I can get
> because honestly speaking, I think the best rice should not be served fried.




Almost always, I use leftover rice from the fridge (short grain, bastami, or jasmine).   And leftover rice is usually dry so they fry well...


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## kenny1999 (Apr 18, 2019)

roadfix said:


> Almost always, I use leftover rice from the fridge (short grain, bastami, or jasmine).   And leftover rice is usually dry so they fry well...



*Not too much difference between new rice and leftover rice from my experience, so I almost always use newly cooked rice for frying*


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## roadfix (Apr 18, 2019)

kenny1999 said:


> *Not too much difference between new rice and leftover rice from my experience, so I almost always use newly cooked rice for frying*





I almost always use leftover ingredients when making FR.
I rarely cook rice for the sole purpose of making FR.


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## jennyema (Apr 18, 2019)

Never cool rice at room temperature.  Always cool it in the fridge.

Rice is the source of a common and very nasty type of food poisoning


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## Addie (Apr 18, 2019)

kenny1999 said:


> *Not too much difference between new rice and leftover rice from my experience, so I almost always use newly cooked rice for frying*



The texture alone would tell you leftover from freshly cooked rice, in my humble opinion.


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## Kayelle (Apr 18, 2019)

kenny1999 said:


> *Not too much difference between new rice and leftover rice from my experience, so I almost always use newly cooked rice for frying*




With fresh rice I've ended up with a sticky mess. It's just not dry enough. 

If I don't have leftover rice, I spread the freshly cooked rice on a sheet pan and pop it in the freezer until it's really cold. Works well for me.


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## Addie (Apr 18, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> With fresh rice I've ended up with a sticky mess. It's just not dry enough.
> 
> If I don't have leftover rice, I spread the freshly cooked rice on a sheet pan and pop it in the freezer until it's really cold. Works well for me.



Yup! Cook the rice today, use it in a day or two. And if you are deeply concerned about those scratches in your wok, then use a wooden spoon to stir.


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## GotGarlic (Apr 18, 2019)

Addie said:


> The texture alone would tell you leftover from freshly cooked rice, in my humble opinion.





kenny1999 said:


> Hi, this is the first time ever I am here to share my recipe. Hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Ingredients
> cooked rice that is cooled (one cup of rice



He's not talking about hot, freshly cooked rice.


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## Andy M. (Apr 18, 2019)

Kayelle said:


> ...If I don't have leftover rice, I spread the freshly cooked rice on a sheet pan and pop it in the freezer until it's really cold. Works well for me.



This is what always do. I don't plan ahead to make extra rice the night before. 

Also, when I cook rice for other dishes such as for an Asian stir-fry, I add a splash of sesame oil to the rice for flavor. I omit oil when I'm making rice for fried rice.


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## kenny1999 (Aug 13, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> With fresh rice I've ended up with a sticky mess. It's just not dry enough.
> 
> If I don't have leftover rice, I spread the freshly cooked rice on a sheet pan and pop it in the freezer until it's really cold. Works well for me.



sticky mess is largely due to the fact that you don't fry with egg york,
rice must be fried with egg and if it doesn't, frying left-over rice is also sticky


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## MyPinchofItaly (Aug 13, 2020)

jennyema said:


> Never cool rice at room temperature.  Always cool it in the fridge.
> 
> Rice is the source of a common and very nasty type of food poisoning


I have another method, i.e. drained and placed on a baking pan to cool, helped by a cold bain-marie, i.e. with cold water on a pan below. Never rinsed under running water or will lose all the starch.


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## GotGarlic (Aug 13, 2020)

kenny1999 said:


> sticky mess is largely due to the fact that you don't fry with egg york,
> rice must be fried with egg and if it doesn't, frying left-over rice is also sticky


Egg yolk doesn't make any difference; most stir-fry recipes that include egg call for either making an omelet first and adding it back later, or scrambling the egg at the end. You can't fry wet rice.


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## Kathleen (Aug 13, 2020)

Thank you for posting your recipe.  I love fried rice in its many variations.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Aug 13, 2020)

Chief's Fried Rice

I was taught to use cold, day old rice for fried rice. As was mentioned above, it is dryer, and less likely to stick to the pan.  I cook my rice by placing 2 cups uncooked, long grain rice into a pot with 2 tbs. of sesame oil.  I bring the pot up to temp, and stir the rice around until it just starts to brow.  I then add just a shade less than 4 cups of water, and a  tsp. salt to the water/rice.  The rice is brought to a simmer over medium heat.  When it begins to simmer, I turn the heat to its lowest setting, cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes.  The rice comes out fluffy, without sticking together much.  I use 2 cups of the rice for the evening meal  and refrigerated the remaining rice overnight.

For the fried rice, I heat bacon fat, ghee, or corn oil in my wok until it is shimmering, just 2 tbs.  I then add whatever protein I'm in the mood for, (I like to use velveted pork, chicken, or beef, or plain shrimp, and usually scrambled eggs).  When the meat is just cooked, and still tender and juicy, it is removed to a large bowl,   I add shredded carrots, bamboo shoots, sliced onion petals, and maybe some sugar-snap peas.  I like a couple of hot peppers added as well.  After stir-frying this mixture until the onion and carrot just starts to soften, and caramelize, I add the cold rice.  While stirring with a wooden spoon, I add a little lite soy sauce, minced garlic (2 cloves), another splash of sesame oil, and mushrooms.  Stir until the rice is hot, and just beginning to brown,  Add the protein back in.  Serve with plumb, or oyster sauce, and some good bubble tea.

Chinese 5-spice is also great in fried rice, as is fish sauce.

If I don't velvet the protein, I cut it into half-inch cubes, and stir-fry over high heat just until it starts to brown.  The meat is cooked through without overcooking and drying it out, or making it tough.

Cooking for me is rarely something that is simple.  I halve, however been known to make a meal out of a can Hormel Tamales on occasion.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Kaneohegirlinaz (Aug 13, 2020)

Here's one of Serious Eats version :

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/02/easy-vegetable-fried-rice-recipe.html


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## medtran49 (Aug 13, 2020)

The best  fried rice I've ever had.


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