You can make amazing fried rice right in your own kitchen, and it's much better than what you get from a restaurant. Let's walk through the simple secrets to making a perfect, fluffy, and flavorful meal that everyone will love.
The most important secret to great fried rice is to use cold, leftover rice. If you use rice that you just cooked, it will be too warm and wet, making your dish sticky and mushy. When rice sits in the fridge overnight, it dries out just enough. This helps the grains stay separate and get a little crispy when you cook them. If you don't have any leftover rice, you can cook a fresh batch, spread it out on a baking sheet, and let it cool completely in the refrigerator for a while. A simple long-grain white rice, like jasmine, works perfectly.
Next, you'll want to create a simple but tasty sauce. You don't need a lot of ingredients to make your rice taste fantastic. A little bit of soy sauce will give it that classic savory, salty flavor. To make it even better, add a splash of oyster sauce, which gives it a slightly sweet and deep taste. You can find vegetarian versions of oyster sauce too. The final touch for flavor is a tiny bit of toasted sesame oil. You should wait to add this until the very end, right after you've turned off the heat, so it keeps its wonderful nutty smell.
Fried rice is also a perfect way to use up any vegetables you have. Chopped onions, carrots, and peas are classic choices that add color and sweetness. You can also add things like corn or small pieces of broccoli. Just make sure to cook your vegetables in the pan for a few minutes before you add the rice. This makes sure they are tender. To make your fried rice a more filling meal, you can add protein. Cooked chicken, shrimp, or bacon are all great options. A classic ingredient is scrambled egg, which adds wonderful flavor and texture. It’s easy to push the rice to one side of the hot pan and quickly scramble an egg in the empty space before mixing it all together.
When you are ready to cook, the key is to make your pan very hot. A hot pan is what helps the rice fry instead of steam. Start by heating up a little bit of cooking oil. First, cook your onions and garlic until they smell wonderful. Then, add your other vegetables and cook them for a few minutes. Now it's time for the star of the show. Add your cold rice to the hot pan and use your spoon or spatula to break up any clumps. Let the rice sit for a moment so it gets a little toasty and golden.
Once your rice is heated through, pour your sauce all over it and mix everything together well. All the grains of rice should be lightly coated. Then, add your cooked meat and scrambled eggs back into the pan and give it all one final toss. To finish, turn off the heat and stir in that little bit of sesame oil and some fresh green onions. Now you can enjoy a delicious bowl of homemade fried rice that you created yourself. It’s that simple to make a classic dish that will impress everyone.