25 Sizzling-Hot Fried Rice Recipes With Pineapple, Prawns, Pork, and More
Plain rice beckons to be called forth into any one of these fantastically crowd-pleasing riffs on fried rice.
Fried rice is one of the best Cinderella stories in the culinary world: Plain leftover rice is plucked from the fridge, all cold and hard, and taken to new heights in mere minutes by giving it a quick pan-fry with your choice of additional ingredients. As 2021 F&W Best New Chef Lucas Sin says of his standard fried rice recipe, you can virtually "take it into any territory" just with pantry staples and foods you already have in your fridge, as he does for Golden Fried Rice with Asparagus and XO Sauce. Brown rice, basmati rice, wild rice — everything's fair game, so take your pick (and of course, you needn't wait until you have leftover rice to fry some up!). Add a protein and some veggies, and dinner is served. Read on for all of our favorite fried rice recipes.
Prawn and Chorizo Fried Rice
This fried rice from Bar Goa in Chicago is savory and spicy, studded with dry-cured Spanish chorizo and juicy prawns, and finished with a sunny-side-up egg and golden Madras curry mayonnaise. The chile-garlic sauce gives the dish a nice kick, while scallions and cilantro add a fresh pop.
Pork Fried Rice
Maxwell Cozzi
This Japanese-style pork fried rice from 2000 F&W Best New Chef Takashi Yagihashi was his favorite childhood after-school snack. It comes together in just 25 minutes, thanks to the inclusion of quick-cooking Chinese barbecued pork.
Bacon Fat Fried Rice
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely
Rocco DiSpirito's Bacon Fat Fried Rice is finished with jammy pineapple preserves and crisp fresh pineapple, which impart the savory bacon-flavored rice with a smoky sweetness and balanced acidity.
Kimchi Fried Rice with Spicy Shrimp and Sesame Sauce
Chef Roy Choi’s Kimchi Fried Rice is the best way to reinvigorate day-old rice with spicy, potent kimchi. The kimchi actually sweetens when heated and adds not only its signature funk, tang, and spice but also a delicious crunch. The briny, spicy dipping sauce is the perfect punchy accompaniment.
Fried Wild Rice with Mustard Greens and Mushrooms
Properly cooked wild rice retains a pleasant crunch that adds satisfying texture to this fried rice. Paired with lightly spicy mustard greens, sweet celery, and tender, meaty mushrooms, it’s an earthy, savory side dish that could be a meal on its own.
Nasi Goreng Jawa (Javanese Fried Rice)
Nasi Goreng is the classic Indonesian fried rice dish, and this version is one chef and TV personality William Wongso grew up eating. He makes his recipe in small batches in a hot wok, with cold rice and distinct colors — yellow from scrambled egg, red from sambal bajak (a sweet and spicy condiment), and green from a scattering of scallions.
Golden Fried Rice with Asparagus and XO Sauce
Stir-frying rice with egg yolks is a technique that hails from Chinese imperial cuisine, says chef Lucas Sin of Junzi restaurant, and gives the dish a buttery richness and beautiful golden color. A generous amount of onions, garlic, scallions, and fresh ginger builds a foundation of flavor, while a spoonful of spicy seafood-infused XO sauce and plenty of freshly blanched asparagus make this fried rice even more delicious.
Spicy Fried Rice-Stuffed Chicken Wings
This recipe for stuffed and fried chicken wings from 2019 F&W Best New Chef Junghyun Park features chicken wings dredged in a crackling fried chicken breading and stuffed with spicy, savory doubanjiang fried rice. The final touch is a tongue-tingling spice blend of Szechuan peppercorn, salt, sugar, and powdered vinegar.
Nori and Shrimp Fried Rice
"You don’t need anything fancy for the nori dust," says cookbook author Andrea Nguyen of this umami-enhancer. "Just whirl up sheets of sushi nori with a small amount of coarse salt in a blender. Then deploy the nori dust to add vegetal savoriness and visual flair; it’s a nimble seasoning and handsome garnish."
Charcuterie Fried Rice
In this Chinese-Italian mash-up of fried rice, former F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple includes salami and mortadella, along with more traditional ingredients like ginger, soy sauce, and scallions.
All of the Alliums Fried Rice
Blogger Molly Yeh uses a variety of onions to make her luscious fried rice, which gets super crispy in the skillet.
Bacon Fried Rice with Avocado and Fried Eggs
Chef Ed Kenney uses both white and brown rice in this terrific bacon-studded dish. "In Hawaii, we call it hapa rice; it's more interesting and flavorful than plain white rice," he says. "In Hawaiian, hapa means 'partial' and is often used as a term of endearment to describe people of mixed ethnic backgrounds."
Beef Fried Rice
Stir-fry the sirloin, watercress, and egg while the rice cooks so that you'll be ready to assemble the dish at the last moment. Soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil flavor the combination perfectly.
Edamame Fried Brown Rice
Edamame is a satiating addition to this simple fried brown rice dish, which works beautifully if you use day-old rice.
Stir-Fried Red Rice with Sliced Sirloin Steak and Peas
"Red rice is slightly sweet and packed with nutrients that both nurture the body and calm the mind," restaurateur and cookbook author Su-Mei Yu says. Rice is also considered perfectly balanced among all the elements. Here, Yu stir-fries it with thin slices of lean steak, dark leafy greens, and zingy cilantro. The dish is also good with salmon or shrimp in place of the steak.
Pineapple Black Fried Rice
Black rice, also called forbidden rice, gives this dish from New York chef JJ Johnson its striking appearance. “Kids love fried rice,” says Johnson. “And it’s a perfect vehicle for sneaking in some fruits and veggies.” This black rice is stir-fried with edamame, bean sprouts, and juicy diced pineapple.
Bacon, Egg, and Shrimp Fried Rice
Chef Hugh Acheson's shrimp fried rice also includes bits of crispy bacon and irresistible bites of fresh tatsoi. It's a perfect meal in a bowl.
Indian Cumin Fried Rice with Spinach
Former F&W editor Kay Chun creates a fast, vegetarian one-bowl meal by stir-frying cooked rice with chickpeas, spinach, and fragrant ginger and cumin.
Kale and Shiitake Fried Rice
This comforting, vegetable-packed rice is infused with ginger. It's best made with day-old rice to absorb all the flavorings.
Egg Fried Rice
Nom Wah dim sum parlor owner Wilson Tang's generous helping of shrimp turns a side dish into an unmissable menu item.
Smoked Tofu Fried Brown Rice with Sweet Peas
This fried rice is excellent served alongside garlicky braised greens for a full vegetarian meal.
Fried Forbidden Rice
For a robust take on the Indonesian fried rice dish nasi goreng, chef Sang Yoon stir-fries black rice, sometimes called forbidden rice, with bacon and roasted garlic. "You can make it with short-grain brown rice, but you'd miss a lot of the fun," he says.
Cauliflower Fried Rice with Sausage
Here, cauliflower that's been pulsed in the food processor stands in for traditional rice. “This is what I call a weeknight savior, as it can be whipped up in about 10 minutes!” says chef Pete Evans. “Serve with some fermented veg on the side and a cup of broth.”
Kielbasa Fried Rice
In this fried rice, kielbasa stands in for the usual Chinese sausage, which can be hard to find.
Fried Rice Pizza with Shiitakes and Edamame
"Think fried rice meets pizza," says Chicago chef Grant Achatz, who used to make this crazy-fun dish for dinner with his kids. You can pick your toppings, he says, but the most important one is the Manchego cheese, which has a flavor profile that's similar to miso.
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