Chinese Egg Fried Rice Recipe

A simple, authentic Chinese egg fried rice recipe that's quick, affordable, and perfect for using up leftover rice. With just a few basic ingredients and the right technique, you can create fluffy, restaurant-style fried rice at home in under 15 minutes.

Why Leftover Rice Matters

The secret to great fried rice is using cold leftover rice that has been cooked the day before and stored in the fridge overnight.

Freshly cooked rice contains too much moisture, which can make your fried rice sticky and mushy. While you can still use fresh rice if you need to, you'll have to spend much longer frying it to remove the excess moisture before it becomes fluffy.

For Chinese cooking, I highly recommend using jasmine rice for the best flavour and texture.

How to Cook Rice for Fried Rice

If you eat rice regularly, I highly recommend investing in a rice cooker. It saves so much time and gives consistent results every time.

If you're cooking rice in a pot:

1. Always wash your rice first until the water runs mostly clear.

2. Add the rice and water to a pot using a 1 : 1.2 rice-to-water ratio.

3. Bring to a boil over high heat.

4. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and cover with a lid.

5. Cook for around 15–18 minutes (for 3 cups of rice) until all the water has been absorbed.

6. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for another 5 minutes to allow the steam to finish cooking the rice and release any grains stuck to the bottom.
   

You do not need to cook rice in a giant pot of water and drain it afterwards. That's not something you'll see in most Asian kitchens. We're making rice, not pasta!

For fried rice, spread the cooked rice out to cool, then store it in the fridge overnight.

Chinese Egg Fried Rice
Serves: 2
Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 10 mins | Total: 15 mins
Ingredients	Instructions
500g cooked cold jasmine rice (day-old rice), roughly 150g uncooked 2–3 eggs 1 tbsp vegetable oil ½ tsp salt (or to taste) 1 tsp light soy sauce (optional) ½ tsp Aromat seasoning (optional) 1 tsp Maggi seasoning sauce (optional) 2 spring onions, finely sliced	1. Heat the Wok Heat a clean wok over high heat until hot, then add the oil. A clean wok and sufficient heat are extremely important. If your wok isn't hot enough, the rice is much more likely to stick. 2. Fry the Rice First Add the cold day-old rice to the wok and break up any clumps using your spatula. Unlike many recipes, I prefer adding the rice before the eggs. This gives the rice time to heat through and dry out properly before the eggs start cooking. 3. Add the Eggs Push the rice slightly to one side and crack the eggs directly into the wok. Immediately stir and toss everything together so the eggs coat the rice evenly. 4. Keep Frying Until Fluffy Continue stir-frying for several minutes. You'll notice steam rising from the wok — that's a good sign. It means excess moisture is evaporating and the rice is becoming light and fluffy. Keep frying until the rice feels dry enough and individual grains separate easily, but don't overdo it or the rice can become too dry. 5. Season Add: Salt Soy sauce (if using) Aromat seasoning (if using) Maggi seasoning sauce (if using) I love adding a little Aromat or Maggi because it gives the rice that classic takeaway-style savoury flavour. 6. Garnish and Serve Add the sliced spring onions and give everything one final toss. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts Approx. per serving: 485 kcal, 13.5g protein, 15.5g fat, 71g carbs Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on specific ingredients and quantities used.

My favourite is Char Siu Egg Fried Rice

Protein Variations

Egg fried rice is incredibly versatile, you can add:

• King prawns

• Chicken

• Beef

• Pork

• Char siu

• Leftover roast meats
  

Always cook the protein separately first, then add it back into the wok once your fried rice is nearly finished.

Optional: Add Some Heat 🌶️

A spoonful of chilli oil on the side works wonderfully with egg fried rice and adds another layer of flavour.

Food Safety: Storing Rice Properly ⚠️

Cooked rice should be cooled and refrigerated as soon as possible.

Store both freshly cooked rice and fried rice in an airtight container and place it in the fridge once it has stopped steaming.

Rice can contain naturally occurring bacteria called Bacillus cereus. While cooking kills the bacteria, some spores can survive and multiply if rice is left at room temperature for too long. These bacteria can produce toxins that may cause food poisoning.

As a general rule:

• Cool rice as quickly as possible

• Refrigerate within 1 hour of cooking

• Store in an airtight container

• Reheat thoroughly before eating

• Do not repeatedly reheat the same rice multiple times

Properly stored rice is perfectly safe, but don't leave it sitting on the kitchen counter all day.

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