10-Minute Fried Rice
Jun 8th, 2008 by Selina
Fried rice is a classic dish that many people around the world are familiar with and enjoy eating. Needless to say, it is one of my all-time favorites because it can be customized to one’s liking. Each Asian culture also has a variation of fried rice, using ingredients locally available in a region. There are virtually as many variations of fried rice as there are of Bubba’s shrimp in Forest Gump. If you happen to be in Hong Kong, you may run into salted fish and chicken fried rice. Thailand may have basil chicken or pineapple fried rice. Korea is likely to have kim chee fried rice, and so forth.
The version below is my own variation of fried rice I learned from my mother in my childhood days. It is also very ‘vanilla’ because the ingredients are fairly basic and ordinary. Learning the method is foundational; once the process is down, the possibilities are endless. Since it only takes 10 minutes, it is meat-free and the eggs are what I call freestyle (in the normal version, I neatly dice the eggs after being cooked pancake-omelet style). Of course, if you happen to have deli meat or other prepared meat on hand, throw it on in! Cooking fried rice is a time to be creative.
A quick background behind this recipe – I love the concept of quick cooking (e.g., 30-Minute Meals) when the situation calls for it, and I was put up to the test one day when Sean called me on his way home from work: “I’m going to be home in 15 minutes. Is there anything to eat?” I perused the pantry and fridge and told him I’d figure something out. Sure enough, there was a bowl of leftover white rice and a carton of eggs in the fridge. The freezer was also stocked with peas and carrots (I don’t know when it isn’t!). Hence, 10-minute fried rice came to life. It’s slightly sweet from the peas, carrots, and oyster sauce, yet savory from the eggs and rice. The oyster and soy sauces also give the fried rice an earthy, golden color. Enjoy!
10-Minute Fried Rice Recipe
Preparation time: 10 minutes 
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mix, unthawed
- Salt and pepper
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice (preferably jasmine)
- 2 tablespoons oyster flavored sauce (preferably Lee Kum Kee brand; vegetarian variety available)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (preferably Kikkoman brand)
- 2 stalks scallion, finely sliced at a diagonal (optional)
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)
Tools
- Chef knife and cutting board
- Large wok (or skillet)
- Wooden spoon
- 2 small mixing bowls
Preparation
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in wok on high. When oil is almost visibly steaming, add frozen peas and carrot mix and stir frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until vegetables are heated through and tender. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
- Using the same wok, adjust heat to medium-high and bring remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt to a steaming point. Toss in cooked rice and stir frequently to avoid sticking. Immediately add oyster sauce and soy sauce and mix until well distributed.
- Add in reserved peas and carrots and beaten eggs and stir until eggs are cooked and ingredients are well combined, about 3 minutes. Stir in scallions and cilantro if desired.
Looks delish!
I havent read many fried rice recipes but have witnessed the making of this dish by many family members and friends. One thing I have noticed is that everyone adds the eggs in at a different time- but the end result is always delicious. For example, my mom adds scallions first, then eggs, rice and the rest of the ingredients. I have seen other moms add eggs first until half cooked, take it out and then add it back in as the final step. Finally there is what your reciple recommend, adding eggs last. I am curious if it is simply a personal preference/habit or if there is a science behind the “egg addage variable.” For example, no raw ingredients used eual egg first or eggs last for more moist rice. Ok, I will stop the rambling…
and the drooling.
Thanks for commenting, Wendy! You know, in my longer-than-10-minute version, I cook the eggs first and then add it in as one of the last steps. I added the eggs last in this recipe because the wok is already super hot by the time everything else is in, so it only takes a minute or less to cook. Either way, the ordering doesn’t seem to matter too much.
This is extremely useful for us college students =] I’m horribly used to “20-minute pasta with whatever is in the fridge” this past year. So this may be a fun, new, quick fix for the lazy kids like me!
I can attest that this recipe is a tasty staple, especially when Selina makes it for you
mmmm…looks good… too bad, i don’t have any ingredients in the fridge to cook it myself! good luck with the blog! hope to see more from ya!
Reminder: Chap Jae Recipe!!
Looking forward to steal some of your recipes. I get so bored with my dishes. Oh, I also have a motto for those that want to save and live by themselves: “Cook once, eat twice.” So much more efficient.
A tip for other readers (that took me way too long to figure out) - don’t use freshly cooked rice. Fried rice works best when you use day old rice that’s been in the fridge overnight.
I agree with the old rice for the most part, but I have been an outlier before and used fresh rice out of desperation