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I’ve been cooking fried rice for as long as I can remember. Once I started paying closer attention to the masters of the Hibachi grill, I learned some simple tricks to make really good Japanese-inspired fried rice right at home. I love this recipe because it’s flavorful but also very light and simple to make.
Hibachi-style fried rice or Japanese fried rice is a lot simpler than you may think. The key to the perfect fried rice is the combination of high heat, soy sauce, and butter. This lends so much rich flavor that takes the rice to the next level.
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Paired with simple veggies like carrots, peas, and onions, you’ll be well on your way to making restaurant-quality fried rice in your own kitchen. While there are numerous variations of fried rice, I’ve always stuck with very basic ingredients and don’t typically use oyster sauce or fish sauce.
This fried rice pairs well with crab rangoons or my beef and broccoli recipe. If you enjoyed this recipe, you can also make it with my sweet and spicy chicken or grilled beef skewers!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- White rice: look for short-grain white rice. Long-grain or jasmine rice is also perfectly fine. Cold or day-old rice is always best. Do not use freshly cooked hot rice.
- Chopped carrots: frozen carrots work well and save a lot of prep.
- Peas: you can usually find frozen peas and carrots together in the frozen food section.
- Low-sodium soy sauce: I prefer light or low-sodium Japanese soy sauce because the flavor is not overpowering. You can add more if you prefer more flavor or substitute it with darker soy sauce for a more pronounced flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
How to Make Fried Rice
Step 1.
Prepare rice according to the instructions on the packaging. Let chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or until cold. For best results, make rice the morning of or the day before preparing the dish. If not using frozen veggies, chop all vegetables into finely chopped pieces and place them in a small bowl.
Step 2.
Leave butter on the counter to soften. If you don’t have time, soften it in the microwave in short intervals. Mash the butter with a fork until very soft. Add soy sauce and gently mix. It won’t entirely mix together and that’s OK.
Step 3.
Heat a splash of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add whisked egg and scramble. Use the tip of a spatula to break the egg into small chunks. Remove from the pan and place on a small plate.
Step 4.
Add all veggies to the pan with another small splash of oil and cook until warmed through and tender, about 4 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and place on the same plate with the egg.
Step 5.
Add another splash of oil along with the cooked rice. Fry the rice, tossing every 30 seconds, to warm through and slightly brown. Be sure to manage the heat to prevent burning. Cook for 4-5 minutes until nice and hot. Drizzle the butter/soy sauce over the rice and toss to fully coat. It’s ready when there are no more white grains of rice.
Step 6.
Return veggies and eggs and mix until fully incorporated. If you think the rice needs a little more soy sauce, drizzle some extra over the top and toss to mix. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Always start with cold rice. Cook rice in the morning or the night before and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to fry it. This makes the frying process easier and also helps the rice to not clump together. You’ll get a lighter fluffier final product.
- Experiment with sesame oil: I typically use peanut or canola oil in the beginning and finish with a drizzle of sesame oil for its toasty, nutty flavor.
- Start with low sodium or light soy sauce. Regular or darker soy sauce has more sodium and can be a bit overpowering in terms of flavor. I like lighter-tasting fried rice.
- Invest in a wok. A wok can be used for a lot of Asian cuisines and can easily hold a large volume of rice and veggies. If anything, use the largest pan you have and plenty of oil to keep things well-greased. Look for a carbon steel wok for the best non-stick performance.
- Frozen peas and carrots make for quick veggies and minimal prep. We usually keep a bag of white onions, peas, and carrots in the freezer for quick weeknight meals such as this.
- Keep ingredients moving in the pan to prevent burning and sticking. Lay out all of your ingredients ahead of time in small prep bowls. It makes the process much easier and prevents distractions.
Adding Protein
If you want to make fried rice more of a complete meal, you can add beef, chicken, pork, or small shrimp. Season liberally with salt and pepper and fully cook in your wok after you have cooked your veggies. Remove before adding the rice and then toss with the veggies at the very end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Stick with peanut, vegetable, or canola oil. All three are flavorless and suitable for stir-frying because they have higher smoke points. Sesame oil can be used towards the end to add unique flavor.
Absolutely. You can reheat fried rice in the microwave or by gently heating it on the stove in a large pan.
Freshly made fried rice can be stored covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Similar Recipes
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups 4 cups cooked short-grain white rice (long-grain or jasmine rice is also perfectly fine)
- 1 egg, whisked/scrambled
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup peas, I use frozen
- 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
- 4 tablespoons half stick unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2-3 tablespoons peanut, canola, or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil, optional
Instructions
- Prepare rice according to the instructions on the packaging. Let chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or until cold. For best results, make rice the morning of or the day before preparing the dish. If not using frozen veggies, chop all vegetables into finely chopped pieces and place them in a small bowl.
- Leave butter on the counter to soften. If you don’t have time, soften it in the microwave in short intervals. Mash the butter with a fork until very soft. Add soy sauce and gently mix. It won’t entirely mix together and that’s OK.
- Heat a splash of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add whisked egg and scramble. Use the tip of a spatula to break the egg into small chunks. Remove from the pan and place on a small plate.
- Add all veggies to the pan with another small splash of oil and cook until warmed through and tender, about 4 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and place on the same plate with the egg.
- Add another splash of oil along with the cooked rice. Fry the rice, tossing every 30 seconds, to warm through and slightly brown. Be sure to manage the heat to prevent burning. Cook for 4-5 minutes until nice and hot. Drizzle the butter/soy sauce over the rice and toss to fully coat. It’s ready when there are no more white grains of rice.
- Return veggies and eggs with a drizzle of sesame oil and mix until fully incorporated. If you think the rice needs a little more soy sauce, drizzle some extra over the top and toss to mix. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We made this for the first time last week, and it turned out FANTASTIC. I usually only tolerate fried rice that’s made at home because it’s always lacking, but I actually went back for seconds on this one. We’re making it again tonight to go with some teriyaki grilled shrimp. The “peanut butter” sauce really must do something magical, because the ingredients aren’t any different from other recipes we’ve tried, but this was so much better!
The only things I did differently than your original design were to add in an additional egg (because I’m pregnant and need as much protein as I can get) and used frozen peas and carrots (because ain’t nobody got time to chop those things). Thanks for sharing such a great recipe; I expect it to become a staple at our house anytime Asian cuisine is on the menu!
Could you make this on a stovetop griddle if you don’t have a wok? The recipe sounds delicious! I can’t wait to give it a try! Thank you for posting.
Absolutely! Any pan should work.
I LOVEEEEDDD THIS! Thanks guys!
You’re welcome ??
I love this recipe, I don’t eat rice so I substituted the rice with Inca Red Quinoa. It was delicous. I’ve been looking for a good Japanese rice recipe. You can’t tell the difference at all. Thank you for sharing. Everyone loved this dish even with Quinoa.
Perfect! Glad to hear quinoa is a good substitute. Will have to give that a try some time.
To make this dairy free, do you think I could substitute earth balance for the butter?
Sure, I don’t see why not.
Great recipe been cooking Chinese food for a long time I will have to say this is a very delicious and easy recipe thanks for sharing it MistOne.
Thank you very much!
This is a very easy recipe – great for young kids and weeknight family dinner, and a great base off of which to add. I like that rice cooking time = chopping time. I added a bunch of things for flavor and to make it stand on its own as a hearty meal. Here’s what I added: poached chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces (2 thighs), 1/3rd of a small fresh pineapple chopped, fresh chopped ginger, fresh chopped scallions, an extra egg, honey, Worcestershire sauce, a bit of sesame oil and extra soy sauce. I also left ~20% of my rice in the pot as I thought the sauce was about right for a slightly smaller portion of rice than 2 cups pre-cooked. Finally, I added sriracha to individual bowls (not the entire dish because of the young kids) and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
Wow, sounds great Laila. We usually pair with chicken. Great as a side or part of a dish!
This would go great with a slightly sweet Vietnamese style chicken breast pre marinated with fish sauce.
Thank you so much for this recipe my son is going to be one happy camper tonight I’m going to make this for dinner with some stir fry chicken!
Awesome – You’re welcome, Angel
Okay So I tried this last night and it was great! Thanks for sharing I will be using this again!
Thanks Dennis – it’s so simple, yet delicious.
Step 6 says add “peanut butter”. It’s not listed under the ingredients. How much should be added? Is it code for some secret ingredient?
Good call Nita. I should clarify in the directions. The “peanut butter” is the soy sauce combined with the butter. I mix the two together before hand (creating a sauce) then add to the rice when frying. Thanks for pointing this out – I see how it could be confusing!