Chinese Egg Fried Rice (Easy and Fast)

Learn how to make delicious egg fried rice in just 15 minutes. This popular Chinese dish features stir-fried rice with scrambled eggs, green onions, garlic, and soy sauce. Fluffy and delicious! A great way to use up the leftover rice.

Egg fried rice is beloved Chinese fried rice recipe worldwide. Surprisingly, a few eggs and leftover rice create a delicious and healthy meal.

Add chopped green onion and minced garlic to elevate the dish with an aromatic flavor that mimics Chinese restaurant style fried rice. This easy and fast egg recipe is perfect for beginners in stir-fry cooking, making it a great starter for exploring Chinese cuisine.

​My Best Tips for Perfect Egg Fried Rice

Achieving the perfect texture and flavor of fried rice can be a challenge. Here are some secrets to good fried rice. These tips will help you create a simple yet tasty fried rice every time.

Use day-old rice

To make fluffy egg fried rice, it’s best to use day-old cold rice that has been stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Avoid using freshly cooked rice, as it may still be moist and steamy, leading to a mushy texture.

Any type of cooked white rice works, including short-grain, long-grain, jasmine, or basmati rice. I used jasmine rice this time, as it creates a fluffy rice texture. If the rice is clumped together, gently break it apart with your hands to separate the grains before you start stir-frying.

Looking for more quick and easy egg dish? Try my ‘Gyeranbap’—fried eggs with rice. It’s perfect for breakfast or a speedy meal. Spam fried rice is also great leftover rice recipe with egg.

Adding egg before or after fried rice

When making fried rice, when to add the eggs is up to you. Add the beaten eggs before the rice if you want the egg to mix all through the rice. This way, your rice gets coated with egg, but you won’t have big pieces of egg.

On the other hand, If you want bigger chunks of egg in your rice, scramble the egg first and take it out of the pan. Then cook your rice with aromatics until it’s ready. Put the scrambled egg back in at the end and stir it all together. You’ll get nice bits of egg with your rice this way.

Infuse green onion and garlic in oil

To enhance the aromatic flavor, stir-fry garlic and half the amount of green onion in oil for a few seconds to release their fragrance before adding the rice. This simple step makes a big difference in the overall taste of your dish.

Add vegetables if you prefer to make it a hearty meal

Although I prefer a simple recipe, you can add veggies such as carrots, peas, peppers, or corn to make the dish more substantial.

If you choose to do so, stir-fry the vegetables first to soften them before adding the rice. Additionally, you’ll need to increase the portion of seasoning to ensure the dish is flavorful enough.

A hint of MSG (optional)

Adding a few dashes of MSG can elevate the flavor to that of a restaurant’s. It’s entirely optional, and you can skip it if you prefer. Just remember that a little goes a long way, so you don’t need much.

Ingredients list

• Eggs: well beaten
• Cooked white rice: use day-old rice that has been chilled
• Oil: any non-fragrant cooking oil
• Green onion: savory addition
• Garlic: savory addition
• Light soy sauce: you can substitute with regular soy sauce
• Salt and Pepper o taste
• Sesame oil: to add fragrance, optional
• MSG: just a pinch, optional

How to make egg fried rice

Step 1. Scramble eggs

• Heat up a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or frying pan on a medium-high heat.
• Whisk the eggs together until the egg white and yolks are totally mixed. Pour them into the hot oil, and watch them puff up around the edges right away.
• Stir the eggs around until they’re done but still a little wet, and break them into little pieces. Then, scoop the eggs onto a plate and put them to the side for later.

Step 2. Stir-fry aromatics

• Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan.
• Toss in the garlic and half of the green onions. Fry them until it releases the fragrance and get soft, which should take about half a minute to a minute.

Step 3. Add rice

• Add cold rice and keep stirring to mix the rice grains with the green onion and warm it up all over.
  • If you find any lumps, use a spatula to press them down and break up the rice.

Step 4. Return eggs and season

• Put the cooked eggs back in with the rice, and add the rest of the green onions, soy sauce, salt, and a drizzle of sesame oil.
  • If you’re using MSG, shake in a couple of dashes now. Stir it all together well so the flavors spread out.
• Take a quick taste to check if it needs more salt. Add some pepper and toss it again.
  • A sprinkle of sesame seeds makes a great garnish.
• Serve it up while it’s still nice and warm.

Serving suggestions

Serve this delicious and versatile dish as a side dish or a main dish to any Asian meal. Here are a few ideas for dishes that go well with this tasty rice:

• Kung pao chicken
• Beef and pepper stir-fry
• Cumin beef
• Twice cooked pork
• Chinese crispy beef

More Fried Rice Recipes to Try

Expand your fried rice horizons with these tasty recipes!

• Authentic Thai Basil Fried Rice
• Quick Spam Fried Rice
• Best Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
• Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)
• Bacon Kimchi Fried Rice (Kimchi Bokkeumbap)