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Want dinner to be ready in 15 minutes flat? Time to try this ridiculously easy, super speedy Vegetable Egg Fried Rice recipe!
It can be served as a side dish as part of a larger meal or simply as a vegetarian family meal on its own. It’s healthy, delicious and ready in a flash.
This easy and healthy Egg Fried Rice recipe is one of my most favourite 15-minute throw-together dinners, and I’m going to let you into a secret…. We’re using microwave packet rice for this recipe! Shhh.
This is my secret weapon ingredient. I make sure I always have some in the cupboard so I can whip this homemade Egg Fried Rice up when the day calls for it.
Sometimes our meal plans don’t always go to – ahem – plan. Sometimes we just run out of time. But with leftover veggies in the fridge, some store cupboard flavourings and packet rice, we’re AWAY. No panic, no stress. Just a flavour-packed meal that everyone will love.
It’s also a one pan recipe, plus we can easily adapt it by mixing up ingredients each time, according to what we have in or fancy.
Why you’ll love this Egg Fried Rice recipe
⭐️ Super quick recipe
⭐️ Full of flavour and nutritious
⭐️ Inexpensive, convenient store cupboard ingredients
About Chinese Egg Fried Rice
The origins of Egg Fried Rice go way back to China in 589-618 AD, and now it’s a dish eaten in many forms around the world. My simplified take on this traditional meal involves speed and convenience over authenticity, but it’s still totally delicious.
I use microwavable wholegrain basmati rice for time-saving and simplicity (without having to compromise on quality or flavour), but if you prefer you can cook your own rice. I use wholegrain as it adds much-needed fibre to our diets and some extra bite to the final dish.
We can adapt this basic recipe to a bigger meal too by adding a variety of ingredients. You could try Chicken Fried Rice, Prawn Egg Fried Rice, Beef Fried Rice, or even Egg Fried Rice with Ham. The list is endless.
This simple Egg Fried Rice recipe also makes a fantastic side dish for other Chinese-style meals, like Slow Cooker Peking Style Duck, Pork Yuk Sung, Beef and Broccoli, Sweet and Sour Chicken or Beef Stir Fry.
Egg Fried Rice Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Garlic – You can use fresh or cheat/jar/frozen if you like
- Ginger – Same as above
- Onion – Fresh or frozen is fine
- Chinese five spice
- Peppers – Red and orange work well
- Carrots
- Peas – I use frozen
- Dark soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Microwave packet rice – I use x2 for this recipe
- Eggs – I use 4 but fewer is OK
To serve:
- Spring onion
- Red chilli
How to make Egg Fried Rice
1. Chop up all of your vegetables.
2. Heat your oil in a pan and add onions, garlic, ginger, five spice and vegetables for a few minutes.
3. Whisk your eggs, make a couple of wells in the mixture in the pan.
4. Add your eggs. Leave them to cook for a minute, then stir until cooked through. Sprinkle chopped spring onions and chillis over the top.
Substitutions
- Sesame oil – For a more authentic taste, substitute olive oil for sesame, but don’t buy it especially as olive oil is fine!
Storing and reheating Egg Fried Rice
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Just be sure to follow cooked rice food safety guidelines (i.e. do not leave it hanging about at room temperature, cool it very quickly and then reheat fully until piping hot before serving).
In the freezer You can freeze this, however sometimes rice dishes are not at their best afterwards. Just wait until it’s totally cold and then put it into a freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating in the microwave or or the hob. It may need a little extra water.
Top tip for making Egg Fried Rice
Cooking the egg
If you like chunky pieces of egg in your stir fry, allow the eggs to cook in the wells for a while longer before stirring.
For smaller pieces of egg, and to get a more sticky rice mixture, stir the eggs more quickly. Say, after a minute or so.
Egg Fried Rice FAQs
A large wok or another large pan would be ideal. Make sure you have enough room for all of the ingredients and to give them a good stir. Read my review of one pot pans here to see what kind of large family pans are out there.
If you don’t have a pan big enough, I would suggest frying the eggs before you do everything else, then adding them back in later.
Yes, you can cook your own rice beforehand instead of using microwave rice. Either let is cool completely and refrigerate until you’re ready to heat it again, or allow it to cool slightly before adding it into your stir fry pan.
Yes! It’s low in fat and high in vitamins and protein. Get as many colours in there as you can with your veggies for a bigger nutritional impact. The calories come in at less than 350.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Quick Egg Fried Rice Recipe {15 Minutes}
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Olive oil
- 2 Cloves garlic, Crushed.
- 1 tbsp Ginger, Paste or fresh.
- 1 Onion , Finely chopped.
- 1 tbsp Chinese five spice
- 1 Red pepper, Sliced.
- 1 Orange pepper, Sliced.
- 2 Carrots, Chopped.
- 150 g Peas, Frozen.
- 2 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 500 g Microwave rice, (2 x 250g packs)
- 4 Eggs
To serve (Optional):
- Spring onions (Scallion), Sliced.
- Red chilli, Finely chopped.
Optional additional ingredients:
- Cooked chicken
- Ham
- Prawns
Instructions
- Heat your oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan.
- Add onions, garlic, ginger, five spice, the vegetables and fry over a high heat for 4 minutes.
- Pour in your rice, oyster sauce and soy sauce and fry for a further 3 minutes.
- Whisk your eggs, make a couple of wells in the mixture and add the eggs. Leave them to cook in the wells for 1 minute, and then keep stirring until cooked, approx 4 minutes.
- Sprinkle with chopped spring onions and chillies.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Had this tonight and it was delicious and very simple to make. Thank you!
When my super critical husband says “This is Good! It tastes like takeaway fried rice without all the oil” you know you’ve found a regular recipe. Kid approved too. Thank you, from a grateful tired mum/wife
Just made this – so easy and tasty!
Quick and easy to make a winner all round for the family!!
My husbands favourite meal (with added prawns). He could eat this everyday. Thank you for another quick and hassle free meal.
Hi Sarah
The recipe doesn’t say when to add the chopped veg. Could you confirm? Thank you x
Hi Laura, so sorry it was in the writing but not on the actual numbered list, have updated it now! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Thanks Sarah. Looks like a great recipe. Going to try it this week x
I think I could eat a bowl of this every single day and not get bored. It looks so good! x
Silly question but do you microwave the rice first then add it?
Thank you x
I don’t, I just heat it through in the pan. But you could microwave and it would speed up the frying time 🙂