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Want a quick 20-minute Easy Fried Rice recipe? No worries! I have you covered. This is a great way to use leftover rice that you might have in the fridge. The best part about this rice side dish is that you can add any veggies you want. Or, if you are like my family, skip the veggies and just have rice and eggs!

Anytime we have Sweet and Sour Chicken, Orange Chicken, or any Asian or Chinese dish, I find myself navigating to my tried and true fried rice recipe. It's so simple and easy to make and goes great with just about any protein you make.

My family lives and breathes for any kind of Thai, Asian, Chinese, or Japanese dish. We love creating take-out nights at home complete with sweet biscuits as you get at the Chinese restaurant, and my favorite, Cream Cheese wontons. We make a huge meal out of it and even get fortune cookies and we have cool lightsaber chopsticks.

How to Make the Perfect Fried Rice

You only need a few simple ingredients from your pantry for this recipe.

• Long Grain White Rice (leftover rice is best) you can use brown rice if you prefer.
• Beaten eggs
• Soy sauce
• Butter
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Olive oil, vegetable oil, or sesame oil

The best rice to use for this dish is day-old rice that has been in the fridge. Cold rice is best. If you do not have leftover rice, you can cook fresh rice the same day and then rinse and drain it once it is cooked.

Then, place it on a sheet pan in the fridge to let it cool and gel together better. Long-grain rice works best for this dish. It prevents the rice from becoming mushy and lumping together.

Not only that, but cold rice will help it get crispier in the skillet. Nothing makes fried rice taste better than those little crispy edges.

Cooking the Veggies (if you are using them)

In a large skillet, melt the butter with a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, if you are adding veggies, add them in at this step and let them cook for about 2 minutes. Some veggies I like to use are onions, green bell peppers, frozen peas, carrots, mushrooms, or broccoli (that is if I am adding veggies).

Push the veggies aside and add the beaten eggs to the skillet. Scramble and stir them together with the veggies. If you are not using veggies, just skip that step and scramble the eggs in the butter.

Next, add in the rice and spread it out evenly across the skillet. Now add in the soy sauce and toss to coat the rice. I like to let my rice cook until it gets a little crusty on some pieces.

Now, salt and pepper to taste. Top with toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Serve extra soy sauce on the side for those of us who love a little more tang in our fried rice.

Making Huge Batches of Rice

If you like to eat fried rice as much as I do, then my advice is to make the rice in bulk. Big batch cooking the rice is perfect. When I buy rice at the grocery store, then I just come home and throw a bunch in the rice cooker. When it's done, I divide it up equally in ziplock bags and freeze it until ready to use.

This is also a great idea when you are freezer cooking as well.

Storing

Store any leftover fried rice in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. You can freeze it for up to one month if you prefer.

Serving

Serve this delicious rice as a side dish to recipes like my Sticky Baked Asian Wings or my Sticky Mongolian Beef. Of course, if you are like me, you can also serve this as a main dish when you are craving a rice dish. If I am eating it as a main dish, then I add a veggie to the side like my Blistered Green Beans.

You can serve this rice with any protein you want! You can add in an easy chicken recipe like diced chicken, pork, ground beef, or even steak.

The next time you need a fast side dish, this is the best fried rice recipe that you will ever make.

Love Rice? Check Out These Other Rice Recipes

• Easy Coconut Rice
• Homemade Mexican Rice
• Cilantro Lime Rice