Simple Thai Fried Rice

Simple, quick and delicious, this Thai fried rice is a lovely way to use up leftovers and a delicious variation on other fried rice styles. With flavor from fish sauce, oyster sauce, and chili sauce, this is a real umami-forward rice dish packed with tons of flavor. Almost everything aside from rice is "optional" - just use what you have or feel like today!

Don't have cold rice? See notes for tips and tricks for other rice options.

Pro Tip: Preparing the ingredients beforehand is very helpful. Cut up your vegetables/proteins, have sauces ready and any other ingredients (like eggs). I usually have everything laid out on a sheet pan.

It is also easy to make this a vegan/vegetarian option if you have vegan fish/oyster sauce.

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Servings 2

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Ingredients

Simple Thai Fried Rice

2-3 cup Jasmine rice cooked and cold
2-3 Garlic cloves crushed
2 Spring/Green Onions thinly sliced; save some of the greens for garnish
2-3 tbsp Fish sauce OR vegan fish sauce
2 Eggs whisked; Omit or use substitute for vegan option; see NOTES
1 Carrot julienned or diced, optional
1 Tomato cut into 8 pieces, optional
150-200 g Protein of choice Tofu, chicken, shrimp, etc.,; cut/cubed/ground
1 Thai chili chopped/sliced; optional, if you want more heat
1 tbsp Oyster sauce OR vegan/vegetarian oyster sauce, optional
1 tsp Chili sauce e.g. sambal oelek, chili garlic sauce (not sweet chili sauce), optional
1/2 Lime halved; optional, but recommended
1/4 cup Cilantro chopped; optional, but recommended
1/2 Small cucumber sliced; optional, but traditional

Instructions

Prepare ingredients before starting (recommended). Cut all vegetables, have sauce(s) ready and other ingredients handy.
Heat oil in pan or wok on medium high. Once glistening, add tofu and carrots, if using. Cook for 2 minutes or so until slightly browned.
If you julienned your carrots very thinly, add tofu first and carrots a minute later.
150-200 g Protein of choice, 1 Carrot
Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Do not let it burn. Add chopped Thai chili if using.
2-3 Garlic cloves, 1 Thai chili
Push everything to one side. Add egg, if using, and stir to scramble until cooked/set.
2 Eggs
Add cold rice. If it sticks to the pan, add a little oil. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes until warmed.
Having a little caramelization on the rice kernels adds a lovely texture and taste. You can let the rice sit a little longer and press down so it makes contact with the pan.
2-3 cup Jasmine rice
Add fish sauce, as well as oyster sauce and chili sauce, if using. Stir well until all rice grains are coated.
Taste and add more sauce (or combination of sauces), as needed.
- For more saltiness, add more fish sauce
- For more saltiness/sweetness, add more oyster sauce
- For more spice, add more chili sauce
2-3 tbsp Fish sauce, 1 tbsp Oyster sauce, 1 tsp Chili sauce
Add tomatoes, green onion and cilantro and cook for another minute until tomatoes are heated through.
2 Spring/Green Onions, 1 Tomato, 1/4 cup Cilantro
Garnish with cilantro, green onion and cucumber, if using, and add a squeeze of lime to each serving.
1/2 Lime, 1/2 Small cucumber

Notes

Cold refrigerated 1 or 2-day old rice yields the best texture because the grains are more dehydrated and separated.
Fresh hot rice may get squashed and may not soak up the sauce the same way, but you can still use it with that in mind.
You can make fresh hot rice, but try to let it cool in the refrigerator for at least half an hour to help pull as much moisture out. When I make it this way, I also make sure to wash as much starch off as possible before cooking.
You can also use microwavable "instant" rice - just throw it in the pan when the recipe calls for rice to be added.
EGG: You can also fry eggs separately and serve atop your rice as is often done in Thailand. In a pan with a little oil, crack your egg directly into it. You can cover to steam the top, or flip it to fry the other side after a minute or so.

Author: Rena

Calories: 870kcal

Cost: $

Course: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Asian, Southeast Asian, Thai

Keyword: fried rice, thai food, thai fried rice, thai recipe

Nutrition