The Only Basic Fried Rice Recipe You'll Ever Need

One of my all-time favorite comfort foods is fried rice. Whenever I make white rice, I make extra, just so I can have the leftovers for fried rice. Plain cooked rice is tasty enough, but when it's fried the grains get all crispy and seared.

Mix in some soy sauce, bacon, and some veggies, and oh man it somehow becomes this whole other thing. It's a meal all by itself, that is satisfying on some bone-deep level.

For this recipe, I wanted to re-create that Chinese takeout fried rice experience for when you're cooking at home. It's a simple recipe, but it has a few tricks that are worth keeping in mind.

What is the secret to good fried rice?

To start with, you want day-old rice at least. This may seem counter-intuitive. When was the last time a recipe recommended you don't use the freshest ingredients? But there's a reason. 

After it's had a chance to sit, rice loses some of its moisture, becoming less sticky. This makes it easier to break apart and stir in other ingredients. More importantly it makes it easier for the rice to sear on the bottom and get crispy.

Next, you want the biggest pan you can find. A wok is best, but grandma's giant cast-iron pan will work just fine. This gives you lots of room to stir things around.

Finally you want to make sure you don't overcook the scrambled eggs. That's why we suggest cooking them first and then removing it from the pan. This keeps the eggs nice and light and fluffy. You can put them back into the pan when everything else is done, and let them warm back up.

What are the main ingredients in fried rice?

Though you're only limited by your imagination (and the size of your pan) this recipe focuses on the fried rice basics. There is one exception: we added bacon.

Plenty of fried rice is vegetarian, and delicious that way. Many restaurants and recipes add beef or chicken, or even make shrimp fried rice. But I absolutely love it with bacon.

The bacon flavors the dish, adds salt and crunch, and turns the whole thing into a breakfast-for-dinner situation. (Fried rice also makes a great breakfast!)

Don't like bacon? You should feel free to add and subtract ingredients as you see fit! This recipe definitely works best when you adapt it to your own taste preferences.

What do you serve with fried rice?

Fried rice is perfectly delicious all on its own. I've definitely made a big batch of of this bacon fried rice and eaten it for dinner with nothing else. But fried rice also works as a substitute for white rice in a number of dishes. 

It's great paired with Stir Fried Beef and Broccoli, for instance. It's also delicious as a side to Homemade Orange Chicken. But I think I like it best under a Chicken and Veggies Stir Fry.

What kind of rice should I use to make fried rice?

While long grained rices such as jasmine or basmati rice are delicious in many kinds of cooking, they're not actually great for cooking fried rice. This is because the long grained varieties tend to cook fluffier and dryer, and to be less starchy.

Stir fried rice is best with short grain, sticky varieties. If you're worried that fried rice isn't sticky, don't be. The stir-frying process will separate the rice, so it will look exactly as you expect it to.