Easy Fried Rice
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Easy Island Fried Rice
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 

Better than take out, you can add a taste of the Islands to this easy fried rice by including some diced Spam.

Course: Side Dish
Servings: 8 people
Author: Betsy Edwards
Ingredients
For the Rice
  • 1 and 1/2 cups white rice
  • 3 and 1/3 cups water
  • 1 tablespoons butter
For the Fried Rice
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil divided
  • 1 white onion chopped
  • 1/4 (16 ounce bag) frozen peas & carrots
  • 2 cloves medium garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • salt to taste
  • ground white pepper to taste
  • 3 large eggs
Optional:
  • 1 cups cooked ham , diced - or
  • 1/3 can spam , diced
Instructions
Make the Rice
  1. In a large sauce pan, combine rice, water and butter. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand covered 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with fork.
MAKE AHEAD NOTE: Rice can be cooked fresh, spread on a tray, and allowed to cool for five minutes, or alternatively transferred to a loosely covered container and refrigerated up to three days.

  1. When ready to cook the fried rice, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, add onions and cook until soft and translucent. Remove onions to a large bowl and set aside.

  2. If using day-old rice, transfer rice to a medium bowl and break up with your hands into individual grains before proceeding. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the large skillet or wok over high heat until smoking. Add half of rice and cook, stirring and tossing, until the rice is pale brown, toasted, and has a lightly chewy texture, about three minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the onions. Repeat with another 1 tablespoon oil and remaining rice.

  3. Return all the rice and onions to the skillet or wok and press it up the sides, leaving a space in the middle. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the space. Add frozen peas and carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring gently, until lightly softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Toss with rice to combine. Add soy sauce and sesame oil and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
  4. Push rice to the side of the wok and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Break the eggs into the oil and season with a little salt. Use a spatula to scramble the eggs, breaking it up into small bits. Toss the egg and the rice together.

  5. If including the optional ham or spam, add and continue to toss and stir until the rice grains are mostly separated and ham or spam is hot.