This is more a technique than a recipe. I’ve made this countless times with what I’ve had in the fridge at that time. I make it when I don’t know what to make but we gotta eat, when I want to eat take-out but don’t feel like ordering, and when I want to clear out the fridge, etc etc.
Once you have all your ingredients assembled and ready, it’s goes fast. And no, it won’t work if you just throw it all in the pot. Trust me, this tastes better and it’s really not that much work for what you’re getting.
Everything gets cooked separately in a clean SMOKING HOT pan. I have a pretty dinky rental stove and it gets there, just gotta wait a few minutes. If I can do it, you can do it.
Also, each ingredient is seasoned on it’s own then the taste is adjusted at the very end. This way the flavor is saturated.
The rice is nice and toasty and all the ingredients are nicely separated. No clumpy rice here!
The dude and I finished the pan after I was done taking pictures of the dainty little servings.
So like I said, this is more a technique but I’m including the recipe for this post. Although I did this one with spoons and measuring I usually do it by dashing in the seasoning. As for the meat and veggies, I just eyeball it. And then at the end, I taste and adjust with salt and/or soy sauce. It’s good every time, as long as you follow the technique.
I’ve tried this with pork and I’m sure this will work with beef. You can omit the shrimp. You can add other seafood. Just don’t go too crazy with the fillings then your ratio will be off. And you’ll have a stir fry speckled with rice, which is totally fine but that’s not what we’re doing here.
Notes:
Don’t have leftover rice? Just spread out freshly made rice on a large and wide plate (or tray) and stick it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and give it a stir a few times. Then proceed as usual.
Separate rice with your hands until the rice is mostly individually separated.
I used frozen corn and peas mix.
I only made this with a flat bottom non-stick wok-style pan. I don’t know how it would work with other style pans.
To clean out the pan in between ingredients use a damp paper towel and with tongs (or the like) wipe out pan.
Take-Out Style Fried RiceMakes 2-4 servings. Takes 30 minutes.
- 3 cups leftover rice, separated (see note)
- 4.85 oz. chicken dark meat (1 large thigh), sliced thin then cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 3.75 oz. shrimp (10 medium size), deveined, cut into 2-3 pieces
- 1 large carrot, cut into thin small pieces
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup, mixed corn and peas
- 1 thin slice ginger, smashed (optional)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 t. soy sauce
- 1/2 t. mirin
- 1/4 t. cornstarch
- 1 t. soy sauce
- 1 t. oyster sauce
Marinate the meat:
Add the 1 t. soy sauce, mirin, and cornstarch to the chicken pieces and mix very well. In another bowl, season the shrimp with a pinch of salt and mix well. Set aside.
Cook the ingredients separately first:
Heat the pan until it’s smoking hot. Add about 1/2 t. of neutral oil. Add the eggs and using a spatula stir the eggs as soon as it hits the pan. Cook this way until it is almost cooked through, it should just a bit gooey. Remove immediately from pan and set aside. Clean the pan. See note. (Just pile all the cooked ingredients into one bowl)
Heat up pan again, add 1/2 t. oil, wait for it to smoke and add the corn and peas. Don’t stir until it’s lightly browned on the bottom. Season with a small pinch of salt, stir to mix and let it cook for another minute. Remove from pan and set aside. Clean the pan.
Heat pan, add oil, let it smoke, add the carrots, let it brown then add pinch of salt and stir to mix well. Cook for another minute. Remove and clean pan.
Heat pan, add oil, let it smoke, add shrimp, stir and cook until it just barely changes color. Remove and clean pan.
Heat pan, add oil and the smashed ginger. Let it cook until it starts turning brown. DON’T LET IT BURN. Remove the ginger then add the chicken. Let it brown first then stir and cook for a few minutes more. Remove and clean pan.
Heat pan, add oil, let it smoke, then the 1 t. soy sauce and 1 t. oyster sauce. Working quickly, add the crumbled rice and mix the sauce into the rice until all the rice is coated with the sauce. Cook for a few minutes longer, stirring the whole time. Add all the cooked ingredients and mix well. Cook for another minute. Add the green onions and mix into rice. Taste and adjust seasonings with more salt or soy sauce.
Serve.