Egg Fried Rice Recipe

Long grain rice like jasmine is a great choice because the grains stay separate and give a light, fluffy texture that works well in fried rice. Many cooks prefer day old jasmine for its balance of aroma and low surface moisture.

You can, but freshly cooked rice is usually too moist and soft; spread it out on a tray to cool and refrigerate or chill it so the surface dries before frying. If you must use it hot, try spreading it thin to let steam escape and pat any excess moisture away first.

Soggy fried rice usually comes from wet rice, too much sauce, low heat, or overcrowding the pan; starting with cold, separated rice and cooking over high heat while keeping ingredients moving fixes most problems. Also avoid adding watery veg straight from the freezer without patting dry.

Most home cooks either scramble the eggs separately and fold them in at the end or make a quick scramble in the hot pan before adding the rice so the egg cooks fast and stays tender; both methods keep the egg from becoming rubbery. Pushing rice to one side and cooking the egg in a well is another simple, reliable approach.

Start small and taste as you go; a common guideline is about 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of soy sauce per single serving, or roughly 1 to 2 tablespoons for a family sized batch, added gradually so you do not over salt the dish. If you want colour without extra salt, a splash of dark or mushroom soy can help.

Leftover rice is safe if it is cooled and stored quickly in the fridge and used within a few days; do not leave cooked rice at room temperature for long because bacteria can grow and produce heat stable toxins that are not destroyed by reheating. Reheat until piping hot and only reheat once.