How To Make The Best Fried Rice You've Ever Eaten

Fried rice is one of the great foods. It is nearly infinitely customizable, cheap to make, and is perfect for repurposing leftovers. Getting take-out fried rice is great, but learning the tips and tricks to make the best fried rice at home will be game-changing — you can make a delicious meal without much time or effort.

The trick to fried rice is less about the recipe or the variety of ingredients and more about the technique. You can pick a recipe or improvise something that works with your specific taste, but if you do not have the proper technique and treat the ingredients correctly, you will not get the best possible result. We will walk you through the necessary steps to making the best fried rice you've ever eaten. It will take some skill in the kitchen to perfect this, but the steps involved are not hard or overly complicated. Even someone new to cooking can pick it up in no time.

There is one secret ingredient to making quality fried rice. If you take nothing else from this article, take this: use leftover rice. Fresh rice is soft and delicious but it does not fry well. Using leftover rice means your rice has had time to dry out just enough that the outside will crisp up while keeping the inside nice and soft. If you find yourself with some leftover white rice from takeout, this is a great use for it. Instead of tossing the extra rice, keep it and turn it into your next meal.

Let's say you really want fried rice but don't have any leftover rice; there is a way you can fake it. Take your fresh, fluffy rice and place it on a baking sheet in a thin layer. Make sure to break up any big clumps. From there, let it sit out for about 10 minutes to cool, and then pop it into the fridge for about half an hour. This will help pull out some of the moisture and allow the rice to regain some structure.

Let's say you really want fried rice but don't have any leftover rice; there is a way you can fake it. Take your fresh, fluffy rice and place it on a baking sheet in a thin layer. Make sure to break up any big clumps. From there, let it sit out for about 10 minutes to cool, and then pop it into the fridge for about half an hour. This will help pull out some of the moisture and allow the rice to regain some structure.

In addition to day-old rice, you will need a neutral cooking oil such as safflower oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil. This will help with sticking and have a fairly high smoke point, which will prevent burning the oil. You will also need a wok or a heavy bottomed pot or pan. These can be non-stick or not, but you want something that will hold and distribute heat well. A Dutch oven will work well for this. You will also need a big spatula to mix in your pan. You will also need bowls to hold any additional ingredients and mix-ins you plan on using.

Finally, you will want whatever ingredients and mix-ins you enjoy. This can be proteins, vegetables, herbs, or finishing oils — whatever you want.

There are three things to remember when cooking fried rice. The first is to use a high temperature for a short amount of time. Fried rice is not a slow-cooked meal. You want to use a high enough temperature and a fully heated pan so that the rice does not stick; instead, it tosses perfectly and crisps up.

Next, do not overfill your vessel. The total contents of your fried rice should only cover the surface of your pan in a thin layer. Again, this is because we want to cook quickly and evenly, not leave soft, uncooked areas.

Finally, as you will see, we are going to cook the mix-ins separately. This allows each ingredient to cook without over or undercooking any component of your fried rice.

Heat your pan to medium hot. Do not underestimate the importance or skip this step. Without this step, your food will stick and you will be disappointed. Your pan will need time to heat up appropriately. Depending on the pan's material, this can take up to 10 minutes.

Add your first batch of oil to the pan. Make sure you add enough oil to prevent anything from sticking.

If using, add your eggs and fry until thoroughly cooked. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Repeat this and the previous step with each protein and veggie separately, adding oil in between each batch. It sounds like a lot of steps, but each item will cook quickly.

Now, crank up your heat to medium-high heat. We want the pan to be hot so the rice gets nice and crispy. Then, add more oil to the pan. Again, you want to be generous with the amount of oil you add. Now, you can add your rice to the pan.

Allow rice to begin to crisp, then stir. Use an upward motion to lift the rice off the pan and put it back in. Avoid tall peaks of rice; instead, use the whole bottom surface of the pan to keep the rice cooking. An excellent way to do this is to spread the rice out to use all the space in the pan, then let it crisp before turning. You want to listen for the snap, crackle, and pop. This isn't just a breakfast food slogan but a good way to know your rice is cooking properly. 

Once your rice has turned a beautiful golden brown and has crisped up, add in your mix-ins and mix together. Add any final touch flavors or finishes and then transfer to a serving bowl.

When your rice is cooked and has turned a beautiful golden brown, add all your ingredients back in and give it another quick stir. Add any additional seasonings or finishings, remove from the heat, plate, and serve.

As you develop your signature fried rice recipe, we have a few ingredients we recommend you try. Everyone knows about soy sauce but we recommend that you try mirin, a type of rice wine that adds a subtle, sweet, and savory flavor to any dish. Fish sauce is another ingredient that will add a salty and complex flavor to your dish. Finally, when has adding bacon ever steered someone wrong? Use bacon as your protein in your fried rice for a delicious, salty, crispy touch.