Chinese Fried Rice with Steamed Day Old Rice. Rehydrated with Dark & Regular Soy Sauce and Seasoned with Fried Rice Seasoning. The Rice is mostly wholly intact, easily separates, and you can feel the individual grains of Rice with a bite and plumpness to them. Add in your choice of Proteins & Vegetables for a wide variety of Fried Rice Dishes.

This recipe is just the basic Fried Rice with Eggs, Green Peas and Onions with Fried Rice Seasoning, since I wanted to focus just on the Rice aspect of this dish. Once a solid Base is established add your choice of Proteins & Vegetables along with Fried Rice Seasoning for a wide variety of Chinese Fried Rice Dishes. Including Chicken Fried Rice, Egg Fried Rice, Pork Fried Rice and so on. Just switch up the Proteins and alter the Fried Rice Seasoning to match.

What makes a Good Fried Rice

So how do you tell if you have a good quality Fried Rice? Follow the checklist and visually inspect and test when consuming.

• Mostly Whole Intact Grains of Rice with no indication that the exterior has softened too much or bursted.
• Neither to Wet (too much Moisture) or too Dry (not enough Moisture or inproper Dry Time). Each grain of Rice separates easily.
• Pleasant Brown Color that can vary based on the Soy Sauce. Dominant Soy Sauce & MSG Flavor with the right Salt amount and a slight smoke flavor.
• Each grain of Rice can be distinguished with some bite to the Rice. The Tenderness of the Rice can vary but should always be Plump with a bite or chew, never Mushy or having no texture.

Good Fried Rice should be plump with grains of Rice that you can feel individually in your mouth, not mushy or lacking texture. Without any broken pieces of Rice or at least very minimal. The grains of Rice should separate easily with no sticking or clumping. Generously seasoned with the main Seasoning being Soy Sauce, Salt, Sugar and MSG with a slight smoke flavor and no burning of the Rice. A beautiful Brown color from a good Soy Sauce or combination of Dark and Regular Soy Sauce.

Even without any Aromatics, Eggs, Vegetables or Meats added in. Knowing how to handle the Rice will create perfect Tasty Fried Rice every time. Then you can add in any additional ingredients as desired.

The 5 R’s of Fried Rice

Follow the 5 R’s (Rinse, Ratio of Water to Rice, Refrigeration, Rehydrating, Reheating) for consistent Perfect Fried Rice.

Rinse the Rice

The Rice needs to be rinsed well in order to get rid of any debris and surface Starches. We are only interested in the Starches inside the Rice and containing those Starches within each individual grain of Rice. Excess Starches on the outside will promote a clumpy Fried Rice.

For a Softer more Tender Rice, Wash the Rice well and drain. Then place into the Rice Cooker Pot with the Ratio of Water you plan to cook the Rice with and allow to soak for upwards to 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the Rice to absorb some water before it is cooked resulting in a slightly more tender Rice.

Ratio of Water to Rice

The Ratio of Water to use is 1:1 Rice & Water with various degrees of tenderness obtained by allowing the Rice to stay warm for up to 20 minutes and even further by allowing the Rice to soak for a few minutes before cooking or adding a bit more water. This you may have to experiment a bit with in order to get the perfect tenderness you prefer. But in general a 1:1 ratio is pretty spot on across the board no matter what type of Rice is being used for a Steamed Rice that will later be used for Fried Rice.

An upper limit of 1 1/3 C of Water per 1 Cup of Rice is good, if you neither want to let the Rice soak or let it sit on warm for up to 20 minutes and results in a more softer Rice. This however is really the upper limit and is bordering on getting Rice with a weakened exterior. It is between this range that you will want to experiment to achieve the results sought for. Keep in mind the Type of Rice being used.

To be even more specific for Steamed Rice depending on the Type, use the upper limits of ;

• 1 1/3 C of water per 1 Cup of Long Grain Rice or less
• 1 1/4 C of water per 1 Cup of Medium Grain Rice or less
• 1:1 for Short Grain Rice

Why is My Fried Rice Mushy

If too much Water is used the Rice will swell and burst and you can see this in the Rice and how well it maintains its shape. Once that happens those Starches that were contained in the Rice will now get reheated and cause a Fried Rice that clumps and has no texture, being soggy or mushy.

It also affects how the Starches cool down or how long it will take and whether the Rice breaks when crumbling or not. If the whole grains of Rice mostly break when crumbling, this too can be a sign of too much water being used to cook the Rice or the Rice was completely covered when refrigerating sealing in water.

Chopping the Rice with a Spatula or else handling it in a way where you are breaking the Rice grains will release the trapped Starches inside and cause a sticky Rice. This is why you see in Chinese Restaurants they press the Rice Clumps.

Always inspect the Day Old Rice before you commit to Fried Rice. It is here where you can tell the Quality of what the Fried Rice will be.

Refrigerated Rice

To make thes best Fried Rice, it needs the correct ratio of water and time to cool down and then refrigerated so that the Starches can also cool down and solidify while drying out. Refrigerating overnight ensures this and allows the Starch to convert to Resistant Starch when reheated. It is at this step that you can predict how the Fried Rice will come out.

If the Rice is mostly breaking when you crumble it. Then the second step (Ratio) was incorrect by using too much water or the Rice wasn’t dried out enough. This will cause the Starches that were initially contained in the Rice to spill out and create a clumpy Fried Rice that has lost its Plump & Texture. It should easily crumble but stay mostly wholly intact with a tough exterior which will hold up to being Fried in the Wok.

Gently Press down on the Rice with your Palm to crumble the clumps of Rice. If you see spots of water, this is perfectly fine and can be mixed back in. Although this really should be minimal and can indicate that the Rice was covered or completely covered while still warm. We’re not actually trying to dry the Rice out. What we are really after is dried out Starches with excess moisture allowed to escape. The Rice however is still relatively moist.

Rehydrated Rice

In Chinese Restaurants the Rice is added to the Wok and pressed while frying to break down any clumps. Followed by Soy Sauce and Rice Seasoning (Salt, Sugar & MSG). The rehydrating, mixing and reheating happens all at once.

For Homemade Fried Rice I really do much prefer adding the Soy Sauce and Fried Rice Seasoning to the Rice and ensuring that each and every grain of Rice is separated before it even hits the Wok. This also allows to make any adjustments for the Color or Seasoning without being rushed. It also allows for the Rice to sit out for a bit coming to room temp before being Fried in the Smoking Hot Wok. Which will reduce how much the Wok cools down when the Rice is added.

About 3 Tbl – 4 Tbl of Soy Sauce in total is good enough for 2 Cups of Rice that has been Rinsed, Steamed, and Refrigerated. You can use 1 1/2 Tbl – 2 Tbl of Dark Soy Sauce for a darker colored Fried Rice and the remaining with Regular Soy Sauce.

Reheating Rice

The Rice has already been cooked so all that is needed is for it to be reheated. It needs to go into a really Hot Smoking Wok so that when the Rice is added it just glides like it was in a non stick pan. This will give the Rice that Wok Hei Flavor.

I’m pretty sure there is an exact temperature range here where the Starches will start to stick. Because if you Fry the Rice long enough it will start to stick, which you want to avoid. It is right before this stage, where the Rice can be piled and it slowly falls down that you want to take the Rice off the heat. This is only a few minutes.

What is Wok Hei

Wok Hei or otherwise known as the “Breath of a Wok”, is a mix of a few different things. From a very High Heat, Well seasoned Wok, caramelization of Sugars, and the smoking of the correct amount of Oil which contributes to a smokey char flavors. It’s a whole topic in itself.

Always allow the Wok to heat up over max heat without any Fat until it starts to Smoke. Then add the Fat and wait for it to start Smoking again, a couple of seconds before adding in your foods.

Chinese Restaurant Fried Rice

In Chinese Restaurants, Steamed White Rice (Just Rice & Water) is cooked throughout the day and served very fresh. If it sits longer than 20 minutes, it is emptied into a bucket and placed into the Walk-in to dry out for 1 – 3 days fitted with a loose cover to allow some moisture to escape. At home this should only take a day, at restaurants they are dealing with much larger quantities of Rice that needs to be cooled.

This is then used to make Fried Rice. Where the Rice is dry enough to be crumbled or pressed while in the Wok and falls apart easily.

The Wok is heated very hot to Fry the Rice just long enough to heat the Rice through. This happens very fast allowing the restaurants to plate Fried Rice in just a few minutes. Any Proteins and Vegetables are cooked before the Rice goes in at a lower heat and then the Fried Rice at a very high heat.

Soy Sauce is added for rehydration and color and some Salt. Along with additional Salt, Sugar and MSG for Seasoning. This is what is responsible for that Fried Rice taste along with that Wok Hei flavor.

But it’s not just in the Seasoning. It’s how much water each grain of Rice has absorbed and how it is cooked that contributes to the overall eating experience. Texture really matters with Fried Rice and is the main distinction between Poor Fried Rice and Astounding Fried Rice.

How is Chinese Fried Rice cooked in Restaurants

Chinese restaurants will cook any Proteins being added to the Rice along with some Vegetables, if adding in the Wok with some Oil. Then the heat is cranked up really high and Day Old Rice is added to heat through. While pressing down on the Rice to separate the Clumps. Soy Sauce added with Seasoning. Mainly Salt, Sugar and MSG and mixed in and then taken off the heat and served. The Rice is cooked briefly, about 2 minutes or so and is constantly tossed and pressed.

Some will state that restaurant Fried Rice can not be achieved at home due to not being able to get the Wok hot enough and this is simply not true. A Wok left on max heat can get so hot that it starts to turn red. In fact this is how a new Wok is Primed or Seasoned. There are a few adjustments that need to be made when making this at home, but it’s pretty much the same.

Homemade Fried Rice

At Home we can not get the Heat to go high instantly. So Proteins & Vegetables are cooked and then removed from the Wok. The Wok is cleaned out placed back over max heat until really hot, you should see the Wok Smoking. Add Fat and coat the Wok. Let it starts to smoke pretty good and add the Hydrated & Seasoned Rice. When the Rice goes in it should easily glide, no sticking to the Wok at all. Immediately start tossing it around and keep it moving.

It’s pretty much the same with the exception that any Proteins or Vegetables added need to be cooked first and then removed in order for the Wok to have sufficient time to get really hot to cook the Rice. In the restaurant this happens in a few seconds, so everything is one after the other. There is no removing from the Wok any foods that are added. Since the Burners can heat the Wok up extremely hot in an instant. Any Meats and Vegetables are protected by the Rice that is added in and the frequent tossing.

For me, I like to rehydrate the Rice and Season it before it even hits the Wok. This allows me to solely focus on what goes into the Fried Rice and to keep everything moving. It also gives the Rice extra time to fully rehydrate absorbing the Sauce & Seasoning for more flavor and to come to room temp before it hits the Wok.

How long to Fry Rice

The Rice has already been previously cooked so all that is really needed is to heat it through. Fry Rice in a very Hot Wok with Fat for about two minutes or so. The Rice should be hot to the touch and steaming. Anywhere from 2 – 5 minutes is sufficient. Although around the 2 minute mark is best.

If you start seeing the Rice Sticking while Frying, you are Frying it too long. This is because the Starches are being heated up so much causing them to start binding. Once this happens instead of Having Fried Rice that is separated you end up with an extremely Sticky Fried Rice.

Best Rice for Fried Rice

The Rice is any Medium – Long Grain White Rice. Even in China in different regions the Rice will vary. Typically Northern China will eat Japonica Rice and Southern China will eat Indica Rice. Some Chinese Restaurants use a Brown Rice and others a mixture of American White Grain and Jasmine. It really is a matter of preference.

With that said, I do have a very specific preference for Medium Grain Rice (Calrose) or any type of Rice where it is 2 to 3 times long as wide/broad. I find these more plumper and pleasing than Long Grain Rice like Jasmine or Basmati. Although Jasmine Rice is excellent for Steamed Rice and makes a pretty good Fried Rice.

It’s not really about the Rice, sort of. It is how much Water a particular brand of Rice absorbs or controlling the Starch and this is really crucial for Fried Rice. Understanding this and you can make Fried Rice out of any type of Rice with excellent results. Even Short Grain Rice which is extremely starchy will yield a pretty good Fried Rice as long as your water ratio is correct and it is cooled properly. I tested this with Arborio Rice and while it was a bit more sticky, it was still plump and separated relatively easy.

This is my ranking starting with the best, your preference may vary.

Steamed Rice

Fried Rice starts with Steamed Rice that has been refrigerated to cool down the Rice & Starches. It was a means of saving Rice when Chinese Restaurants would make Steamed Rice to serve, eliminating waste. Instead of throwing it out, it was refrigerated to reheat later for Fried Rice.

It is absolutely crucial to steam a particular Brand of Rice with the correct ratio of water. The Shorter the Grain the Stickier the Rice will be. But this is okay since after the Rice has cooled and is refrigerated overnight, the Starches will have solidified.

Rehydrating the Rice and cooking in Fat will also coat the Rice and inhibit the exterior Starch from sticking. The important thing is that the exterior is not degraded or weakened. Instead tough and containing the starches within a firm grain of Rice. The Rice is nice and plump and doesn’t break easily.

Oil to use for Fried Rice

Chinese restaurants typically use high smoke point Oils. Some will use the high smoke point Oil along with a small amount of Sesame Oil. But this is actually not that common, it’s usually just a Vegetable Oil. In Restaurants Oil is added to the Wok and then emptied out.

The type of Fat that can be used for Homemade Fried Rice is Rendered Fat or Lard. This will add so much more flavor to the Fried Rice and the type of Fat can be exchanged with whatever proteins you decide to add in. Chicken Fried Rice with Rendered Chicken Fat, Pork Fried Rice with rendered Pork fat. It is by far much better than any Vegetable Oils.

Soy Sauce for Fried Rice

There is a wide variety of Soy Sauce differing in consistency, flavor, color and salt content and you may have to experiment to see which you like best. The Soy Sauce is used to rehydrate the Rice and contributes the Salt and is key to derive the right color in Chinese Fried Rice.

The kind of Fried Rice I was use to is darker in color. Although there are some batches I have made that were lighter in color due to the type of Soy Sauce I was using. I use both a Dark & Regular Soy Sauce. Although I have also used the VH Soy Sauce which is pretty good alone to both color and season the Rice.

In general your standard Soy Sauce will color the Rice lightly. While Dark Soy Sauce or Mushroom Soy Sauce will color the Rice a more darker and typical color you would expect for Fried Rice and add flavor. You want enough Soy Sauce to rehydrate the Rice. But not too much that additional seasonings can not be added because there would be too much Salt or the Rice can not absorb it and results in a Wet Fried Rice.

A small amount of Oyster or Hoisin Sauce can be added with the Soy Sauce to flavor and color the Rice too. This also adds a Sweetness than can balance out the Salt in the Rice.

Fried Rice Seasoning

The common seasoning used in Chinese restaurants is MSG, Sugar and Salt for almost everything. In this case the Salt is coming from the added Soy Sauce in order to rehydrate the Rice with a small amount of additional Salt added to taste or through other means such as with the Fried Rice Seasoning.

Sugar is used to balance out the Salt and assist in carmelizzation. MSG is the main flavoring and will definitely give you that takeout style Fried Rice taste.

There is however a bunch of other things you can add to season the Rice for Homemade Fried Rice. Some other additions are below.

• Broth Powder to pair up with the protein that is added in. This with MSG is excellent at upping the flavors of whatever protein you add in.
  • Beef – Beef powder
  • Pork – Pork powder
  • Chicken – Chicken Powder or Maggi Season All (Magic Sarap)
  • Seafood – Hondashi or Vegetable
  • Vegetable – Vegetable Powder or Vegeta
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Ginger Powder
• Black or White Pepper
• Vegeta is really good for a Vegetable Fried Rice or in general
• Even the small packs of Seasoning that comes with Noodles like Mr Noodles or Ichiban can be used to season the Rice. Although use to taste. These are usually pretty salty.

Magic Fried Rice Seasoning

I most often make Chicken Fried Rice and use either the Magic Fried Rice Seasoning or Vegeta Fried Rice Seasoning.

Vegeta Fried Rice Seasoning

Use Vegeta in place of Magic Sarap which is also very good and pairs up no matter what type of Proteins or Vegetables are being added in.

Shrimp Fried Rice Seasoning

Use Hondashi in place of Broth Powder to bring out that Seafood Flavor. A bit of XO Sauce and/or Dehydrated Shrimp can be added in along with the Shrimp or Prawns.

How to make Chinese Fried Rice

The process is the same no matter what type of Protein or Vegetables are added for different types of Fried Rice. First start with properly Steamed Rice that has been cooled down and refrigerated overnight (Day Old Rice).

Inspect the Day Old Rice. There is no point in proceeding with the Fried Rice if it isn’t cooked and cooled properly.

The exterior of the Rice should be intact with no broken pieces or otherwise swelled up so much that the exterior won’t hold up to the Wok with the Starches inside the Rice now exposed causing a clumpy Fried Rice. It should crumble easily and without breaking (too wet) with moisture still in the Rice (not too dry). Some breaking will occur while pressing but this is really minimal.

Prepare any Proteins or Vegetables you may want to add to the Fried Rice and cook and set aside to be added back in later on.

Any fast cooking Vegetables such as the Green parts of Green Onions, Chives, Green Peas or Bean Sprouts can be added in with the Rice to heat through.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Add to Fried Rice Green Onions, Green Peas, Shallots or Onion & Garlic. Small diced Carrots that have been previously boiled/steamed or Shredded Carrots, Ginger, Chinese Chives, Chopped Napa Cabbage or Bean Sprouts can also be added in.

Some Vegetables you will want to stir fry briefly like Napa, Shallots, Onions or the White parts of Green Onion, Garlic or steamed/boiled small diced carrots. Others you will want to add after the Rice goes in, just to heat through. Like Green Onions, Green Peas, Chinese Chives or Bean Sprouts.

Egg Fried Rice

Eggs are commonly added to Fried Rice. Crack 1 – 2 Eggs into a bowl and whisk briefly with a small amount of the Fried Rice Seasoning and add to the Wok with a bit of Fat. Leave it be for a bit and then stir it up and cook until set. Remove from the Wok to add back into the Rice after it has heated through. You don’t want any browning on the Eggs. But you do want them firmly set so that they can hold up to the tossing of the Rice.

Adding a bit of the Fried Rice Seasoning to the Eggs flavors the Eggs much better with the overall flavor of the Rice than not. You don’t need much either, maybe 1/8 tsp. But the Eggs will come out with much better flavor than without which would be well, just flat tasting Eggs. Some will add in a Tbl of Cornstarch to assist in creating a firmer Egg.

Instead of seasoning the Eggs or in addition to, add a pinch of Black Salt. This stuff is amazing at elevating those Egg Flavors. Just a very small amount.

Pork Fried Rice

There are all kinds of Pork you can include for Pork Fried Rice. Some being diced Char Sui Pork, just Plain diced Pork or marinated in various marinades before frying.

With Pork I do like a sweet Heat, so I just dice Pork and let it marinate in equal parts of Hoisin Sauce & Sake, with a bit of Chili Oil. Fry the meat up, add an Egg. Remove from the Wok and clean it out, to heat it up over max heat, let it get smoking hot. Then add your rehydrated and seasoned day old rice with frozen Vegetables, some MSG, Green Onion, along with the meat and eggs back in, and you’re good. Just keep tossing it until heated through, just a few minutes.