Ingredients
- 2 cups white rice, uncooked
- 1 bag (about 12–16 oz / 340–450 g) mixed frozen vegetables — peas, carrots, corn, green beans, etc.
- 3 eggs, cooked and chopped/scrambled
- 2–3 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
- 1–2 tablespoons cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: ½ teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves minced garlic
- Optional: ½ teaspoon sesame oil for extra flavor
Instructions
- Cook the rice
- Cook 2 cups rice according to the package directions.
- Spread the cooked rice on a tray or plate and let it cool. For the best fried rice, use cold leftover rice if you have it.
- Cook the eggs
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Beat the 3 eggs with a small pinch of salt and pepper.
- Scramble until just cooked, then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the same pan.
- Add the frozen mixed vegetables directly from the freezer.
- Stir-fry for 4–6 minutes, until hot and most of the excess moisture has cooked away.
- Add garlic if using and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the rice
- Add the cooked, cooled rice.
- Break up any clumps and stir-fry everything together for 3–5 minutes. Let the rice sit against the hot pan for 20–30 seconds at a time so it gets slightly toasted.
- Season
- Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, then toss well.
- Taste and add more soy sauce, salt, and pepper as needed. Be careful with the salt because soy sauce is already salty.
- Add the eggs
- Return the cooked eggs to the pan.
- Stir everything together and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
- Finish & serve
- Add a small drizzle of sesame oil if desired.
- Serve hot. This makes approximately 4 generous servings.
⭐ Tip for restaurant-style fried rice
Don’t overcrowd the pan and don’t use freshly cooked, steaming-hot rice if you can avoid it. Cold, relatively dry rice + high heat gives you separate, slightly chewy grains instead of mushy fried rice.
