The BEST Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe | Good Cheap Eats (2024)

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Vegetable Fried Rice is a quick and easy meal that you can make with just a handful of simple ingredients. It’s a great way to use leftover rice.

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Ever had it where you make too much rice and nobody wants to eat it up? Maybe it was a little dry and overcooked. Maybe you just made way too much. Maybe you don’t have anything great to go with it.

I get that. I’ve been there. Plenty of times.

Nowadays, though? I look forward to leftover rice. I even make extra rice just so we can have leftovers. Not because I want to eat dry, day-old rice, but because I can make fried rice. This Vegetable Fried Rice, to be specific.

Fried rice is just one of those gifts to the home cook. Like French toast and croutons, it comes from humble beginnings, but it tastes amazing. And has you wishing you had more leftovers to use up.

Ingredients for fried rice

Leftover rice – This is key! You need rice that’s cold, otherwise it will just clump together as it cooks and get mushy.
Vegetables – We used frozen stir fry veggies so this came together quickly.
Soy sauce – This is what gives fried rice its flavor.
Sesame oil – This can be a bit pricey but a little goes a long way!
Water – This is used in making the fried rice sauce.
Sugar – You are going to add a little to the “sauce”, but you could also use honey if you want or another sweetener of choice.
Egg – We love adding a little scrambled egg to our fried rice.

How to make fried rice the right way

This Vegetable Fried Rice comes together in about 20 minutes. Since you’ve cooked and chilled the rice the night before, all you need to do is add some oil, seasonings, frozen vegetables, and an egg or two.

Now that you can buy cooked rice in the freezer section of the store (yes, really!) you can keep the fixings for this dish on hand all the time. You can also freeze extra cooked rice until you’re ready to make Fried Rice.

Use frozen veggies to make this come together quickly!

For these pictures I used a Kroger “stir-fry starter package” that contained broccoli, sugar snap peans, green beans, carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, and red peppers. You can use whatever vegetables you like, just make sure they don’t have any sauce.

It doesn’t hurt to have a bag of frozen potstickers on hand, too. Make your own dipping sauce, and you’re golden.

Can I add chicken?

You definitely can! Use cooked chicken and simply toss it in for a quick hearty weeknight meal. Or use other protein as well, likeleftover turkey

Vegetable Fried Rice comes together so quickly and easily, it could easily be a regular meal in your rotation or a simple side dish.

Storing leftovers

Promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

To make as a freezer meal kit: Place the cold rice in a ziptop freezer bag. Combine the water, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar in a small ziptop bag. Place the two bags in a larger, labeled bag along with the bag of vegetables. Store in the freezer. When ready to serve, allow the sauce packet to thaw before assembling according to the recipe directions.

Tools I use to make this EASY

If you prepare this recipe, be sure to share a picture on social media and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!

Vegetable Fried Rice

Vegetable Fried Rice is a quick and easy meal that you can make with just a handful of simple ingredients. It's a great way to use leftover rice.

4.80 from 5 votes

Ingredients

3 tablespoon neutral oil
3 cup cold, cooked rice
1 12-ounce package frozen stir-fry vegetables no need to thaw
½ cup water
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
pinch granulated sugar
2 egg beaten

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large skillet over high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the rice and cook, stirring, breaking up any clumps. You want to “fry” each grain in the oil so that it’s its own separate entity, about five minutes.
Add the vegetables and cook, stirring for another 10 minutes, until the vegetables are hot.
In a small bowl combine the water, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Add this mixture to the pan. Cook, stirring for 1 more minute.
In the same bowl, beat the eggs. Push the rice mixture to the side of the pan and cook the eggs, stirring to scramble. Once scrambled, fold the eggs into the rice. Serve hot.

Notes

Promptly store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

Nutritional values are approximate and based on ⅙ the recipe.

Nutrition

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