A breakfast fried rice so good, you will wake up JUST for this!
This bacon fried rice is EASY. It’s quick to whip up and doesn’t use a lot of ingredients, BUT it’s also very versatile to use up leftover ingredients from your fridge as well. With my husband at home these days, our morning routines have changed considerably. Zuko is getting a lot more attention, and our breakfasts often turn into brunch. So, instead of a quick, early breakfast, I’ve started making more substantial brunches that would hold us over until dinner. This breakfast fried rice made with bacon, and topped with a chili garlic fried egg is one of our favorites! It’s a great way to use up leftover rice from the previous night.
Why you will love this recipe
Quick and easy (with leftover rice).Bacon! However, if you don’t like regular bacon, this will be just as delicious with chicken bacon, turkey bacon or beef bacon. Mushrooms are perfect as a vegetarian option. Very versatile. This is a base recipe that uses minimal ingredients. You can add more veggies and more protein to make it even better.So much flavor!Topped with a flavorful fried egg for a complete breakfast/brunch. It can also be eaten as a quick lunch or dinner.
A few tips first
You can of course use freshly cooked rice if you prefer, but day old cold rice works much better for this recipe. Freshly cooked rice is wetter, and won’t absorb as much flavor as day old rice that’s a little drier.
I prefer jasmine rice (or a sticky rice), but brown rice and basmati rice are great too.
Let the bacon crisp a little. That little crispness really makes a difference for this breakfast fried rice. The rest of the ingredients will be stir fried in the bacon fat rendered after this.
Be generous with the spring onions / green onions. If you don’t have any at home, use chopped onions instead. Add the onions after the bacon is cooked, and let it soften before adding the rice.
We like it spicy, so we like to add crushed red chili flakes to the bacon fried rice. Add less or more or none at all depending on your preference.
Don’t add the chili and garlic too early because you don’t want them to burn in the hot oil! If that happens, you’ll end up with a burnt taste in your fried rice. Not good.
The brown sugar helps balance the spice and heat level. Add half the amount if you’re not going to add any chili flakes.
Soy sauce + salt are added because they add two different kinds of saltiness. If you want to keep this gluten free, use tamari instead. ALWAYS adjust the seasoning to your taste. If you add more fixins to your bacon fried rice, you may need more soy sauce and salt to season properly.
Sesame oil and roasted peanuts are optional. Leave them out if there are any allergies. However, they do add a lovely nuttiness and crunch to the fried rice.
What other additions can I use?
Proteins (can be fresh or leftovers)
Chicken ShrimpSteak SausagesGround meatTofu
Vegetables (fresh or leftovers)
Frozen peas and carrotsCornBell peppersLeafy greensCabbageBroccoli / cauliflowerBean sproutsMushroomAnything else you like!
How to make bacon fried rice for breakfast
Prep the ingredients. Cut up the bacon, spring onions and other veges that you’re adding. Place a large non stick pan on your stove and heat to medium heat. Fry up the bacon pieces in the pan. Be patient and fry it over medium heat so that it doesn’t become crisp too fast and burn. You want the bacon to be a little crispy and a little chewy. Add the white parts of spring onions, garlic, chili pepper and sugar. Just fry it all for a few seconds to soften the garlic and onion. DON’T let it burn! Add the soy sauce, salt (you can add more later) and rice, and stir to mix. Add more soy sauce as needed. Once the rice is softened and and it’s almost ready, add the green parts of the spring onions and stir them in. The green parts will wilt because of the residual heat and that’s OK. Serve the bacon fried rice with a fried egg (I fry my egg in chili and garlic oil) and roasted peanuts. Don’t forget to drizzle some sesame oil on top as well!
Making the fried egg
Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil along with the garlic and allow the oil to heat up with the garlic.
When the oil is hot, stir in the chili pepper flakes and add the egg. The egg should sizzle in the oil.
Baste the egg whites with the garlic and chili oil until the whites are cooked and the edges are crispy. Season with salt and pepper.
Voilà! Flavor-packed breakfast fried rice!
If you’re stuck at home (as many of us are these days), and need quick recipes that are packed with flavor, this is a great one! The cook time shouldn’t be any longer than 15 minutes.
