Fried rice is one of my faves. The rice, the veggies and mix-ins and honestly, the soy sauce. It’s just so flavorful. Previously I’ve shared spicy pork fried rice, quick and easy cauliflower fried rice with chicken and this fun twist with Mexican fried rice. And of course, my quick and easy chicken fried rice is a regular go to. Today though, we’re going with a favorite version in this veggie fried rice. It’s perfect as a side dish for dinner, or you can make it the main vegetarian meal. It’s full of fluffy rice, scrambled eggs and plenty of veggies. Plus that soy sauce to tie it all together and give a big hit of flavor and salt. Seriously yum. Oh, and it’s all made in ONE PAN and it’s ready in about 20 minutes. My kids are weirdly in a fried rice frenzy phase right now. I’ve been trying to keep some on hand in the fridge or freezer for them to pull out when the craving strikes. And today’s veggie fried rice is a great pairing for so many meals. So let’s get cooking. Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make chicken fried rice. Just tryin’ to be helpful. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
Rice: This needs to be previously cooked, cooled and refrigerated before making this fried rice, so please plan accordingly. (It changes the starch content and affects the taste and texture.) Feel free to use brown or white rice. Broccoli: Fresh or frozen broccoli is fine to use, it just needs to be chopped down into pretty small pieces so it incorporates well into the fried rice. Peas and carrots: Frozen mixed peas and carrots works great here and you don’t even have to thaw them ahead of time, just throw them in frozen. See below for other veggie additions. Chili garlic sauce: This adds a great depth of flavor and a little bit of background heat. And it’s available in the Asian section of most grocery stores. If you don’t have any, add 1 clove of garlic, minced, after you’ve sautéed the onion. Then serve with hot sauce or sriracha if you want the heat, too. You can also just skip it if you prefer. Soy sauce: I use and recommend low sodium soy sauce so you can control the amount of sodium. You can also substitute tamari if you need this recipe to be gluten-free.
If you want to amp up the veggies in this side dish - or swap some out - feel free to add some corn, bell peppers, snow peas, mushrooms, green beans and/or zucchini. You’ll just want to make sure the rice to veggie ratio is about the same as in the instructions below. Also, make sure the vegetables are in small pieces and get sautéed and tender. Lots of ways to customize it, mix it up and make it your own! As for serving, we love topping this with sliced green onions or chives. Not necessary but I like the flavor. You could also add some hot sauce or sriracha at the table if you want to spice it up a little! (Or if you left out the chili garlic sauce and want some heat.) OK, let’s tackle some commonly asked questions. There you have it! No need to wait on takeout when you can make this veggie fried rice so quickly at home - and make it your own just like you like it! I think you’ll love it as much as we do. Happy cooking and enjoy! XO, Kathryn Rice: This needs to be previously cooked, cooled and refrigerated before making this fried rice, so please plan accordingly. (It changes the starch content and affects the taste and texture.) Feel free to use brown or white rice. Broccoli: Fresh or frozen broccoli is fine to use, it just needs to be chopped down into pretty small pieces so it incorporates well into the fried rice. Peas and carrots: Frozen mixed peas and carrots works great here and you don’t even have to thaw them ahead of time, just throw them in frozen. See below for other veggie additions. Chili garlic sauce: This adds a great depth of flavor and a little bit of background heat. And it’s available in the Asian section of most grocery stores. If you don’t have any, add 1 clove of garlic, minced, after you’ve sautéed the onion. Then serve with hot sauce or sriracha if you want the heat, too. You can also just skip it if you prefer. Soy sauce: I use and recommend low sodium soy sauce so you can control the amount of sodium. You can also substitute tamari if you need this recipe to be gluten-free. Extra veggies: If you’d like to add extra veggies or swap some out, here are a few ideas: corn, bell peppers, snow peas, mushrooms, green beans and/or zucchini. Protein: Feel free to add a protein to this recipe if you’d like. You can add 2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken to this recipe, or use some cooked ground pork or cooked shrimp for a protein. Leftovers: Leftover fried rice, once cooled, can be refrigerated for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in individual portions in the microwave until warmed through. Add extra soy sauce if needed to wake it back up. Freezing: You can also freeze the leftovers. Let the rice cool, then pack in a freezer-safe ziplock bag or container. Label and date it and freeze for up to 4-5 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat before serving.
