Our easy recipe for Vegetable Fried Rice shows you how to cook Asian-inspired fried rice at home from scratch. This take-out style dish is the perfect meal when you’re on a budget and can be customized by adding your favorite protein and vegetables.

Even though we cook a lot in this house, there’s something about taking a break and ordering takeout. The problem with this though is that it can become super expensive!

Whenever our budget is a bit tighter, we make our own restaurant-style dishes at home like Instant Pot Vegetable Lo Mein and Homemade Egg Rolls. We also started making our own vegetable fried rice at home, and it’s a hit!

In this simple fried rice recipe, we combine cooked white rice with frozen mixed vegetables, scrambled eggs, and seasonings. It’s then sauteed together in a pan and ready to eat in just minutes.

While this basic fried rice recipe has simple rice and vegetables, you can feel free to add your own twist by adding your favorite protein.

Fried rice being scooped out of a cast iron pan.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Cooking Oil – Your choice of oil for cooking the frozen veggies and onions.
Sesame Oil – Adds a classic toasted sesame flavor to the dish.
Frozen Mixed Vegetables – Adds bulk and nutrient density to the fried rice.
White Onion – Infuses the dish with onion flavor.
White Rice – You’ll need fully cooked white rice to make this dish.
Scrambled Egg– Adds protein, texture, and flavor.
Soy Sauce – Gives this rice a classic salty umami flavor.
Salt & Pepper – Balances and enhances all the flavors in the dish.

How to Make Vegetable Fried Rice:

Prep rice and scrambled eggs: If you don’t already have your white rice fully cooked, prepare enough to have 2 cooked cups ready to go. Feel free to use leftover cooked rice or make white rice in the instant pot while the rest of the ingredients are cooking. You also need one large scrambled egg crumbled and set aside.
Saute the vegetables: Add the cooking oil to a large skillet and turn to medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add chopped onion and frozen vegetables. Saute until onions are translucent and frozen vegetables are tender and thawed. This should take about 10 minutes.
Add the rice: To the cooked vegetable mixture, add in cooked rice and scrambled egg along with the sesame oil.
Flavor and serve: Once the rice is in the pan with the vegetables, saute everything together while breaking up the rice with a wooden spoon until evenly distributed, then add the soy sauce and stir until combined. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Collage showing how to make homemade fried rice.

Fried Rice Tips

You can scramble the egg in the same skillet you fry the rice in to save time on dishes. Just remove the egg and set it aside.
When heating the skillet, you want to make sure the oil is hot enough to sear the vegetables and onion to get them browned lightly. This will add as much authentic restaurant flavor as possible.
If you have a wok, you can absolutely use that to make this recipe.
If you’re looking for a classic drier fried rice, lay it out on a baking sheet after cooking for 5 minutes. This will help evaporate any excess steam and moisture and will keep the rice from sticking together.
Use the largest skillet you have to make sure there’s enough room to saute the vegetables and keep them from steaming.

Variations

Bulk up the vegetables by adding chopped broccoli, corn, mushrooms, garlic, or zucchini.
Add your favorite protein such as chopped flat iron steak, bacon, chicken breast, or seasoned tofu.
Fish sauce adds a layer of umami flavor that pairs well in this recipe.
If you don’t want a strong onion flavor, use chopped shallots in place of the white onion.
Make a breakfast fried rice by adding cooked bacon, ham, or turkey bacon to the mix. Sprinkle some everything bagel seasoning on top!

Bowl of vegetable fried rice with green onions.

What’s the best rice to use for fried rice?

Long-grain white rice is best for making fried rice as the size and texture pair well with the vegetables. You can also use your favorite brown rice!

Do you cook rice before frying it?

Yes. You’ll need fully cooked rice to make this recipe as raw rice does not fully cook when fried. It needs to be boiled first to permeate the grain.

Why is my fried rice soggy?

If your fried rice is soggy, it’s probably because there is still moisture in the dish. To combat this issue, place cooked fried rice on a baking sheet and spread it evenly to evaporate as much moisture as possible. You’ll also want to make sure your pan is hot enough and large enough to saute the vegetables and not steam them.

Storage Recommendations:

Room Temperature: We do not recommend storing vegetable fried rice at room temperature.

Refrigerator: Vegetable fried rice will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave, or saute in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.

Freezer: If you have leftover fried rice, add it to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag with as much air removed as possible. Freeze for 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating and serving.

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