Egg fried rice. Deceptively simple, but a huge favorite and crowd-pleaser. My egg fried rice recipe uses egg that’s slightly flavored with turmeric and paprika, which I think is a unique addition. It adds color to the dish, making it a vibrant yellow. (If you’re used to a Chinese takeout place that makes their fried rice yellow, you can be sure they were probably using food coloring. Using turmeric gets you that same color at home with a natural ingredient.)
In addition to the turmeric-flavored eggs, which are added directly to the rice, I also scramble a few eggs separately and throw them in at the end to add big chunks of egg to the dish. It wouldn’t be egg fried rice without it!
If you are an egg lover like we are, then be sure to try some of our other recipes where eggs are the star like Stir-fried Shrimp and Eggs (虾仁炒蛋) or our delicate and delicious Steamed Egg recipe.
Of course, like most fried rice recipes, this egg fried rice is best served with copious amounts of hot sauce. Give it a try; it’s very easy to make at home, and you can find all of the ingredients at any grocery store.
Note: this recipe is easier with day-old rice. It can also be made with freshly cooked rice, as long as it’s not too wet (try using less water to cook the rice than you normally would; you don’t want mushy rice that you can’t stir-fry).
If you like eggs in your fried rice, try Eggs and Bacon Fried Rice or if you like a twist on a classic, try Thai Basil Shrimp Fried Rice or a summer season Crab Fried Rice.
But now, read on for the main event!
Egg Fried Rice Recipe Instructions
Use a fork to fluff up the cooked rice and break it apart. If you’re using freshly cooked rice, let it stand on the counter uncovered until it stops steaming before fluffing it. If you decide to refrigerate the rice overnight in advance of preparing this recipe, it will clump up; you can then use your hands to break up the cold rice clumps into individual grains.
Beat 3 eggs in one bowl. Beat the other 2 eggs in another bowl, along with 2 tablespoons water, the paprika, and the turmeric. Set these two bowls aside.
Heat a wok over medium high heat, and add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the 3 beaten eggs (without the spices), and scramble them. Remove them from the wok and set aside.
Heat wok over high heat, and add the last tablespoon oil. Add the diced onion and bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
Next, add the rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes, using a scooping motion to heat the rice uniformly. Use your wok spatula to flatten out and break up any rice clumps.
Next, pour the uncooked egg and spice mixture over the rice, and stir-fry for about 1 minute, until all of the rice grains are coated in egg.
Add the peas and stir fry continuously for another minute. Next spread the salt, sugar, and black pepper over the rice and mix. You should now see some steam coming off the rice, which means it is heated through.
If the rice looks a little dry, feel free to sprinkle in some water or chicken stock. Adding some liquid directly to any remaining clumps of rice will also help to break them up. Mix in the scrambled eggs and scallions and serve!
Egg Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 5 cups cooked rice
- 5 large eggs (divided)
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 3 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- ½ red bell pepper (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (thawed)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 scallions (chopped)
Instructions
- Use a fork to fluff up the rice and break it apart. If you're using freshly cooked rice, let it stand on the counter uncovered until it stops steaming before fluffing it. If you decide to refrigerate the rice overnight in advance of preparing this recipe, it will clump up; you can then use your hands to break up the cold rice clumps into individual grains.
- Beat 3 eggs in one bowl. Beat the other 2 eggs in another bowl, along with 2 tablespoons water, the paprika, and the turmeric. Set these two bowls aside.
- Heat a wok over medium high heat, and add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the 3 beaten eggs (without the spices), and scramble them. Remove them from the wok and set aside.
- Heat wok over high heat, and add the last tablespoon oil. Add the diced onion and bell pepper. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Next, add the rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes, using a scooping motion to heat the rice uniformly. Use your wok spatula to flatten out and break up any rice clumps. Next, pour the uncooked egg and spice mixture over the rice, and stir-fry for about 1 minute, until all of the rice grains are coated in egg.
- Add the peas and stir fry continuously for another minute. Next spread the salt, sugar, and black pepper over the rice and mix. You should now see some steam coming off the rice, which means it is heated through.
- If the rice looks a little dry, feel free to sprinkle in some water or chicken stock. Adding some liquid directly to any remaining clumps of rice will also help to break them up. Mix in the scrambled eggs and scallions and serve!
nutrition facts
Can’t wait to make it. My kind of food.
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So good!
It was absolutely delicious and will definitely make this again along with the beef in honey and pepper. Amazing.
Thanks for your comment Linda. Enjoy!
Lovely recipe but far too much salt. Now just tastes of salt. Next time I will add 1 teaspoon of salt to the egg and spice mixture so it doesn’t just stick to the outside of the finished rice.
Hi Katie, we use sea salt, which is less salty than iodized salt. Not sure if that could be the issue. Other possibilities could be that more stir-frying and mixing may be required for the salt to absorb. Lastly and most importantly is to adjust the salt for the next time to your own tastes. Adding some of the salt to the egg is a good idea also, but 1 teaspoon is probably too much. I would say 1/4 of a teaspoon would be sufficient but again, you can use your own discretion. Happy cooking!
Made it exactly as stated. Way better than any other fried rice I’ve ever had!
Hi Kristyl, outstanding and excited to hear that you made and enjoyed our egg fried rice!
Beautifully adaptable basic recipe. I added carrots and made the “supreme soy” sauce to toss over the whole thing. Finished with some chili oil and it was so quick and tasty. Thanks Bill!
You’re welcome Shelly. Good to see you adjusting this to your liking :)
Hi there, I love your site and tried many recipes already.
Personally I miss garlic , pepper and ginger in this fried rice recipe maybe because I’m used to Nassi Goreng fried Rice from Indonesia. This recipe seems a bit too blend for me without those spices.
Hi Hans, this egg fried rice is quite basic and is good to serve with other more flavorful dishes. Definitely feel free to spruce up the recipe to your liking.
Hey I was wondering would I be able to add more veggies if so what? to this? Thank you!
Hi Alice, you can definitely add more vegetables. The usual suspects are carrots (add with onions) and peas (add with scallions) and a favorite of mine is adding chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce right before you plate it, so you get some fresh tasting lettuce with the rice. That said, I’m only scratching the surface of what you could add – mushrooms, chopped string beans, broccoli or cauliflower florets, etc.
Hello! Thank you for such a wonderful website! I am not fond of curry & a search for what turmeric tastes like mentions curry, pungent & bitter. Can I skip this ingredient without missing a lot of the flavor of this fried rice?
Hi Lin, you can leave it out, although turmeric powder has a very mild taste, and is used mostly for color. You can also add soy sauce if you like – all depends on you and your preferences :)
Rice tasted really good, but when I put the egg in it got gummy. I did cook the rice today, but spread it on a baking sheet and let it cool. Did I need to rinse it more?. I’ve cooked enough of your recipes to know it’s me not you. :)
Hi Dee, thanks for your vote of confidence in us! It could be that the rice was cooked with a bit too much water. Rinsing the rice also helps remove much of the surface starch that could have caused the sticky or gummy texture. Both of these points are more important when making rice for fried rice. Hope that helps!