This Scallop fried rice will blow your mind. It’s not just the fresh bay scallops that make it a treat for seafood lovers, it’s the XO sauce and of course, the crispy garlic chips, that bring it to another level.
It all started when we received a jar of very high quality scallop XO sauce from a good friend leaving Beijing after finishing her work assignment, and she’ll be proud to know that we put it to good use in this recipe.
I’m sure this special jar of scallop XO sauce was quite expensive, as it was pretty much made up of pure dry shredded scallops, which is not typical.
Most XO sauces are made with a combination of scallops, shrimp and sometimes ham, and run between $10 to $20 a jar.
I’m not even going to check how much this jar cost but I do know that it’s quite popular in Hong Kong and can be found there in high-end gourmet stores and hotels.’
UPDATE: check out our homemade XO Sauce recipe HERE!
We used small bay scallops for this scallop fried rice recipe, but if you can use large sea scallops, then definitely do so! The recipe and directions are virtually the same except for the cooking time on the scallop searing.
Check out the Herbed Citrus Grilled Shrimp and Scallops recipe we cooked up in Hawaii last year, which may help you decide if you want to use the larger sea scallops. Whatever you decide, get started on this scallop fried recipe now!
Scallop Fried Rice: Recipe Instructions
It’s generally best to prepare the cooked rice the day before, although you can also do it the same day. The best way to do this is to follow the directions on your rice cooker and use a little bit less water so the rice comes out just slightly drier than usual.
Let the rice cool uncovered and use a fork to break it up and fluff it. You can also refrigerate it the night before and when you’re ready to use it the next day, rinse your hands in water and carefully break up the clumps of rice. The water should prevent or minimize the rice sticking to your hands.
Heat your wok until it just begins to smoke and add 1 tablespoon oil. Throw in the scallops and sear (without moving them) 60 seconds until they get some good color. Toss them around until they’re just opaque and set aside on a plate.
Beat the eggs with Shaoxing wine and salt and set aside.
Wash and dry your wok and heat it over low heat, with 2 tablespoons oil. Add the garlic and spread it around evenly. Let the garlic fry very slowly until they just turn golden.
If it goes brown, it’s already burned and bitter, so keep a constant watch on it! It should take about 5 minutes for the garlic to get crispy and just start to turn light golden.
When they are ready, transfer the crispy garlic to a paper towel to drain and set aside.
Leave the infused oil from the garlic in the wok, and raise the heat to medium high. Add the diced onions and stir-fry until translucent.
Add in the rice to the onion mixture, and then pour the egg mixture evenly over all the rice. Immediately begin stirring constantly in a scoop and lift motion. This will leave all your rice coated in a thin layer of scrambled egg.
After about 90 seconds of stirring, mix in the XO sauce.
Season with salt and ground white pepper to taste, and then add in the scallops and scallion. Toss for 30 seconds and plate with the fried garlic sprinkled over the top!
You serve this scallop fried rice as a meal!
Scallop Fried Rice with XO Sauce and Crispy Garlic
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked rice (cooled)
- 3 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 1 pound Bay Scallops or Sea Scallops (450g, rinsed and patted dry)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 3 tablespoons scallop XO Sauce or you can try this Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce
- Salt (to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 scallion (chopped)
Instructions
- It's generally best to prepare the rice the day before, although you can also do it the same day. The best way to do this is to follow the directions on your rice cooker and use a little bit less water so the rice comes out just slightly drier than usual. Let the rice cool uncovered and use a fork to break it up and fluff it. You can also refrigerate it the night before and when you're ready to use it the next day, rinse your hands in water and carefully break up the clumps of rice. The water should prevent or minimize the rice sticking to your hands.
- Heat your wok until it just begins to smoke and add 1 tablespoon oil. Throw in the scallops and sear (without moving them) 60 seconds until they get some good color. Toss them around until they're just opaque and set aside on a plate. Beat the eggs with shaoxing wine and salt and set aside.
- Wash and dry your wok and heat it over low heat, with 2 tablespoons oil. Add the garlic and spread it around evenly. Let the garlic fry very slowly until they just turn golden. If it goes brown, it's already burned and bitter, so keep a constant watch on it! It should take about 5 minutes for the garlic to get crispy and just start to turn light golden. When they are ready, transfer the crispy garlic to a paper towel to drain and set aside.
- Leave the infused oil from the garlic in the wok, and raise the heat to medium high. Add the diced onions and stir-fry until translucent. Add in the rice to the onion mixture, and then pour the egg mixture evenly over all the rice. Immediately begin stirring constantly in a scoop and lift motion. This will leave all your rice coated in a thin layer of scrambled egg. After about 90 seconds of stirring, mix in the XO sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then add in the scallops and scallion. Toss for 30 seconds and serve with the fried garlic sprinkled over the top!
Had try fried rice, very good. Thank you
You are welcome, Agnes!
I made it today and my boyfriend and I love it. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome Hai and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Love your recipes, always beautiful and tantalizing. Thanks for coming by and sharing at Foodie Fridays. Hope to see you again this week.
Blessings,
Shari
Thank you Shari!
Don’t laugh Bill, but growing up in Hawaii we ate spam fried rice…lol. This is definitely several notches above that :-) I’ve never used XO sauce before…what type of flavor does it give the rice?
Hi Erlene, We used spam in fried rice when I was a kid also, and I think it is still popular in Hong Kong today! The XO sauce adds a deep seafood flavor as the main ingredient is dried scallops and/or shrimp. It reminds me a little of the salted fish fried rice recipe we published a while ago.
You guys get me SO hungry!!! Thanks for posting @TWS!
Hmmm, now I am going to make my co-workers make me an XO sauce dish! We have several interns here from China and Hong Kong. It does seem expensive but I love scallops. Thanks for linking up at Merry Monday!
That sounds good Rachel and thanks for stopping by!
Oh I love scallops. This looks like its got an awesome texture combination!
Hi Francesca, This recipe is definitely for you if you love scallops. Hope you can give it a try!
I’ve always wanted to try XO sauce and always balk at the price. I guess I will have to trust you. The dish looks great!
Hi Abbe, I have to agree with you on the price and I always hesitate but one day you may decide to splurge, maybe see a sale, or get a jar as a gift like I did. It is definitely a specialty item and there are many different varieties so results do vary but in general the concept, taste and quality of XO sauce is usually very good. Thanks for stopping by and hope you try it one day :-)
Looks super tasty Bill! I love the recipe!
Thanks Millie!