I set out to create a more interesting take on greasy take-out vegetable fried rice. Here it is in full glory, and it’s as flavorful as it is colorful. Hooray!

I used brown rice, naturally, and even threw in a handful of greens, which offer even more health bonus points. (The greens are optional.)

I also played around with a variety of vegetables, and all of them worked well as long as they were cut into very small pieces.

This is exactly what you should make when you have leftover rice and some random raw vegetables in your fridge. You’re going to love it!

The Best Vegetable Fried Rice

I designed this recipe to work well in a regular skillet (preferably cast iron) since most of us don’t have works at home.

The only tricky part, which really isn’t so difficult, is to cook the eggs, vegetables, and rice separately, and combine them all at the end.

That way, each component will be cooked just right, and the vegetables and rice will get a chance to develop those delicious golden edges.

Delicious veggie fried rice, coming up! As always, please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments. I’m always so eager for your feedback.

Craving more? Check out my Thai pineapple fried rice. If you’re looking for more versatile recipes to use up the last of your vegetables, don’t miss this roundup.

Extra Vegetable Fried Rice

Ok, let’s get right to it.  Here are the important things I have learned over the years about how to make the best-fried rice.

1) Use cold rice: You’ve gotta plan ahead and use thoroughly-chilled cooked rice.  A fresh batch of warm (or even lukewarm) rice will not fry well when it hits the hot pan and will result in soggy and sticky clumps — no good.  So leftover refrigerated rice is ideal!  Or, if you are in a hurry (or have an impulse craving for fried rice, which I completely understand, just cook up a fresh batch of rice.  Then spread it out on a baking sheet or another large flat pan, drape the rice with a layer of plastic wrap, then pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes (or in the freezer for 10-15 minutes) until it is thoroughly chilled (not frozen).

2) Use butter: Yes, butter.  I have made many a batch of fried rice using various oils, and I’m now convinced there’s a reason why Japanese steak houses use that big ol’ slab of butter when they’re making fried rice.  It just tastes so much better, and also makes everything brown up perfectly.  (Although by contrast to Japanese steak houses, we only use 3 tablespoons for a large batch of rice in this recipe.)

3) Use veggies: This is one of my big pet peeves with lame take-out fried rice — not enough veggies!  In addition to adding some nice spots of color, veggies go a long way in adding some flavor and freshness to fried rice.  Our local Chinese restaurant always added both white and green onions, too, which I included in this recipe.  But feel free to modernize this recipe with some other delicious stir-fried veggies as well!

4)  Use toasted sesame oil and oyster sauce: If you do not eat seafood, you can leave out the oyster sauce and your fried rice will still be great.  But this ingredient makes such a difference in good fried rice, and a little goes a long way.  So even if you’re not into oysters, don’t be scared of oyster sauce!  Toasted sesame oil, on the other hand, is 100% non-negotiable.  It is my favorite smelling ingredient in my kitchen and tastes wonderful in fried rice.  (Also note that sesame oil is meant as a finishing oil, not cooking oil, so remove the pan from the heat and then stir it in.)

5) Use high heat: This will help fry and brown the rice and veggies well, and will also help prevent the rice from steaming in the pan instead of frying.

6) Let the rice brown a bit on the bottom: If you’re like me and love your rice to be a bit crispy, let it rest for a bit in between stirs so that it can brown a bit on the bottom.  It also helps greatly to use a non-stick skillet so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

7) Don’t be afraid to add in some extra soy sauce at the end: I know that everyone has different sensitivities to salt, and different brands of soy sauce also contain pretty dramatically different levels of sodium.  So I went a little light on soy sauce in the recipe below.  But please add more at the end if this tastes good to you.  I almost always stir an extra drizzle into my portion and love it.

Learn how to make vegetable fried rice—it’s a simple and satisfying dinner! This vegetarian recipe features extra vegetables and brown rice. Recipe yields 2 large or 3 moderate servings (I think you could double it if you have a large enough skillet, but you might not get as much caramelization on the edges of the veggies and rice).

HOMEMADE FRIED RICE INGREDIENTS:

Alright, so let’s talk ingredients.  To make this fried rice recipe, you will need (affiliate links included):

• Cooked, chilled rice: Any kind of white or brown rice will do.  Just be sure that it is cooked (I always cook mine in this rice cooker, which works like a charm) and thoroughly chilled (in a sealed container in the refrigerator) before adding it to your hot skillet.  Again, freshly-cooked rice will not work well in this recipe.
• Eggs: Which add great flavor, texture, and protein.
• Carrots, onions, green onions, and peas: This is the base mix of veggies that I always use for fried rice, but feel free to add in other stir-fry veggies you love (see ideas below).
• Garlic: Freshly-minced.
• Soy sauce: I created this recipe using low-sodium soy sauce.  So add less if you’re using traditional soy sauce.
• Oyster sauce: This is a major flavor booster in fried rice and (don’t worry) doesn’t taste like oysters.  You can find it in the Asian section of grocery stores, or order it on.
• Toasted sesame oil: The finishing touch in this recipe, which is a must.  You can also find it in the Asian section of grocery stores, or order it on,
• Butter: My favorite way to stir fry rice.

HOW TO MAKE FRIED RICE:

To make this homemade fried rice recipe, simply:

1. Scramble your eggs: Using a small pat of butter, scramble some eggs in a large sauté pan, breaking them into small pieces as you go.  Then transfer the eggs to a separate plate, and set aside.
2. Sauté your veggies and garlic: Return your sauté pan to the heat, and sauté the onions, carrots, peas and garlic until soft and cooked through.
3. Stir fry rice: Then turn the burner to high heat.  Scooch the veggies over to one side of the pan, melt the remaining butter in the other half, and add the chilled rice, soy sauce, and oyster sauce (if using).  Then stir to combine with the veggies and continue sautéing the rice, stirring every 15-20 seconds or so for 3 minutes, or until you notice the rice and veggies starting to brown slightly.
4. Remove pan from heat. And stir in your green onions, sesame oil, and scrambled eggs.
5. Taste and season.  Give the rice a taste, and season with salt and pepper, plus any extra soy sauce or sesame oil if needed.
6. Serve!  Then dish it up and serve nice and warm!

EASY FRIED RICE VARIATIONS:

The sky’s the limit when it comes to homemade fried rice variations, so feel free to get creative and use up other leftover ingredients you may happen to have on hand.  That said, here are some classic add-ins:

• Chicken Fried Rice: You can either sauté some chicken in a separate sauté pan while making your fried rice.  Then shred or dice and add to your fried rice.  Or for a shortcut, I like to shred a rotisserie chicken.  Or even better, shred leftovers from my favorite baked chicken breasts recipe.
• Pork Fried Rice: Sauté a boneless pork chop in a separate sauté pan while making your fried rice.  Then dice and add to your rice.
• Beef Fried Rice: Sauté steak or brown ground beef in a separate sauté pan while making your fried rice.  Then crumble or dice and add to your rice.
• Shrimp Fried Rice: Sauté half a pound of peeled, raw shrimp in separate sauté pan while making your fried rice.  Then add the shrimp to your rice.
• Vegetable Fried Rice: Any stir-fry friendly veggies would be great in fried rice!  Just sauté at the same time that you cook the onions, carrots, peas and garlic.  Then stir to combine with the fried rice.
• Kimchi Fried Rice: Fresh kimchi adds a major flavor boost to fried rice.  Just chop and stir it in to make kimchi fried rice.
• Pineapple Fried Rice: Fresh pineapple can be traditional in Chinese or Thai fried rice.  Just chop and stir it in to combine.

Also, in lieu of using traditional white rice in this recipe, feel free to make:

• Fried Brown Rice: For a healthier twist, feel free to use cooked brown rice in this recipe instead of white rice.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ teaspoon + 2 tablespoons avocado oil or safflower oil, divided
• 2 eggs, whisked together
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
• 2 cups additional veggies, cut into very small pieces for quick cooking (see photos for size reference; options include snow peas, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, bell pepper, and/or fresh or frozen peas—no need to thaw first)
• ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1 tablespoon grated or finely minced fresh ginger
• 2 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (*see notes!)
• 1 cup greens (optional), such as spinach, baby kale, or tatsoi
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce**
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Chili-garlic sauce or sriracha, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. This recipe comes together quickly. Before you get started, make sure that all of your ingredients are prepped and within an arm’s reach from the stove. Also, have an empty bowl nearby for holding the cooked eggs and veggies. I’m suggesting that you start over medium-high heat, but if at any point you catch a whiff of oil or food burning, reduce the heat to medium.
2. Warm a large cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until a few drops of water evaporate within a couple of seconds. Immediately add 1 ½ teaspoon of oil and swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Add the scrambled eggs and swirl the pan so they cover the bottom. Cook until they are just lightly set, flipping or stirring along the way. Transfer the eggs to a bowl and wipe out the pan with a heat-proof spatula.
3. Return the pan to heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are tender about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the remaining veggies and salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally (don’t stir too often, or the veggies won’t have a chance to turn golden on the edges), until the veggies are cooked through and turning golden, about 3 to 5 more minutes. In the meantime, use the edge of your spatula or a spoon to break up the scrambled eggs into smaller pieces.
5. Use a big spatula or spoon to transfer the contents of the pan to the bowl with the cooked eggs. Return the pan to heat and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant while stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. Add the rice and mix it all together. Cook, stirring occasionally until the rice is hot and starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Add the greens (if using) and green onions, and stir to combine. Add the cooked veggies and eggs and stir to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the tamari and sesame oil. Taste, and add a little more tamari if you’d like more soy flavor (don’t overdo it or it will drown out the other flavors) or salt if the dish needs an extra boost of overall flavor.
7. Divide into bowls and serve immediately. I usually serve mine with chili-garlic sauce or sriracha on the side. Leftovers store well in the refrigerator, covered, for 3 to 4 days (if you used purple cabbage, it might stain your scrambled eggs a funny blue color, but it’s fine to eat).