Let me introduce you to a recipe that gets made a lot in our house – good ol’ fried rice! It’s easy, budget-friendly, and perfect for those nights when you don’t want to spend forever in the kitchen but still want something filling and delicious.
This fried rice is my go-to. It’s the kind of meal that pleases the whole family, uses up whatever veggies or leftovers are floating around in the fridge, and tastes even better the next day. You can’t go wrong!
Ingredients
- Cooked long grain rice
- Diced ham steaks (or swap for bacon, leftover chicken, pork or whatever protein you’ve got on hand)
- Onion
- Minced garlic
- Eggs
- Frozen mixed veggies
- Butter
For the sauce:
- Maggi seasoning
- Kecap manis (that sweet soy sauce – so good!)
- Soy sauce
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1
Cook the rice – You can use a rice cooker, but I usually cook mine on the stovetop with equal parts rice and water. Bring to the boil with the lid on, then turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Tip - day old rice works best for perfect fried rice texture. Just pop it in the fridge overnight.
Step 2
Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add a splash of oil and fry off your ham or bacon, onion and garlic until the ham gets a little golden and the onion softens.
Step 3
Push the mixture to the side of the pan and pour in the whisked eggs. Scramble them gently, then mix everything together.
Step 4
Add in your frozen mixed veggies and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the veggies are soft and cooked through.
Step 5
Tip in the cooked rice, add the butter, and pour over your sauce ingredients. Give it all a good stir so everything is coated and heated through.
Step 6
Let it cook for another couple of minutes to bring it all together. Serve!
It’s the ultimate weeknight dinner – quick to throw together, packed with flavour, and the leftovers are even better the next day. I always make a little extra so we’ve got some for lunchboxes or an easy reheat dinner later in the week.
Top Tips
Use cold rice: This helps keep the fried rice nice and fluffy, not clumpy or soggy.
No ham? No worries! You can swap it for bacon, shredded roast chicken, cooked prawns or even tofu for a meat-free version.
Make ahead & freeze: Let it cool completely, then portion into containers or ziplock bags and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave or a pan with a splash of water.
Thermos lunch idea: It holds up beautifully in a lunchbox thermos – just heat in the morning and pop it straight in.
Storage
Fridge:
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan with a splash of water.
Freezer:
Fried rice freezes really well! Pop portions into ziplock bags or containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or reheat straight from frozen.
Perfect for meal prep, lunchboxes, or those nights when you need dinner sorted fast.
Check out my new recipes!
Easy Fried Rice
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Ingredients
Rice
- 2 ½ cups long grain rice
- 3 ham steaks diced (or 300g diced bacon)
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 eggs whisked
- ½ cup frozen mixed vegetables
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons Maggi seasoning
- 2 tablespoons ABC kecap manis
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
Cook the rice
- You can use a rice cooker, but I usually cook mine on the stovetop with equal parts rice and water. Bring to the boil with the lid on, then turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Tip - day old rice works best for perfect fried rice texture. Just pop it in the fridge overnight.
- Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add a splash of oil and fry off your ham or bacon, onion and garlic until the ham gets a little golden and the onion softens.
- Push the mixture to the side of the pan and pour in the whisked eggs. Scramble them gently, then mix everything together.
- Add in your frozen mixed veggies and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the veggies are soft and cooked through.
- Tip in the cooked rice, add the butter, and pour over your sauce ingredients. Give it all a good stir so everything is coated and heated through.
- Let it cook for another couple of minutes to bring it all together. Serve!
The nutritional information provided is computer generated and is only an estimate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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