The best fried rice recipes make use of whatever’s left in your fridge – some cold, cooked rice is a good start, as is whatever meat, seafood or vegetables you have kicking around. According to Flower Drum’s executive chef Anthony Lui, the secret to his Yangzhou fried rice with peas is wok hei, the smoky aroma from a hot wok on high heat that’s a hallmark of Chinese cooking.
Don’t miss the two fried rice recipes by Kylie Kwong, or the luxurious versions with spanner crab by Lee Ho Fook and Andrew McConnell. There’s a Cambodian-style dried shrimp fried rice recipe, a khao pad naem (Thai fried rice with pork sausages), nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) with snake bean relish, and Tony Tan’s Cantonese-style chicken fried rice recipe. Plus, an easy fried rice that happens to be vegetarian-friendly and how to make a simple egg fried rice recipe with crab and cucumber.
We love fried rice for quick, easy dinner ideas as much as we do when part of a celebratory banquet. Just make sure you have your Asian pantry staples on hand (sesame oil, soy sauce, and crunchy chilli oil are non-negotiables).
These are our best fried rice recipes.