Who needs takeout when you can make this quick and delicious Shrimp Fried Rice recipe at home? Tossed in a hot wok until charred, ebi chahan is a popular Chinese-style dish in Japan.
What do you cook when it’s close to dinner time but nothing is ready? One of the dishes I often turn to is this quick and easy Shrimp Fried Rice.
With just a few basic ingredients from the pantry, I can cook up an amazingly delicious dinner that my whole family loves. All done in under 20 minutes! Plus, who could resist wok charred fried rice with sweet succulent shrimp and fluffy egg?
Better Than Take-Out Shrimp Fried Rice
Whether it’s at a Chinese restaurant or Asian take-out eateries, there is no question that shrimp fried rice is a favorite. A simple concoction can feel extra indulgent with the addition of juicy shrimp. But if you were to eat fried rice, it is so much easier and better to make it at home!
I often have frozen shrimp and leftover rice in the freezer. It’s one of the kitchen hacks for any home cook. Since they defrost quickly, these items are seriously handy when comes to emergency meals. Throw them together in a hot wok, and crack in an egg, and your dinner is done faster than driving to a restaurant and waiting in line for a $9 per plate fried rice.
Can you make the fried rice as tasty as the restaurant? Of course, you can! Read on for tips & tricks on how to make the perfect fried rice at home.
Tricks and Tips to Make the Perfect Fried Rice at Home
1. Wok
You need a large wok or frying pan that has enough space for the rice to move around. The key is to make sure each rice grain comes in contact with the oil and heat. Give the rice and all the ingredients some good tossing. To prevent big clumps, do not overcrowd the ingredients. And cook 1-2 servings at a time.
2. Heat
Fried rice at the restaurant tastes good because it has that smoky flavor from the high temperature and the seasoned wok. Cooking over high heat is required and a layer of oil on a hot surface will form a non-stick coating on the wok. If the wok is not hot enough, rice will start sticking everywhere. Since you will be cooking on high heat, make sure all the ingredients are prepped and ready to throw in. If you decide to use a non-stick frying pan, don’t use high heat as you will ruin your pan.
3. Oil
You will need a decent amount of oil to cook the fluffy egg. I know you might prefer to use as little oil as possible. But you don’t want your fried rice to stick on your pan and ruin your dinner right? Don’t worry about oily eggs because you will be adding the egg back into the wok later on. The oil on the egg will coat the rice and help the rice separate from each other.
4. Rice
You can’t make fried rice with freshly cooked rice. Use day-old cold rice because it is firmer and has no excess moisture. Again, we want the rice to separate and not get mushy. If you don’t have leftover rice in hand and still wish to make fried rice. Then cook the rice ahead and let cool in the refrigerator for at least a few hours to reduce the moisture content.
5. Ingredients & Seasonings
Use ingredients that do not contain too much moisture. Extra moisture or too much saucy seasonings will make the fried rice mushy. Other than that, be creative and use any leftover meats and veggies you find in the fridge (but keep it simple)!
Fresh Cooked Fried Rice for Family Weeknight Meals
When making this shrimp fried rice at home for the family, you get to use better quality oil, ingredients, and less salt. Bookmark the recipe so you won’t be tempted to take it out next time!
Looking for more easy family weeknight meals? Browse these Under 30 Minutes Recipes.
More Quick & Easy Fried Rice Recipes You’ll Love
- Classic Fried Rice (Gluten-Free)
- Salmon Fried Rice
- Kimchi Fried Rice
- Japanese Garlic Fried Rice
- Japanese Fried Rice with Edamame, Tofu & Hijiki Seaweed (Trader’s Joe copycat recipe)
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Shrimp Fried Rice
Video
Ingredients
- 4 oz shrimp (6 shrimp; shelled and deveined)
- 1 leaf iceberg lettuce (1 oz, 30 g)
- 1 green onion/scallion
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell)
- 1 tsp sake
- ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice (preferably day-old cold rice)
- ⅛ tsp white pepper powder
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- If your 4 oz shrimp are not shelled and deveined, please see my post How to Devein Shrimp. Then, cut the deveined shrimp into ½-inch (1.3-cm) pieces.
- Cut 1 leaf iceberg lettuce and 1 green onion/scallion into small pieces.
- Gently whisk 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) in a small bowl.
- Heat a wok until the surface is almost smoking. Then, add 2 Tbsp neutral oil and spread it around until it coats the surface evenly. Add the egg and cook over high heat. The egg will not stick to the pan as long as you have added enough oil. Quickly mix it with a spatula. When it’s 80% cooked, transfer it to a plate.
- In the same wok, add the shrimp pieces and then 1 tsp sake and ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Cook until the shrimp pieces change color on the outside. The inside doesn’t have to be cooked through at this time. Remove the shrimp onto a plate.
- Add 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil and cook scallion, stir until nicely coated with oil.
- Add 2 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice and break up the chunks of cold rice. Toss in the wok and mix well together.
- When the rice is coated with oil, put the egg and shrimp back into the wok and toss it all together. Add the lettuce, ⅛ tsp white pepper powder, freshly ground black pepper, and 1 tsp soy sauce. Toss the fried rice in the wok frequently and mix it all together. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on May 14, 2014. The content has been updated in January 2020.
Hey, how are the nutrions of each dish made up? Per portion or differently?
Hello, Elfje. Thank you for reading Nami’s post.
The nutritional information is shown approximately per serving. We hope this helps.
Loved this recipe! Even without the sake and iceberg (which I didn’t have on-hand), this was really, really good! Thank you…my search for a go-to fried rice recipe is over!
Hello there, Angela! Aww. We’re thrilled to hear you loved Nami’s recipe.
Thank you very much for trying it and rating it 5 stars! It meant a lot to us.
Happy cooking!🙂
I’ve made this fried rice and loved it. But if I don’t have toasted sesame oil can tahini, peanut butter or toasted sesame paste with oil be a suitable replacement?
Hi Caroline! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe! We are glad to hear you loved the dish.
If you don’t have toasted sesame oil, we recommend simply replacing it with neutral-flavored oil. Other items will add extra flavor to this dish and change the flavor and taste.
We hope this helps!