What is the best type of rice to use
My top choice of rice to use in any of my fried rice recipes is jasmine rice, which is a variety of long grain rice. Not only do the rice grains separate nicely during stir frying, the rice itself also has a nice aroma.
My second choice of rice is medium grain or another type of long grain rice.
I usually avoid using short grain, or sushi rice, to make fried rice. Short grain rice has a starchier texture and the grains tend to stick together, making the fried rice mushier.
What is day-old rice
Most fried rice recipes call for day-old rice, or leftover rice. This means rice that has been stored in the fridge or freezer, overnight up to a few days.
When storing in the fridge or freezer, rice will start to lose moisture, making the grains dry out a bit. And that’s how you can get the grains separated nicely and toast them until crispy when cooking them in the pan.
That being said, if you do not have leftover rice, it’s OK to use fresh rice as well. Once you make the rice, spread it out thinly on a large plate or tray to cool off faster. And then store the rice uncovered in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. This is a trick I use to dry out the rice as fast as I can.
Ingredients and mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
- Rice – Fluffed with your hands. This step further helps the rice to toast properly and crisp up.
- Sauce (soy sauce and oyster sauce) – The oyster sauce adds another layer of umami to the rice. We’ve tested the recipe without it and the flavor was a little lacking.
- Eggs – Beaten. I love to have a lot of eggs in my fried rice, so I used four. Feel free to use three to five eggs according to your preference.
- Aromatics (garlic and green onion) – The star of the dish. It’s a lot of garlic to peel and mince but it’s worth the effort.
- Seasonings (salt and sugar) – The sugar is a hidden flavor to add umami, and won’t make the rice sweet. For a result that’s closer to the restaurant version, replace half of the salt with MSG or chicken bouillon.
- Fried garlic or onion – You can use either. I used fried red onion because I always keep a jar of them in the pantry.
- Chili crisp (Optional) – It’s very optional but I highly recommend it. Use Lao Gan Ma (aka Godmother) brand if possible. It’s a cheat ingredient that makes everything taste better, but I think the chili crisp, with its intense flavor, is heavenly on garlic fried rice.
Do I need a wok?
The short answer is no. You don’t need a wok to make great garlic fried rice. For a longer answer, check out my Wok vs. Stir Fry Pan post.
The best pan for the job highly depends on your stove. If you have a regular gas stove (output is usually under 10,000 BTU), an electric stove, or an induction stove, you should use a large skillet. Use a wok if you have a higher end gas stove that has higher BTU output.
I cooked the garlic fried rice with my Debuyer 12.5” Carbon Steel Pan. It heats up and retains heat very well. And if you use it properly, it even creates some wok hei.
You can use a nonstick pan as well. If you use high heat and toast the rice long enough, the grains will get crispy.
How to make garlic fried rice
1. Lightly scramble the eggs and take them out of the pan – I like to keep the eggs a bit runny, so some will coat the rice later. I also prefer to take them out and add them back later, so the eggs will retain their golden color after adding the liquid seasonings.
2. Toast the rice and garlic – I found the best way is to add the rice and the garlic to the hot pan. When cooking garlic in a hot pan, it browns very quickly and the residual heat will burn it immediately, resulting in a bitter taste. By adding the garlic and rice on separate sides of the pan, I can toast the garlic for a short time, then immediately mix it with the rice to prevent it from burning.
3. Cook with the seasonings, then add the cooked eggs and fried garlic – the key is to thoroughly stir and toast the rice, so every grain of the rice is coated with the seasoning and gets crispy.
4. Finish up with green onion – The green onion adds another layer of aroma and a slightly sweet taste.
How to serve garlic fried rice
Garlic fried rice is a very rich side dish that goes with all kinds of main dishes. You can serve it with any stir fried main dish, such as Sweet and Sour Chicken, or Beef and Broccoli. You can make an easy comforting dinner by serving it with rotisserie chicken, leftover stew meat, or pulled pork. If you’re hosting dinner, it works well alongside Crispy Salmon and Roast Lamb Shank.
But like I mentioned above, simply add a dollop of Lao Gan Ma chili crisp and serve it as a one-bowl meal. I can finish off a big bowl of spicy garlic fried rice faster than a scoop of ice cream.
Notes
* If you prefer to add some veggies into the rice, add frozen carrots, peas and / or corn after toasting the rice, before adding the seasonings.
* Gluten-Free – to make this dish gluten free, use tamari to replace soy sauce and use a gluten-free oyster sauce.
* Vegetarian – To make the dish vegetarian, use a vegetarian oyster sauce (aka mushroom stir fry sauce).
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 239kcal, Carbohydrates: 186g, Protein: 8.9g, Fat: 11.8g, Saturated Fat: 2.7g, Cholesterol: 186mg, Sodium: 617mg, Potassium: 143mg, Fiber: 1.7g, Sugar: 1.4g, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 2mg