Got Day-Old Rice? These 19 Fried Rice Dinners Beat Takeout, and One Simple Rule Changes Everything

Fried rice reaction videos from comedian Uncle Roger have pulled in tens of millions of views, and the comments always fight about the same thing: what is the right way to make it? The good news is that great fried rice is cheap, fast and made from leftovers. Learn one rule, then try a new version every night of the week..

The Golden Rule of Fried Rice: Cold, Day-Old Rice

Use cold day-old rice, never fresh. Fresh rice is soft and wet, so it steams and turns mushy. Rice that sat in the fridge overnight dries out, and every grain fries on its own. Two more rules: get the pan very hot, and cook the eggs first so they stay in soft, golden pieces. Learn this basic fried rice and you can make every recipe in this list. Did you know about the day-old rice trick?

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 2 tablespoons neutral oil, 2 eggs beaten, 3 green onions sliced (white and green parts apart), 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, white pepper.

How to make it: Break up the cold rice with your hands. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or big skillet until it shimmers, scramble the eggs softly and move them to a plate. Add the rest of the oil, the white onion and garlic, then the peas and carrots for 1 minute. Add the rice and press it against the pan for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing. Add the soy sauce, eggs, sesame oil, pepper and green onions and toss 1 more minute.

Simple Egg and Garlic Rice for Empty Fridge Nights

When the fridge is almost empty, this is the one to make. It is just rice, eggs, garlic and a little fish sauce or soy, the way it is cooked in home kitchens across Vietnam and China. Coating the rice with beaten egg before it hits the pan gives every grain a golden color. Ten minutes, three main ingredients, and a dinner that tastes like more.

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 3 eggs, 2 tablespoons oil, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 tablespoon soy sauce or 2 teaspoons fish sauce, 2 green onions, pepper.

How to make it: Beat the eggs and mix half of them into the cold rice. Heat the oil, fry the garlic for 20 seconds, then add the rest of the egg and scramble it lightly. Add the coated rice and toss over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the grains look dry and golden. Season with soy or fish sauce and pepper, then add green onions.

Shrimp Fried Rice That Beats Takeout

Shrimp cook in just two minutes, which makes this one of the fastest fried rice dinners around. Sear them first so they stay juicy, then add them back at the end. A spoon of oyster sauce gives that restaurant flavor you could never figure out at home. Would you add pineapple to this one, or keep it classic?

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 12 ounces peeled shrimp, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 eggs, 1 cup peas and carrots, 3 green onions, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

How to make it: Sear the shrimp in 1 tablespoon hot oil for 1 minute per side and set aside. Scramble the eggs and set aside. Add the rest of the oil, garlic and vegetables, then the rice, and fry 4 minutes. Stir in the soy and oyster sauce, then the shrimp, eggs, sesame oil and green onions.

Hibachi Style Garlic Butter Rice

Here is the fried rice from Japanese steakhouses, the one the chef flips on the flat grill while everyone claps. The secret is garlic butter, and lots of it. A splash of soy sauce and a little sesame oil finish it off. Serve it next to grilled chicken or steak, and do not forget the yum yum sauce.

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 4 tablespoons butter, 4 cloves garlic minced, 1 small onion diced, 1 cup peas and carrots, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 green onions.

How to make it: Melt 2 tablespoons butter with the garlic over low heat for 2 minutes to make garlic butter. In a large hot skillet, cook the onion and vegetables in 1 tablespoon butter for 3 minutes. Push them aside, scramble the eggs, then add the rice and the garlic butter. Fry 4 minutes, add the soy, sesame oil, last tablespoon of butter and green onions.

Kimchi Fried Rice With a Runny Egg

Korean kimchi bokkeumbap is what happens when tangy, spicy kimchi meets leftover rice. The kimchi gets fried first so it turns sweet and smoky, and a spoon of gochujang deepens the color. A fried egg on top, yolk still runny, is not optional. Break it open and stir it in. Who else could eat this for breakfast?

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 1 cup chopped kimchi plus 3 tablespoons kimchi juice, 1 tablespoon gochujang, 2 tablespoons oil, 4 ounces bacon or Spam diced (optional), 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 eggs, sesame seeds, nori strips.

How to make it: Fry the bacon or Spam in a little oil until crisp. Add the kimchi and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the gochujang and kimchi juice, then add the rice and fry 4 to 5 minutes until evenly red. Add sesame oil. Fry the eggs in the rest of the oil until the whites are set and lay one on each plate. Top with sesame seeds and nori.

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Sweet, salty and a little bit fancy, this Thai favorite is often served right inside a hollowed out pineapple. Curry powder turns the rice golden, cashews add crunch and the pineapple gives little bursts of juice. Serving it in the pineapple shell is the trick that makes guests grab their phones for a photo.

You will need: 3 cups cold jasmine rice, 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks, 8 ounces shrimp or chicken, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, half cup cashews, raisins (optional), green onions.

How to make it: Cook the shrimp or chicken in hot oil and set aside. Scramble the eggs and set aside. Add the rice and curry powder and fry 3 minutes. Add the soy, fish sauce and sugar, then the pineapple, cashews and raisins for 2 minutes. Fold in the shrimp, eggs and green onions. Spoon into a pineapple half to serve.

Spam and Egg Rice, Hawaii Style

In Hawaii, Spam is not a joke, it is breakfast, lunch and dinner. Crispy little cubes of it make fried rice salty, smoky and so good. Sweet corn and peas balance it out. It is cheap, it comes from the pantry and kids go crazy for it. Be honest: do you love Spam, or have you never tried it?

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 1 can (12 ounces) Spam diced, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 cup frozen corn and peas, 3 green onions, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

How to make it: Fry the Spam cubes in a dry skillet for 6 to 8 minutes until browned and crisp on all sides. Push aside, add the oil and scramble the eggs. Add the corn and peas, then the rice, and fry 4 minutes. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil, toss with green onions and serve.

Peruvian Arroz Chaufa

Chinese immigrants brought fried rice to Peru in the 1800s, and Peru made it its own. Arroz chaufa is now one of the most loved dishes in the country, served at the many chifa restaurants that mix Chinese and Peruvian flavors. Ginger, soy sauce, red bell pepper and lots of green onion make it bright and fresh. Ever tried chifa food?

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 1 pound chicken thighs diced, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 red bell pepper diced, 3 eggs, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 bunch green onions sliced.

How to make it: Season the chicken with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and fry it in hot oil until cooked, then set aside. Make a thin omelet with the eggs, roll it and slice it. Fry the ginger, garlic and bell pepper for 1 minute. Add the rice and the rest of the soy and fry 4 minutes. Toss in the chicken, egg strips, sesame oil and green onions.

Filipino Sinangag (Garlic Rice)

In the Philippines, breakfast often means sinangag: day-old rice fried with a whole head of garlic until the bits are golden and crunchy. It is served with a fried egg and longganisa sausage or crispy fried fish. The smell of the garlic alone will wake up everyone in the house. Would you eat garlic rice for breakfast?

You will need: 4 cups cold cooked rice, 1 whole head garlic (about 10 cloves) minced, 3 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, fried eggs for serving.

How to make it: Cook the garlic in the oil over medium-low heat, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes until light golden. Lift out half the garlic and save it for topping. Turn the heat up, add the rice and salt, and fry 5 minutes, breaking up any clumps. Top with the crispy garlic and serve with fried eggs.

Chicken Fried Rice Like the Takeout Spot

This is the order that shows up on every takeout table in America. Marinate the chicken for 10 minutes in soy and a little cornstarch, and it comes out tender just like the restaurant version. Make it on a Friday night and keep the money you would have spent on delivery. Pick a side: chicken fried rice or lo mein?

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 1 pound boneless chicken diced, 1 tablespoon soy sauce plus 2 tablespoons more, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 eggs, 1 cup peas and carrots, 1 small onion diced, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, green onions.

How to make it: Toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon soy and the cornstarch and rest 10 minutes. Stir fry the chicken in hot oil until cooked and set aside. Scramble the eggs and set aside. Cook the onion and vegetables 2 minutes, add the rice and fry 4 minutes. Add the soy, chicken, eggs, sesame oil and green onions.

Leftover Turkey Fried Rice for After Thanksgiving

Here is a fresh way to use up the turkey that is not another sandwich. Dark and white meat both work, and a few roasted vegetables from the holiday table can go in too. Soy sauce and ginger make it taste brand new, so nobody will guess it is leftovers. Save this one for the Friday after Thanksgiving.

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 2 cups chopped cooked turkey, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 eggs, 1 cup leftover vegetables or frozen peas, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, green onions.

How to make it: Scramble the eggs in 1 teaspoon oil and set aside. Heat the rest of the oil, fry the ginger and garlic 20 seconds, then add the vegetables and turkey for 2 minutes. Add the rice and fry 4 minutes. Stir in the soy and hoisin, fold in the eggs and green onions.

Bacon and Sweet Corn Fried Rice

Bacon fat is a magic frying oil, and sweet corn caramelizes in it. This is a Midwest twist on fried rice that tastes like summer even in November. A little butter, soy and black pepper are all it needs. It is perfect next to grilled chicken, or with a fried egg on top for breakfast.

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 6 slices bacon chopped, 1 and a half cups corn (frozen or fresh), 1 cup peas, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, black pepper, green onions.

How to make it: Cook the bacon until crisp, lift it out and keep 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan. Fry the corn in the fat for 4 minutes until it browns in spots. Add the peas and the rice and fry 4 minutes. Push aside, scramble the eggs with the butter, then toss everything with soy, pepper, bacon and green onions.

Beef and Broccoli Fried Rice

Two takeout favorites become one meal. Thin slices of flank steak sear in a hot pan while broccoli steams for a minute under a lid, then everything gets tossed with rice and a glossy oyster sauce. It is filling, colorful and done in about 25 minutes. Which is your go-to order, beef and broccoli or fried rice? Now you do not have to choose. For more nights like this, try our stir fry and rice bowls that taste better than takeout.

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 12 ounces flank steak thinly sliced, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 cups small broccoli florets, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

How to make it: Toss the beef with cornstarch and 1 tablespoon soy. Sear it in hot oil for 2 minutes and set aside. Add the broccoli and 2 tablespoons water, cover 1 minute. Add garlic and rice and fry 4 minutes. Stir in the oyster sauce, the rest of the soy, the beef and sesame oil.

Japanese Omurice

Omurice is a soft omelet wrapped around ketchup fried rice, and it is comfort food in Japan for kids and grown-ups alike. Chicken and onion go in the rice, then a silky omelet goes on top. Draw a heart or a name on it with ketchup, and dinner suddenly feels like a special occasion. Have you seen the viral videos where the omelet is sliced open?

You will need: 2 cups cold cooked rice, 4 ounces chicken diced, half onion diced, 1 tablespoon butter, 3 tablespoons ketchup plus more for topping, salt and pepper, 3 eggs, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon oil.

How to make it: Cook the chicken and onion in the butter until done. Add the rice and fry 3 minutes, then stir in the ketchup, salt and pepper. Shape the rice into an oval on a plate. Beat the eggs with milk, cook them in the oil over medium-low heat, stirring gently until just set but still soft. Slide the omelet over the rice and top with ketchup.

Vegetable Fried Rice With Crispy Tofu

Meatless Monday never tasted this good. Cubes of tofu get crispy in a hot pan with a dusting of cornstarch, then join a rainbow of vegetables and rice. Squeeze fresh lime over the top just before serving to wake up the flavor. It is a cheap way to eat more vegetables, and even meat lovers ask for seconds.

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 14 ounces firm tofu pressed and cubed, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 3 tablespoons oil, 2 cups mixed vegetables (bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, peas), 2 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, lime wedges.

How to make it: Toss the tofu with cornstarch and fry it in 2 tablespoons oil until golden on all sides, about 8 minutes, then set aside. Add the rest of the oil, garlic and vegetables and cook 3 minutes. Add the rice and fry 4 minutes. Toss with soy, sesame oil and the tofu. Serve with lime.

Crispy Sheet Pan Rice for a Crowd

No wok? No problem. A hot oven and a big sheet pan make crispy fried rice for six with almost no stirring. The rice spreads out in a thin layer, so it toasts instead of steaming. Crack eggs right onto the pan for the last few minutes. It is a smart trick for busy weeknights and big families.

You will need: 5 cups cold cooked rice, 3 tablespoons oil, 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, 2 cups diced cooked chicken or ham, 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 4 eggs, green onions.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 450F and oil a large sheet pan. Toss the rice, vegetables, meat, soy sauce and sesame oil on the pan and spread it thin. Bake 15 minutes, stir, then make 4 wells and crack an egg into each. Bake 6 to 8 more minutes until the eggs are set. Stir the eggs in and top with green onions.

Indonesian Nasi Goreng

Nasi goreng is the national comfort food of Indonesia, sold everywhere from street carts to fancy hotels. Sweet soy sauce called kecap manis gives it a deep, almost caramel color, and a fried egg and crunchy shrimp crackers come on the side. If you like sweet and spicy together, this one will be your new favorite.

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 2 tablespoons oil, 3 shallots sliced, 2 cloves garlic, 1 to 2 red chilies sliced, 8 ounces chicken or shrimp, 2 tablespoons kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon shrimp paste (optional), fried eggs, cucumber and tomato slices.

How to make it: Fry the shallots, garlic, chilies and shrimp paste in the oil for 2 minutes. Add the chicken or shrimp and cook through. Add the rice and fry 4 minutes, then add the kecap manis and soy and toss until the rice is evenly brown. Serve with a fried egg, cucumber and tomato.

Yangzhou Special Fried Rice

This is the famous one, from the city of Yangzhou in China, and the dish most Chinese restaurants call special fried rice. It has a little bit of everything: shrimp, roast pork or ham, egg, peas and green onion. Every grain should be separate and shiny, not wet or dark. It is fried rice at its most colorful.

You will need: 3 cups cold cooked rice, 2 tablespoons oil, 3 eggs, 6 ounces small shrimp, 4 ounces char siu or ham diced, half cup peas, 2 green onions, 1 teaspoon salt, white pepper, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce.

How to make it: Scramble the eggs softly in 1 tablespoon oil and set aside. Cook the shrimp 1 minute and set aside. Add the rest of the oil, then the rice, and fry 4 minutes until the grains are hot and separate. Add the pork, peas, salt, pepper and soy, then fold in the eggs, shrimp and green onions.

Thai Khao Pad Pu With Sweet Crab

Khao pad pu is simple Thai street food that feels like a treat. Sweet lump crab meat is folded in at the very end so it stays in big tender pieces. It comes with cucumber slices, lime and a little dish of chili fish sauce. Which fried rice from this list are you making first? Tell us in the comments.

You will need: 3 cups cold jasmine rice, 2 tablespoons oil, 3 cloves garlic, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 8 ounces lump crab meat, 3 green onions, cucumber and lime for serving.

How to make it: Fry the garlic in hot oil for 20 seconds, then scramble the eggs. Add the rice and fry 4 minutes. Season with fish sauce, soy and sugar. Gently fold in the crab and green onions and cook 1 minute more. Serve with cucumber slices and lime wedges.