This quick fried rice (with leftover rice) comes together in just 15 minutes, making it the ultimate weeknight lifesaver. The key to success? Handling rice properly and controlling moisture—day-old rice fries best, but quickly cooling fresh rice can also ensure the right texture. My recipe builds flavor in layers, from sautéed aromatics to perfectly timed vegetable additions and a balanced finish. High heat, a wide pan, and strategic layering prevent steaming, keeping the rice crisp, the eggs fluffy yet integrated, and every ingredient purposeful for restaurant-quality results!
This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
No takeout fried rice, try this leftover rice recipe!
If you love ordering late night fried rice from your local Chinese restaurant, you’ll love this fried rice. There’s something super satisfying about taking a bowl of day-old leftover rice and turning it into a meal that feels fresh, vibrant, and packed with flavor!
In college, fried rice was my answer to “What’s for dinner?” whenever we had leftover rice, and to this day, I love the creativity it allows. No rigid rules—just a hot pan, some oil, and whatever veggies are hanging around in the fridge. This version is my go-to when I need something quick, comforting, and just a little bit spicy. Plus, it’s the perfect way to make leftovers feel brand new!
- Great with fresh or frozen veggies. I use a combination of fresh vegetables (e.g. mushrooms) and frozen vegetables (e.g. peas or broccoli) for this dish.
- Can be made vegan and gluten-free. To make this vegan, use an egg replacement (e.g. Just Egg) and to make this vegan, substitute soy sauce with gluten-free tamari.
Want more leftover rice recipes? Check out my pineapple fried rice, cumin rice, and green rice casserole.
📋 Ingredients & Notes
You’ll need leftover cooked rice, eggs, “clear your fridge out” vegetables, sesame oil, soy sauce and basic seasoning to make this fried rice. I used broccoli, peas, mushrooms, cabbage, and jalapeños. I have used brown rice here (because that’s what I had left) but have made this before with all kind of rice, so you can use any type of rice you have at home.
Shruthi’s Top Tip
Chill fresh rice fast if you don’t have day-old rice. Spread hot, freshly cooked rice on a large baking sheet in a thin layer, pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes, and stir halfway through. This helps dry out excess moisture.
- Use a wok or wide pan with sloped sides if possible. It allows the rice to move freely while cooking, preventing steaming and ensuring every grain gets contact with the hot surface.
- Heat your pan properly before adding oil—it should be shimmering but not smoking. This helps sear the rice instead of making it soggy. A drop of water should sizzle immediately upon contact.
- Start with a neutral oil for frying and finish with a drizzle of sesame oil at the end for the best depth of flavor. Adding sesame oil too early burns off its nuttiness.
- Fried rice is a quick-cooking dish, so have all your ingredients chopped, sliced, and ready to go before you start cooking! This includes fresh vegetables, aromatics (like garlic and ginger), and any sauces or seasonings you’ll be using.
- Use a folding and pressing technique when mixing rice. Rather than stirring constantly, use a spatula to press the rice down against the pan for 30 seconds, then fold and mix. This helps create crispy bits.
- Scrambling eggs in the pan before adding rice creates soft, distinct curds. Mixing them directly with rice results in smaller, more integrated egg bits.
- In the final minute, turn the heat to high and let the rice crisp up undisturbed for 30–45 seconds before tossing again. This mimics restaurant-style wok hei (that smoky, toasty flavor)
- You can use fresh or frozen vegetables for this recipe. Frozen broccoli, peas, cauliflower, bok choy, corn all make great fried rice components (no need to thaw!) Cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms are excellent if used fresh.
- Add protein to the dish. I love adding a can of chickpeas or roasted tofu to the dish for extra protein. You can also add seitan or other protein of choice.
📖 Make the best fried rice with leftover rice!
Heat oil in a large pot or skillet on medium heat. Add jalapeño, cabbage, and mushrooms and cook for ~5 minutes.
Push vegetables to one side, then add garlic and ginger. Stir just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Whisk eggs in a glass with a fork. Pour into the pan, stirring occasionally until they begin to set but are still slightly soft, about 1 minute. Mix the eggs into the vegetables, breaking them up into bite-sized curds.
Increase heat to high. Add rice, using a fold-and-press technique: press rice into the pan for 30 seconds, then stir and repeat.
Add frozen veggies, cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to prevent excess moisture buildup.
Drizzle in soy sauce, and other seasoning. Allow rice to sit undisturbed for 30-45 seconds to develop crispy bits. Remove from heat, garnish with green onions, and serve immediately
Garnish with green onions or sesame seeds, serve hot!
🍲 Serve and store quick fried rice!
You can serve this fried rice with so many things! Serve with gochujang tofu, sesame tofu, or Kung Pao tofu!
Look, it only takes 15 minutes to make this fried rice with leftover rice, so I suggest making it fresh whenever possible. But if you’re in a pinch, see below.
Store or freeze: Portion them, place in an airtight container (like these freezer safe ones) and store. This fried rice can last up to 5 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer.
Reheat: If frozen, transfer the desired portion of frozen fried rice from the freezer to the fridge, allowing it to thaw overnight. Thawing in the refrigerator helps maintain the texture and taste of the rice!
Then, once thawed, reheat in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave, using short intervals and stirring in between to ensure even heating.
🍲 Other rice recipes you’ll love!
If you enjoyed this quick fried rice recipe, try some these other rice recipes:
- Nigerian jollof rice (spicy tomato-pepper base)
- Indian cumin rice
- Cilantro lime rice
- Garlic butter rice
- Indian kitchari (rice-lentil porridge)
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quick Fried Rice with Leftover Rice
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
Base
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, chopped finely (optional)
- ¼ head cabbage, chopped finely
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped
- 4 large eggs, whisked, substitute with 1 cup of Just Egg
- 3 cups cooked day-old rice, see post for tips on using fresh rice
- 1 cup frozen broccoli
- ½ cup frozen peas
Seasoning
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, reduced sodium variety
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- If using fresh rice, spread it onto a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes, stirring once, to dry it out.
- Heat a 12-inch nonstick or carbon-steel skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat.
- Add jalapeño, cabbage, and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and mushrooms are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Push vegetables to one side of the pan.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the empty side, followed by garlic and ginger. Stir just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour whisked eggs into the pan, stirring occasionally until they begin to set but are still slightly soft, about 1 minute. Mix the eggs into the vegetables, breaking them up into bite-sized curds.
- Increase heat to high. Add rice, using a fold-and-press technique: press rice into the pan for 30 seconds, then stir and repeat. This promotes crisping.
- Add frozen broccoli and peas; cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to prevent excess moisture buildup.
- Drizzle in soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and black pepper; stir to evenly coat rice. Allow rice to sit undisturbed for 30-45 seconds to develop crispy bits. Stir, add remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and cook 1 minute more.
- Remove from heat, garnish with green onions, and serve immediately.
Notes
- If using freshly cooked rice, spread it on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes, stirring once. This prevents steaming and results in better texture.
- A 12-inch or larger skillet ensures rice can fry evenly instead of steaming. If using a wok, preheat it well to ensure a proper sear.
- Fresh vegetables go in first to cook down, while frozen vegetables are added last to prevent excess moisture.
- Wet rice results in clumpy, soggy fried rice. If rice starts to stick, add a teaspoon of oil rather than more liquid.
- Adding soy sauce early seasons the rice, while a final splash at the end intensifies umami and prevents over-saturation.
- Cooking eggs separately before adding rice ensures they stay fluffy and distinct rather than disappearing into the dish.
- Use a folding-and-pressing motion. Pressing rice against the pan for 30 seconds at a time before stirring encourages caramelization and crisp texture.
- Boost “restaurant quality” wok hei flavor. If using a wok, preheat until smoking, use high heat, and allow rice to char slightly for smoky depth.
- Finish with a high-heat blast. Let the rice sit undisturbed for the final 30-45 seconds before serving—this creates those coveted crispy bits!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Best types of rice for fried rice
When it comes to making fried rice, you can experiment with various types of rice to bring unique flavors and textures to your dish.
- Jasmine rice has a slightly sticky texture, and is a popular choice for fried rice.
- Basmati rice has longer rice grains and is more aromatic. The key is to ensure the grains are separate and not too moist to achieve the desired texture in your fried rice.
- Brown rice adds a nutty flavor and extra nutritional value to your fried rice, but takes longer to cook than white rice. Before using it in fried rice, cook the brown rice separately until it’s just slightly undercooked or al dente. This ensures that it doesn’t become mushy when stir-frying with other ingredients.
Jasmine and basmati rice generally have shorter cooking times, so be cautious not to overcook them during the stir-frying process. On the other hand, slightly undercooked brown rice will have more time to absorb flavors and soften while stir-frying!
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
While it’s best to use cold, leftover rice for fried rice, you can use freshly cooked rice as well. The key is to let it cool and dry out for about 30 minutes before using to achieve a better texture.
Soggy fried rice is usually a result of using too much sauce or overcrowding the pan. Ensure your rice is cold and dry before cooking, use minimal sauce, and cook in small batches to allow proper heat distribution.
If your fried rice is too soggy, spread it out on a baking sheet and place it in a preheated oven at a low temperature (around 300°F) for about 10 minutes. This will help evaporate excess moisture and restore some of the desired texture. Just be careful not to overcook it, as it can dry out quickly!
wonderful easy with leftover rice had no broccoli but had leftover ham dice small added with the eggs and yum
This was delicious. Also, great tip on how to fix soggy rice! Thank you for a great recipe.
This recipe is pretty genius! Such a great way to use leftover rice and I really love the combination of flavors. Very nice!
I am enjoying your recipes very much! Always good instruction and tips snd best of all surprizing combos. Thanx!
Thank you so much, Amy!
This was a genuine surprise! First time I’ve ever used tumeric and broccoli to make fried rice and my god was I surprised to find how deliciously different this tasted!! Highly recommend this if you want something other than your typical Chinese restaurant fried rice that is still fried rice.