This vegetable egg fried rice is a flavorful, quick, and nutritious meal. Made with fluffy rice, savory eggs, and colorful vegetables, this restaurant-quality egg dish will leave you feeling energized and satisfied. With leftover rice, one pan, and simple ingredients, you can make it quickly within 15 minutes. Learn how to make it at home with step-by-step photos and a brief video tutorial.
Whenever there's leftover rice, this egg-fried rice with vegetables comes to mind for a quick and nutritious meal. It's so easy to make just like my Schezwan chicken fried rice, and you can make it in one pan within 15 minutes. Just scramble some eggs, stir-fry some vegetables, and combine them with cooked rice. Then season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce. It tastes incredibly delicious.
Egg-fried rice is a classic Chinese dish. I've lost count of the times I've ordered it at Chinese restaurants during our college days. A combination of fluffy rice, scrambled eggs, and smoky flavor, it's a match made in heaven. And let's not forget how great it tastes with a side of Gobi Manchurian, Dragon Chicken, or Chilli Chicken. It's the ultimate comfort food that's ready in only 15 minutes.
About this Vegetable Egg Fried Rice
The traditional egg fried rice recipe is made with a combination of eggs, fluffy cooked rice, and soy sauce. This easy recipe for fried rice stands apart by incorporating a variety of colorful vegetables that enhance its nutritional value and also add a unique flavor profile that distinguishes it from the classic Chinese version. Additionally, we'll share restaurant-style secrets for creating fluffy vegetable egg fried rice at home.
The secret for fluffy restaurant-style fried rice is high heat, fast stir-frying, and cold rice (rice that has been refrigerated for a day). The high heat gives the rice a nice crust, while quick stir-frying ensures even cooking. Here's a tip: On Sunday, prepare a large batch of rice, allow it to cool fully, and then refrigerate. Then, a fantastic lunch is only a few minutes away if you need some delicious homemade egg fried rice.
It's perfect for those busy weekdays when I need a quick and satisfying dinner for my family. Kids love Chinese, but as a mom, I want to feed them something nutritious too. So, a combination of Chinese fried rice and nutritious vegetables makes this vegetable and egg fried rice a perfect choice.
You may also like these other popular egg recipes from this website:
Ingredients & Substitutes
This vegetable egg fried rice recipe is versatile. This dish can be customized to suit any taste or dietary preference with a simple foundation of cooked rice, vegetables, and seasonings. You can add any vegetables you have on hand. You can add any other protein like chicken, shrimp, or tofu to your fried rice. Skip eggs and your vegetable fried rice is ready, that tastes equally delicious.
- Rice: This is the base of the egg-fried rice. Any long-grain or medium-grain rice brand like basmati or Jasmine rice works fine. It's best to use leftover cooked rice that has cooled down completely, as this will prevent the fried rice from becoming mushy when we stir-fry it. If you want to use freshly cooked rice I have shared a few tricks in recipe card notes to use it for making this fried rice recipe.
- Eggs: These are used to make the scrambled eggs that are mixed into the rice. You can use any other protein instead of eggs like chicken or shrimp. You can make simple vegetarian fried rice even more nutritious by adding tofu or paneer for a boost of protein.
- Vegetables: Fresh carrots, capsicum, cabbage, and green beans are the vegetables that I used for this recipe. If you prefer, frozen vegetables can be used, but make sure to thaw them completely and dry them off with a clean kitchen towel to remove any extra moisture.
- Soy sauce: I used a combination of both light & dark soy sauce. Light soy sauce adds a salty flavor and light color to your fried rice, while dark soy sauce gives it a dark color and a deep umami flavor that you often find in restaurant fried rice. Dark soy sauce is optional. Many don't prefer dark colors to their fried rice. You can also use low-sodium soy sauce. Coconut aminos make a great substitute for soy sauce.
- Pepper and salt: Basic seasoning for any fried rice recipe.
- Oil: You can use any oil with a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. I used sunflower oil.
- Ginger, garlic, and onions/scallions: A staple in Asian cuisine. These aromatics provide a savory foundation base for fried rice. Their combination adds depth and complexity to flavors, making them essential ingredients for cooking authentic Asian meals.
- Chili sauce: I have used red chili sauce for a spicy kick. You can substitute it with schezwan sauce, sriracha, or hot sauce. And if you are not a fan of spicy vegetable fried rice then either add sweet chili sauce or skip adding any chili sauce.
For a detailed list of ingredients and their measurements, check out the recipe card below.
How to make Vegetable Egg Fried Rice
Prepping the ingredients
1) Finely chop the vegetables (carrot, capsicum, garlic, ginger, onions, spring onions or scallions, and French beans.) Keep all the sauces and seasoning ready before you start stir-frying.
2) Whisk four eggs with ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Keep it aside.
Making Egg Fried Rice with Vegetables
1) Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a cast-iron wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the egg mixture. Scramble the eggs, stirring occasionally until they are fluffy. Do not overcook the eggs. Remove it to a plate.
2) In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add onions. Stir-fry and cook until onions are lightly golden.
3) Next, add carrots, cabbage, capsicum, and beans. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir-fry them for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are slightly soft. Do not overcook the vegetables. They must retain a crunch in them.
4) Stir in cooked rice and scrambled eggs. Add chili sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until everything is well combined and rice is toasted well. Stir-frying on high heat will develop a smoky restaurant style flavor to fried rice. Break any clumps in rice while stir-frying. I have given instructions on how to cook rice below.
5) Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat. Garnish with spring onion greens. Serve hot and enjoy.
Tips to make the Best Vegetable Egg Fried Rice
- Use Day-Old Rice: The secret to fluffy and non-sticky restaurant-style egg fried rice is to use cold, day-old rice. The grains will be drier and separate. They will remain firm during stir-frying. If you use freshly cooked rice, the rice grains are soft and easily become mushy when you stir-fry them.
- Prep the ingredients: Prepare your ingredients in advance and keep them within easy reach. Chop the vegetables, whisk the eggs, and have cooked rice, sauces, and seasonings ready to go. Stir-frying is a fast-paced process, so it's important to have everything organized before you begin.
- Hot Wok and High Heat: A very hot wok is essential for achieving the crispy texture and smoky flavor of restaurant-style veggie egg fried rice. If you don't have a wok, use a cast-iron skillet or kadhai. Another important thing, keep the heat high throughout the cooking process to ensure the rice and vegetables are cooked quickly and don't become soggy.
- Stir-Fry Quickly: Use quick, vigorous movements to stir-fry the rice, eggs, and vegetables. This helps to prevent sticking and ensures even cooking.
- Soy Sauce: A key ingredient for the savory flavor of fried rice. Use a high-quality soy sauce for the best results.
How to cook rice to make Fried Rice?
Rinse the rice thoroughly under cold water to remove excess starch. Soak it in water for 30 minutes. Soaking cut downs the cooking time of rice and ensures they are cooked fluffy. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan/pot and add 1 teaspoon salt.
Add the rinsed rice. Cook the rice in salted water until al dente (slightly undercooked with a firm bite). Drain the rice in a colander and spread it out on a large plate/tray to cool for 30 minutes. Then, refrigerate the rice for 2 hours to make fried rice instantly. Or refrigerate it overnight to make fried rice the next day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fried rice is a versatile dish and goes great with anything. Here are a few suggestions:
Serve it with grilled chicken, spicy cajun chicken bites, dragon chicken, Kung pao chicken, chilli chicken, chicken 65, or teriyaki chicken. Pair it with gobi (cauliflower) manchurian or chicken manchurian. If you are a seafood lover this cajun shrimp or panfried mackerel will be a great choice. For veggie options, serve with steamed or roasted broccoli or stir-fried veggies.
It may be because of two reasons:
1) Insufficient Heat: The rice needs to be cooked on high heat in a hot wok to achieve a crispy texture of fried rice. If the heat is low, the rice will absorb excess moisture and become soggy.
2) Using freshly cooked rice: Using freshly cooked rice can result in soggy fried rice. The grains are still tender and break down easily when stirred. It's recommended to let the rice cool completely in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before making fried rice. This allows the grains to firm up and maintain their texture. Or better to use a day-old, refrigerated cold rice.
Jasmine or Basmati rice are popular choices for their fragrant aroma and fluffy texture. While these are common options, any type of cooked rice can be used as long as it doesn't become sticky after being cooked.
Egg Fried Rice With Vegetables Variations
- Spicy Egg Fried Rice: Add chopped chili peppers or a spoonful of chili sauce to the rice.
- Kimchi Egg Fried Rice: Incorporate kimchi for a spicy and tangy kick.
- Swap Eggs with Other Proteins like chicken to make Chicken fried rice or with Prawns/Shrimp to make Prawn fried rice.
- Pineapple Egg Fried Rice: Add diced pineapple for a sweet and savory combination.
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Recipe Card
Vegetable Egg Fried Rice
Equipment
- 1 Cast iron skillet/wok
Ingredients
- 3 cups of cooked rice or 1 cup of uncooked rice (instructions to cook rice given in recipe card notes)
For scrambled eggs
- 4 eggs
- ½ teaspoon white/black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oil
For egg fried rice
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1.5 cups of mixed vegetables ½ cup carrot, ½ cup capsicum, ¼ cup cabbage and ¼ cup french beans/green beans
- 1 teaspoon red chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (optional) If you skip dark soy sauce add additional 1 tablespoon light soy sauce in its place.
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon white/black pepper powder
- ¼ spring onion greens (or scallions)
Instructions
Prepping the ingredients
- Finely chop the vegetables (Carrot, capsicum, garlic, ginger, onions, spring onions or scallions, and French beans.)
- Keep all the sauces and spices read before you start stir-frying.
- Whisk four eggs with ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Keep it aside.
Making Egg Fried Rice with Vegetables
- Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a cast-iron wok or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Pour the egg mixture. Scramble the eggs, stirring occasionally until they are fluffy. Do not overcook the eggs. Remove it to a plate.
- In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoon of oil over medium high heat. Add ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds or until aromatic.
- Add onions. Stir-fry and cook until onions are lightly golden.
- Next, add carrots, cabbage, capsicum and green beans. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir-fry them for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are slightly soft. Do not overcook the vegetables. They must retain a crunch in them.
- Stir in cooked rice and scrambled eggs. Add chili sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar and pepper. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until everything is well combined and rice is toasted well. Stir-frying on high heat will develop a smoky restaurant style flavor to fried rice. Break any clumps in rice while stir-frying.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat. Garnish with spring onion greens (or scallions). Serve hot and enjoy.
Video
Notes
-
- Use Day-Old Rice: The secret to fluffy and non-sticky restaurant-style fried rice is to use cold, day-old rice. The grains will be drier and separate. They will remain firm during stir-frying. If you use freshly cooked rice, the rice grains are soft and easily become mushy when you stir-fry them.
- If freshly cooked rice is all you have, try this simple trick. Cook the rice in salted water until al dente and not mushy for fluffy and restaurant-worthy egg-fried rice. Drain it to a colander. Spread it on a big plate/large tray to cool down to room temperature, and then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. This process dries out the rice grains, making them firm and ideal for stir-frying.
- Prep the ingredients: Prepare your ingredients in advance and keep them within easy reach. Chop the vegetables, whisk the eggs, and have cooked rice, sauces, and seasonings ready to go. Stir-frying is a fast-paced process, so it's important to have everything organized before you begin.
- Hot Wok and High Heat: A very hot wok is essential for achieving the crispy texture and smoky flavor of restaurant-style veggie fried rice. If you don't have a wok, use a cast-iron skillet or kadhai. Another important thing, keep the heat high throughout the cooking process to ensure the rice and vegetables are cooked quickly and don't become soggy.
- Stir-Fry Quickly: Use quick, vigorous movements to stir-fry the rice, eggs, and vegetables. This helps to prevent sticking and ensures even cooking.
- Soy Sauce: A key ingredient for the savory flavor of fried rice. Use a high-quality soy sauce for the best results.
- Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Preeti
This vegetable egg fried rice recipe is so incredibly easy to make, and tastes delicious. It's the perfect weeknight meal, and I hope you'll give it a try.