This egg fried rice with vegetables is a quick, easy, and nutritious one-pan dinner recipe ready in just 15 minutes. This Indo-Chinese street-style egg fried rice recipe is made with simple ingredients like rice, eggs, and fresh vegetables. The rice grains stay separate, with soft scrambled eggs and slightly crunchy veggies.
Whenever there's leftover rice, I make egg fried rice with vegetables often at home when I want something quick but still tasty and nutritious. This egg fried rice recipe is so easy to make. Just scramble some eggs, stir-fry some vegetables, and combine them with cooked rice and soy sauce. Love Indo-Chinese dinner? Try my Schezwan chicken fried rice next.
This street-style egg fried rice is 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.
And let's not forget how great it tastes with these Indo-Chinese sides like Gobi Manchurian, Dragon Chicken, or Chilli Chicken.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick 15-minute meal
- Uses leftover rice
- Better than takeout
- Customisable
About this Egg Fried Rice Recipe
Egg fried rice is one of those easy dinners that I make again and again. It is made with fluffy rice, scrambled eggs, and a smoky flavour, cooked on high heat in a wok.
The secret for fluffy restaurant-style egg 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, transfer it to an airtight container, and then refrigerate. Then, a quick dinner is only a few minutes away if you need some delicious homemade egg fried rice.
You may also like these other popular egg recipes from this website:
Ingredients & Substitutes
This veggie egg fried rice recipe is very flexible and easy to adjust. You can use any vegetables you have at home and even add chicken, shrimp, or tofu for extra protein. If you skip the eggs, you can still enjoy a simple vegetable fried rice that tastes just as good.
- Rice: You can use any long-grain or medium-grain rice, like basmati or jasmine, for this recipe. I prefer using cooked and cooled rice, as it prevents the fried rice from becoming mushy. If using fresh rice, follow the tips in the recipe card notes.
- Eggs: Eggs are used to make soft scrambled eggs that mix well with the rice. You can replace them with chicken or shrimp if needed. For a vegetarian option, use tofu or paneer. For a non-vegetarian option, use chicken to make chicken fried rice.
- Vegetables: Fresh carrots, capsicum, cabbage, and green beans are used in this recipe. You can also use frozen vegetables, but make sure to thaw and dry them well to remove extra moisture.
- Soy sauce: I use both light and dark soy sauce. Light soy sauce adds salt and flavour, while dark soy sauce gives a darker colour and deeper taste (it is optional). You can also use low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos as a substitute.
- Oil: You can use any oil with a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. I used sunflower oil.
- Chili sauce: I use red chili sauce for a spicy kick. You can replace it with Schezwan sauce, sriracha, or any hot sauce. If you don’t like spicy fried rice, use sweet chili sauce or skip it completely.
For a detailed list of ingredients and their measurements, check out the recipe card below.
How to make Egg Fried Rice with Vegetables
Step 1: Finely chop all the vegetables (carrot, capsicum, garlic, ginger, onion, spring onion, and French beans).
Step 2: Keep all the sauces and seasonings ready before stir-frying.
Step 3: Whisk four eggs with ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Keep it aside. I prefer scrambling the eggs separately for a soft and fluffy texture.
Step 4: Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wok or skillet on medium-high heat. Pour the egg mixture and scramble, stirring occasionally until fluffy. Do not overcook. Remove to a plate.
Step 5: In the same wok, heat 3 teaspoon oil on high heat.
Step 6: Add ginger and garlic, and stir-fry for 30 seconds for the best flavour.
Step 7: Add onions and cook until lightly golden.
Step 8: Next, add carrots, cabbage, capsicum, and beans. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly soft. Do not overcook. The vegetables should stay slightly crunchy.
Step 9: Stir in cooked rice and scrambled eggs. Add chili sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper.
Step 10: Stir-fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes until everything is well mixed and the rice is lightly toasted. This gives a smoky restaurant-style flavour.
Step 11: Break any rice clumps while stir-frying. Check below for detailed instructions on cooking rice.
Step 12: Taste and adjust the seasoning. Turn off the heat. Garnish with spring onion greens. Serve hot and enjoy.
How to cook rice to make Fried Rice?
- Rinse the rice well under cold water to remove extra starch. Soak it in water for 30 minutes. This helps the rice cook faster and stay fluffy. Drain water after 30 minutes.
- Bring water to a boil in a pot and add 1 teaspoon salt. Add the soaked rice and cook until al dente (slightly firm).
- Drain the rice and spread it on a plate to cool for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight for best results.
Tips to make the Best Egg Fried Rice at Home
- Use day-old rice: Use cold, day-old rice for best results. The grains stay separate and don't turn mushy while stir-frying. Fresh rice is soft and can become sticky.
- Prep ingredients first: Chop vegetables, whisk eggs, and keep rice and sauces ready. Stir-frying is fast, so everything should be ready before you start.
- Hot wok & high heat: Use a very hot wok, kadhai, or cast-iron pan. Cook on high heat to get that smoky, restaurant-style flavour and avoid soggy rice.
- Stir-fry quickly: Keep the flame high and stir quickly. This helps in even cooking and prevents sticking.
- Soy sauce: Use a good-quality soy sauce for the best flavour. Add a little at a time to avoid making the rice too salty.
Recipe FAQs
Egg fried rice turns soggy when the rice is too soft or freshly cooked. Also, too much sauce, cooking on low heat, or overcrowding the pan releases moisture and makes it sticky.
Long-grain rice like basmati works best. The grains stay separate and give that restaurant-style texture.
Yes, but it must be cooled completely first. I usually spread it on a plate for 30 minutes and then refrigerate it for 1-2 hours to dry it out.
Yes, you can skip the eggs and make simple vegetable fried rice. I sometimes add paneer or tofu instead, and it still tastes really good.
Recipe Card
Egg Fried Rice With Vegetables
Video
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
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oil
For egg fried rice
- 3 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 an additional 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce in its place. Use a total 2 tablespoon soy sauce (adjust between light and dark)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon white/black pepper powder
- 2 tablespoon spring onion greens (or scallions) for garnish
Instructions
- Finely chop carrot, capsicum, cabbage, French beans, onion, garlic, ginger, and spring onion.
- Keep all sauces and seasonings ready before cooking (important for stir-fry).
- Whisk 4 eggs with ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Keep aside.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wok on medium-high heat. Add eggs and scramble until soft and fluffy. Do not overcook. Remove and keep aside.
- In the same wok, heat 3 teaspoon oil on high heat. Add ginger and garlic, and stir-fry for 30 seconds for the best flavour.
- Add onions and cook until slightly golden.
- Add carrot, cabbage, capsicum, and beans. Add a little salt and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes on high heat. Keep vegetables slightly crunchy.
- Add cooked and cooled rice along with scrambled eggs.
- Add chili sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce (optional), vinegar, and pepper.
- Stir-fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes until well mixed and slightly toasted. This gives a smoky, restaurant-style flavour.
- Break any rice lumps gently while mixing. Do not mash the rice.
- Taste and adjust salt if needed. Garnish with spring onion greens. Serve hot.
Notes
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- 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 into 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.
- You can add ½ teaspoon ajinomoto (optional) for extra flavour. I skipped it, and the fried rice still tasted great without it.
- 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.