Better Than Takeout Fried Rice with Frozen Vegetables
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Vegetable Fried Rice is an easy weeknight side dish that can easily be made into a meal when paired with shrimp or chicken. It’s the perfect way to use up leftover rice! Whether you’re using brown rice or white rice, it’s delicious.
It doesn’t get much easier than this takeout-style fried rice! I love frying up a quick batch using frozen veggies for a quick side. Sometimes I even add a protein and eat this as a main course!
However you choose to enjoy it, this is a cheaper and healthier version of the classic fried rice you might order from your local Chinese restaurant. Trust me when I say this recipe is just as satisfying and may even become a new weeknight staple!
This is the Easiest Veggie Fried Rice
This easy fried rice recipe is ready in just 15 minutes! It’s packed with flavor, thanks to a delicious sesame oil sauce. The best part? You won’t need any fancy equipment for this recipe; a large wok is not needed, but only a large skillet.
This easy vegetable fried rice recipe is positively customizable with any vegetables you desire. Raid your fridge for that leftover rice and veggies – fresh or frozen will work just fine! You can vegetables like broccoli, red bell pepper, bok choy, or snow peas.
Ingredients for Vegetable Rice
- White rice: day old, cold white rice will have a better texture than freshly made rice. You can also substitute white rice for brown rice or jasmine rice if desired.
- Vegetable oil: vegetable oil is really the best option and I don’t recommend using olive oil, avocado oil, or sesame oil for this because vegetable oil is milder for the flavor of the veggies.
- Vegetables: I used an onion and a frozen vegetable mix with green peas, corn, and carrots, but you can use any leftover veggies in your fridge or any veggies you like! Just don’t use canned vegetables, as this may make the rice soggy. You can also add green onions and red pepper flakes for more flavor.
- Eggs: a signature ingredient of any fried rice is lightly beaten eggs!
- Protein: to make this a complete meal, add your favorite protein such as cooked chicken breast cut into smaller pieces, shrimp, Chinese sausage, or tofu.
What you’ll need for the Veggie Fried Rice Sauce
This tasty sauce is made up of sesame oil, soy sauce, and white pepper. If you do not use a dark soy sauce, the rice might not be as dark.
I like to serve my fried rice with a side of Yum Yum Sauce or Bang Bang Sauce.
How to make this Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe
1. Prepare the oil mixture. In a small bowl, whisk together sesame oil, soy sauce of choice and white pepper. Set aside.
2. Sauté onion. In a large skillet, cast iron pan, or wok, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until opaque and soft.
If you are adding raw vegetables or a cooked protein, add them at this step as well. Once the onion has cooked, add frozen vegetables. Stir until they have defrosted, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Cook the rice. Add cold rice, using a spatula to toss the rice with other ingredients. Do NOT stir, instead toss or flip to prevent the starch from making the rice too soggy.
Add lightly beaten eggs, continuing to flip until eggs are nearly cooked.
4. Add oil mixture. Pour sesame oil mixture over top of rice, continuing to flip and toss until all grains are uniformly colored. If you do not use a dark soy sauce, yours might not be as dark as mine.
The secret to making Veggie Fried Rice Recipe
The secret to good fried rice is using day old white rice. Vegetable fried rice tastes best when the rice isn’t as moist as fresh rice, so it’s a great way to use up leftover rice! Cold rice makes for the best textured fried rice.
Long grain rice is less starchy, making it the best option for fried rice. Jasmine rice works well, but other short grain varieties will make the fried rice too clumpy and sticky, rather than dry.
Fried Rice Vegetables variations
This recipe is great because you can easily switch up the veggies you include. I like to use mixed frozen vegetables for convenience, but sometimes I like to add chopped broccoli, baby corn, snap peas, mushrooms, onion, cauliflower, or spinach.
How to serve Fried Rice with Frozen Vegetables
Serve this as a side dish with a tasty Chinese dish like air fried teriyaki chicken, or use as a base for a rice bowl with your favorite protein and sauce! You can also eat it as-is with some chopsticks and pieces of seaweed for a super tasty snack.
Storing leftover Vegetable Rice
Allow your leftovers to cool and transfer to an airtight container. In the fridge, fried rice will last for 3 to 4 days. You can also store rice in freezer bags, pressing out excess air. Freeze for up to a month.
How to reheat Fried Rice Vegetables
Reheat leftover vegetable fried rice in the microwave, or return to a skillet over the stove top. I recommend adding a tablespoon or more of water to keep things from drying out as you cook.
More Asian Inspired Recipes to Try
- Air Fryer Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass
- Citrus Soy Asian Salmon
- Trader Joe’s Soyaki Tacos
- Air Fryer Chicken And Broccoli
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Fried Rice Vegetables Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked white rice, cold
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 6 ounces frozen vegetable mix, or fresh vegetables
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup cooked chicken, shrimp or Chinese sausage, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together sesame oil, soy sauce of choice and white pepper. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, cast iron pan or wok, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until opaque and soft. If you are adding raw vegetables or a cooked protein, add them at this step as well.
- After onion has cooked, add frozen vegetables. Stir until defrosted, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Add cold rice, using a spatula to toss the rice with other ingredients. Do NOT stir, instead toss or flip to prevent the starch from making the rice too soggy.
- Add lightly beaten eggs, continuing to flip until eggs are nearly cooked.
- Pour sesame oil mixture over top of rice, continuing to flip and toss until all grains are uniformly colored. If you do not use a dark soy sauce, yours might not be as dark as mine.
