How To Make Shrimp Fried Rice At Home…

Fried Rice……How to make shrimp-fried rice can be one of those things that can be a bit daunting for a few. Chinese-style shrimp fried rice recipe can be fun. easy, and yummy dish altogether. I found that any fried rice dish can be quick, easy, and very customizable for anyone who loves to partake in this dish. We found ourselves loving this treat for several reasons, but we have adapted our own fried rice recipe to our liking.

How Easy Is It To Make Shrimp Fried Rice….

Fried rice has always been that one dish that I have tried to figure out, and I have always wanted to try to perfect this dish. This is one of the easiest dishes to cook, but the taste is where it could all go wrong. I was such a picky eater when I was a little girl, I guess age grows you up on some things.

I am a mom now and the very things my parents fussed about are the things that I talk to my boys about. This food thing can be a bit daunting, and a lot of work too. I am so grateful for the lessons that have been taught over the years. My boys have come to appreciate more than your average bear. The one thing that I love the most about shrimp fried rice is that it can be made with so many variations in mind. You can cater this rice to your liking with only veggies, chicken, rice alone, tofu, salmon, etc. There are a ton of options on the table in terms of it only being called shrimp fried rice.

Guys, there are a number of Chinese restaurants that serve shrimp fried rice and have great reviews. I wanted the ability to be able to grasp a recipe that I thought for so many years was so unattainable for me. I love that we can now have this shrimp-fried rice at home.

How To Make Shrimp Fried Rice (45 Second Video):

Tips For How To Make The Best Shrimp Fried Rice:

Ok, let’s get right to it!! Here are some important things that I have learned over the years on how to make shrimp-fried rice.

1) Use cold rice: You’ve gotta plan ahead and use thoroughly-chilled cooked rice.  A fresh batch of warm (or even hot) rice will not fry well when it hits the hot pan and will result in soggy, lumpy, and no good rice once it hits the pan.  So leftover refrigerated rice is ideal!  This type of cold rice will give you the maximum amount of flavor that you would want in your shrimp-fried rice. Or, if you are in a terrible hurry (or have an impulse craving for fried rice, which I completely understand 😉), just cook up a fresh batch of rice.  Then spread it out on a baking sheet or another large flat pan, drape the rice with a layer of plastic wrap, then pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes (or in the freezer for 10-15 minutes) until it is thoroughly chilled (not frozen).

2) Use butter: Yes, butter. Doesn’t butter make everything yummy! It is just that taste we all know and love.  I have made many a batch of fried rice using various oils. I can now see there’s a reason why Japanese steakhouses use that huge pat of butter when they’re making fried rice.  It just tastes so good, and also makes everything brown up perfectly.  (Although don’t be scared — we only use 3 tablespoons for a very large batch of rice!)

3) Use veggies: This is one of my takes on veggies.  In addition to adding some nice spots of color, veggies go a long way in adding some flavor and freshness to fried rice. I didn’t add veggies to this batch, because I am using what I have on hand. Our local Chinese restaurant always added both white and green onions, too, which I included in this recipe.  But feel free to modernize or create this recipe with some other delicious stir-fried veggies as well! That is the beauty of fried rice, creating what you want in the kitchen.

4)  Use toasted sesame oil: If you do not eat seafood, that is fine, use chicken, or any other thing. You can’t leave out sesame oil, it will not be the same SORRY!  But this ingredient makes such a difference in good fried rice, and a little goes a long way.  Toasted sesame oil, on the other hand, is 100% non-negotiable.  It is my favorite smelling ingredient in my kitchen and tastes wonderful in fried rice.  I bring in my sesame oil in the beginning, it runs the entire show.

5) Use high heat: This will help fry and brown the rice and veggies well, and will also help prevent the rice from steaming in the pan instead of frying. Using high heat brings this dish to another level, and honestly, there isn’t any way of getting around it. If your heat is low, it will smother the flavor that this shrimp-fried rice has to give.

6) Let the rice brown a bit on the bottom: If you’re like me and love your rice to be a bit crispy, let it rest for a bit in between stirring so that it can brown a bit on the bottom.  It also helps greatly to use a non-stick skillet so that the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Browning your rice a bit gives it that true authenticity to the shrimp-fried rice dish.

7) Don’t be afraid to add in some extra soy sauce at the end: I know that everyone has different sensitivities to salt, and different brands of soy sauce also contain pretty dramatically different levels of sodium. i love the soy sauce too for the smokiness it gives. I am a Kikkoman soy sauce fan, it renders the most deepness to the dish itself.

Shrimp Fried Rice Ingredients:

Alright, so let’s talk ingredients.  To make this fried rice recipe, you will need (affiliate links included):

• Cooked, chilled rice: Any kind of white or brown rice will do.  Just be sure that it is cooked (I always cook mine in this instapot, which works like a charm) and chilled well (in a sealed container in the refrigerator) before adding it to your hot skillet.  Again, freshly-cooked rice or too soggy cooked rice will not work well for this recipe. I also love this wok here, and this wok here.
• Eggs: Which adds great flavor, texture and protein. We love eggs in our fried rice, it is pretty delicious actually!
• Carrots, onions, green onions and peas: This is the base mix of veggies that I always use for fried rice, but feel free to add in other stir-fry veggies you love (see ideas below). This is only an option, you don’t have to put any of these things into your shrimp fried rice. I love them both ways honestly. I love the onions too, it gives the best flavor ever!
• Soy sauce: I created this recipe using regular soy sauce.  So add less if you’re using traditional soy sauce. There is low sodium soy sauce out there, you can use what works for you.
• Toasted sesame oil: The beginning and ending touch in this recipe, which is a must.  You can also find it in the Asian section of grocery stores, or order it on Amazon.
• Butter: My favorite way to stir up shrimp fried rice.

Simple Steps To Make Shrimp Fried Rice:

To make this homemade fried rice recipe, simply:

1. Scramble your eggs: Using one tablespoon of sesame oil, scramble some eggs in a large sauté pan, breaking them into small pieces as you go.  Then transfer the eggs to a separate plate, and set aside. Or you can scramble your eggs with the shrimp up to you. Seems like the best dishes you find in the world have the most rigged way of cooking it.
2. Sauté your veggies: Keep your sauté pan to the heat, and sauté the onions, carrots, peas until soft and cooked through.
3. Stir the rice: Keep the burner on high heat.  Scooch the veggies over to one side of the pan, melt the remaining butter in the other half, and add the chilled rice, and soy sauce.  Then stir to combine with the veggies and continue sautéing the rice, stirring every 15-20 seconds or so for 3 minutes, or until you notice the rice and veggies starting to brown slightly.
4. Remove pan from heat. And stir in your green onions, and scrambled eggs if you hadn’t done so already. Keep the green onions until the end so that your onions don’t wilt.
5. Taste and season.  Give the rice a taste, and season with salt and pepper, plus any extra soy sauce or sesame oil if needed.
6. Serve!  Then dish it up and serve nice and warm!

Several Fried Rice Variations:

The sky’s the limit when it comes to several homemade fried rice variations, so feel free to get creative and inspired, use up other leftover ingredients you may happen to have on hand.  That said, here are some classic add-ins:

• Chicken Fried Rice: You can either grill some chicken in a separate sauté pan while making your fried rice.  Then shred or dice and add to your fried rice.  Or for a shortcut, some use rotisserie I don’t though, to weak of chicken for my taste.
• Pork Fried Rice: Sauté a boneless pork chop, or pork loin in a separate sauté pan while making your fried rice.  Then dice and add to your rice.
• Beef Fried Rice: Sauté steak or brown ground beef in a separate sauté pan while making your fried rice.  Then crumble or dice and add to your rice.
• Shrimp Fried Rice: Sauté half a pound of peeled, raw shrimp in separate sauté pan while making your fried rice.  Then add the shrimp to your rice.
• Vegetable Fried Rice: Any stir-fry friendly veggies would be great in fried rice!  Just sauté at the same time that you cook the onions, carrots, peas and garlic.  Then stir to combine with the fried rice.

Also, in lieu of using traditional white rice in this recipe, feel free to make:

• Fried Brown Rice: For a healthier twist, feel free to use cooked brown rice in this recipe instead of white rice.
• Here is another favorite shrimp fried rice recipe here.