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Shrimp Fried Rice

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Shrimp fried rice is a great tasty meal that can be ready in about 30 minutes. Plus it is super easy to customize to match your tastes.

close bowl of shrimp fried rice and chopsticks ready to eat.

Fried rice has to rank up there as one of the ultimate dishes. It is quick, easy and full of flavor. This recipe is loaded with vegetables, protein and flavor.

It is a great way to use leftover rice but is totally worth making rice just for this. Follow the tips to make a great easy fried rice even on a busy night.

Fried rice might seem complicated and a little intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Really it can be relatively simple to make

Just follow some of the simple tops below and you’ll be enjoying great food. These same principles apply no matter what, so you can easily adjust this recipe to suit your tastes.

Ingredients ready to be made into shrimp fried rice.

Switching out the shrimp for pork or chicken takes almost no other changes.  You can also adjust the seasoning and spice level and be eating your ultimate meal.

Add more veggies if you would like or just adjust your ratio to your tastes. It’s really up to you!

Just use this recipe as a roadmap to point you in the right direction. Then adjust it to match your whims.

Carrots, onions and celery cooking in pan.

That is the lovely part of cooking. Recipes like this are super forgiving so you are only limited by your imagination.

Now lets work through the tips that can help you have that successful outcome the first time. Then feel free to play and come back and tell me what you love!

Adding cooked rice and scrambled eggs to pan with cooked veggies.

Best Rice for Fried Rice

Using long grain rice is the best option for fried rice. It is less sticky and will give you the best texture.

Jasmine rice is a particularly good option. It has a great texture and a lovely flavor and aroma.

chili sauce and soy sauce mixture poured over rice in skillet.

Medium grain rice is a little stickier, but can be used. If it’s chilled and dried out a bit, it can make an excellent base for fried rice.

Ideally the rice will be made the day ahead and chilled. It will have more individual grains and will absorb the flavors nicely.

skillet full of shrimp fried rice ready to serve

If you don’t have leftover rice, don’t despair. Just cook some rice, spread it out on a baking sheet and place it in the refrigerator.

That will not only chill it faster but help dry it out a bit. That will help improve the final product with almost no extra effort or preplanning!

What oil should you use for fried rice?

For stir frying and other high heat cooking methods, you want to use an oil with a higher smoke point. So use vegetable oil, peanut oil or even soy oil.

You don’t want to use olive oil or butter. Both have lower smoke points and are not ideal for this high temperature cooking method.

bowl of shrimp fried rice with cashews and scallions.

That heat is part of what gives you that yummy texture, so go for it. If you are having nerves about cooking the eggs and shrimp while cooking the rice, do them ahead and just hold them until you need them.

More yummy recipe ideas

If you want some fried rice goodness in a one pot simplified way, I have you covered there too. Mimi’s simplified pork fried rice starts with dry rice and it all cooks together.

Of course egg rolls would be a wonderful compliment to the meal. Or try my baked crab rangoon egg rolls for a super fun side!

For a simple shrimp recipe, try roasted shrimp with lemon. It is great as an entrée or as an appetizer.

Or try making caramel pork and rice in the instant pot for another fun Asian inspired meal. It is a good mix of a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy.

Did you make this great recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card below!

close bowl of shrimp fried rice and chopsticks ready to eat.

Shrimp Fried Rice

Carlee
Shrimp fried rice is a great tasty meal that can be ready in about 30 minutes. Plus it is super easy to customize to match your tastes.
5 from 6 ratings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dinners
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 255 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 large onion
  • 5 carrots
  • 3 celery stalks
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup chicken broth or your broth of choice
  • 5 spring onions
  • 12- ounce bag of small shrimp cleaned with the tail off
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons chili paste
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon sriracha
  • cups cooked white rice day old rice is best
  • Optional garnish: cashews peanuts and green onions

Instructions
 

  • Let the rice cool completely and dry out in the fridge for an hour or so.
    4½ cups cooked white rice
  • Dice the clean and dice the onion, carrots and celery. A medium dice works well.
    1 large onion, 5 carrots, 3 celery stalks
  • In a large wok pan or frying pan, add the vegetable oil and let it heat over medium to medium-high heat until you can see the ripples. Add the onion to the pan and let it cook until it becomes translucent.
    3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Add the carrots and celery to the wok and stir to coat all of the veggies with the oil. If they seem a little dry, drizzle a bit more oil over them.
  • Pour in the chicken broth and cook until almost all of the water has reduced down.
    1 cup chicken broth
  • Next, grate the ginger and add it to a small bowl with the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, chili paste, soy sauce and sriracha. Mix well and set aside.
    1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 Tablespoons chili paste, ½ cup soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon sriracha, 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
  • In a separate frying pan, drizzle a bit of the olive oil into it and add let it heat over medium heat. Add the shrimp to the pan and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove them once they have lightly crisped up. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
    12- ounce bag of small shrimp
  • In the same small frying pan scramble the eggs. Add them to the wok and stir completely.
    4 eggs
  • Add the chilled rice to the wok. Drizzle the chili sauce mix over the rice and add the green onions and shrimp.
    5 spring onions
  • Mix all of the contents together until well combined. Let it cook for another five to six minutes so that the rice can crisp up a bit.
  • Garnish with fresh green onions, peanuts or cashews. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 255kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 8gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 1473mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5g
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Recipe Rating




Karen

Tuesday 1st of September 2020

One of my favorite things to make is fried rice. It also is great as bait to get my grown children who love Chinese take-out to come visit! This sounds amazing.

Carlee

Monday 7th of September 2020

Ha! I am totally going to use Little Dude's favorite foods in the same way when he moves out!

Val

Monday 31st of August 2020

This looks so good! I can't wait to try your recipe. My family and I eat shrimp a couple times of month.

Carlee

Monday 7th of September 2020

We love shrimp too. I hope you enjoy it!

Andrea Nine

Monday 31st of August 2020

My family would be all over this. They love fried rice of any kind. Happy Monday!

Carlee

Monday 7th of September 2020

It's such a great dinner option. Thank you!