Shrimp Fried Rice

This Shrimp Fried Rice is one of the most popular Chinese takeout dishes. I remember getting this whenever my family ordered takeout. I’m using frozen peas for the vegetable component, but you can use whatever vegetables you have. This recipe was given to me by an actual Chinese chef that used to run a Chinese restaurant in my hometown.

Can't get enough of fried rice? Try my Pork Fried Rice and Spam Fried Rice next!

🥡 About This Recipe

Shrimp Fried Rice is one of my favorite fried rice dishes! It's made with shrimp, rice, eggs, and vegetables. Every family and restaurant has their own way of making it, but today I'm going to show you the secrets from an actual Chinese chef.

This recipe was taught to me by a Chinese chef who owned a Chinese-American buffet for over twenty years. My family became friends with him when we used to eat at his restaurant when I was young. I'm so happy he's letting me share this recipe today.

The secret to good fried rice is all about how you cook the rice. You want to make sure that each rice grain fries separately and evenly. The surefire way to achieve this is by using day-old rice which is drier and less sticky.

🥚 Scrambled eggs or mixed with the rice?

One of the best parts of Shrimp fried rice is the egg. There are generally two options when it comes to preparing it.

You can either cook the egg separately before adding the rice or mix the raw egg directly with the rice. The first method gives you big chunks of egg in the final dish. The second method gives the final dish a beautiful golden color because you coat each grain of rice with egg, but you don't get chunks of egg.

I prefer the first method because I like the larger chunks of egg, but you can use either method.

🧂 Ingredients

• Shrimp: It's super important to use uncooked shrimp as the flavor generated from cooking the shrimp adds a ton of flavor to the oil.
• Rice: I highly recommend using day-old rice for this. It gives a chewier texture to the rice. Another benefit is that it is drier, so the temperature of the wok doesn't go down as much when you add it in.
• Eggs: We'll be using three large eggs today.
• Peas: I'm using frozen peas that have been defrosted to room temperature, but you can use any type of vegetables you like. Carrots and corn are popular choices.
• Garlic: Freshly minced is a must here.
• Seasonings: I'm using the Totole brand of chicken bouillon powder. I'm also using white pepper and Shacha sauce. The chef said that it has a better taste than other chicken powders, and is what most restaurants use.
• Oil: We will need five tablespoons of oil. Most people are shocked when they learn fried rice has this much oil, but it's needed to evenly coat all the ingredients and prevent them from sticking to the wok.
• Green onions: For garnishing at the end.

🔪 Instructions

STEP 1: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat. Add shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes until cooked through. Remove to a bowl.

STEP 2: Add another 2 tablespoons of oil and heat until lightly smoking. This will help prevent the egg from sticking to the wok.

Add the beaten eggs and scramble them with chopsticks or a spatula. Cook them until just barely set (some runny egg is okay) and remove to a bowl.

STEP 3: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 5-10 seconds, then immediately add the peas. Stir-fry for 1 minute until the peas are hot.

STEP 4: Add the rice, Shacha sauce, and chicken bouillon powder and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Use your spatula to break up the rice into separate grains as you go. This will help each grain get evenly coated by the sauce and oil.

STEP 5: Add the white pepper, eggs, shrimp, and scallions and stir to combine everything. Cook for 30 more seconds to heat everything up and then serve immediately.

My favorite dishes to eat with this are Sweet and sour pork and Beef and broccoli.

📋 Recipe

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