This Vietnamese fried rice recipe really is THE BEST. It’s quick and simple to make, and pairs well with any protein…or hits the spot as a stand alone meal.
I have scoured the internet for the quintessential fried rice recipe. While there are a lot of great recipes out there, very few hit all my criteria of what it ought to taste like.
Growing up, we were fortunate to have friends that lived nearby and also worked with my mom who’s heritage was Vietnamese. Her recipe for fried rice was, far and away THE BEST recipe I’d ever tasted, and the standard by which I judge every other fried rice.
This recipe was passed down to me from her family and truly is the best. It’s simple to make and reheats well. My oldest asks for it at least once a week and each time I make it for her, it brings back sweet memories of my childhood. Enjoy from my kitchen to yours!
- 2 cups of uncooked Jasmine, long grain rice
- 1 frozen bag of peas & carrots mixed, thawed
- 1 lb. protein of choice, cut into 1″ pieces. I used chicken breast, though shrimp or pork are wonderful options as well. Vegetarians — skip the protein altogether!
- 3 eggs, scrambled
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 tsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. black pepper
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
- 1 large bunch green onions, diced. Use the entire onion, greens included
- 2.5 tbsp. soy sauce
- Cook or steam the rice per the package instructions.
- In a small nonstick saute pan, cook the eggs until scrambled and set aside.
- Heat the canola oil in a separate large frying pan on the stove top over medium heat. Season the protein with the 2 tsp. of salt and saute until fully cooked.
- Add the thawed peas, carrots, and yellow onion to the chicken and saute 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, then add the cooked rice, butter, sugar, black pepper and soy sauce. Stir until combined, noting the rice will still be relatively light in color. The soy sauce should merely act as a season to the rice. (note: bean sprouts would be a great addition to this, or any other favorite vegetable you prefer. Just make sure anything you add is similar in size to the peas and carrots.)
- Stir in the diced green onions, saving some to garnish. Serve immediately.
