3 Types of Fried Rice + 20 Ways to Make Them

Fried rice is the ultimate comfort food. It’s easy to modify at home, great with leftovers and can be made quickly and in bulk. Chinese, Japanese, and Thai fried rice all have their own unique types of fried rice. Learn the difference and try it for yourself!

What is Chinese fried rice?

Chinese fried rice is made with rice, chopped vegetables, and seasonings. It can be prepared with just vegetables or made with meat and eggs. It’s best to use cooked rice that has cooled.

Chinese fried rice dishes

Chinese-style fried rice can be served as the main course or as a side dish. 

1. Chicken fried rice

Chicken fried rice is a classic. It’s easy to customize with your favorite vegetables, such as pea pods, carrots, garlic, and diced chicken. Add some cold rice.

2. Easy fried rice

If you don’t have leftover rice, prepare your rice first, and let it cool on a baking sheet in the fridge while you prep the rest of your vegetables. Frozen vegetables make this dish easy to prepare.

3. Easy cauliflower fried rice

Using riced cauliflower instead of rice cuts down on carbs and adds extra vegetables. The garlic-chili sauce and fresh garlic provide a robust, warm flavor.

4. Easy pineapple fried rice

Pineapple fried rice is a great way to use leftover rice. Add sesame oil to a skillet and throw in diced fresh pineapple to caramelize it. Add rice, soy sauce, and other vegetables.

5. Easy better-than-takeout shrimp fried rice

This shrimp-fried rice is simple enough for a weeknight meal. It uses ready-to-serve rice, fresh shrimp, soy sauce, and frozen vegetables prepared in a wok. It’s topped with scrambled eggs.

6. Chinese-style beef fried rice

Beef-fried rice is prepared with marinated flank steak sliced into thin strips. Add peanut oil, garlic, and minced onions to a hot wok and cook the meat, rice, and other vegetables. Scramble an egg on the edge of the pan.

7. Kimchi chicken and bacon fried rice

This is almost like kitchen sink fried rice. It has so many flavors, from the kimchi, the bacon, and the chicken. The Korean BBQ sauce adds sweetness and spiciness.

What is Japanese fried rice?

While Chinese fried rice uses long-grain rice, Japanese fried rice uses short-grain rice, such as sushi rice.

Japanese fried rice dishes

Japanese rice dishes are often prepared in a wok, grill, or griddle pan.

8. Hibachi fried rice

Hibachi fried is cooked on a grate over an open frame. While Hibachi chefs at restaurants are entertaining, you can cook this dish at home too. Prepare a Hibachi cooking oil blend to cook the rest of your ingredients in.

9. Chahan (Japanese egg fried rice)

Dice the char siu and carrots. Then fry those ingredients with minced onions in olive oil. Remove once cooked and regrease the pan to fry an egg and add the rice. Cook them together, and then add the rest back in. Garnish with pickled red ginger.

10. Simple Japanese fried rice

Heat sesame oil in a wok and cook scallions and garlic. Add beaten eggs and leftover rice. Stir in chopped ham and peas, and add soy sauce at the end.

11. Japanese fried rice

This recipe adds sake, garlic, and soy sauce to enhance a chicken fried rice dish. Combine sake and soy sauce. Add eggs and part of the soy sauce mixture to the oiled pan. Cook until set. Remove the eggs and cook the chicken, vegetables, and rice.

12. Teppanyaki fried rice

Cook Teppanyaki fried rice on an electric grill at home. Cook the vegetables and chicken in oil first. Add butter to fry the rice since it helps retain the moisture.

13. Japanese fried rice with garlic

Fry the chopped garlic separately until it becomes crispy and brown. Drain the garlic and fry the eggs and the rice in the garlic oil.

What is Thai fried rice?

Thai fried rice uses fish sauce instead of soy sauce. It is also generally prepared with jasmine rice.

Thai fried rice dishes

Thai fried rice often includes colorful garnishes to make it look more appealing.

14.  Thai fried rice – Khao pad

Thai fried rice is considered street food. The basic Thai fried rice is prepared with jasmine rice in peanut oil in a hot wok. Meat and vegetables may be customized.

15. Thai fried rice with shrimp

Shell the shrimp and try to keep the oil from the inside the head since it’ll add a butter flavor to the rice. Use fish sauce and chilies to compliment the dish.

16. Thai fried rice with chicken

Chill your chicken so it’s easier to cut small cubes. If you want creamier fried rice, take your eggs off the heat before they’re fully set. This has fewer vegetables in it than the Chinese version.

17. Crab fried rice

Adding lump crab, oyster sauce, and lime juice provides some simple and fresh flavors for seafood lovers in this fried rice dish.

18. Thai basil fried rice

This recipe uses Thai basil leaves as the star of the dish. There are three types of basil in Thailand, and they have different peppery or licorice notes that pair well with peppers and rice.

19. Thai fried rice with pork and basil

Prepare this dish with sliced pork tenderloin, cold rice, Thai chilies, and fragrant fresh basil. After frying up the ingredients, garnish it with cilantro and lime slices.

20. Thai yellow fried rice with shrimp

Adding turmeric will turn the rice yellow. It’s a bright and fresh dish with shrimp, spring onions, and cilantro.

Grab it now on Instacart:

NOH Foods Of Hawaii Seasoning Mix, Chinese Fried Rice (1 oz)

Snow Peas (5.3 oz)

King's Cabbage, Korean Marinated, Spicy (14 oz)

Ono Char Siu Pork (8 oz)

Gekkeikan Sake (750 ml)

Chefman 16" Black Electric Griddle (1 each)

Organic Garlic (1 lb bag)

Thai Kitchen Gluten Free Premium Fish Sauce (6.76 fl oz)

Fresh Crab Meat Lump (16 oz)

Thai Taste Thai Basil Leaves, Horapha (7 oz)

Thai Chili Peppers (6 oz)

Experiment with different kinds of fried rice

There are so many different kinds of fried rice that are easy to make from ingredients in your home. If you want to sample any of these, you can get any of the ingredients you need to be delivered to you via Instacart with same-day delivery in as little as two hours.

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