Getting that light, fluffy texture you find in Chinese restaurant fried rice is surprisingly tricky to recreate at home.
If the rice turns out clumpy or mushy, it just doesn’t taste the way you want it to, so this time I tried to make shrimp fried rice as close to that restaurant style as possible.
The key is drying out the rice beforehand and stir-frying everything quickly over high heat.
The ingredient list is simple too, so it’s an easy recipe to make without much fuss.
Ingredients
- Cooked rice – 240g (about 8.5 oz)
- Shrimp – 60g (about 2 oz; peeled and deveined, fresh or thawed frozen shrimp both work)
- Eggs – 2 to 3
- Carrot – 1 (100g) (about 3.5 oz)
- Green onion – a small amount
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Soy sauce – 1 T
- Oyster sauce – 1 T
- Salt – a pinch
- White pepper – to taste (black pepper can be substituted)
- Cooking oil – 1 to 2 T (for frying the egg and rice)
(1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
1Spread the rice out and let it cool at room temperature to release excess moisture.Tipif you’re short on time, you can speed this up by placing the rice in the fridge for a few minutes.
2Finely chop the carrot and green onion, and thaw the shrimp if frozen.
3Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
4Measure out the soy sauce and oyster sauce ahead of time.Tipfried rice depends a lot on heat control and speed, so having everything prepped in advance makes a big difference.
5Heat 1 to 2 T of oil in a wok over high heat until very hot, then add the eggs and fry them until lightly crisp.
6Once the eggs are half-cooked, add the shrimp and stir-fry together.
7When the shrimp is about halfway cooked, add the dried-out rice and break up the grains as you stir-fry.Tipif breaking up the rice is taking a while, turn off the heat briefly, finish breaking it up, then turn the heat back on and continue stir-frying.
8Once the rice grains are loose and separated, add the carrot and green onion and stir-fry for about 2 more minutes.
9Drizzle 1 T of soy sauce along the edge of the pan to let it caramelize slightly for extra aroma, then add 1 T of oyster sauce and stir-fry quickly.
10Finish with white pepper to taste and mix everything together well.
Cooking over high heat and working quickly keeps the rice grains distinct and gives the shrimp a nice, bouncy texture.
Adding white pepper really brings out that authentic Chinese-style fried rice flavor, so it’s a step I never skip.
Ingredients
- Cooked rice – 240g (about 8.5 oz)
- Shrimp – 60g (about 2 oz; peeled and deveined, fresh or thawed frozen shrimp both work)
- Eggs – 2 to 3
- Carrot – 1 (100g) (about 3.5 oz)
- Green onion – a small amount
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
Sauce
- Soy sauce – 1 T
- Oyster sauce – 1 T
- Salt – a pinch
- White pepper – to taste (black pepper can be substituted)
- Cooking oil – 1 to 2 T (for frying the egg and rice)
- (1 T = 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz, 1 t = 5 ml / 0.17 fl oz)
How to Make It
- Spread the rice out and let it cool at room temperature to release excess moisture.
Tip.if you're short on time, you can speed this up by placing the rice in the fridge for a few minutes. - Finely chop the carrot and green onion, and thaw the shrimp if frozen.
- Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
- Measure out the soy sauce and oyster sauce ahead of time.
Tip.fried rice depends a lot on heat control and speed, so having everything prepped in advance makes a big difference. - Heat 1 to 2 T of oil in a wok over high heat until very hot, then add the eggs and fry them until lightly crisp.
- Once the eggs are half-cooked, add the shrimp and stir-fry together.
- When the shrimp is about halfway cooked, add the dried-out rice and break up the grains as you stir-fry.
Tip.if breaking up the rice is taking a while, turn off the heat briefly, finish breaking it up, then turn the heat back on and continue stir-frying. - Once the rice grains are loose and separated, add the carrot and green onion and stir-fry for about 2 more minutes.
- Drizzle 1 T of soy sauce along the edge of the pan to let it caramelize slightly for extra aroma, then add 1 T of oyster sauce and stir-fry quickly.
- Finish with white pepper to taste and mix everything together well.
