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ReviewedBudgetVegetarianDairy-freeGluten-freeOne pan30 minutes or less

Vegetable Fried Rice with Egg

Day-old rice fried hot until the grains toast, with scrambled egg, peas and carrots, green onions and soy sauce. Faster than takeout.

By June · Reviewed October 7, 2026

June Hartwell is the pen name of Hearth & Penny's founder, who develops and cooks every Kitchen-tested recipe. June's family stories are written with AI assistance and checked by June for accuracy; names and places are changed. Drafted with AI assistance, and reviewed by June.

Per serving
$0.95
Whole recipe
$3.78
Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Serves
4
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Vegetable Fried Rice with Egg. Day-old rice fried hot until the grains toast, with scrambled egg, peas and carrots, green onions and soy sauce.
AI-generated image

Leftover rice was never thrown out in Grandma's kitchen. It went into rice pudding or it went into the skillet, and fried rice was the one the kids fought over.

Cold rice is the rule here, not a suggestion. Fresh rice steams and clumps. Day-old rice fries.

The recipe

Servings4
About $3.78 total

Ingredients

  • 4 cupscooked long-grain white rice, from 1⅓ cups (250 g) uncooked; cooled quickly and refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking, up to 3 days
  • 4large eggs
  • ¼ tspkosher salt
  • 3 tbspvegetable oil, divided
  • 1yellow onion, small, diced
  • 4green onions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
  • 3 clovesgarlic, minced
  • 1 tspfresh ginger, minced
  • 1½ cupsfrozen peas and carrots, no need to thaw
  • 3 tbspsoy sauce, use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
  • ¼ tspblack or white pepper
  • 1 tsptoasted sesame oil

Done when

  • Eggs: 160°F (71°C) scrambled until no liquid egg remains

Check with an instant-read thermometer.

Steps

  1. Break up the cold rice with your fingers so there are no big clumps. Beat the eggs with the salt.

  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and scramble until firm with no runny egg left, about 1 minute; an instant-read thermometer should read 160°F (71°C). Transfer to a plate and chop into small pieces.

  3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan over high heat. Add the onion and green onion whites and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds.

  4. Add the rice and spread it out. Let it sit undisturbed 1 minute to toast, then stir and repeat, until the rice is hot and some grains are crisp, 4–5 minutes.

  5. Add the peas and carrots and stir-fry until hot, about 2 minutes. Drizzle the soy sauce around the edge of the pan, add the pepper and toss to coat.

  6. Stir in the eggs, sesame oil and green onion greens. Serve right away.

Make it go further

  • Swap: Use any leftover cooked vegetables, or add diced leftover chicken or ham with the peas; heat any leftover meat until it reaches 165°F (74°C).
  • Cheaper: Cook a double batch of rice earlier in the week and spread the extra on a sheet pan to cool before refrigerating.
  • Leftovers: Reheat in a hot skillet until it reaches 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer, and eat within 3 days.

Written by June. June Hartwell is the pen name of Hearth & Penny's founder, who develops and cooks every Kitchen-tested recipe. June's family stories are written with AI assistance and checked by June for accuracy; names and places are changed. This recipe was drafted with AI assistance, and reviewed by June.

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