Shrimp Fried Rice

One of the fastest dinners you can make, this one-pan shrimp fried rice recipe will help you stave off your takeout hankerings and help you save your money instead. If you have some cooked rice and a few freezer and pantry staples, you can prepare this quick Chinese food recipe in only 20 minutes.

While cleaning shrimp yourself might yield the best texture in the finished dish, it can make this recipe a little less speedy. Spring for the frozen, pre-prepped ones to have on hand for this easy shrimp fried rice. Defrost them quickly by placing them in a sieve and running them under cool water until they’re pliable.

Then, tweak the ingredients to accommodate whatever you’ve got to make a complete meal in a snap. Fried rice is one of those super customizable stir-fry recipes you can pull together at a moment’s notice.

Shrimp Fried Rice Ingredients

• Shrimp: The best type of shrimp for this recipe is medium white or pink shrimp. You’ll probably see 31-40 on the bag, which means there are approximately 31 to 40 shrimp per pound. If possible, get peeled and deveined shrimp. You can use larger or smaller shrimp if that’s what you’ve got, but you’ll want to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• Onion: Takeout fried rice usually contains chopped yellow or white onion. You can use either type of onion, or you can use the white and light green parts of the scallions.
• Frozen peas and carrots: Fried rice is the highest calling for those bags of frozen mixed vegetables. Stick to peas and carrots, or use a blend with corn and green beans. You can thaw them quickly with a 30-second burst in the microwave or place them in a sieve and run them under water for a moment.
• Canola oil: For any stir-fry, you’ll want an oil with a moderate to high smoke point. Canola offers a neutral flavor, but you can substitute vegetable or avocado oil.
• Eggs: This fried rice features fluffy scrambled eggs. The trick to getting soft curds is stir-frying the eggs before adding the rest of the ingredients back into the pan.
• Cooked white or brown rice: You can use cooked and cooled leftover rice or microwaveable instant rice packets. Leftover or previously cooked rice is drier, which helps it to combine with other stir-fry ingredients.
• Reduced-sodium soy sauce: Soy sauce is the primary seasoning in this shrimp fried rice. It adds seasoning and umami to the final dish.
• Green onions: These add freshness and zippy onion flavor to the finished stir-fry.
• Sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil, sometimes labeled as roasted sesame oil, is an aromatic seasoning that contributes big flavor to this fried rice recipe.
• Chopped fresh cilantro: A little finishing touch of green; you can just leave the cilantro out if you’re not a fan. It’s true: There’s a scientific reason why some people don’t like the taste of cilantro.
• Toasted sesame seeds: Offer a little sprinkle of nutty crunch.

Directions

Step 1: Stir-fry the shrimp and vegetables

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In a large skillet or wok, saute the shrimp, onion, peas, and carrots in oil over high heat for about two to three minutes until the shrimp turns pink. Remove them from skillet and set them aside.

Editor’s Tip: Stir-frying is fast because it’s a high-heat cooking method. This is your chance to build flavor by quickly searing your shrimp and vegetables and vigorously tossing them.

Step 2: Scramble the eggs

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In the same skillet, cook and stir the eggs over medium heat until they’re completely set into small, soft curds.

Step 3: Add the rice and aromatic ingredients

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Stir in the rice, soy sauce, green onions, sesame oil and shrimp mixture. Cook until everything is heated through.

Step 4: Sprinkle on the finishing touches

Garnish the fried rice with cilantro and sesame seeds.

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Recipe Variations

• Swap out the vegetables: Consider this shrimp fried rice a blank canvas for whatever vegetables you have! You’ll want to keep the onion and scallion as they contribute an essential flavor, but trade the peas and carrots for finely chopped bok choy, green beans, asparagus, zucchini, chopped Swiss chard or kale.
• Add kimchi: Add half a cup of chopped kimchi when you add the rice. The fermented cabbage will make the whole stir-fry a pretty red-orange and give it a pleasant spice, similar to this kimchi fried rice.
• Trade out the shrimp: Instead of shrimp, use a frozen seafood medley, frozen cooked mussels, or shredded beef or chicken. If the protein is already cooked, add it at the end with the rice rather than at the beginning with the vegetables.
• Clean out your crisper: Fried rice is an excellent vehicle for using up vegetables that would otherwise go to waste. Add chopped radish or turnip greens (but wash them well first, as they can be sandy). Or use any of these other fried rice recipes as a guide.

How to Store Shrimp Fried Rice

Rice is one food for which you’ll want to take a few specific safety precautions. Though it lasts forever in the pantry, once cooked, it should be used within four to six days. Stash any leftover shrimp fried rice in the refrigerator in an airtight container within an hour of cooking, and plan to eat it within four days. The best way to reheat fried rice is to re-saute it in a skillet, but the microwave works fine, too.

Shrimp Fried Rice Tips

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Can you make shrimp fried rice with cooked shrimp?

If you have precooked shrimp, add them at the end (when you add the rice) instead of at the beginning with the vegetables so they don’t get rubbery.

What’s the best rice for fried rice?

Jasmine or other medium-grain rice, whether brown or white, are our picks for making the best fried rice. Chinese restaurants also tend to use this type of rice. Skip high-starch rice such as arborio, carnaroli or sushi rice and delicate long-grain varieties like basmati.

What can you serve with shrimp fried rice?

Though it’s a complete meal, shrimp fried rice would be well accompanied by garlicky stir-fried bok choy or other greens, a plate of steamed or pan-fried dumplings or egg drop soup. A plate of chilled melon or grapes can provide a lovely, cool, sweet contrast to the warm and savory stir-fry.