Sesame Fried Rice

Dinner

Jan 21

     Serves:  6 

   Prep Time:  5 min

     Cook Time:  10 min

   Calories:  175

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We’ve been eating a lot of rice in our house lately, especially after the introduction of this black-pepper chicken, It’s just a perfect companion to so many things. With so much leftover, I decided it was time for some fried rice. This Sesame Fried Rice is just as good, if not better than what you’ll get from your favorite takeout restaurants. It’s full of veggies, heavy on soy sauce and sesame oil, and gets some substance with the addition of eggs. Eat this as-is, or add a protein of your choice for a heftier meal. Enjoy!

What’s special about this Sesame Fried Rice?

Fried rice can be a bit bland, so using enough seasonings and sauces is essential to getting that takeout flavor. But, the great thing about it is you can add pretty much anything to it. Get creative and have some fun. Here are a few tips:

Cold Rice: Use already cooked, cold, or left-over rice is essential. The rice being cold will help the rice fry up better and get extra crispy. So, you’ll likely want to plan ahead if fried rice is in your future!

Veggies: I generally like to use fresh vegetables whenever possible - but sometimes, frozen vegetables work just as well. For this recipe, we’re using a blend of frozen peas and carrots. They are already cut into similar shapes, heat up super quick, and literally take no prep-time. Feel free to add in other veggies - mushrooms, snap peas, red onion - would all be good here!

Sesame Oil: I was skeptical about sesame oil the first time I used it. But, it brings such a unique, nuttiness to any dish it’s in. It’s also the ingredient that will give this fried rice the quintessential Chinese takeout flavor you’re looking for. A small bottle of sesam oil is somewhat expensive, but it should last you a good long while. Make the investment!

What do I need for Sesame Fried Rice?

3 cups cold cooked rice

2 cups peas and carrots

2 tablespoons garlic

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Chopped Chives

Salt & Pepper

3 eggs, scrambled

1 small white onion, diced

What tools & gadgets will help me?

How do I make Sesame Fried Rice?

Step One: Start by getting your rice out of your fridge. You want your rice to be cold, or at least room temperature. So, make it the day before, or make this dish when you have leftover rice! You’ll need at least three cups.

Step Two: Dice your small white onion into small pieces. In a deep saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add your onions to the butter, with some salt and pepper. Let the onions soften for about 5 minutes.

Step Three: When the onions are softened, add 2 tablespoons of minced garlic to the pan. Stir for a minute or so. Once the onions and garlic are combined, to the pan, add in 2 cups of peas and carrots. Season with salt and pepper, and stir everything together until the veggies are heated through.

Step Four: As the veggies are warming through, in a separate bowl, scramble three eggs. When the veggies are warmed through, scoot the veggie mixture to one side of the pan, and pour the scrambled eggs on the other side. Continue scrambling the eggs over the heat, and break them apart into small pieces. Once eggs are cooked, incorporate them into the veggie mixture.

Step Five: To the pan, add in 3 cups of cold rice, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Combine everything together. Let the mixture sit over the heat for 5-7 minutes without stirring - this will help the rice get crispy!

Step Six: Serve immediately and garnish with fresh green onion!