Egg fried rice
Takeaway-style fried rice with egg, peas and spring onion, ready in 15 minutes. Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main; best made with cold, cooked rice.
- Prep
- 5 mins
- Cook
- 10 mins
- Total
- 15 mins
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Budget
Recipe: Egg fried rice
Egg fried rice
Ingredients
For the rice
- 500g cooked long-grain rice, about 200g uncooked, cooled and chilled (see tips)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 100g frozen peas
- 4 spring onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce, contains wheat; use tamari for gluten-free
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- white pepper, pinch
Kitchen kit
- Wok or large frying pan Search Amazon for carbon steel wok
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Method
-
Step 1: Prepare
Break up the cold rice with your fingers so there are no clumps. Have everything ready by the hob: this cooks fast.
-
Step 2: Scramble the egg
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over a high heat. Pour in the eggs, stir until just set in soft curds, then tip onto a plate.
-
Step 3: Fry the rice
Add the remaining oil, then the garlic, peas and the white parts of the spring onions; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, pressing it against the hot pan, until every grain is piping hot.
-
Step 4: Finish
Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and the egg, breaking it up. Toss for 30 seconds, then scatter with the green spring onion and serve straight away.
Tips
- Cool cooked rice quickly, refrigerate it and use within 1 day (FSA). Rice can carry spores of Bacillus cereus that survive cooking.
- Leftover rice works best because it is drier and fries without going mushy.
Storing & reheating
Cool rice quickly (spread it out), cover and refrigerate within 1 hour if possible and no more than 2; eat within 1 day and reheat only once until steaming hot.
Variations
- Add 150g cooked prawns, diced ham or leftover chicken with the rice and heat until steaming hot.
Allergies: Always check the labels of the ingredients you buy for allergens — our dietary tags are a guide, not a guarantee.
From feeed.co.uk/recipes/egg-fried-rice/ · Checked 17 October 2026
Questions people ask
Can I use freshly cooked rice?
It works if you spread it on a tray to steam dry for 10–15 minutes, but day-old chilled rice gives a better texture.
Can I reheat fried rice?
Only once, until steaming hot all the way through, and within 24 hours of cooking.
Sources & inspiration
Checked 17 October 2026. Written in our own words; we checked proportions, technique and food safety against:
- BBC Good Food: Easy egg-fried rice (quantities, timings and temperatures compared) (bbcgoodfood.com)
- BBC Food: Egg-fried rice (quantities, timings and temperatures compared) (bbc.co.uk)
- FSA: home food fact checker (rice: fridge no more than 1 day; eggs: British Lion) (gov.uk)
- FSA: how to chill, freeze and defrost food safely (leftovers within 2 days) (gov.uk)
See other recipes that use the same kit on our kitchen kit pages.
