Vegetable Fried Rice (Printable)

A colorful stir-fried rice dish with mixed vegetables and fragrant seasonings, ready in 30 minutes.

# Components:

→ Rice

01 - 3 cups cooked jasmine or long-grain rice, preferably day-old and refrigerated

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup carrots, diced
03 - 1 cup bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
05 - 1 cup broccoli florets, small
06 - 1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
07 - 1/2 cup green beans, chopped
08 - 3 green onions, sliced, reserve some for garnish
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1-inch fresh ginger root, minced

→ Sauces & Seasonings

11 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce (substitute with tamari for gluten-free)
12 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
13 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (canola or sunflower oil as alternatives)
14 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
15 - 1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
16 - Salt, to taste

# Method:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat.
02 - Add minced garlic and ginger; sauté for 30 seconds until aromatic.
03 - Add diced carrots, bell pepper, broccoli florets, chopped green beans, and sweet corn. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until tender-crisp.
04 - Stir in thawed peas and most of the sliced green onions; cook for 1 minute.
05 - Increase heat to high and add cold cooked rice. Stir-fry, breaking up clumps, for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through.
06 - Drizzle soy sauce and sesame oil over the rice. Sprinkle with pepper, toss well to combine evenly.
07 - Taste and modify salt or soy sauce as needed.
08 - Remove from heat. Garnish with reserved green onions and toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It transforms humble leftovers into something that tastes restaurant-quality, which is deeply satisfying.
  • Everything cooks in one pan in under 30 minutes, making weeknight dinners feel less like a chore.
  • You control exactly what goes in, so it adapts to whatever vegetables you have on hand.
02 -
  • Cold rice is absolutely essential—fresh rice will turn into mush no matter how high your heat is, so plan ahead or chill your rice in the fridge for an hour.
  • Adding soy sauce and sesame oil at the very end, when everything is already cooked and combined, makes a huge difference because the heat won't cook away their delicate flavors.
  • The sequence of adding vegetables matters; harder vegetables need more time than softer ones, so don't dump everything in at once.
03 -
  • Use a wok if you have one because the curved sides make it easier to toss everything and keep vegetables from falling over the edge, but a large deep skillet works just as well.
  • Cook your vegetables to tender-crisp, not soft—they continue cooking slightly from residual heat, and you want them to have texture against the soft rice.
  • Taste constantly as you season, especially with soy sauce, because brands vary wildly in saltiness and you might need less or more than the recipe calls for.
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