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Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
updated Aug 23, 2023
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A pan of savory pork fried rice is one of the most satisfying and quickest meals to make with leftover rice, ground pork, a couple eggs, and frozen vegetables.
Serves2 to 4Prep5 minutesCook10 minutesreviews
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A quick skillet of pork fried rice is one of the easiest, most satisfying ways to transform leftover rice into a complete meal. Here, we’ve added crumbles of ground pork, a couple of eggs, and whatever vegetable you’ve got in the freezer to create a winning dinner the whole family will enjoy.
What ingredients do you need for pork fried rice?
- Ground pork: Ground pork is what makes this recipe so quick. Most fried pork recipes call for pork cutlets, which take much longer to cook.
- Leftover rice: Freshly cooked rice isn’t as dry and therefore not as sticky.
- Frozen veggies: Peas and carrots are typically what’s included, but feel free to add your favorites to give the dish some color and snap.
- Soy sauce or tamari: Adds a salty flavor to complement the crumbly pork.
- Sesame oil: This is added at the end to give the dish an extra bit of nuttiness.
- 2 large eggs: Though there’s no rule that you have to include scrambled eggs to fried rice, it adds protein, color, and that wonderful egg-y flavor.
- Small yellow onion: A small onion is sautéed at the beginning of this recipe for added depth and flavor of this basic dish.
Is leftover rice good for fried rice?
If you’ve read our guide to cooking fried rice you know that old, cooked rice is actually a better choice for fried rice than starting with a pot of freshly cooked rice. This goes for both white and brown rice. As the rice sits in the fridge, the grains begin to dry out, which means they’re much less likely to stick together or get gummy or soggy when stir-fried.
If you notice that the rice is clumped together when you take it out of the fridge, just break it up with a fork or your hands before adding it to the wok or skillet.
Starting with ground pork eliminates any prep work (a lot of pork fried rice recipes call for pork cutlets), while still providing the same savory flavor. With that said, use what you’ve got — or swap the pork altogether for tempeh, tofu, chicken, or shrimp.
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Pork Fried Rice
A pan of savory pork fried rice is one of the most satisfying and quickest meals to make with leftover rice, ground pork, a couple eggs, and frozen vegetables.
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Serves 2 to 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
small yellow onion
- 3 tablespoons
vegetable oil, divided
- 2
large eggs
- 8 ounces
ground pork
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups
cold cooked white or brown rice
- 1/2 cup
frozen peas and carrots
- 2 tablespoons
soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon
toasted sesame oil
Instructions
Dice 1 small yellow onion.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a wok or large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 2 large eggs and gently scramble with a rubber spatula until just softly set, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside.
Add the onion, 8 ounces ground pork, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the pan. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon into small pieces, until the pork is cooked through and the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and let heat for a few seconds. Add 2 cups cold cooked rice, 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, and stir-fry until the rice is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the eggs to the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.
Recipe Notes
Using Fresh Rice: This recipe is best with day-old rice. But if the craving hits and you don't have any prepared rice, you can make fresh rice, spread it out on a sheet pan, and refrigerate to cool.
Storage: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Filed in:
asian
budget
dinner
easy
Gluten-Free
Ingredient
