Shrimp fried rice is a classic take-out dish that is actually super easy to make at home! It is packed with delicious vegetables, juicy shrimp, tasty eggs, and tons of flavor.
This shrimp fried rice recipe is one of my favorites to whip up whenever I am craving delicious Chinese takeout. It has tasty vegetables and eggs, fluffy rice, and the best stir-fry sauce.
Plus, this recipe is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time to cook. You can keep most of the ingredients in your freezer or pantry and there is barely any chopping required.
So if you are looking for a quick and super flavorful recipe, be sure to give this one a try!
Ingredients
To make this shrimp fried rice, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Shrimp: Use peeled and deveined shrimp for this recipe. I like to use frozen jumbo shrimp as they can be stored in the freezer. Plus, bigger shrimp tend to stay juicier when stir-fried.
- Leftover white rice: It’s important to use cold leftover white rice whenever you make fried rice. Otherwise, your fried rice will be very mushy and sticky. You can use the type of rice you like most. I like to use basmati rice or jasmine rice.
- Frozen vegetables: Frozen vegetables make this dish super quick and easy to prepare! Frozen peas and carrots are a classic combination that I also used for this recipe. But feel free to use other or more frozen vegetables.
- Eggs: Use regular medium-sized eggs for this recipe.
- Aromatics: You’ll need garlic, ginger, yellow onion, and green onion for this recipe. Please make sure to use all of these ingredients as they are super important to make the fried rice taste delicious and flavorful.
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce is a staple when making shrimp fried rice. So be sure to use it! Gluten-free options are tamari or coconut aminos.
- Oyster sauce: Oyster sauce is great for adding some sweetness and extra umami. So make sure to not skip it! There are vegan and vegetarian options available.
- Ketchup: Ketchup is perfect for adding some sweetness and acidity. You only need a small amount but I’d highly recommend using it.
- Red chili flakes: Red chili flakes are perfect for adding extra flavor and a punch of heat. You can use Korean gochugaru, Aleppo pepper, or regular red pepper flakes.
- Sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil is a must to make delicious fried rice! Golden sesame oil will have a lighter flavor while darker sesame oil will have a stronger toasted flavor. Pick the one you like and use it for this recipe!
How to make shrimp fried rice
Making shrimp fried rice is super simple! Just follow these steps:
- Sauté the shrimp and aromatics: Preheat some vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Scramble the eggs: Push the sautéed ingredients to the side. Add the beaten eggs and scramble them.
- Add all vegetables, rice, and sauce: Now add the frozen peas and carrots, cold rice, green onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, red chili flakes, and black pepper. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt if needed.
- Finish with sesame oil: Finish off with some toasted sesame oil. Toss and stir fry for 30 seconds. Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Notes
This recipe is super simple but there are a few things to keep in mind. So please check out the following notes before recreating this dish.
- Use cold leftover rice. I know it’s tempting to use a fresh batch of cooked rice. But please use leftover rice. That way you don’t end up with mushy and sticky fried rice. Just cook some extra rice and store it in the refrigerator. Then use it the next day to make this tasty shrimp fried rice.
- There is no need to thaw frozen vegetables. The vegetables will thaw once they are stir-fried with the other ingredients which makes them so great to use!
- Prepare all ingredients in advance. There aren’t many ingredients that need to be prepared. But make sure that the few fresh vegetables used in this recipe are chopped and that the sauce and spices are ready to be used before you start to cook.
- Adjust the heat as needed while cooking. As every stove is different, I recommend keeping an eye on the ingredients and increasing or lowering the heat as needed. Just make sure that nothing burns while stir-frying the ingredients.
Variations
There are a few things you can change to switch up the flavor of this shrimp fried rice. Here are some ideas:
- Protein: You don’t necessarily have to use shrimp for this recipe! You can also use chicken, beef, or tofu for a vegetarian and vegan option.
- Vegetables: You can also use other vegetables. Broccoli, bell pepper, green beans, edamame, and corn are delicious and nutritious vegetables to include in this recipe.
- Seasoning: Maybe you want to switch up the flavor of the sauce and seasoning. In this case, try using sriracha, gochujang, chili peppers, curry powder, or more ketchup. It’s really fun to experiment and try variations of this shrimp fried rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
That depends on the amount of chili flakes you use. So if you don’t want it spicy, just use less. And if you like it extra spicy, use more and consider adding fresh chili pepper.
Yes, you can! Just omit the shrimp, use vegan oyster sauce, and only eggs or firm tofu. If you are vegan, you can use a vegan egg substitute if you don’t want to skip the eggs.
No, but you can easily turn it into a gluten-free dish with a few swaps. Just use coconut aminos or tamari (or another gluten-free soy sauce) when making this shrimp fried rice. You can also find gluten-free oyster sauce in most Asian supermarkets.
I don’t recommend using freshly cooked white rice as it turns very mushy when stir-fried. I would recommend storing the fresh white rice in your refrigerator and using it the next day to make this shrimp fried rice. You can also cook rice in the morning and then store it in the refrigerator to use in the evening. If you don’t have cold rice, you could use noodles to make other delicious stir-fries like shrimp chow mein or serve the fresh rice alongside this incredibly delicious shrimp chop suey.
You can store leftovers in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just make sure to reheat them properly in a microwave or on the stove.
More quick and delicious stir fry recipes
I love to make stir fries at home! They are super quick and delicious to prepare which makes them perfect for weeknight dinners. Here are some of the favorites that I recommend checking out.
Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound shrimp
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tablespoon minced ginger
- 4 eggs beaten
- 4 ½ cups cold cooked white rice
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 2 green onions sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce more to taste
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ - 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Preheat some vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Then add the shrimp, yellow onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for around 2 minutes.2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 pound shrimp, 1 small yellow onion, 3 garlic cloves, ½ tablespoon minced ginger
- Push the sautéed ingredients to one side of the pan. Add the beaten eggs to the other side. Let the eggs set shortly and then scramble them.4 eggs
- Next, add the frozen peas and carrots, cold rice, green onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, red chili flakes, and black pepper. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt if needed.4 ½ cups cold cooked white rice, 2 cups frozen peas and carrots, 2 green onions, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons ketchup, ½ - 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- Add the toasted sesame oil. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Then serve and enjoy!2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
b
Great fried rice!
Beri
That's great to hear, thank you! 😊