The quintessential Chinese comfort dish featuring day-old rice wok-tossed over blazing heat with beaten eggs, crisp vegetables, and soy sauce until each grain is individually coated and infused with the prized smoky wok hei flavor.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Instructions
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1
Break up day-old rice with your hands to separate all clumps, ensuring every grain is individual for proper wok frying.
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2
Heat a wok over the highest possible heat until smoking, add vegetable oil and swirl to coat, then pour in beaten eggs and scramble quickly for thirty seconds until just set but still slightly wet.
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3
Push eggs to the side, add diced carrots and peas, stir-frying for one minute until the carrots begin to soften.
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4
Add the separated rice all at once and toss vigorously using a scooping and flipping motion, pressing rice against the hot wok surface to develop smoky wok hei flavor.
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5
Drizzle soy sauce around the edge of the wok so it sizzles and caramelizes before being tossed through the rice, add sesame oil and white pepper, continuing to toss for another minute.
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6
Fold in sliced green onions, toss twice more, and serve immediately on warm plates.
Did You Know?
Professional Chinese chefs consider egg fried rice a test of fundamental wok skills. The ability to achieve wok hei, the smoky breath of the wok, while keeping each rice grain separate and perfectly coated is considered a hallmark of culinary mastery.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- wok
- wok spatula
The Story Behind 蛋炒饭
Egg fried rice is one of the oldest and most fundamental dishes in Chinese cuisine, with origins dating to the Sui Dynasty when the technique of stir-frying cooked rice was first documented. The dish embodies the Chinese culinary principle of transforming humble leftovers into something extraordinary through technique. The Yangzhou variation became the most famous version, featuring a more elaborate combination of ingredients. Despite its simplicity, egg fried rice is deeply respected in Chinese culinary culture as a measure of a chef's fundamental skills, particularly their mastery of wok temperature control and timing.
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