Shrimp fried rice is a classic Chinese restaurant dish. This will be your new go-to recipe and it’s ready in 15 minutes or less!
The big debate: Fresh vs. Day-old rice
A lot of cooks on the internet will tell you that day-old rice is the secret to amazing fried rice and I used to think the same. But, many Chinese chefs claim otherwise. I used to work at a Chinese restaurant known for the best fried rice and the chefs simply went to the rice cooker to scoop out fresh rice each time!
Day old rice does get extra crispy because there is very little moisture, but fresh rice tastes great because of the moisture! It’s soft and fluffy but also crispy from the oil and high heat. In the end it’s up to you – try both ways and see which you prefer!
Ingredients for shrimp fried rice
Oil
I use soybean oil for most of my recipes that require high-heat cooking, but any neutral oil with a high smoke point will do. Some examples include vegetable oil, corn oil, canola oil and grapeseed oil.
Rice
I recommend using short or medium grain rice for this recipe, but of course any rice will do. Short and medium grain rice are more sticky than long-grain. It’s commonly referred to as sticky rice, sweet rice and glutinous rice.
Eggs
No fried rice recipe is complete without eggs! Remember not to cook the eggs completely – I cook the eggs about 80%, then add the rice and mix.
Shrimp
Any sized shrimp is fine for this recipe, but try to use raw shrimp if you can! Pre-cooked has no flavor – you need raw shrimp which will taste amazing for this recipe.
Fresh or freshly defrosted frozen shrimp is fine. Most shrimp is frozen before being sold anyway and many people believe that frozen shrimp retains more flavor!
Vegetables
I used a medley of frozen peas, carrots, green beans and corn. Feel free to use fresh or frozen, but make sure it’s all small pieces so it cooks fast and blanch fresh veggies if needed.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is a blend of many flavors: salty, umami and a tad sweet. No fried rice recipe is complete without it, but make sure to use sparingly!
White pepper
If you don’t already have white pepper in your spice cabinet, you really need to get it! It adds another dimension of flavor to your cooking and is used in many classic Asian dishes.
Bouillon powder
This is the secret to amazing fried rice! Bouillon powder provides so much flavor and really elevates the taste. It’s very salty, so be careful not to overdo it. I used Lee Kum Kee brand, but any brand is fine. Add a small amount at a time and taste test, as always.
TIPS for perfectly cooked Shrimp Fried Rice
- Have all of your ingredients out and ready to be used. Fried rice cooks VERY fast and you don’t want to risk overcooking it!
- A large non-stick wok is best for fried rice, but most pans will work fine. I’d stay away from using metal pans that rice will stick to.
- Turn the heat WAY up. High-heat cooking is what makes fried rice taste amazing.
- Cook the shrimp and eggs separately and not all the way. I cook the shrimp very quickly on both sides, then remove from the pan. It cooks fully towards the end. The eggs also need to be cooked separately, but not fully. Once you add the rice and seasonings, the eggs will continue to cook.
Want more classic Chinese restaurant recipes?
- crab rangoon: This is one of the easiest recipes to replicate everyone’s favorite appetizer from the local Chinese restaurant. Not only is crab rangoon easy to make, but it also uses ingredients readily available and easy to find!
- egg drop soup: This was my favorite soup to order as a kid & I just wish I knew how easy it was to make sooner!
- wonton soup: What’s great about cooking at home is that you can alter the dish to perfectly suit your tastebuds. You also know exactly what’s going into the food which is impossible when ordering from restaurants.
Shrimp Fried Rice
- Total Time: 15
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Shrimp fried rice is a classic Chinese restaurant dish. This will be your new go-to recipe and it’s ready in 15 minutes or less!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup neutral, high-heat oil
- 1 cup shrimp (150g)
- salt to season the shrimp
- 4 eggs
- 4 cups fresh short or medium-grain rice
- ⅓ cup chopped scallions (18g, about 4 stalks)
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- few dashes of white pepper
Instructions
- First, make sure all of your ingredients are readily available because fried rice cooks very quickly. Prepare the rice by removing it from the rice cooker and letting it cool. This will allow it to firm and crisp up later.
- Heat a very generous amount of oil to a large wok or non-stick pan on the highest setting. Pat dry the shrimp with paper towels and lightly season with salt. Drying the shrimp allows it to get a better sear – a trick is to let it air-dry in the fridge overnight. Add the shrimp to the hot oil and let it cook to about 80% doneness. Remove the shrimp from the oil and set aside.
- Next, crack 4 eggs into the searing hot pan. Scramble the eggs with a spatula and cook until mostly firm but not cooked all the way through. It will continue to cook later. Then add the rice and break up any chunks. Let the rice cook and stir to allow all of it to get crispy. The time it needs to cook will vary depending on the amount of moisture in the rice and your personal preference.
- After the rice has cooked to your liking, add the chopped scallions and continue mixing. The scallions will soften and mellow in flavor as it cooks.
- Sprinkle in the chicken bouillon powder and mix, then pour in the soy sauce. It’s best to start with half the amount of soy sauce, taste it, and add more if needed. It’s much easier to add more rather than having to fix a dish that’s too salty!
- Lastly, add back the shrimp and sprinkle in a few dashes of white pepper and mix. Taste test the fried rice and adjust accordingly. It’s you eating this, so make sure it’s perfectly suited to your taste! Garnish with more scallions and enjoy!
Notes
There is no extra salt needed for fried rice because chicken bouillon powder is already very salty.
I also skipped the usual black pepper seasoning because I feel it distracts from the other flavors in the dish.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
