Quick & Easy Healthy Fried Rice

Your weeknight leftovers just got a major upgrade. Not only is my Quick & Easy Healthy Fried Rice and delicious dish for anytime of day, but it’s the perfect way to get some extra life out of leftover rice and/or veggies. Plus, this recipe happens to be gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly. It truly is the perfect meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Friends, how do we feel about leftovers?! When I was younger, I was not a fan of leftovers, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that throwing out leftovers is such a waste. And, it’s much more fun to enjoy the same food you love several days in a row. So now, I am totally team leftovers!

However, while most leftovers reheat well, there is one leftover that is notoriously, well… subpar. And my friends, that is leftover rice. If you’ve ever tried to reheat rice that’s been in the fridge, then you’ll know that it gets hard, dry, and looses its fluffiness. And while you can use a simple, easy “hack” to reheat your fluffy rice within seconds, why not jazz it up a bit and give it an upgrade?!

And if you’re wondering what that upgrade is, it’s turning your day-old rice into fried rice.

How to Make Fried Rice

Now, turning leftover rice into fried rice is nothing new. In fact, Chinese grandmothers have been doing it for centuries, and the practice dates back to the Sui Dynasty in China. So, we are not reinventing the wheel here. Rather, I wanted to show you how easy it is to make a delicious dish from leftover rice, and my protein-packed recipe that I know you’re going to love!

But I digress. Rather than throwing out your leftover rice, turning it into fried rice is the best thing!

Traditionally, fried rice is made in a wok, and the technique involves lining the wok with very, very hot oil, then tossing the rice in and quickly pushing it around the wok so it lightly fries (but doesn’t burn). Then, you add in your egg and/or vegetables and meat, followed by the soy sauce and spices. The whole dish comes together in a few minutes, and is super simple and easy!

But if you don’t have a wok, IT’S OKAY! Using any pan will do for this recipe. Use what you have on hand.

What You Need to Make This Healthy Rice Dish

All you need are a few simple ingredients to make this delicious dish in mere minutes!

• Rice: As mentioned above, this recipe works best with leftover rice. You can either make rice the night before and store it in the fridge, or use your leftover takeout rice!
• Avocado Oil: I like using avocado oil because it’s full of healthy fats, but any neutral oil works for this recipe!
• Eggs: A key component to fried rice is the scrambled egg, so don’t skip this, in this recipe! If you want to make this recipe vegan-friendly, you can always substitute the eggs for a plant-based substitute, like JUST Egg!
• Butter or Ghee: A little butter or ghee is necessary for helping our aromatics cook down. In order to make this recipe dairy-free, you could also substitute the butter or ghee with more oil!
• Onion: Yellow onion works perfectly in this recipe, and gives it the best flavor!
• Ginger: Did you know that ginger is great for your digestion? It’s true! Not only does it add an amazing flavor to this dish, but it will also help it digest better, as well.
• Green Onion: Green onions are essential to any fried rice recipe! In this recipe, we’ll be using them in the rice itself as well as garnishing the rice with them.
• Tamari or Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: To keep this recipe gluten-free, I recommend using Tamari. It has all of the flavor of soy sauce, just without the gluten! However, if you aren’t gluten-free, you can use a regular, low-sodium soy sauce instead.
• Toasted Sesame Oil: Sesame oil adds a rich, delicious flavor to this fried rice that is amazing. Trader Joe’s has a great toasted sesame oil!
• Sausage of Choice: I love adding a chopped Chomps meat stick or sausage for extra protein, but that is optional.

How to Make This Simple and Easy Fried Rice Recipe

To make this fried rice recipe, simply start by adding your avocado oil to a medium-sized pan or a wok (if you have one) and heat on high until it gets really hot. You can test if the oil is ready by placing a small drop of water in the pan, and seeing if it sizzles. If it does, then it’s ready to go!

While you’re waiting for the pan to heat up, crack your eggs into a bowl and beat them together. Then, once the oil is ready, transfer them to the pan, add your chopped sausage/meat (if using) and scramble the eggs, mixing the eggs and sausage/meat. They should sizzle!

Once your eggs are cooked, remove them from the heat and place them on a plate. Set aside.

Then, in the same pan, add your butter or ghee, then toss in the diced onion and grated ginger, and sauté for about 3-4 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent. Finally, add in the rice, alongside the cooked eggs, and diced green onion, and mix them well. Then, add in the tamari / soy sauce and sesame oil, and mix to fully combine.

Cook for another 3-4 minutes, then add more tamari / soy sauce or sesame oil as desired. Serve immediately, and enjoy!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! And, since I practically live on Instagram, be sure to tag me in your creations so that I can repost them! xx

** Photography by Gayle McLeod