This Chinese restaurant style egg fried rice is quick, savoury and full of flavour – just like a proper takeaway. Cooked rice is wok tossed with egg, seasoning and soy sauce for that classic taste and aroma. It’s simple, satisfying and goes perfectly with stir fry and curry dishes.
When it comes to the tradition of ordering a Chinese takeaway, adding fried rice to the order is almost automatic. Soft and fluffy, perfectly savoury and just waiting to be scooped up on prawn crackers with your favourite curry and stir fry sauces. It’s an essential part of the Chinese takeaway experience, so it’s well worth perfecting your own version at home.
This recipe is quick and easy, and takes just a few minutes to come together in a hot wok.
Love Scottish Chinese takeaway style recipes?
You can find more in my cookbook The Chinese Takeaway Secret.
Ingredients For Chinese Takeaway Style Egg Fried Rice
Below is everything you’ll need to make Chinese takeaway style egg fried rice at home:
- Chinese Takeaway Style Boiled Rice
- Sea Salt
- MSG
- White Pepper
- Dark Soy Sauce
- Light Soy Sauce
- Rice Wine
- Sesame Oil
Cook Like a Takeaway: Want to see the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine I use in all my Chinese recipes? Check out my Chinese Takeaway Style Cooking Essentials guide.
How To Make Chinese Takeaway Style Egg Fried Rice
With overnight rice already prepared, making Chinese takeaway style egg fried rice is very quick and easy! First, oil is added to a hot wok. Next, egg is stir-fried, before the cooked rice is added and wok-tossed until piping hot. The rice is seasoned and given colour with dark soy sauce and stir-fried until piping hot before being finished with aromatic rice wine and sesame oil.
Step 1: Stir Fry
Heat a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon sunflower oil, then 1 egg, whisked. Stir-fry the egg for 20 seconds until it’s scrambled and almost cooked through. Add 1 portion cooked and cooled rice and mix well. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the rice is piping hot. Season with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon MSG and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper and mix well once more. Add 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce and dash light soy sauce and stir-fry for another 1 minute, mixing throughly until the rice is evenly coloured.
Step 2: Finish & Serve
Add dash rice wine and dash sesame oil and mix well once more. Transfer piping hot egg fried rice to a serving plate or food container and serve with your favourite Chinese takeaway style curry or stir-fry dishes.
Tips For Egg Fried Rice
How do I make egg fried rice darker in colour?
Add a touch more dark soy sauce to add deeper colour to the rice.
Can I add aromatic oil or garlic oil to egg fried rice?
Yes, egg fried rice dishes are delicious finished with a touch of chopped garlic in oil, aromatic oil or sesame oil for extra flavour.
I hope you’ll try this Chinese takeaway style egg fried rice recipe. If you do, let me know in the comments how it went!
Egg Fried Rice (Chinese Takeaway Style)
Equipment
- 1 Wok or Large Frying Pan
Ingredients
Egg Fried Rice
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 portion cooked and cooled rice as above
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper (a pinch)
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- dash light soy sauce
- dash rice wine
- dash sesame oil
Instructions
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon sunflower oil, then 1 egg, whisked. Stir-fry the egg for 20 seconds until it's scrambled and almost cooked through. Add 1 portion cooked and cooled rice and mix well. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the rice is piping hot. Season with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon MSG and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper and mix well once more. Add 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce and dash light soy sauce and stir-fry for another 1 minute, mixing throughly until the rice is evenly coloured.
- Add dash rice wine and dash sesame oil and mix well once more. Transfer piping hot egg fried rice to a serving plate or food container and serve with your favourite Chinese takeaway style curry or stir-fry dishes.
Notes
- Add a touch more dark soy sauce to add deeper colour to the rice.
- Add cooked chicken, pork, beef, king prawns or mixed vegetables for a more substantial dish.
- Finish with a touch of chopped garlic in oil, aromatic oil or sesame oil for extra flavour.
Nutrition
Egg Fried Rice Recipe FAQ
Why does egg fried rice from my local Chinese takeaway taste so good?
MSG! Well, no, that’s not quite fair. It is, of course, largely down to the skill shown by your local chef, and you should thank him by placing orders often! But, you should also add MSG to your fried rice when cooking it at home. Don’t be scared of it! It’s absolutely safe unless you have a specific allergy (very unlikely) and it makes food taste amazing!
Do I have to use day-old rice to make egg fried rice?
No! Many takeaways use rice cooked the same day for their fried rice, and you can too. It’s a more difficult task however, as the rice still has some moisture and can become mushy. If you can plan ahead, it’s easier to use day-old rice to make your egg fried rice at home. If you can’t do that, at least allowing the rice to cool completely before frying will help. At a pinch, you can also use supermarket pouches of precooked rice to make egg fried rice.
My egg fried rice turned out mushy, what happened?
This could be down to a few things, but the main two to focus on are the brand / quality of the rice and ensuring the rice is properly rinsed of excess starch before cooking. The rinsing step is particularly important to make sure your cooked rice is soft and fluffy. Recommended brands: Green Dragon, Royal Umbrella, Tolly Boy.
What brand of soy sauce should I use?
Supermarket own brand soy sauces can be very thin and watery. In order to best replicate the dishes made at your favourite Chinese takeaways, try to use the same brands and ingredients they do where possible. Recommended brands: Lee Kum Kee, Pearl River.