Thai fried rice gets it’s unique flavor from jasmine rice, fish sauce, soy sauce and chili peppers. Use your favorite protein like chicken, shrimp, or tofu.
Thai Fried Rice
Making Thai fried rice is a flavorful way to use up leftover rice and incorporate a mix of protein and savory ingredients. There’s a great Thai restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that I used to always go to called Sea. It has a great vibe and the best Thai fried rice! I recreated it, and after researching and experimenting, I managed to get it very close! Thai Fried Rice gets its unique flavor from the fish sauce, soy sauce, and chili peppers, and the jasmine rice is a must. They also added tomatoes to their rice which gives it a subtle hint of sweetness. For more of my favorite Thai recipes, try my Pad Thai, Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad, and Thai Basil Chicken.
Why I Love This Thai Fried Rice
Fried rice is one of my favorite foods and order it every chance I get! I really love making at home too because I can control the ingredients and calories. It’s also an easy way to clean out the fridge! A few reasons this works:
- Quick and Easy: Fried rice cooks quickly, so it’s easy to throw together on a busy weeknight with leftover rice.
- Customizable: Add your favorite vegetables or proteins to make it more filling. It’s also easy to make gluten-free.
- Budget Friendly: Cooking this at home is much cheaper than take-out!
Featured Comment:
“Made this last night. Hubby devoured it and had 2 FULL servings!”
– Cindy
What You’ll Need
Thai Chicken Fried Rice Ingredients are listed here. See exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Vegetable Oil has a high smoke point, so it’s ideal for fried rice since it cooks on high heat.
- Rice: Use leftover cooked Jasmine rice, you can use brown or white.
- Aromatics: Chopped onion, scallions or green onions, and minced garlic cloves infuse this Thai fried rice with aromatic flavors.
- Eggs: I used a combination of whole eggs and egg whites to add more lean protein. You can use only whole eggs if you prefer.
- Salt seasons the eggs.
- Tomatoes: Slice medium tomatoes into wedges.
- Thai Chili Peppers are optional, but they’re a great addition if you like spicy fried rice. Remove the seeds and ribs for a milder dish.
- Soy Sauce for savory depth. If you’re gluten-free, use tamari.
- Fish Sauce, an umami-packed, salty sauce,can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets.
- Protein of your choice: chicken breast, shrimp, tofu, etc.
What is the trick to fried rice?
- Cold, leftover rice: The key to making perfect fried rice is using cold, leftover rice. Freshly cooked rice won’t fry as well.
- High heat: Make sure your pan is fully heated on high heat so the rice fries and doesn’t steam.
- Prep all your ingredients before you start cooking. Cooking fried rice only takes a few minutes, so you want everything ready to go.
Variations
- Rice: Substitute any type of long-grain rice, like Basmati or white jasmine rice.
- Protein: Add chicken, shrimp, pork, or tofu for more protein.
- Vegetables: Sauté some extra veggies, like mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers, or broccoli.
- Eggs: Use whole eggs if you prefer.
- Hot Peppers: Substitute jalapeño or serrano peppers if you can’t find Thai chili peppers.
- Want more spice? Serve it with sriracha on the side.
- Herbs: Garnish with fresh cilantro or Thai basil leaves.
- Serve with lime wedges or a squeeze of lime juice.
- No wok? No problem. Use any large skillet for this Thai fried rice recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some Thai dishes that go great with Thai Fried Rice for a multi-course meal.
- Thai Chicken and Pineapple Stir Fry
- Thai Basil Chicken
- Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp
- Chicken Satay
- Fresh cucumbers
Storage
Leftover fried rice will keep for 4 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it in freezer-safe containers or bags for a couple of months. Thaw it in the fridge and microwave it until warm.
More Fried Recipes You’ll Love
- House Special Fried Rice (high protein!)
- Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice
- Thai Beef and Jasmine Rice
- Edamame Fried Rice
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
Thai Fried Rice Recipe
Equipment
- wok
Ingredients
- 8 ounces chicken breast, shrimp, beef, pork or tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
- kosher salt , and black pepper, to taste
- 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice, white or brown is fine
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 scallions, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 large egg whites, beaten (you can also just use 2 large whole eggs total)
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into wedges
- 2 to 3 Thai chili peppers, optional for heat
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce, or tamari for gluten free
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
Instructions
- Heat a large nonstick wok over high heat.
- Meanwhile, season the chicken or protein of choice lightly with salt and pepper.
- When the wok is very hot, add 2 tsp of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook on high until its browned all over and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
- Reduce heat and add the eggs and egg whites to the wok with a pinch of salt and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until scrambled. Set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the wok and add the onion, scallions and garlic. Saute 1 minute, add the chili pepper if using, tomatoes and stir in all the rice.
- Add the soy sauce and fish sauce, stir to mix all the ingredients and cook, stirring 2 to 3 minutes.
- Return the egg and chicken back to the wok. Adjust soy sauce and salt as needed and stir well another 30 seconds.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
- You can add cilantro or other fresh herbs at the end.
- Feel free to use whatever protein you like.
Nutrition
How to Make Thai Fried Rice
Here’s a quick overview of the steps involved in making this Thai Fried Rice. See the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Eggs: Heat the wok on high heat and pour in the oil. Add the egg whites and a pinch of salt and cook for a minute or 2 until done. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Vegetables: Add the onion, scallions, and garlic. Cook for a minute, and then add the chili pepper and tomatoes.
- Rice and Sauce: Stir in the rice and drizzle with soy sauce and fish sauce.
- Final Touches: Return the eggs to the wok and season with more soy sauce if needed.
I have made this several times – so good! Tonight I used chicken breast and added diced fresh carrots, diced red bell pepper and frozen peas. Yum!!
I have been looking for a recipe that rivals my local thai restaurant and I have finally found it. The difference – the fish sauce! Wow – what a game changer. And I just love the simplicity of this recipe. I choppedeverything the day before and cooked it up in less than 15 minutes!
This is my second time making this delicious dish and it’s a hit every time! This one’s a keeper 🙂 Thanks Gina!!!
Awesome
I made this last week with chicken thighs – so good!!! Thanks Gina!
I wasn’t sure if I would like tomatoes in a stir fry but this worked nicely. I added some brocolli as well and it was so pretty! I’ll make this again – super easy with advance prep.
Delicious
This is a fried rice recipe, and while the ingredient list includes rice, the directions NEVER mention when to add the rice to the dish! Very surprising, unless it is AI generated and not edited very well by humans, maybe?
End of step 5 on the recipe card: “stir in all the rice”!
Ummm….it says it in step 5. Add in all the rice
Made tonight for the first time – as written. It was delicious! It will be put into our meal rotations.
worked very well defenetly 5 stars
All good ,added to leftover rice and – a
ll gone!!
Can you leave off the fish sauce
This recipe is amazing! I used shrimp and basmati rice because that’s what I had on hand. I cooked the rice in chicken stock, 1 tsp. of butter, and a pinch of salt. It’s important to do all the prep in advance as suggested. Make this recipe this week, you won’t be disappointed.
what do you do with the chilies? whole, chopped, sliced??
Chop and saute with the onions.
I made this recipe tonight with large shrimp – it was so delicious!!!! I added sliced mushrooms and diced red bell pepper and I used chili powder instead of the hot peppers. My husband loved it and I will be making this again! Thanks Gina for another great recipe!!
This was so good! healthy and flavor on point! Thank you for such great recipes! I used Prawns and cannot wait to try with Chicken.
Great!!
Can you tell me the sodium content per serving of this recipe? It sounds delish, but I’m on a sodium-restricted diet.
Let me get info and update
Looks delicious…but need the sodium count please.
I’ve been using your recipes for years. They are so good I like that they’re low in calories and fat. I know I can always count on that
Thank you Kim!
Fantastic. My husband is picky (not so much as to what he’ll eat, but he cooks too, so…) and we all loved this.
High on the, ‘make again, please’ list.
Wonderful!
This is good. I didn’t have peppers but it needed extra soy sauce for my taste. I served with gochuchang sauce. (I have no idea how to spell that) to kick it up instead. Pretty good! Great use of leftover rice.
I usually add extra soy sauce at the end. I love your Korean twist!
This was DELICIOUS! My husband and I loved it. We like a lot of spice so added more Thai peppers, but it was perfect. And satisfied our craving for fried rice from our favorite hibachi restaurant — but so much healthier. Thank you Gina!! As always!
Great!!!
This was delicious. I omitted the chicken and used a marinated tofu to make it vegetarian. Hubby and I loved it!
I am thrilled to hear!
Does the calorie count stay the same if you eat the entire recipe to yourself? HAHAHA kidding! Gina, delicious as all of your recipes are!! Thank you!!
LOL!
Thank you, Gina for another great recipe. I’ve put on some weight over quarantine, and your site never disappoints. I doubled the recipe, added a few more veggies (zucchini, carrots, and cilantro), but used less oil, and my Thai fried rice loving family all gave it the thumbs up. I actually used your leftover chipotle cilantro lime rice along with regular leftover jasmine rice, and I am thrilled. This will be on repeat.
Perfect!!
At the risk of sounding stupid–where am I getting fish sauce???
Asian section of supermarket or amazon
OMG! This is fantastic! The flavor is incredible and the portion size is huge. I did sub out the chicken for shrimp tonight. I know whats for lunch tomorrow!
Awesome!!
How on earth do I save the recipe
So good!
Great!
just for curiosity, i am trying to eat more quinoa and was wondering if substituting rice for quinoa would work? please advise.
thanks!
Sure!
Sp points????
Must one use a wok?
A skillet will be fine!
Honestly, i was scared of the fish sauce. But let me tell you, this recipe was AMAZING!!! Definitely a new favorite. Thank you Gina for all that you do…you're a lifesaver!
P.s. we didnt use jasmine rice because we didnt have it and it was still yummy
YAY!!
Hi what kind of beef would you use with this?
Thin sliced sirloin.
This is my favorite meal, hands down! I add zucchini with the onions and it tastes just like a Japanese steakhouse!
This is the first time I've ever attempted fried rice and it actually tasted like fried rice. Win! Love it!!!!!! I have my husband hooked on it, too. 🙂
YAY
This recipe is ssoooooo delicious!!!! I've made it at least once a week in the past 4 weeks lol. I don't know where to get the thia chili peppers so I just use a bit of the Shirachi sauce. I can't rave about this recipe enough! The bomb!!! 🙂
Woohoo!
I just made this and substituted tempeh for chicken and a jalepeno for the chili peppers. YUM!
Thanks so much!
helena~
Made this last night. Hubby devoured it and had 2 FULL servings! Only changes I made were no tomatoes and instead I used up all the baby red peppers from my backyard pots. And added 1 small shredded carrot – just because I had it. Made it with some cut up pork chops I cooked the night before and I cookded the rice the night before, too. So all I had to do was chop the veggies and then cook it. Simple, tasty and filling.
Tried this last night with a few shortcuts and tweaks. One thing though 3 cups of rice is a whole lot! Make sure you have a large enough Wok and appetite.
Hi Gina,
I'm really looking forward to trying this. My boyfriend is from Sri Lanka and he loves his fried rice. Unfortunately it is normally soooo bad for anyone trying to cut back on calories and fat. He will be tickled to have it back on the menu every now and again.
JD – I have made fried rice before in a large skillet in the past when my wok was packed away. Biggest thing is just to make sure it stays HOT and keep the food your cooking in the center (as the edges tend to be off the burner and cooler) and keep it moving.
Hi Gina, may be a stupid question, but do you think this could
be done in a skillet? Don't have no wok, don't want no wok.
Have done many of your recipes the past few months. My wife and
her best girl friend rave about them. That's good, cause I cook
them. Enjoy your site, many recipes to explore.
JD
Hi Gina,
made this for some friends last week and they loved it! They had no idea it was skinny-ed up either :)Thanks
Thank you for sharing. I made this for my family last night and it was tasty.
Gina, I made this dish tonight and omg it was just wonderful, everyone in my family loved it, ty very much!
Love this! It is great with extra veggies, basil and the oyster sauce is a must! YUM!
I made this and it was wonderful — quick question though (and I know I sound like a total idiot).. when you say 3 cups of jasmine rice (cooked), does that mean 3 cups of cooked jasmine rice or 3 cups of dried rice AND cook it? 🙂
Basil would be great here!
I am new to your site but have already tried one of your recipes (the baked seasoned fries – yum!). I'm on WW as of Sunday and am grateful to have found a site full of delicious recipes with suggestions and tips from readers. It REALLY helps. We are going to make this Thai dish tonight – it is similar to what I used to make so I think I will throw in some thai basil, too. 🙂
One word for this dish: AMAZING!
Oops, too spicy! Thanks I am happy you are hooked!
Yum!! Love Thai food, so I couldn't pass this one up. I added broccolli, bell peppers,and mushrooms for more bulk. I substituted serrano peppers for the Thai chilis,seeds and all…Fyi,it was spicy! So spicy my bf couldnt finish 🙁 but I sure did! Gina,i stumbled upon your site a few months ago,and am now HOOKED!!! Seriously Love love love your recipes,followers,and tidbits of info.You are awesome!
Another big hit with my family. So much flavor. I added water chestnuts just because I like some crunch! My hubby actually asked me what we were having from your site tonight for dinner! You have totally won him and my boys over. Thank you so much.
This recipe was amazing! I made a couple of substitutions to fit my taste and what I had in my pantry (carrots instead of tomatoes and red pepper flakes instead of Thai chili peppers and left out the fish sauce altogether). This recipe was easy, delicious, and the leftovers were GREAT for lunch!
You're welcome Alicia!
I'm absolutely in love with your entire website. I love to cook and being on WW, I thought I would have to cook not so fun dishes…I was wrong! Thank you for posting such delicious items for my whole family to enjoy and stay healthy at the same time!
Gina, Just like so many of your other readers have said, I LOVE this site! You have definitely made cooking light possible. Re: this recipe. I don't have a wok. Should I just skip the recipe (or buy a wok :), or would a large sauté pan do the trick?
excellent recipe made this tonight and was delicious!!!
Gina, this is a favorite among my family. Could you possibly update the points? By the way, my family has been very satisfied with all of the recipes I have used from your site. They prefer your recipes to the Weight Watchers recipe!! Thanks so very, very much for all you do! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Hi Kim, 3 cups cooked rice, not 3 cups raw rice, that would yield too much rice and increase the points.
Ok I know I am late to the game but just came across this recipe and I have a question – the rice, is it 3 cups of cooked rice or 3 cups raw rice, that is then cooked? Makes a HUGE difference 🙂 thx
I just found your website and I tried this last night. It was SO good. Next time I will leave out the tomato and put in Pineapple instead, and I bet it will taste just like my favorite dish at my favorite Thai restaurant. Thanks so much. It is really tasty and WAY less greasy!
This is the second time that I had made this dish. It's a very good a filling dish.
That's so sweet!!
Your site, at least for me, is the sinlge biggest thing that makes following WW possible. Thank you for all the great food options!!!
very tasty recipe….hubby loved it….
Pork tenderloin cut up small might make a lean option for pork.
I made this tonight with pork instead of chicken – the points went up considerably, but it was great! I couldn't find thai chili peppers, so I just threw in a pinch or two of crushed red peppers. I also added some frozen peas at the end for color.
You're welcome!
This was great! My husband doesn't care for anything that is low fat/WW but I made this without telling. He loved it. Thank you so much.
I haven't made this in a while, thanks for reminding me!! I think I'll make it again this week!
Gina,
This is my new fave!! I have made several of your recipes including skinny meatballs, pepper steak, Sante Fe chicken, and spicy Thai beef/Jasmine rice. So far, my husband and I love them all!! He hardly realized he's eating light! I am so thankful I found this site. You have such delicious flavorful recipes.
This was DELICIOUS !! I LOVE your website. Thank you sooo much. I'll definitely be making this again.
I made this last night with basmati rice (it's what I had in the cupboard) and it was goooood. I hade to spice it up a little bit with cayenne pepper, and that's probably because I couldn't find thai chili peppers.
I used jasmine brown rice and a teaspoon of oyster sauce with this recipe and it was just as delicious!
I love Sea and live in the UK so am excited to be able to try this recipe! Your posts are an inspiration and all my colleagues at work now get them as well- the emphasis on vegetables and flavour is great. Thanks a lot (pork with dijon and tarragon- best thing i've ever cooked!)
Kate, London
Made this last week & wanted to pop back by to thank you for sharing the recipe!
It was wonderful & I'll def. be making it again.
Thanks!
I have to agree, I love this recipe! I’m a sucker for fried rice!
This was delicious.. it was so good that i made more for my co-workers to try.. keep em coming
I just made this for dinner — awesome. I added broccoli, mushroom and carrot for extra fiber and veggies. Also used chicken quorn pieces instead of real chicken. Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow 🙂
Hey, made this for dinner tonight, it was amazing. My kids always beg for fried rice, I wonder if they know how many veggies they’re eating 😉
tried this! love it!
Hi,
nice, tasty recipe!
If You add about 1 Tablespoon Oystersauce, too,
it will be even more tasty.
Greetings from Chiang Mai/Thailand