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Chinese · Cantonese

Egg fried rice

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

蛋炒饭 · dàn chǎofàn

Day-old rice stir-fried over high heat with egg and spring onion until every grain is separate and lightly toasted. Simple, fast and good for using up leftover rice.

Egg fried rice is a Chinese rice dish from China, ready in about 13 minutes and made with long-grain white rice and egg. It serves 2 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Chinese Fried Rice
Representative photo. Archon6812 / Wikimedia Commons · public-domain
Prep
5 min
Cook
8 min
Total
13 min
Serves
2
Level
Beginner
Calories
601

Plus cooking and chilling the rice the day before.

Ingredients

2 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Break up the cold rice with your fingers so there are no clumps.

    • 2 min

    Food safety: Cool cooked rice quickly and keep it refrigerated; use within 24 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil in a wok (opens in a new tab) over high heat until shimmering. Pour in the eggs (opens in a new tab) and stir for a few seconds until half set.

    Ingredients tossed in a hot wok
    How it looks · Photo: Aesthos AR. Photography on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Immediately add the rice and toss continuously, pressing out any lumps, so the egg (opens in a new tab) coats the grains. Keep tossing until the rice is hot and starts to jump in the pan.

    • 5 min
    • high heat

  4. Step 4

    Season with salt, white pepper (opens in a new tab) and soy sauce (opens in a new tab) if using, toss in the spring onion (opens in a new tab) and serve piping hot.

    • 1 min

    Food safety: Reheat rice until steaming hot throughout.

About this dish

Origin
China · Well documentedAlso popular in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, United Kingdom, United StatesMore food from China
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses · Side dishes
Cooking method
Stir-fried
Taste
savoury, mild, umami
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Without the optional extras: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · Uses leftovers · One-pan · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Long-grain white rice · Egg · White pepper · Spring onion
Techniques
Stir-frying

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Soyfrom soy sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

601 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 213 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 12%
  • Carbohydrate 56%
  • Fat 33%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy601 kcal282 kcal
Protein17 g8 g
Carbohydrate82.3 g38.7 g
Net carbohydrate80.4 g37.8 g
Sugars0.9 g0.4 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2 g0.9 g
Fat21.4 g10.1 g
Saturated fat3.5 g1.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol279 mg131 mg
Sodium698 mg328 mg
Salt equivalent1.7 g0.8 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
281 mg
Calcium
87 mg
Iron
6 mg
Magnesium
39 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
131 µg
Vitamin C
4 mg
Vitamin D
1.5 µg
Vitamin B12
0.7 µg
Folate (DFE)
437 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: soy sauce.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Freshly cooked rice turns mushy; if you must use it, spread it on a tray and let it steam dry for 30 minutes first.

Common mistakes

  • Overcrowding the wok — fry in batches if doubling the recipe.

Serve with

  • Serve alongside stir-fries or eat on its own with a fried egg on top.

Food safety

  • Cooked rice left at room temperature can grow Bacillus cereus; chill leftovers promptly.

Storage

  • Refrigerate within 1 hour of cooking and eat within 1 day.

Reheating

  • Stir-fry until piping hot; reheat only once.

Variations

  • Yangzhou fried rice: Adds diced char siu, shrimp and peas.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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