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Chinese · Cantonese

Yangzhou fried rice

Non-vegetarian

揚州炒飯 · yáng zhōu chǎo fàn

Day-old rice fried with egg, prawns, char siu or ham, peas and spring onion until every grain is separate — the 'special fried rice' of Chinese restaurants.

Yangzhou fried rice is a Chinese rice dish from China, ready in about 27 minutes and made with long-grain white rice, egg and ham. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Appetizing shrimp fried rice with cucumbers in a bowl on wooden table.
Photo: UNDO KIM / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
12 min
Total
27 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
464

Plus cooking and chilling the rice ahead, ideally the day before.

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

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

    • 3 min

    Food safety: Cooked rice should have been cooled quickly and refrigerated; don't use rice left out at room temperature.

  2. Step 2

    Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok (opens in a new tab), scramble the eggs (opens in a new tab) until just set and remove.

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

  3. Step 3

    Add another 1 tbsp oil and stir-fry the prawns (opens in a new tab) until pink and cooked, then add the ham (opens in a new tab), peas (opens in a new tab) and carrot (opens in a new tab) and toss for 1 minute. Remove.

    • 3 min
    • high heat

    Food safety: Prawns are cooked when pink and opaque throughout.

  4. Step 4

    Heat the last of the oil until very hot, add the rice and toss, pressing out lumps, until the grains are hot and start to jump.

    • 3 min
    • high heat

  5. Step 5

    Return the egg (opens in a new tab) and prawn (opens in a new tab) mixture, season with salt, pepper and soy sauce (opens in a new tab) if using, add the spring onion (opens in a new tab) and toss for a final minute.

    • 1 min
    • high heat

About this dish

Origin
Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China · Commonly attributedNamed after Yangzhou; the version known abroad was popularised by Cantonese cooks.Also popular in United Kingdom, United States, MalaysiaMore food from China
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Stir-fried
Taste
savoury, mild, umami
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Without the optional extras: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Uses leftovers · One-pan · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Long-grain white rice · Egg · Ham · Prawns / shrimp · Green peas · Spring onion
Techniques
Stir-frying

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Crustaceansfrom prawns / shrimp
  • 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

464 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 205 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 19%
  • Carbohydrate 48%
  • Fat 33%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy464 kcal226 kcal
Protein22.1 g10.8 g
Carbohydrate54.8 g26.7 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat16.7 g8.1 g
Saturated fat2.2 g1.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol214 mg104 mg
Sodium765 mg373 mg
Salt equivalent1.9 g0.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
356 mg
Calcium
82 mg
Iron
4.3 mg
Magnesium
46 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
—
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
—

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: carrot, 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 chill uncovered for an hour.

Common mistakes

  • Adding too much soy sauce, which makes the rice soggy and hides the other flavours.

Serve with

  • A meal on its own, or part of a banquet with other dishes.

Food safety

  • Rice can carry Bacillus cereus spores; cool cooked rice within an hour and keep it chilled.

Storage

  • Cool quickly and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Reheating

  • Reheat thoroughly in a hot wok until steaming throughout.

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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