This Shrimp Fried Rice recipe is a super flavorful dish made quickly and easily all in one skillet. The best part is it’s full of authentic flavors that rival any of your favorite takeout dishes. Saving money in the process is just the bonus!
Ordering any type of fried rice is pretty much the law when you’re picking up Chinese food, whether it’s veggie fried rice, chicken fried rice, or shrimp fried rice. The thing is, is that more often than not the stuff you get at restaurants is high in sodium and added sugars. This is why I enjoy recreating all kinds of Asian cuisine at home. Controlling the ingredients I put in is part of the appeal. Plus it always ends up tasting so much better than any take-out anyway!
As delicious and juicy as the pieces of shrimp are, it’s only one element of rice and shrimp and I love that I can swap it out for a different protein every now and then. Let’s not forget the rice is always the star of the show.
This restaurant-style dish works as a side dish or a main dish and it has become a well-loved family recipe that makes an appearance any time I’m putting together an Asian-inspired meal!
I often serve shrimp fried rice with Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry or Asian Chicken Meatballs.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A great way to use leftover rice. This dish is best when you use cold day-old rice so it’s a great way to prevent waste and use up what you’ve already got.
- Healthy & flavorful. A complete meal made from fresh, healthy, and wholesome ingredients. Just a bit of seasoning and aromatics you’ve probably already got in your kitchen are all it takes to bring this dish together.
- Quick & Easy. It’s a one-pan dish that comes together quickly with minimal cleanup.
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Shrimp – You’ll end up with about 51-60 pieces of shrimp if using smaller shrimp. A little bigger is fine too, but you want to avoid large shrimp otherwise they’ll overpower the dish. Peeled, deveined, and tails off. Be sure to thaw them if frozen.
- Salt and pepper – Added to taste. Soy sauce is quite salty, so be careful not to add too much salt.
- Oil – Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil are great choices. They’re all mild in flavor and work well when used over medium or high heat.
- Eggs – Scrambled eggs are a signature part of fried rice and it adds a bit of texture, protein, and flavor.
- Veggies – I use a package of frozen carrots and peas, thawed as they are traditionally what you’ll find in take-out fried rice. You can opt to use whatever veggies you have on hand. Bean sprouts and broccoli are popular substitutions or additions.
- Cloves garlic – An aromatic flavor that enhances the entire dish.
- Cooked jasmine rice, cold – This is a great time to use any leftover rice or plan ahead and make things even easier by cooking it the day before and keeping it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
- Soy sauce or coconut aminos – Soy sauce adds a salty, savory taste to recipes. Coconut aminos is a great substitute for those looking for a gluten-free sauce instead.
- Sesame oil – This will give the rice a deep nutty flavor that is a classic element of Chinese cooking.
- Scallions – A pop of green to finish the dish that gives it a finishing touch in terms of taste and presentation. Scallions are called spring onions in the UK.
Equipment Needed
- A 12-inch pan (or wok if you have it) – You want something non-stick and large enough to hold everything.
- A wooden or silicone spatula – Fried rice is constantly moving but you don’t want to break things up too small or mix everything too much. Using either will help gently combine everything.
How to Make Shrimp Fried Rice
- Cook the shrimp. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook shrimp in a single layer until no longer opaque. They will turn pink, which should take about 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
Tip!
Do not overcook the shrimp. They will become rubbery in texture and no longer as pleasant to bite into!
- Cook the eggs. Pour eggs into the same pan and allow it to sit without stirring for about 20 seconds until it just starts to set. Then, using a spatula or wooden spoon, scramble them by breaking the eggs up into smaller pieces. Remove eggs to a bowl and set aside.
Tip!
Best to use a non-stick pan for easy removal of the eggs from the pan. You also want to make sure the eggs are just set/cooked and not brown, and a non-stick surface will help.
- Add veggies. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and heat the oil. Add the carrots and peas first and then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. You want to release the aroma but not let it burn.
- Toss in the rice. Grab the cooked rice and remove any clumps before adding it to the pan. Break up the grains so that you can sprinkle them into the pan, not dump the whole thing at once. Cook the rice until it is heated through.
- Add seasoning. Mix in the soy sauce and sesame sauce.
- Bring everything together. Add the shrimp and eggs you set aside earlier, and add in the scallions too. Cook for 1 minute and continuously stir until it is warmed through. Do a little taste test and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
Top Tips
- To get 5 cups of cooked rice, you need to cook 1 cup of uncooked rice. 1 cup of rice is 7 ounces/200g and serves 5 people.
- I prefer to cook the eggs separately and then add them in, this way they don’t end up overcooked. You want the eggs to be fluffy scrambled eggs so do not break them apart too much.
- Add a little extra soy sauce towards the end if you feel it needs it. Alternatively, you could have some on the table and allow people to add it themselves.
- Use a minimum of medium heat. Fried rice should be cooked over high heat and treated almost like a stir fry. Quick movements, always stirring and served immediately.
- Swap the shrimp for a different protein like chicken, pork, or tofu. You can also omit the protein altogether and enjoy a classic Instant Pot fried rice instead.
FAQs
Long grain rice, specifically Jasmine rice, is the best rice to use. You can use other long grain white rice varieties but I typically will use them as a second choice.
The reason the rice has to be at least a day old and be chilled just out of the fridge is that any freshly made or hot rice will clump and become soggy once it hits the hot pan because it’ll create steam. You’ve probably noticed that fried rice is on the dryer side and has a bit of a bite to it, which is what we want.
No! There are a few moving parts to this recipe, but it is still super simple. Part of the reason for having separate components is if you dump everything in the pan at once, it will lower the temperature, things will cook unevenly, and you’ll no longer end up with slightly crispy rice.
Ways to Serve Shrimp with Fried Rice
Shrimp fried rice is a complete meal all on its own, so it doesn’t need much to complete it. My family loves to drizzle a little yum yum sauce overtop or if we’re already having some cream cheese rangoons on the side, we might use sweet and sour sauce instead.
If you’re creating a menu to include fried rice as a side, think about serving it alongside slow cooker teriyaki chicken, orange chicken, and air fryer chicken and broccoli. These dishes all come with their own protein, so you could decide to use my Instant Pot fried rice recipe instead!
I’d love to hear in the comments how your shrimp fried rice turned out! Don’t forget to share this recipe with others so that they too can have a quick and easy go-to fried rice recipe.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Shrimp Fried Rice
Equipment
- 12-inch pan (30-cm pan)
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) shrimp 51-60 count is the perfect size or a little bigger is fine. Peeled, deveined and tails off, thawed.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola or peanut oil
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup frozen carrots and peas thawed
- 2 cloves garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 5 cups Cooked rice cold, or any other long grain rice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos, for gluten free substitute with tamari or gluten free soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 5 medium scallions (spring onions) sliced (about ½ cup)
Instructions
- Season shrimp with salt and pepper.
- In a 12-inch pan, over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the shrimp. Cook in a single layer until no longer opaque, about 1-2 minutes per side. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. Remove into a bowl.
- To the same pan, add eggs, and cook without stirring until it just begin to set (20 seconds). Then scramble with a spatula to break them up into smaller pieces (1 minute). The eggs should be cooked but not browned. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Best to use a non stick pan for the eggs not to stick.
- Wipe the pan clean with paper towels, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add the carrots and peas. Add the garlic, and cook for just 30 seconds (you don’t want to burn it).
- Add the cooked rice but make sure that you break any clumps before adding it in (do not just dump it in the pan, sprinkle it). And stir to break any clumps with a spatula. Cook until the rice is heated through (3 minutes).
- Add the soy sauce, and sesame oil and mix that in.
- Add the shrimp and eggs, and scallions. Cook for 1 minute as you stir until it’s warmed through. Taste it and adjust seasonings to your preference (add more soy if needed). Serve.
Notes:
- To get 5 cups of cooked rice, you need to cook 1 cup of uncooked rice. 1 cup of rice is 7 ounces/200g and serves 5 people.
- I prefer to cook the eggs separately and then add them in, this way they don’t end up overcooked. You want the eggs to be fluffy scrambled eggs so do not break them apart too much.
- Add a little extra soy sauce towards the end if you feel it needs it. Alternatively, you could have some on the table and allow people to add it themselves.
- Use a minimum of medium heat. Fried rice should be cooked over high heat and treated almost like a stir fry. Quick movements, always stirring and served immediately.
- Swap the shrimp for a different protein like chicken, pork, or tofu. You can also omit the protein altogether.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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