This Shrimp Fried Rice recipe is packed with flavor and easy to make on a weekday! Here’s how to make this comforting dish.
Here’s a weeknight dinner that gives us that cozy feeling every time we cook it: fried rice with shrimp! It’s delicious and comforting food. Follow this recipe and it’s your way to Shrimp Fried Rice that’s easy and irresistibly flavorful. Garlic, ginger and soy sauce pair perfectly with colorful veggies, shrimp slivers and sticky egg chunks in a symphony of flavors. This is one of our favorites for weeknight cooking…ever.
Ingredients for the shrimp fried rice
Fried rice is a dish of boiled rice, eggs, seafood or meat and vegetables popular in many Asian cuisines: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Cambodian, Indonesian, etc. It is served in restaurants and is prepared by home cooks. This shrimp fried rice recipe is a twist on our easy fried rice, adding shrimp for more protein and making it even more filling. Here are the ingredients you will need:
- Rice: Medium or long grain rice works best as short grain rice can get lumpy. Basmati rice is a good option. You can use white rice or brown rice (we prefer the taste of white).
- Sesame oil: Cook; Use the standard variety, non-toasted sesame oil.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatic vegetables form the basis.
- Fresh ginger: IMPORTANT FOR THE BEST TASTE: You can find ginger root in the product department.
- Carrots, Peas, and Kale (optional): Carrots and peas are classics. The kale is optional but adds a nice contrasting texture.
- eggs: Eggs provide the perfect fluffy, flavorful texture.
- soy pasture: Indispensable for the final flavoring.
- Fish Sauce (Optional): It really takes the flavors to the next level when you have it on hand.
- Shrimp: Slow peeled medium, fresh or frozen. Read on for more…
Best shrimp for fried rice
Shrimp are sold in so many different ways: large, small, frozen, fresh, peeled, peeled, tailed, etc. It can be overwhelming when you are in the store. Here’s what you should know about which shrimp to buy for shrimp fried rice:
- Frozen or fresh: Frozen is just as good! Frozen shrimp can often be even fresher than fresh bought if frozen immediately after catching. We often buy frozen because it’s convenient to store for months.
- Small to small medium sized shrimp. In general, the shrimp in shrimp fried rice are smaller. While we often use medium to large sized shrimp in other dishes, use medium to small sized shrimp here.
- Peeled (and not stalked). You can buy shelled, shelled, or tail shrimp. This is where you’ll want it completely peeled so you can put it in your mouth! The tail is great for something like grilled shrimp or Cajun shrimp.
Start with a day’s rice… or here’s a shortcut!
The first thing you will hear about fried rice: Start with one-day rice. That’s probably the first thing to know about this dish. But what if you don’t have a day-old rice and want to make this shrimp fried rice dish? Here are a few tips:
- Leftover rice is better because it’s dry. After you first cook a pot of rice, it retains a lot of moisture. Here’s what happens when you use it to make fried rice: it clumps up and becomes very mushy. It’s best to use day-old dried rice because the grains stay separate and you can achieve the perfect fried rice texture.
- Would you like to make it a holiday? Here’s our shortcut! Make the rice. When ready, spread the freshly cooked rice on a baking sheet or rimmed baking sheet. Place the tray in the freezer and freeze until the beans are cool to the touch, about 15-20 minutes. Some might even be frozen: no big deal! They get hot as soon as they touch the pan.
Variants of fried rice with shrimp
Want to make shrimp fried rice…without the rice? Here are some different variations:
Ways to Serve It!
Shrimp fried rice is a meal in itself: but add a few toppings and you’re done! Here are some side dishes we would combine:
This Shrimp Fried Rice recipe is…
Pescetarian, dairy free and gluten free.
The description
This Shrimp Fried Rice recipe is packed with flavor and easy to make on a weekday! Here’s how to make this comforting dish.
- 1 Pound small medium shrimp (size 51 up to 60), peeled and deveined, frozen or fresh
- 1/2 yellow or white onion
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger (approx. 1 inch inch)
- 2 big carrots
- 2 cups chopped kale (optional)
- 5 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 4 eggs*
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 4 cups cooked rice, at least 1 day old (use How to Cook Rice or Instant Pot Rice) or use the shortcut**
- 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce (or Liquid Amino Acids)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
- spring onions for garnish (optional)
- Defrost shrimp.
- Chop the onion. Chop the garlic. Chop the ginger. Peel the carrots, then cut into cubes. If you use it, cut the cabbage.
- Dry the shrimp. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, about 1 minute on each side, until barely cooked, turning with tongs. They can easily be undercooked since you’ll add them to the rice later. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil over medium-high heat. Sauté carrots and onion for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in rice, peas, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt for 1 minute.
- Push the rice aside. Add 1 more tablespoon of oil. Add the eggs and a pinch of salt and stir until cooked through, 1-2 minutes.
- Add soy sauce and fish sauce if using. Use tongs to add the shrimp (to remove any liquid that has collected in the bowl) and heat, stirring, for a minute or two until all of the rice is coated. Taste and add additional soy sauce if needed. Serve hot.
- Category: main course
- Method: jumped up
- Kitchen: Asian
- Diet: Gluten free
Keywords: Shrimp Fried Rice, How to Make Shrimp Fried Rice, Best Shrimp Fried Rice, Easy Shrimp Fried Rice
More Shrimp Recipes
Shrimp are a great choice for a healthy meal: they’re low in calories and high in protein. Here are some of our favorite healthy shrimp recipes:
