Restaurant-Style Garlic Fried Rice
Restaurant-style garlic fried rice done the way it should be, with crispy fried garlic on top and minced garlic stirred through. Day-old rice, two textures of garlic, fifteen minutes from pan to plate.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 408kcal
Ingredients
- 4 cups cold cooked long-grain white rice jasmine ideal, at least 1 day old
- 5–6 cloves garlic half minced, half sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced
- 4 green onions white and green parts separated, both thinly sliced
- 3 large eggs beaten with a pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil avocado, peanut, or vegetable, divided
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2–3 tablespoons soy sauce regular, not low-sodium
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce optional, for color
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon white pepper or black if you don't have it
- salt to taste at the end
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the sliced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Reserve for garnish.
- Add a splash more oil and scramble the eggs until softly set. Remove and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat over high heat until almost smoking. Add the cold rice, press it down against the surface, and cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes to brown the bottom.
- Stir the rice and push it to the sides to make a well. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and white parts of the green onions. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, then stir into the rice and cook for 2–3 more minutes.
- Push the rice aside again and add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil to the well. Let it reduce for 30 seconds, then stir it into the rice.
- Add the butter, green parts of the onions, and scrambled egg. Toss to combine and heat through.
- Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Plate, top with the reserved crispy garlic and a sprinkle of green onion, and serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Slice the garlic for the crispy garnish thin and even, and stir constantly while it fries. The window between golden and burnt is maybe ten seconds, and burnt garlic tastes bitter through the whole dish.
- The pan has to be almost smoking when the rice goes in. A lukewarm pan steams the rice instead of frying it, and you'll lose the bottom crust that makes this taste restaurant-style.
- Pour the soy sauce into a clear well in the pan, not over the rice. Let it bubble and reduce for thirty seconds before stirring it through. This caramelizes the sauce and spreads the color evenly instead of leaving wet, salty patches.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 916mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 410IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg