Go Back
Wok filled with colorful vegetable fried rice with eggs and green onions

Simple Fried Rice (No Protein)

This vegetable simple fried rice showcases perfectly seasoned grains with vegetables in a savory soy-based sauce, proving that fried rice doesn't need meat to be utterly satisfying. Quick-cooking vegetables add color and texture while garlic and ginger provide aromatic depth. Ready in 15 minutes, it's the ultimate side dish or light meal.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Calories: 338
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Rice
  • 450 g cooked long-grain rice cooled
  • 100 g frozen peas and carrots thawed
  • 60 g white onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 10 g fresh ginger minced
For the Sauce
  • 40 ml soy sauce
  • 15 ml oyster sauce
  • 10 ml sesame oil
  • 5 ml rice vinegar
  • 3 g granulated sugar
  • 2 g white pepper
For Cooking
  • 45 ml vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 30 g green onions sliced

Method
 

Prepare the Sauce
  1. Whisk together 40ml soy sauce, 15ml oyster sauce, 10ml sesame oil, 5ml rice vinegar, 3g sugar, and 2g white pepper until sugar dissolves. Keep the sauce next to the stove—fried rice moves fast, and pausing mid-cook drops pan heat.
Scramble the Eggs
  1. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 15ml vegetable oil, swirl, pour in eggs, and scramble quickly ~45 seconds until just set (soft curds). Remove to a plate immediately; eggs overcook fast in a hot wok and become rubbery.
Stir-Fry Aromatics and Vegetables
  1. Add remaining 30ml oil to the hot wok. Stir-fry 60g onion for 2 minutes until softened, then add garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant (keep it moving so it doesn’t burn). Add 100g peas and carrots and stir-fry 2 minutes to heat through and drive off surface moisture.
Fry the Rice
  1. Add 450g cooled rice, breaking up clumps with a spatula so grains separate before sauce goes in. Stir-fry 3–4 minutes, tossing constantly, until rice is hot and some grains are slightly crisp. Pour sauce around the edges of the wok (onto hot metal) and toss quickly to coat; add scrambled eggs and 30g green onions and toss 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Notes

Cold rice is the foundation of good fried rice. Warm or freshly cooked rice contains steam and turns mushy under stir-fry conditions. If you must use fresh rice, spread it out to cool and dry before cooking.
High heat is the point. If your pan isn’t hot enough, the rice steams and turns soft instead of frying. Cook in two batches if needed—overcrowding drops temperature and ruins texture.
Add sauce at the end and toss fast. Sauce early makes rice wet, delays browning, and can create clumps. A short, hot finish coats grains without turning them soggy.
Storage: refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet with a small splash of water; microwaving works but won’t restore crisp bits.