Got leftover white rice? Make shrimp fried rice for a protein and veggie-packed meal ready to go in less than 30 minutes.

Favorite Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe

Shrimp fried rice is one of my go-to takeout meals. I love that it’s made with protein-packed shrimp, tons of veggies, and a yummy fried rice sauce.

It’s a versatile dish that can be made your very own by using the veggies you have on hand and whatever leftover rice you have. That’s right, shrimp fried rice uses leftover (chilled) rice.

In this post, we’ll teach you how to make shrimp fried rice and also share some tips and tricks to make sure your dish comes out perfect!

Try an authentic shrimp fried rice recipe by checking out the Woks of Life’s Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe. Their recipe comes directly from their family’s Chinese takeout restaurant.

Why you’ll love it!

In addition to shrimp fried rice being a balanced meal, here’s why you need to make it!

Versatile

Kid-Friendly

High-Protein

Featured Ingredients

• Shrimp: for this recipe we’re using jumbo shrimp that’s deveined and peeled. Before anyything you’ll marinate it in a combination of sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, and lime juice to make it nice and juicy and flavorful.
• Veggies: the nice thing about shrimp fried rice is that you can use pretty much any veggie. In our shrimp fried rice recipe we use green onion, carrot, red pepper, and edamame.
• Chilled white rice: any kind of cooked, chilled rice (for at least overnight!) will work for this recipe. We prefer a long-grain white rice such as jasmine or basmati.
• Egg: eggs are scrambled in right at the end to add texture and protein.

Do you have to use chilled rice for fried rice?

While you don’t HAVE to use chilled rice for fried rice, we do recommend doing it. Overnight white rice is the key to restaurant-style fried rice where the rice doesn’t clump and every bite is flavorful.

Fried Rice Sauce

The key to fried rice is the fried rice sauce. Ours is made with 6 simple ingredients.

• Soy sauce
• Maple syrup (classic fried rice doesn’t use any sweetener, but we prefer it!)
• Rice vinegar
• Fish sauce
• Minced garlic
• Chili garlic sauce

How to Season Shrimp for Fried Rice

Seasoning shrimp for fried rice is simple. We recommend letting your peeled and deveined shrimp marinate in sesame oil, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and a little lime juice before cooking. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Why season your shrimp first? We like to do this to make sure the shrimp is infused with flavor in every bite!

How to Make Shrimp Fried Rice

1. Marinate shrimp: combine sesame oil, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Then, toss the shrimp in it and let marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Make fried rice sauce: combine soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, fish sauce, garlic, and chili garlic sauce and set aside.
3. Cook shrimp: Cook shrimp for 4 minutes over medium/high and then flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Cook veggies: cook green onion and minced carrot in sesame oil.
5. Add white rice: add chilled white rice, red pepper, and edamame, and cook for 4-6 minutes. Add fried rice sauce and toss.
6. Cook eggs: create a well in the middle of the fride rice and crack in 3 eggs. Gently whisk until cooked.
7. Toss: toss your shrimp fried rice together and serve immediately.

Top Tips for Fried Rice with Shrimp

Use cold rice: make sure to use chilled rice. If you use freshly cooked rice, you’ll notice that it becomes mushy.

Don’t over scramble the egg: make sure to keep your scrambled eggs nice and large. If you over-scramble it, it will get lost in your shrimp fried rice!

Don’t overcook the shrimp: whatever you do, don’t overcook the shrimp! Overcooked shrimp becomes rubbery and no one wants that.

Recipe Pairings

• Shrimp Stir Fry
• Stir Fry Sauce
• Sticky Rice
• Pad Krapow
• Easy Ramen

FAQ

What does shrimp fried rice contain?

Shrimp fried rice is made with cooked shrimp, a variety of veggies, eggs, and a fried rice sauce composed of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and fish sauce.

Can you put oyster sauce in shrimp fried rice?

You’re more than welcome to put oyster sauce in shrimp fried rice.

How to season shrimp for fried rice?

We recommend letting your shrimp marinate in a combination of sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic sauce, and lime juice. It will give your shrimp extra flavor in every bite.

Storage

Store shrimp fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat: feel free to reheat in the microwave on high for 90 seconds or in a nonstick skillet. Heat a little olive oil over medium/high heat and cook fried rice for 3-5 minutes or until hot.