Easy Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice

Make this Chinese Takeout Copycat Vegetable Fried Rice at home in under 30 minutes using simple ingredients. It is quick, easy to make, and customizable. Serve it as a side dish or a main course (vegan, can be easily made gluten-free).

Jump to:

• About Vegetable Fried Rice
• Ingredients
• How To Make Vegetable Fried Rice
• Pro Tips By Neha
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Variations
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You Might Also Like
• Recipe Card

About Vegetable Fried Rice

If you are a Chinese food fan like me, Vegetable Fried Rice must be a regular feature on your table. I have been making veg fried rice for a long time, and I can safely say that this recipe beats any take-out any day.

By keeping a few tips in consideration, you get smoky, delicious, and flavorful restaurant-style vegetable fried rice in under 30 minutes.

The best part is that you can customize it according to your preferences. Add the veggies you like, adjust the sauces, and choose the variety of rice you want; fun, right?

Good veg fried rice is all about smoky flavors, vibrant colors, and a perfect balance of sauces, and this recipe has it all.

This easy vegetable fried rice recipe is vegan and can be easily made gluten-free. You can double or triple it too. If scaling the recipe, I suggested stir-frying the rice in batches for the best flavor.

So next time you crave good fried rice, then make it at home instead of going to a Chinese restaurant.

If you are a fan of Chinese take-out, try these recipes as well

• Egg Foo Young
• Hunan Chicken
• Drunken Noodles
• General Tso’s Tofu
• Chicken Congee
• Cantonese Pan Fried Noodles
• Hunan Shrimp
• Chicken Hakka Noodles
• Shrimp Mei Fun
• Chinese Mango Chicken

Ingredients

Rice – The key to making a bowl of good vegetable fried rice is day-old rice. When the rice is cold, the grains do not stick together, making the final dish fluffy with each grain separate. So plan ahead and make a batch of rice a day earlier.

Freshly made rice results in soggy, sticky rice, which we do not seek.

I like to use non-sticky medium-grain rice like Jasmine rice, basmati rice, or Indian Sona Masuri to make this dish. Having said that, any non-sticky white rice that you have at hand works fine in this recipe.

To make the dish healthier, you can replace white rice with brown rice, quinoa, couscous, or millet.

Vegetables – Veggies add a nice crunch, color, and freshness and it is a great recipe to use leftover vegetables in the refrigerator.

Use as many vegetables as you like.

I have added onions, celery, carrots, cabbage, and green onions, but you can add other veggies like mushrooms, red bell pepper, green peas, green bell peppers, water chestnuts, bok choy, green beans, zucchini, broccoli, asparagus, snow peas, etc.

Make sure to cut the veggies in equal sizes. It looks pleasing to the eyes and also makes the cooking uniform.

Oil – You can use any vegetable oil. I added a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil at the end of cooking, adding a very traditional Asian flavor.

You can replace vegetable oil with olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, or any other oil that has a high smoke point.

Others – You will need other ingredients such as fresh ginger, garlic, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper.

Use regular white vinegar if rice vinegar is not available.

To make this dish gluten-free, replace soy sauce with tamari. Use low-sodium soy sauce if you are watching your salt intake.

I have seen some people add some star anise powder to this rice. You can try that too.

How To Make Vegetable Fried Rice

Add 2 tablespoon vegetable oil to a large wok ( or a large skillet) and heat it on the highest heat. The trick to making smoky rice is cooking it on high heat. Cooking on high heat keeps the rice and veggies crunchy and not soggy. Large carbon steel or cast iron wok works best for this recipe.

Note – Fry it in batches if you are making a big portion.

Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add

• 2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies

and fry for 20-25 seconds, stirring frequently.

Add ½ cup of chopped onions, and 2 tablespoon chopped celery stalks and fry for 20-25 seconds, stirring frequently.

Add

• ½ cup of finely cubed carrots (¼ inch cubes)
• 2 cups of shredded cabbage
• 4-5 green beans (finely chopped)

and saute for 30-40 seconds.

Now add

• 2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder

and toss everything well.

Crumble 3 cups of cooked and cooled rice to separate each grain and add it to the wok. Mix well to coat the rice with the sauces.

Cook for a minute.

Garnish with 2 tablespoon chopped green onions and serve hot.

Pro Tips By Neha

Always use a day-old cold rice to make vegetable fried rice. It is a great way to use leftover rice.

To save time, you can use pre-cut vegetables, which are easily available these days in supermarkets.

Restaurants add Ajinomoto (MSG, Chinese salt) to their preparations, giving the dishes a lovely umami flavor. If you are not allergic to Ajinomoto, add a teaspoon along with the sauces.

Make sure the veggies are at room temperature. If they are cold, they will release moisture and become soggy.

The choice of wok is very important. Use carbon steel or a cast iron wok, and always stir fry on the highest heat possible.

You should be quick while stir-frying. So prepare all the ingredients and arrange them next to the stove.

This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. But make sure to fry in batches for the best result.

Soy sauce is quite salty on its own. So be careful of the extra salt that you add.

Frequently Asked Questions

Variations

Healthy – To make a healthier version of this rice, make it using brown rice. Check out my instant pot brown rice recipe to perfectly cook brown rice. You can add more veggies and reduce the oil to make it healthier. Quinoa or couscous can be used instead of white rice for a healthy version.

Cauliflower – Replace white rice with cauliflower rice to make cauliflower fried rice. Check out my Asian cauliflower rice recipe here.

Egg – Scramble 2-3 beaten eggs in the wok, take them out in a bowl, and keep them aside. Make the rice as mentioned in the recipe and add the cooked eggs at the end of the cooking. Check out my detailed egg fried rice recipe here.

Kimchi – Adding some chopped kimchi to veg fried rice gives it a delicious flavor boost. Just chop some kimchi and add it along with the veggies. Keep the rest of the recipe the same.

Pineapple – Chop canned or fresh pineapple into small cubes. Add it along with the veggies for a sweet and sour flavor. Check the recipe to make pineapple fried rice here.

Mushroom – I love the crunch mushroom gives to this dish. Use any mushroom of your choice while making this dish. Check out my detailed recipe to make mushroom fried rice here.

Some of my other favorite variations are

• Schezwan Egg Fried Rice
• Bacon Fried Rice
• Shrimp Quinoa Fried Rice
• Chicken Fried Rice
• Hibachi Fried Rice
• Schezwan Fried Rice
• Thai Fried Rice

Serving Suggestions

This homemade fried rice dish can be a great accompaniment to a main course, like stir-fried vegetables, teriyaki chicken, or sweet and sour pork.

Indo-Chinese gravies like Sweet and Sour Vegetables, Vegetables In Hot Sauce, or Veg Manchurian also pair well with it.

You can serve your fried rice in a hollowed-out pineapple boat for a fun and festive presentation. Simply cut a pineapple in half lengthwise, scoop out the flesh, and fill it with the fried rice.

Another creative presentation option is to serve your fried rice in lettuce cups. Simply scoop some rice into each lettuce leaf and serve it as a light and refreshing appetizer or side dish.

Storage Suggestions

Store leftover veg fried rice in an air-tight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Re-heat only the amount you want to serve. Otherwise, it will decrease its shelf life.

Reheat it either in a pan or microwave. If you feel it has become dry, sprinkle a little water on top and reheat it.

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