This shrimp fried rice recipe comes together in less than thirty minutes and tastes much better than takeout. Tasty, tender shrimp are nestled in perfectly seasoned fried rice with carrots, peas, onions, and fluffy eggs. Enjoy this delicious dish anytime, and control the amount of sodium and fat in your fried rice.
The Best Shrimp Fried Rice
My family loves stir-fry recipes Make it fried rice with tender shrimp, and we are in heaven. Stir-fry is not difficult; with a few tips, anyone can master it. This shrimp fried rice recipe moves fast, so it needs your full attention. Prepare this fried rice in a wok or a large, heavy skillet that can handle the heat.
For best results, cook the rice one to two days in advance and store it in the fridge so it can get really cold and dry. Leftover Chinese takeout rice is perfect for this; they always give you more than you need. When properly stored in an airtight container, cooked white rice can last for several days.
Ingredients for Shrimp Fried Rice
- Shrimp: medium to large wild-caught shrimp are best
- Chinese five spice: optional but recommended
- Oil: vegetable or canola oil and sesame oil
- Vegetables: carrots, peas, garlic, green onions
- Ginger: fresh or ginger paste
- Eggs: large ones, eggs are an essential part of fried rice
- Rice: cooked and chilled
- Soy sauce: preferably low-sodium
How to make Shrimp Fried Rice
- Sprinkle the shrimp with Chinese Five Spice. Cook the shrimp in some oil over medium-high heat until done. Transfer to a plate and cover.
- Cook the carrots, peas, garlic, ginger, and green onions by staggering them and reducing the heat as you go.
- Push the veggies to the side and cook the eggs scramble-style. Transfer everything to a plate.
- Fry the rice in batches, transferring the cooked batches to a bowl.
- Combine all the cooked ingredients back in the skillet to warm them. For best results, serve promptly.
Beth’s Recipe Tips
- Everything moves fast with stir fry, so be prepared. Have everything you need close by and in some cooking order.
- For best results, use long-grain rice that has been well chilled. Fresh rice has a lot of moisture, and it will stick and clump. Chilled jasmine and basmati rice are good choices.
- When placed in the hot skillet and fried, the rice will crackle, sizzle, and pop—precisely what it is supposed to do.
- If you want to add different vegetables, try broccoli, bean sprouts, mushrooms, or zucchini.
- This recipe also works well with other proteins like chicken or ham.
Storage and Reheat
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can also be reheated in the microwave at reduced power.
To freeze, first cool completely. Then, spoon into a sturdy freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium-large fresh shrimp 21-25 count peeled tails removed and deveined
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice optional but recommended
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 large carrots peeled and finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups frozen peas
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 3 green onions chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups cooked rice chilled
- 3-5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Toss the dried shrimp lightly with Chinese Five Spice.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook until pink, flipping halfway through the cooking process, approximately 1-1 1/2 minutes per side. If necessary, work in batches. Plate, cover, and keep warm.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a heavy skillet or work over medium-high heat. Add chopped carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring several times. Add the peas and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add garlic, ginger, and green onions; cook for 30 seconds. Push the veggies to the side of the pan. Add eggs and cook to scramble. Remove all of that to a plate, cover, and keep warm.
- Add 1-1 1/2 cups cold rice to a skillet over medium-high heat in an even layer. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce. Cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking process. Work in batches, plating, covering, and keeping warm after each batch.
- Bring everything back to the skillet and heat on low for about 1-1 1/2 minutes, stirring several times. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Everything moves really fast with stir fry, so be prepared. Have everything you need close by and in some cooking order.
- For best results, use long-grain leftover rice that has been well chilled. Jasmine rice works very well for stir fry. Fresh rice has a lot of moisture in it, and it will stick and clump.
- When placed in the hot skillet and fried, the rice will crackle, sizzle, and pop—precisely what it is supposed to do.
Nutrition
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Betty
My family absolutely loved this dish. It was incredibly delicious!! Thanks for sharing the recipe, Beth!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Betty! I am so glad that they liked it!
katerina
My new favorite dish! I can’t wait to make this again. I am going to spend the money next time and buy those larger shrimp. You make cooking so enjoyable.
Karey
I love fried rice so so much…and of course fried shrimps! I can’t wait to make your recipe, it is very easy to follow and looks delicious!!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Karey! I hope you enjoy the shrimp fried rice as much as we do!
Tammy
This brought back loads of memories. My mom used to make this all the time when we lived in Hawaii. My dad would bring home the shrimp. Good recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Tammy! Food can be so nostalgic!
Erin
Such a satisfying dish! We loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Holly
This recipe turned out perfect. Thanks for the tip about using day old rice. I had never tried that before and it made a huge difference.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Holly!
Amy
This was so good! I recently made it to curb my Chinese food craving and thought it came out delicious!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Amy! So glad that you liked it.
Tayler
This shrimp fried rice is absolutely delicious! We made it for dinner last night and it was perfect!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Tayler! So glad that you liked it.
Sara
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it was a savory success! Quick, easy and delicious; the best take out food from the comfort of my own kitchen!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sara! So happy that you liked it.
Justine
This is my FAVORITE fried rice recipe! It’s sooooo yummy! We make this at least once a month.
Rachel Allen
Made this. So yummy
Now for the shrimp and grits
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Rachel! I am so glad that you liked the shrimp fried rice. You will love the shrimp and grits.
Seema Sriram
You said it right, everything happens fast once stirfry hits the wok. The flavours in this stirfry look so good.
Kay
Prawns with egg-fried rice is my son and daughters favourite takeout, which I can now make for them at home thanks to this recipe.
Dannii
Such a great healthier alternative to ordering takeout. I love all the flavours going on here.
Jessica
My mom and daughter are the seafood eaters so I am going to give this a try and put chicken in mine and the shrimp for them. This is a win for an easy weeknight dinner.
Maria
This is a great way to recycle left over rice! I love that its easy to do but the taste and flavor is so delicious and satisfying. This recipe deserves a sure spot in our weekly meal plan.