Cold rice, one hot pan, ten minutes.
You get in at 8:05 and there is a container of Tuesday's rice on the second shelf, hard and clumped together. That is the whole dinner. Warm rice steams and turns to paste; cold rice separates the second it hits oil.
Two tablespoons of oil, three beaten eggs, a cup and a half of frozen peas and carrots straight out of the bag. Nine minutes later the soy sauce is hissing down the side of the pan and everybody is eating.
Ingredients
The recipe serves 4. Plan on 10 minutes to finish (plus earlier prep).
- 4 cups cooked white rice, cold from the fridge
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
How to Make It
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high, pour in the eggs, scramble until just set, then move them to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then the garlic and frozen peas and carrots; stir-fry 2 minutes until the vegetables are hot.
- Add the cold rice and press it flat, letting it sit 1 minute to crisp before tossing; stir-fry 3 minutes.
- Pour the soy sauce around the edge of the pan, add the sesame oil, then fold the eggs and green onions back in and toss until everything is steaming hot.
Do the Slow Part Early
Fried rice only works with cold rice, so cook it ahead and chill it. Day-old rice fries up loose instead of mushy.
- Cook the rice the night before and refrigerate it uncovered for 20 minutes, then cover
- Beat the eggs and slice the green onions in the morning
- Measure the soy sauce and sesame oil into one small cup before practice
Store and Reheat
Cool leftovers fast in a shallow container and reheat with a splash of water so the grains loosen instead of drying out.
- Microwave a portion 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once halfway
- Add a teaspoon of water before reheating so the rice steams
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container
- Serve with: steamed edamame, orange slices
Parent Tip
If your rice is fresh and warm, spread it on a sheet pan and freeze it for 10 minutes to firm up.
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Chicken from Sunday
Two cups of diced cooked chicken goes in with the rice and makes it a full plate.
The pineapple one
A cup of drained canned pineapple at the end wins over the kid who claims to hate vegetables.
Chili crisp, your bowl only
Spoon it over your own portion after plating so the eight-year-old still eats theirs.
Brown rice fries fine
Cold brown rice separates just as well and holds its texture in a thermos tomorrow.
Sheet pan shortcut
Warm rice spread thin on a sheet pan firms up in the freezer in ten minutes.
Plan the next step
Line up the week's fast dinners
Use the planner to stack a few quick get-home-late meals like this one.