Shrimp Fried Rice
intro
Fluffy, savory Cantonese-style shrimp fried rice with plump seared shrimp, crisp veggies, and evenly seasoned grains, perfect for a fast, satisfying weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep all ingredients
Spend 5 minutes prepping all components first to avoid last-minute scrambling: Pat shrimp completely dry with paper towels, season with 1/8 teaspoon (0.5g) white pepper, and set aside. Break up all clumps in the chilled day-old rice with clean fingers or a fork until individual grains are separate. Pat thawed peas and carrots dry with paper towels to cut down on excess moisture, dice the yellow onion, mince garlic, and separate sliced scallion whites from greens. Stir light soy sauce and oyster sauce together in a small prep bowl, and beat eggs with 1/8 teaspoon (0.5g) fine salt for even seasoning later.
Sear the shrimp
Heat 1 tablespoon (15ml) of neutral oil in a large carbon steel wok or deep non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (190°C/375°F). Once oil shimmers, add seasoned shrimp in a single layer, and sear for 45 seconds on the first side until pink and lightly golden at the edges. Flip shrimp, and cook for another 30 seconds on the second side until just opaque (do not overcook, as shrimp will continue to cook with the rice later). Transfer seared shrimp to a clean plate and set aside.
Scramble the eggs
In the same wok, reduce heat to medium (175°C/350°F), add 1 more tablespoon (15ml) of neutral oil. Pour the lightly beaten salted eggs into the center of the wok, and let them set for 10 seconds without stirring. Gently push the set edges of the egg toward the center, letting runny egg flow to the hot pan surface, and scramble for 30 seconds total until soft, fluffy curds form (do not cook until dry and rubbery). Push scrambled eggs to the side of the wok, or transfer to the plate with the shrimp if your pan is small.
Sauté aromatics and veggies
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) of neutral oil to the empty center of the wok, still on medium heat. Toss in diced yellow onion, minced garlic, and scallion whites, and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant and onion turns slightly translucent. Add the patted-dry peas and carrots, and stir-fry for 1 minute until vegetables are heated through and slightly crisp-tender, not mushy.
Stir-fry the rice
Turn heat back up to medium-high (190°C/375°F). Add all the separated chilled rice to the wok, tossing continuously with the vegetables for 3 minutes, using a spatula to break up any remaining small clumps as you stir. Drizzle the pre-mixed soy sauce and oyster sauce evenly over the rice (do not pour sauce in one spot, to avoid salty clumps), and continue stir-frying for another 2 minutes until every grain of rice is evenly coated in sauce and turns a light golden tan color, with no pale unseasoned patches.
Combine and finish dish
Add the seared shrimp, scrambled eggs, remaining 1/8 teaspoon (0.5g) white pepper, and toasted sesame oil to the wok. Toss all ingredients together gently for 1 minute over medium-high heat to distribute shrimp and eggs evenly, and let the shrimp warm through. Turn off the heat, toss in the sliced scallion greens, and give the rice one final stir to incorporate. Serve immediately while hot.
Tips
2.Pat shrimp and thawed frozen vegetables completely dry with paper towels before cooking: excess moisture will steam instead of fry ingredients, leading to soggy, greasy fried rice.
3.Drizzle the mixed sauce evenly over the surface of the rice instead of pouring it in one clump: this prevents overly salty spots and ensures every grain gets a light, even coating of seasoning.
OMG this was SO good for our weeknight family dinner last night! I was worried I’d mess up the wok hei vibe since I don’t have a traditional wok, just a regular nonstick skillet, and it still turned out perfectly. My kids asked for second helpings before I even sat down to eat! Total game changer for my meal prep rotation too, it reheats like a dream.
Super easy to throw together between study sessions! Only thing I swapped was frozen peas and carrots mix instead of fresh veggies because that’s what I had in my dorm freezer, and it still slapped. Cook time was actually even less than 20 minutes for me since I pre-peeled my shrimp the night before for meal prep. Zero fancy equipment needed either, I just used my little electric hot plate and it worked fine.
Brought this to my neighborhood potluck over the weekend and people were hounding me for the recipe all night! I added a tiny extra dash of white pepper like my Cantonese grandma used to make it and it tasted just like the takeout we got growing up. 10/10, will make this for every gathering from now on.
Finally a fried rice recipe that doesn’t call for weird random sauces I don’t already have in my pantry! I used tamari instead of regular soy sauce to keep it gluten free for my husband, and you couldn’t even tell the difference. The shrimp came out perfectly tender, not rubbery at all which is usually my biggest fried rice fail.
Why have I been spending $12 a plate on takeout shrimp fried rice when this is literally faster to make at home??? The flavor is spot on, the shrimp are plump, the rice has that perfect slightly crispy edge I always crave. I made this for my roommate last night and he thought I ordered delivery, no cap.
That 20 minute cook time is NOT a lie! I got home late from my kid’s soccer practice, threw this together with leftover rice from last night’s takeout and frozen shrimp I had stashed in the freezer, and we were all eating before 7pm. No fancy ingredients, zero stress, everyone cleaned their plates. 10/10 for busy parents.
Made a big batch of this on Sunday for my work lunches all week, and it held up so much better than I expected! The only tweak I made was adding a little extra scrambled egg because I’m obsessed with egg in fried rice, plus a tiny pinch of toasted sesame oil at the end for extra nuttiness. Will definitely add this to my regular meal prep lineup.