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    Home » Recipes » Asian-inspired recipes

    Chinese Egg Fried Rice - with peas and ham

    Published: Aug 5, 2020 · Modified: Sep 10, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Jump to recipe

     Chinese Egg Fried Rice - with peas and ham.  The perfect accompaniment to all your Chinese dishes. Make it with or without soy sauce - the choice is yours.

    A bowl of Chinese Egg Fried Rice
    Jump to:
    • My first ever Chinese meal
    • Ingredients for Chinese egg-fried rice
    • How to make the perfect Chinese egg-fried rice
    • Can I freeze Chinese egg-fried rice?
    • Make in advance
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    **Updated March 2021 with new photographs. The original recipe remains unchanged.

    My first ever Chinese meal

    The first time I went to a Chinese restaurant was when I was working in Johannesburg, back in the 1970s.  I worked in an office with 3 other ladies whose payday treat was to take themselves off to a nearby Chinese restaurant for lunch.  They invited me to go with them and from the first bite I was hooked.   They ordered a set menu, and there were about 4 different courses.  What blew my mind was that there was a full bowl of Chinese egg fried rice in the centre of the table, which was removed, replenished and replaced with each course.

    I couldn't get over how tasty it was! Perfectly cooked, fluffy grains of rice, with pops of sweetness from the peas, and a hint of saltiness from the pieces of ham. It was the perfect foil for all the dishes that were served, and because it didn't have any spices of its own, it picked up the flavours of all the different dishes.

    I remember the meal as though it were yesterday.  We had a starter of Egg Drop Soup.  This was followed by crispy batter-encased deep-fried prawns in sweet and sour sauce followed by juicy chicken chunks served with cashew nuts.  Then another sweet and sour dish, this time succulent deep-fried pork.  It was all followed by what they described as the star of the show - Bow Ties.  Crispy golden pastry covered in a delicious honey sauce.  I rolled back to the office in a food-induced coma.  From then on, payday couldn't come soon enough.

    This egg fried rice will make a great accompaniment to a dish of Kung Pao prawnswith cashews!

    Overhead shot of a serving bowl filled with egg fried rice with egg, chopped ham and peas

    My first attempt at Chinese egg-fried rice

    Over the years I've eaten many Chinese meals in many different restaurants, but that first introduction has stuck in my mind, especially the egg fried rice.  I tried to make it at home and it was an epic disaster.  Back in the 1970s, there was no internet to look up recipes, and Chinese restaurants were only just making their appearance on the Johannesburg culinary scene.  It was all trial and error.  For my first attempt, I simply cracked an egg on top of a bowl of hot rice and watched in dismay as it all coagulated into a gloopy mess.

    Since those early days, things have improved somewhat, and I think I have finally perfected the art of making egg-fried rice.  Well, to my taste at least.  I'm sure there are 100s of different ways of making it, but this is my version.

    Ingredients for Chinese egg-fried rice

    Get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making Chinese egg fried rice on the printable recipe card at the end of this post

    This recipe is more than sufficient for 4 people, as a side dish.

    Ingredients for egg fried rice.
    • Cooked Rice - Basmati or any long-grain rice is fine. You can cook the rice from fresh, or use leftovers. At a pinch, you could even use a packet of store-bought pre-cooked rice. The rice should be cooled before you use it.
    • Egg - lightly beaten
    • Frozen Peas - these provide little pops of colour and sweetness. I prefer petis pois but you could use any frozen peas. Don't use tinned peas. Their texture will be too soft, and they will be inclined to break up as you stir the rice.
    • Ham - adds a nice texture. I just use pre-sliced sandwich ham.
    • Spring Onions - because they add flavour

    Soy Sauce - optional (not included in this recipe but if you prefer you can add 2 tablespoons soy sauce when you add the rice to the egg). I prefer not to add any soy sauce. I like the plain flavour, as this means the egg-fried rice takes on the flavours of whatever dish you are serving it with.

    This recipe is sufficient for about 2.5 cups of cooked rice.  I have used Basmati long-grained rice for this recipe. You can use my recipes for microwave rice or oven-baked rice, to ensure that all the grains are separate.

    How to make the perfect Chinese egg-fried rice

    Cook the rice

    • You will need approximately 3 cups of cooked rice, which is about the equivalent of 1 cup of raw rice.
    • I like to use Basmati, but you can use any long-grained rice. Don't use short-grain or pudding rice as this tends to clump together. You want all the grains to be separate.
    • You can follow my recipe for Microwave Rice or Oven-Baked Rice, to ensure that all the grains remain separate. Or you can follow the manufacturer's instructions on the packet.
    • Once cooked, allow the rice to cool. Don't try to make this dish with rice that is still hot or it will stick together in clumps, and we want each grain of rice to be separate.

    Add the egg

    Steps for making egg fried rice
    • Beat up one large egg in a cup, and pour it into a non-stick wok (image 1 above).  I like to cook the egg first because then it is properly set, and there is no danger of raw egg clumping with the rice and turning it into a gloopy mess.
    • Don't add any butter or oil to the egg.  If your wok is non-stick, you won't need oil. Just keep stirring the whole time you are cooking it.
    • Let the egg cook gently breaking it up with a spatula until it is well set and dry. 

    Add remaining ingredients

    • Add 3 cups cooked, cooled rice (image 2 above) and stir well to combine.
    • If you want to add soy sauce to your rice, this is where you should add it. Once you have added the soy sauce, stir well to combine thoroughly.
    • Chop the ham slices into 1cm squares and slice the spring onion finely
    • Mix in the peas, ham and spring onions (image 3 above).  Leave the pan over a very low heat, stirring all the while, until heated through.

    Serve

    • Tip into a serving bowl, garnish with a few more chopped spring onions, and you are ready to serve it with your favourite Chinese dish.
    • And there you have it! Quick and easy Chinese Egg Fried Rice in only 3 steps.

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    Can I freeze Chinese egg-fried rice?

    You can freeze this dish for up to 6 months in a suitable container in the freezer.   To serve, defrost and reheat in the microwave.

    Make in advance

    You can make this dish up to 3 days in advance and store covered in the refrigerator.

    Reheat in the microwave, or in a saucepan on the stove. However, if you are reheating on the stove you should stir continuously to prevent the rice from sticking to the saucepan.

    Save for later

    Why not pin this recipe for Chinese egg fried rice to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Related recipes

    If you enjoyed this egg fried rice, you might like to try serving it with these other Chinese-inspired dishes.

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      Twice cooked pork belly - with a sticky glaze

    ... and if you are looking for easy ways to cook rice, you'll find step-by-step instructions in these posts:

    • How to cook rice in the microwave
    • How to cook rice in the oven

    You may also like to try these Chinese stir-fried noodles with beansprouts if you prefer noodles rather than rice as a side dish.

    You can find other Chinese recipes on my Asian-inspired recipes page.

    📋The recipe

    A bowl of egg fried rice next to the serving dish.

    Chinese Egg Fried Rice - with peas and ham

     Chinese Egg Fried Rice - with peas, ham and spring onion.  The perfect accompaniment to all your Chinese dishes. Make it with or without soy sauce - the choice is yours.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Side Dish
    Asian Inspired
    Calories 496
    Prep 20 minutes minutes
    Cook 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    4.50 from 2 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Wok
    • Spatula
    • Serving bowl

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups Cooked Rice equivalent to 1 cup raw Basmati rice
    • 1 large Egg lightly beaten
    • ½ cup Frozen Peas
    • ½ cup Chopped Ham
    • 2 medium Spring Onions finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce optional

    Instructions

    • Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package or you can follow the instructions for my Microwave Rice
      3 cups Cooked Rice
    • Allow the rice to cool
    • Pour the beaten egg into a non-stick wok, and stir-fry stirring continuously until the egg is dry and in small pieces (do not add any oil or butter).
      1 large Egg
    • Add the cooled rice to the egg in the wok and continue to stir-fry until well mixed
    • If you are using soy sauce, mix it through the rice now.
      2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
    • Add the remainder of the ingredients and stir until well combined
      ½ cup Frozen Peas, ½ cup Chopped Ham, 2 medium Spring Onions
    • Leave on the heat and stir continuously until heated through
    • Tip into a serving bowl and garnish with a few chopped spring onions

    Notes

    This recipe is suitable or Basmati or any other long-grained rice.
    The egg must be cooked until it is completely dry and scrambled.
    The rice should be cool before adding to the egg
    Stir continuously while heating through to ensure the rice does not stick to the wok.

    Nutrition

    Calories - 496kcal

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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    If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love it if you could give me a star rating in the comments below. And if you'd like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you can grab yourself a copy of my FREE COOKBOOK!

    If you'd like to continue browsing, just click on this link to all my recipes.

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    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.50 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Nia Nal

      January 13, 2020 at 11:07 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe. I actually made my own fried rice from this your recipe, you are indeed a good chef. I will refer my friends to your blog so they can know how fried rice is made using your recipe. thanks, Amigo, you are a lifesaver

      Reply
      • VJ

        January 13, 2020 at 11:33 am

        Thank you for your comment. I'm pleased you enjoyed it.

        Reply

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