Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Ham Fried Rice
Ham fried rice is a good way to enjoy savory little bites all through a bowl of rice. Soft egg and sweet peas make it especially welcoming, with green onion freshening the finish. Serve it straight away and catch a little ham with the lightly browned grains.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Pork
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Rice dishes
A few quick notes
1. Separate the cold rice grains
Use wet fingers to loosen the cooked, cold rice before adding it to the hot pan.
2. Cook egg before vegetables
Stir beaten egg gently until just cooked, set aside, then saute peas, carrot and ham in the next oil portion.
3. Brown rice before returning extras
Toss rice in hot oil at the stated intervals until lightly browned before adding stock, soy sauce and the reserved ingredients.
Get to know the ingredients
Cooked cold rice
Use leftover cooked rice chilled until cold; the directions allow making and refrigerating rice earlier in the day.
Beaten eggs
Beat eggs separately before adding to hot oil, then move the just-cooked egg to a bowl while vegetables cook.
Oil choice
Sesame or peanut oil are both listed for the separate egg, vegetable and rice cooking stages.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Ham Fried Rice
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Taste for soy sauce
Return eggs and vegetables to the seasoned rice, add more soy sauce to taste if desired and serve immediately.
A little more help as you go
Brown rice is allowed
You can replace the cooked white rice with cooked brown rice at the listed equal ratio.
Freeze after complete cooling
You can freeze fully cooled fried rice in a freezer-safe bag with air pressed out before sealing.
A few questions you might have
Does the ham cook with the rice from the start?
Saute chopped ham with peas and carrots first, then set them aside while the rice browns separately.
When do green onions go in?
Toss them into the browned rice with stock and soy sauce before returning the cooked eggs and vegetables.
Can I leave out the ham?
You can use a vegetarian variation with small pieces of sauteed tofu or extra vegetables instead of ham.
How do frozen leftovers thaw?
Freeze it for up to three months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Can I add more vegetables?
Try additions such as sauteed onion, asparagus, broccoli or bell pepper if you'd like more vegetables.
Any more cooking tips?
Variations: Gluten free: This ham fried rice is pretty much gluten free by nature but many soy sauces include gluten so be sure to find a gluten free soy sauce. Vegetarian: for vegetarian ham fried rice, sub small bits of sautéed tofu or simply add additional vegetables and omit the ham. Sub Brown rice: Sub cooked brown rice at a 1:1 ratio for a healthier ham fried rice. Add vegetables: consider adding additional vegetables including sauteed onions, asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers, etc. Make Ahead Instructions: Use leftover, cooked rice that can be prepared and refrigerated several days ahead of time. Freezing Instructions: Allow ham fried rice to cool completely and store it in a freezer safe bag, pushing all the air out before zipping closed. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rewarming.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: tastesbetterfromscratch.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
