Chinese Pork Fried Rice
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Quick, easy and flavorful, this Chinese Pork Fried Rice is ready in just 25 minutes, great as high protein main dish or side to other mains, and customizable! It’s made with lean ground pork, fluffy scrambled eggs, veggies and tastes like a Chinese restaurant style pork fried rice!
Looking for more easy fried rice recipes? Try my Bacon and Egg Fried Rice, this Spicy Chicken Fried Rice, or Spicy Thai Pork Fried Rice next!
About This Recipe
Quick, easy and flavorful, this Chinese Pork Fried Rice is easy to make in 25 minutes and tastes better than takeout. All you need is a handful of ingredients, a wok or a large skillet and this pork fried rice is on the table!
We have classic aromatics as our base – onion, garlic and some fresh red chilies for a spicy kick (optional), lean ground pork and frozen mixed veggies for convenience, leftover brown rice, and a flavor-packed 7-ingredient fried rice sauce that makes this fried rice taste like it came from a Chinese restaurant! Finish off with some green onions at the end and get ready to devour!
I love this fried rice because it’s so simple, humble, perfect for busy weeknights and SO darn good!
You can enjoy it as a main dish on its own as a high protein meal or serve as a side dish with other Chinese dishes as part of a larger meal. Some dishes that taste great with it are my Authentic Kung Pao Chicken, this Wok Fried Fish in Black Bean Sauce, Sichuan Shredded Chicken with Hot Garlic Sauce (Yu Xiang Chicken), and this Chicken in Vinegar Sauce!
While terrific as is, you can customize this recipe with your favorite fried rice veggies, add another protein to make it a special fried rice, and make it mild or as spicy as you like!
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and easy. It’s ready in just 25 minutes and made with everyday ingredients and Asian pantry staples!
- Convenient. Using lean ground pork saves you the trouble of having to chop up any meat. Frozen mixed veggies is a low-effort way to add fiber and get more nutrients in!
- Versatile. It’s a great high protein meal if you serve it as a main dish – one serving has 40 grams protein! Or you can enjoy it as a side dish with other Chinese vegetable and meat dishes as part of a larger meal.
- Delicious flavors. It’s full of savory umami flavors thanks to the simple 7-ingredient fried rice sauce.
- Better than takeout! It’s garlicky, spicy and so much better tasting and healthier than your average Chinese restaurant takeout fried rice!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutes
Chinese Pork Fried Rice
- Lean Ground Pork (pork mince): Anywhere from 5% to 16% fat works. You can also ask your butcher to mince a fresh lean cut of pork such as the leg (ham) for you.
- Cooked Long Grain Brown Rice: Use leftover cold rice for best results. I used cooked and chilled Thai jasmine brown rice but white jasmine rice or any long grain rice will work.
- Onions: Both yellow onion and spring onion (green onions/scallions) are used in this recipe.
- Aromatics: Fresh garlic and red chilies. I’ve used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies, but you can use any hot red chilies that are easily available to you. Adjust the quantity to taste based on your heat level preference.
- Eggs: Lightly beaten and seasoned with a pinch of salt. Scrambled eggs are a must for fried rice in my opinion!
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables: To keep this fried rice simple and easy, I used frozen mixed vegetables from a bag that had a mix of corn, green peas and carrots. However, other varieties with green beans or cauliflower can also be used. You can also use fresh veggies of choice.
- Sea Salt and Ground White Pepper: To season the pork fried rice. Use black pepper if you don’t have white pepper on hand.
- Peanut Oil: Or use vegetable oil or any other neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point for cooking.
Fried Rice Sauce
- Oyster Sauce: A thick, sweet and salty sauce that is full of umami. It’s available in mainstream supermarkets, Asian supermarkets and online. I like Lee Kum Kee Panda brand for my Chinese recipes.
- Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce: Low sodium so that we can better control the salt level and flavor. If using regular light soy sauce, use a little less than indicated and substitute the rest of the amount with water.
- Shao Xing Rice Wine: A Chinese cooking wine with a fragrant floral aroma. It’s an Asian pantry staple used in marinades and stir-fry sauces. You can find it in most mainstream supermarkets that are well-stocked with international ingredients. Or grab a bottle at an Asian grocery store or online. Substitute with dry sherry if unavailable or chicken broth if you don’t want to cook with alcohol.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Adds color and is less salty than light soy sauce but slightly thicker in consistency. Substitute with more low sodium light soy sauce if unavailable.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Adds toasted sesame aromas.
- Chili Oil (optional): I use a pure Chinese chili oil without flakes or seeds (sediment). Any type of chili oil you love will work.
- White Sugar: A small pinch to balance the savory and spicy flavors.
Full ingredient list and amounts are in the recipe card below.
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How to Make Chinese Pork Fried Rice
Below is a step-by-step overview on how to make this recipe. Keep scrolling down to get to the recipe card below with the full recipe and detailed instructions!
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy this fried rice as a main dish for 2 or as a side dish for 3-4 people as part of a larger meal with other Chinese or Asian dishes. Here are some of my favorite main dishes to go with Chinese fried rice!
- Chili Garlic Chicken & Broccoli Stir-fry
- Five Spice Chicken Stir-fry
- Sichuan Dry Fried Green Beans
- Sichuan Dry-Braised Shrimp (Gan Shao Xia)
- Tofu with Hot Garlic Sauce (Yu Xiang Tofu)
- Sichuan Garlic Chicken Stir-fry
- Kung Pao Tofu Puffs
- Authentic Kung Pao Chicken
- Pork and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-fry
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Storing. Although fried rice always tastes best when eaten hot and fresh off the wok, leftovers can be stored in an sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating. Reheat on high in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot throughout.
Tips for Making Fried Rice at Home
- Cook over high heat. It’s crucial for getting that signature restaurant style ‘wok hei’ (breath of the wok) smoky, charred flavor and texture. Too low heat will cause the rice and veggies to steam instead. You want to sear and fry the individual grains of rice over high heat.
- Use cooked day old rice. Day-old rice or even two days-old cooked and chilled rice works best for making fried rice and won’t become mushy. A fresh batch of rice that is warm will have too much moisture and will become soggy in the wok even if you are cooking over high heat.
- To make rice for fried rice quickly. Cook the rice in a pot on the stove with water or in the rice cooker as you normally would. Fluff with a fork, then spread it out on a large baking tray once cooked. Place uncovered in the freezer for 20 minutes or fridge for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. This will help the rice to cool quickly and also dry up some of the moisture.
- Prepare everything before you start cooking. Make the sauce, chop your veggies and aromatics, and have your other ingredients measured out and by the side of your wok. This is a quick to cook fried rice. You don’t want to be scrambling around or doing chopping once the heat is on high and risk burning anything!
- Adjust the spice level to taste. Customize the spice level in this fried rice by using less or more fresh red chilies and chili oil. Or make it completely mild and omit both.
- Make it for meal prep. Double the recipe to yield 4 main dish sized servings or 6-8 side dish servings. Click the ‘2x’ button in the recipe card below to display double the ingredient amounts. After cooking, transfer to meal prep containers and cool for 30 minutes. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days and enjoy it for lunch or dinner during the week!
Variations
Dietary Modifications
- Vegetarian/Vegan. Use a plant-based ground meat substitute instead of pork. Or use crispy pan-fried tofu cubes, tempeh, or seitan instead. Also, use a vegetarian mushroom flavored oyster sauce.
- Gluten-free. Use a gluten-free soy sauce (tamari or coconut aminos), gluten-free oyster sauce, and dry sherry instead of Shaoxing rice wine.
Flavor/Preference Customizations
- Use a different protein. Lean ground chicken, turkey, or beef would all taste great in this Chinese fried rice recipe! You could also use shrimp/prawns instead. For a different cut of pork, use thinly sliced pork tenderloin (pork fillet).
- Use Char Siu Pork. Also known as Chinese BBQ pork. It’s a sticky and sweet roast pork cut (pork butt/shoulder or sometimes belly) spiced with five spice powder. You can use store-bought from a Chinese BBQ/roast meat shop (known as siu mei – 燒味) in Chinatown (if there’s one in your city) or restaurant. Alternatively, use one of the many recipes available online and make your own Chinese BBQ pork. Two char siu pork recipes I recommend are from Marion’s Kitchen and RecipeTin Eats. Check out my XO Sauce Fried Rice recipe in which I use char siu!
- Add Chinese sausage. Also known as lap cheong. Slice into thin coins and stir-fry for a minute until just starting to char after stir-frying the onions and aromatics.
- Add another protein. Make a restaurant style special fried rice and add shrimp (or prawns), diced ham or bacon, diced boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, or skirt or flank beef steak in addition to the ground pork.
- Use different veggies. Use any stir fry friendly veggies in your crisper drawer! Some tasty additions include bell pepper (capsicum – any color), frozen green peas, carrots, sliced Shiitake mushrooms (or any kind of mushrooms), bean sprouts, bok choy, Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage), blanched broccoli florets, snow peas, asparagus and green beans.
- Use a different type of rice. While Chinese restaurants use long grain rice to make fried rice, you can also use short grain brown rice or white rice such as Japanese koshihikari rice. Or basmati rice, Calrose rice, or any short grain, medium grain, or long grain rice works!
- Add hoisin sauce. It will add some delicious savory and sweet five spice flavors! Reduce the amount of low sodium light soy sauce and oyster sauce by half if adding a tablespoon of hoisin sauce.
FAQs
Since cooking over high heat and you don’t want the oil to start burning, you’ll need a high smoke point neutral flavored oil. Some great options are vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, rice bran oil, and avocado oil. My personal go-to oil for Chinese fried rice and wok cooking in general is peanut oil because it’s widely available and inexpensive compared to other oils. Avoid using olive oil as it is not neutral flavored and the medium intensity smoke point will cause it to burn.
Restaurants may add MSG (monosodium glutamate) which adds umami and flavor to fried rice. MSG is a sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid and it is found naturally in some foods such as tomatoes, cheese, and mushrooms. Home cooks can choose to add a small pinch to enhance the flavor of homemade Chinese fried rice but it is not necessary. Good cooking technique, high heat, leftover rice, fresh ingredients (aside from frozen veggies if using for convenience), and flavoring oils like sesame oil and chili oil will yield a flavorful fried rice even without MSG.
If you’re not a fan of veggies in your fried rice, simply leave out the frozen mixed vegetables and use a little more rice instead. You can serve some steamed or stir-fried veggies on the side if desired.
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Chinese Pork Fried Rice
Quick, easy and flavorful, this Chinese Pork Fried Rice is ready in just 25 minutes, great as high protein main dish or side to other mains, and customizable! It’s made with lean ground pork, fluffy scrambled eggs, veggies and tastes like a Chinese restaurant style pork fried rice!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stir-fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
Fried Rice Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
- ½ tablespoon Shao Xing Rice Wine
- ¼ TSP Dark Soy Sauce
- ½ teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Chili Oil (optional – pure chili oil without sediment flakes, omit for milder dish)
- ¼ teaspoon White Sugar
Chinese Pork Fried Rice:
- ½ medium / 100 grams Yellow Onion – medium diced
- 2 medium stalks / 20 grams Spring Onion (Green Onions/Scallions) – finely chopped, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts
- 3–4 cloves / 20 grams Garlic – roughly chopped
- 1–8 / 3-20 grams fresh Red Chilies (optional – note 1*) – finely chopped
- 2 large Eggs
- ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon Peanut Oil, divided (or any other neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point)
- 8.81 ounces / 250 grams Lean Ground Pork (pork mince)
- 1.5 cups / 240 grams cooked Thai Jasmine Brown Rice, day-old, chilled (100 grams / 3.5 ounces uncooked weight – note 2)
- 1 cup / 100 grams Frozen Mixed Vegetables (I used a bag with corn, peas and carrots)
- ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground White Pepper
- To Serve/Garnish: Reserved spring onion
Instructions
Prep:
- Make the sauce: Mix together the oyster sauce, low sodium light soy sauce, Shao Xing rice wine, sesame oil, chili oil and white sugar in a measuring cup (for easier pouring) or small bowl until combined well.
- Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop the yellow onion, spring onion (separating the white and light green parts from the dark green parts), garlic, and fresh red chilies as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Crack the eggs into a bowl and season with a pinch (⅛ teaspoon) of salt. Lightly beat using a fork.
Chinese Pork Fried Rice:
- Cook the eggs: Heat 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a large nonstick wok (or a large skillet) over medium-high heat. Then lower the heat to medium low and pour in the beaten eggs. Allow to set for 15-20 seconds, then use a rubber spatula and pull across the eggs to form large, soft curds of scrambled eggs. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, folding and stirring the eggs every few seconds. Once 70% cooked but still slightly runny, transfer back into the bowl you beat the eggs in and set aside.
- Cook the ground pork: Add the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil to the wok and heat over high heat. Add the ground pork and spread it out in the wok. Press down to flatten so there is as much surface contact as possible. Sear for 1-2 minutes, until starting to crisp and brown. Then flip and sear the other side for 40 seconds or so. Break up into smaller chunks using your spatula or wooden spoon.
- Stir-fry the aromatics: Add the yellow onion and spring onion white and light green parts. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until the onion is translucent. Then add the garlic and chilies and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the veggies: Add the frozen mixed vegetables and stir-fry to combine until starting to soften – about 30-40 seconds.
- Add the rice and sauce: Add the cooked rice and pour the sauce on top. Stir-fry until every grain is evenly coated in the sauce – about 1 minute.
- Scramble the eggs: Add the mostly cooked eggs back into the wok and break into smaller pieces. Stir-fry to combine.
- Season and toss through the spring onion: Season with salt and white pepper and toss through most of the spring onion dark green parts (reserve some for garnish). Switch off the heat.
- Serve: Divide evenly into bowls or on plates. Garnish with the reserved chopped spring onion dark green parts and serve immediately.
Notes
- Fresh Red Chilies. Adjust quantity to taste based on your heat level preference. Leave them out for a milder fried rice.
- Thai Jasmine Brown Rice. White jasmine rice or any long grain rice will also work. Day-old rice or even two days-old cooked and chilled rice works best for making fried rice and won’t become mushy. Fresh cooked rice that is still warm will have too much moisture and will become soggy in the wok even if you are cooking over high heat.
- Storing leftovers and reheating. Store in an airtight sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat on high in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot throughout.
- Make it for meal prep. Double the recipe to yield 4 main dish sized servings or 6-8 side dish servings. Click the ‘2x’ button in the recipe card to display double the ingredient amounts. After cooking, transfer to meal prep containers and cool for 30 minutes. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days and enjoy it for lunch or dinner during the week!
- See the ‘Variations’ section in the post if you’d like to customize this Chinese pork fried rice recipe for specific dietary needs or flavor preferences.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
- Calories: 599
- Sugar: 7.6g
- Sodium: 1063.1mg
- Fat: 24.7g
- Saturated Fat: 5.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 58.6g
- Fiber: 5.6g
- Protein: 40.2g
- Cholesterol: 186mg
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I used minced chicken instead of pork. it came out delicious. easy to make
Looks so good I’m going to go make it now! Thank you for this!
Thanks, Kayla! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂