Garlic Salmon Fried Rice

Name: Garlic Salmon Fried Rice
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 2 (120 grams each) Salmon fillets, boneless, skin-on – removed from packaging and pat-dried with paper towels; 3/4 – 1 TSP Kosher Salt, to taste; 1/4 – 1/2 TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste; 1 TBLS Olive Oil (or any other cooking oil), for frying; 4 TBLS Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce; 3 TBLS Shao Xing Rice Wine; 1.5 TBLS Mirin; 1 TBLS Sesame Oil; 2 TSP Chili Oil (optional) – (omit if making this mild); 2 TBLS Peanut Oil (or any other cooking oil with a high burning point such as avocado oil); ½ TBLS Sesame Oil; 1.5 TSP Chili Oil (optional) – (omit if making this mild); ½ Yellow Onion – minced; 3 Spring Onions – chopped, whites and greens separated; 1 medium-sized Carrot – minced (brunoise cut); 1 Celery rib – minced (brunoise cut); 12 Garlic cloves – minced; 1.5-inch knob of Ginger – minced; 4 – 16 Red Chilies, to taste (deseeded if desired for less heat, or omitted entirely to make this mild) – chopped; 2 large Eggs – beaten and seasoned with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste; 1.5 TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste; 1 TSP Kosher Salt, to taste; 1/2 TSP ground White Pepper, to taste (use more if you’d like an extra kick of heat!); 1.5 – 2 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Chili Flakes (optional), to taste; 2 TSP White Sugar, more or less to taste; 5 cups cooked Rice, chilled – (I like to use Japanese short-grain white rice, but any type of cooked white or brown rice will work.)

by Lavina // posted March 2, 2020 — updated April 29, 2020

Jump to Recipe· 5 from 6 reviews

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This Garlic Salmon Fried Rice is easy to make, great for meal prep, and incredibly tasty! It’s deliciously garlicky, loaded with protein thanks to salmon and eggs, and tossed in a mouthwatering and fragrant sesame chili soy sauce!

Salmon and egg fried rice with carrots, spring onion, and black pepper in a white round serving bowl.

Friends, meet this easy weeknight fried rice beauty!

It’s loaded with veggies, protein, and tossed in the most delicious sesame and chili soy sauce. Did I mention it’s made with mostly everyday ingredients?!

And ALSO…loaded with GARLIC! I don’t know about you, but I think garlic makes everything taste better! The only thing I probably don’t add it to is desserts and sweet treats. 😂

But back to this fabulous fried rice. I think the best thing about it is that it’s easily customizable to suit anyone’s taste!

Not big on heat? Omit the chilies and chili oil.
Don’t like fish? Swap for pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, or even tempeh or tofu if you want to make this veg!
Want to go big on veggies and forget the fish and eggs? By all means, go for it! It still tastes fantastic thanks to the luscious sauce and lovely garlicky flavor!

Two diagonally placed bowls of salmon and egg fried rice with carrots, spring onion, and black pepper. Silver spoon and chopsticks to the side of the bowls.

I’ve been making this easy fried rice for dinner and meal prep this past month, and I am seriously addicted to it. It’s filling enough to be a meal on its own since it’s got your carbs, veggies, and protein all in one big tasty bowl. But you can totally serve it up as a side to your stir-fried meat (if you omit the salmon…or then again, don’t!) and/or veggies!

Right. I could go on and sing praises about this fried rice forever. But instead, I think we should now make some Garlic Salmon Fried Rice so that YOU can see how truly, truly wonderful it is!

Three bowls with salmon and egg fried rice with carrots, spring onion, and black pepper. Chopsticks and spoons to the side.

INGREDIENTS

To make this fried rice, you will need the following ingredients:

Salmon: Boneless and with the skin on. I recommend cooking the fillets with the skin on because the skin protects the flesh from drying out and potentially burning. Plus, leaving the skin on results in more flavorful fish. But after pan-frying the fillets, you can remove the skin and just flake the flesh and use it for the fried rice (this is what I do).
Kosher Salt & freshly cracked black pepper: To season the salmon fillets.
Olive Oil: For pan-frying the salmon fillets. You’re welcome to use any other cooking oil you prefer.
Fried Rice Sauce: A quick and delicious combination of low sodium light soy sauce, Shao Xing rice wine, mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine), sesame oil, and chili oil. You are welcome to omit the chili oil if you prefer to make this fried rice mild.
Oils (for cooking): I used a combination of peanut oil, sesame oil, and chili oil for cooking the fried rice. But again, the chili oil is completely optional and you can omit it if you prefer to make this mild.
Aromatics: Garlic, ginger, and spring onion. Be sure to separate the white and green parts of the spring onion, as we’ll be adding them to the wok at different times.
Red chilies: I use quite a few to give this fried rice a nice and spicy kick! But you can use less chilies, deseed them, or omit them entirely if you prefer to make this mild.
Veggies: I just used some chopped carrots, celery, and yellow onion. But you can add or swap for any stir-fry friendly veggies you like! See the ‘Variations’ section below for some ideas.
Eggs: You’ll need two large eggs. We’ll be scrambling them and tossing them with the fried rice for extra flavor and protein!
Seasonings & Spices: Some freshly cracked black pepper, kosher salt, ground white pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and sugar to balance out the savory and spicy flavors! Feel free to adjust the amounts recommended to taste, and omit the chili flakes if making this mild.
Rice (cooked and chilled): I like to use Japanese short-grain white rice, but any type of cooked white or brown rice will work. If you have day old rice, it’ll work better since it’ll be dryer than freshly prepared rice. If you don’t, no worries. Just cook the rice in a little less water than you normally would. This way, it’ll be dryer and hold up well (and not turn mushy) in the wok.

Two diagonally placed bowls of salmon and egg fried rice with carrots, spring onion, and black pepper. Silver spoons to the side of the bowls.

HOW TO MAKE GARLIC SALMON FRIED RICE

As always, I recommend getting the prep work out of the way first before turning on the heat for any stir-fry recipe. They always go by so fast so it’s best to have everything prepped and ready to go before you start cooking. 😉

Chop the fresh ingredients: Chop the onion, garlic, ginger, red chilies, spring onion (be sure to separate the white and green parts), carrot, and celery rib. Then crack the eggs in a bowl and season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Beat with a fork until smooth, then set aside.
Make the Sauce: Combine the low sodium light soy sauce, Shao Xing rice wine, mirin, sesame oil, and chili oil (if using) in a measuring cup (for easier pouring) or small bowl. Mix with a spoon to thoroughly combine, then set aside.
Prepare the salmon: Remove the fillets from the packaging they came in and gently wipe with paper towels to dry them. Then place them on a plate (or in a bowl) and season both sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Now that all the prep work is done, it’s time to make this delicious Garlic Salmon Fried Rice!

Pan-fry the salmon: Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the seasoned salmon fillets skin side down. Cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then turn over the fillets using a fish spatula and cook the flesh side for another 3 minutes. Use tongs or the fish spatula to turn and crisp up the sides of the fillets – about 15-20 seconds for each side. Once the salmon fillets have cooked through, transfer the fillets to a clean plate and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Then flake the flesh with a fork and set aside. (Note: Keeping the skin on is up to you and a matter of personal preference. I prefer to discard the skin and just use salmon fillet flesh for this fried rice.)

Two black pepper and salt seasoned salmon fillets pan-frying in a skillet with oil.

Stir-fry the onions: In a large wok, heat the peanut oil, and the remaining sesame oil and chili oil (if using) over high heat. Once smoking, turn the heat down to medium-high and add the onion and spring onion whites. Stir-fry for about a minute until they’re translucent.

Onion and spiring onion whites being stir-fried in a wok on the stovetop.

Add the carrots and celery: Add the carrots and carrot celery and continue stir-frying for another minute.

Chopped carrots and celery in a wok with onion and spring onion whites.

Add the garlic, ginger, and red chilies: Add the garlic, ginger, and red chilies and stir-fry until fragrant – about 1-2 minutes.

Minced garlic, ginger and red chilies on top of stir-fried chopped carrots, celery, onion, and spring onion whites in a smoking wok on the stovetop.

Cook the eggs: Push the veggies and aromatics to the side and add a bit of oil into the wok. Pour in the beaten eggs and allow to set for a few seconds. Then scramble the eggs with your spatula and toss to combine with everything else in the wok. Season with freshly cracked black pepper, kosher salt, white pepper, crushed red pepper chili flakes (if using), and sugar and stir-fry to combine.

Stir-fried minced garlic, ginger, spring onion whites, red chilies, and chopped carrots and celery pushed to side of the wok. Beaten eggs cooking next to the veggies and aromatics in the side of the wok.

Add the rice and sauce: Add the rice into the wok and pour the sauce all over it. Continue stir-frying for 3-4 minutes to combine, breaking up the clumps of rice as you go with your spatula.

White rice and sauce in wok on top of stir-fried chopped carrots, celery, ginger, garlic, red chilies, spring onion whites, and scrambled eggs.

Add the salmon: Then add the flaked salmon and toss for another minute or two, or until heated through. Taste and season with additional sugar, salt, or pepper if needed. Then switch off the heat and stir in most of the spring onion greens until combined.

Flaked pan-fried salmon on top of fried rice with chopped carrots, celery, ginger, garlic, red chilies, spring onion whites, and scrambled eggs.

Serve!: Transfer the Garlic Salmon Fried Rice to a serving dish (or bowls). Drizzle a little sesame oil on top if desired and garnish with the remainder spring onion greens. Then enjoy!

Or if making this for meal prep, you can cool the fried rice for 30-60 minutes, then store in airtight sealed containers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Then enjoy this tasty fried rice throughout the week for lunch or dinner!

Full ingredient amounts/instructions in the recipe card below.

Spoon holding up a bite of salmon fried rice with chopped spring onion and carrots above a bowl of fried rice.

VARIATIONS

There are several ways that you can customize this fried rice if you like! You can…

Make it gluten-free: Use a gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari, and make sure that the mirin you’re using is GF certified.
Make it vegetarian: Omit the salmon, or swap for pan-fried tempeh or crispy pan-fried tofu cubes.
Go vegan: Ditto the above, but omit the eggs as well. Or you can just make this incredibly delicious vegan Crispy Tofu Spicy Fried Rice instead!
Add or use different veggies: I kept it simple and went with my go-to fried rice veggies – onion, carrots, and celery. But you can also add/swap for snap peas, peas, corn, broccoli florets, green beans, or any fried rice or stir-fry friendly veggies you like!
Use another type of fish: I’ve made this fried rice with pan-fried cod and it tastes delicious! Simply lightly coat the cod fillet in cornstarch and season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Pan-fry it on both sides for 3-4 minutes in a bit of olive oil or unsalted butter, and drizzle a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice on the fish while it’s cooking. Then flake the fillets and add it to the fried rice instead of the salmon. You can also opt to use halibut, mahi mahi, or sea bass instead of the salmon if you like.
Use a different protein: Just about any protein will work well and taste great in this fried rice. So take your pick from chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, tempeh, or tofu if salmon (and other types of fish) is not your thing.

MORE ASIAN WEEKNIGHT DINNERS

Looking for more delicious Asian dinner recipes for weeknights? Below are some of my favorites!

Crispy Tofu Spicy Fried Rice
Japanese Pork Rice Bowl (Butadon)
Yu Xiang Qie Zi (Fish-Fragrant Eggplant)
Spicy Kung Pao Chicken
Pork and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir-fry
Stir-fried Pork Sukiyaki in Black Pepper Sauce
Or feel free to browse the entire recipes collection here on That Spicy Chick.

MADE THIS RECIPE? If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how you liked it! Take a photo and tag it with @thatspicychick on Instagram and hashtag it #thatspicychick and I’ll be sure to share your masterpiece!