Garlic Fried Rice
This classic Filipino Garlic Fried Rice uses just a handful of ingredients to serve up a quick, easy, and boldly garlicky side.
Ingredients
- 6 thinly sliced garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons neutral-flavored cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cups cooked rice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil to a wok over low to medium heat and cook the garlic just until lightly browned, which takes about 3 minutes.
- Add in the butter. Once melted, add the rice and stir-fry over medium heat until the rice starts to sear gently, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
The most important part of making fried rice is to use day-old rice. As the rice sits in the fridge overnight, any excess moisture will evaporate, and the grains of rice will firm up. Firm, dried-out rice will sear very easily in a hot pan, giving you the crispy texture and golden color that great fried rice is known for.
Don’t burn the garlic: It doesn’t take much for garlic to burn. Keep the heat on low-medium and never walk away from the stove when making this.
Use a wide pan: A wok is the best for fried rice recipes. Its wide shape gives the rice plenty of room to spread out, so every grain can crisp up. If your pan is too small, the rice will take longer to crisp.
Fresh rice option: If I’m all out of leftover rice but still want to make fried rice, I’ll cook a fresh batch, then spread it out on a baking sheet to cool at room temperature or in the fridge. Spreading it out helps the grains dry out faster.
Add more flavor: Minced onion or fresh ginger can be toasted with the garlic. Adding a splash of soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce, or toasted sesame oil at the end will give the rice a nice boost of umami, too.
Add-in ideas: When I want to turn this garlicky rice into a meal, I’ll fold in cooked vegetables (carrots, peas, corn, scallions, etc.) or my favorite proteins, like chopped longganisa (Filipino sausage), bacon, spam, chicken, shrimp, or eggs.
Make-Ahead: Serve garlic fried rice immediately, or keep warm in a preheated, turned-off oven, stirring occasionally.
How to Store: Store leftover fried rice in a sealed container in the fridge for 3–4 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months. Flatten in freezer bags for easy storage and thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to Reheat: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with oil or butter for the best texture, or microwave if short on time.
Nutrition
Calories: 284kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 2mgPotassium: 60mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 140IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 0.3mg