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Beef Fried Rice

An easy and delicious family favorite, this Beef Fried Rice is tasty, quick and can be either a main dish or side!

A TASTY CHINESE RESTAURANT DISH

This Beef Fried Rice is one of my quick go-to recipes. I absolutely love ordering beef fried rice at my local Chinese restaurant and I’ve gotten pretty good at making an even better version at home. There is never any leftover when this gets made. With a tasty sauce and just a few ingredients, you can create this meal in under 30 minutes. For me, beef fried rice is a whole meal! I heat up some egg rolls to serve with this Beef Fried Rice recipe and dinner is ready!

Beef Fried Rice in white bowl topped with scallions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What kind of rice should you use for fried rice?

You can use any cooked rice you enjoy. Long grain white rice, brown rice or even fast cooking rice. I enjoy using cooked Basmati rice.

What kind of beef is best to use in beef fried rice?

Since we are cooking this pretty quickly, a tender cut of beef needs to be used. The most popular options are sirloin or flank steak.

Do you have to add oyster sauce to fried rice?

No you do not. This adds a special depth of flavor. You don’t taste it as a separate ingredient but adds so much flavor to many asian-style dishes.

What if I can’t find dark soy sauce?

If you can’t find dark soy sauce, you can just use all regular soy sauce or even beef stock. The dark soy is what gives this fried rice its deep, rich, authentic fried rice color.

How do you store leftover beef fried rice?

Fried rice can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 5 days. Beef fried rice can also be frozen. Place cooled beef fried rice in a freezer container or bag and it should keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let defrost in the refrigerator overnight and you can reheat in the microwave.

Pinterest image of Beef Fried Rice close up in pan.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • dark soy sauce
  • soy sauce
  • oyster sauce
  • toasted sesame oil
  • vegetable oil
  • sirloin steak
  • onion
  • frozen peas and carrots
  • eggs
  • rice
  • green onions, for garnish, optional
Ingredients needed: dark soy sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil, vegetable oil, sirloin steak, onion, frozen peas and carrots, eggs, rice and scallions.

HOW TO MAKE BEEF FRIED RICE:

In a small bowl, make the sauce, stir together the dark soy, soy, oyster sauce, and sesame oil, set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat add 1/4 of the vegetable oil to the pan and add the beef, sear the steak, getting a char on it, cooking it until just done, 3-5 minutes. Place the beef on a plate and set aside. 

Beef strips being cooked in pan.

Add ¼ of the vegetable oil to the skillet and sauté the onions until softened and starting to brown, 2 minutes. Next, add the peas and carrots, until slightly softened for 3 minutes. Then set aside the cooked veggies to the plate with the beef.

Onions, peas and carrots cooking in pan.

Add ¼ of the vegetable oil to the pan and scramble the egg, stirring occasionally until cooked, about 1 minute. Set aside on the plate with the beef and veggies. 

Eggs being scrambled in pan.

Next, add the remaining vegetable oil to the pan and add the rice. Let it sit for about 2 minutes to get a slight char, stir it around. 

Rice added to pan.

Add the cooked beef, veggies, and scrambled egg back to the pan, stir to combine. 

Beef, vegetables and eggs stirred into rice in pan.

Lastly, add the sauce and stir to coat everything. Continue to cook for about 3 more minutes so everything warms through and the flavors can blend. 

Stirred up fried rice in pan.

Serve immediately with a garnish of sliced green onions (optional). 

Wooden spoon holding up some of the Beef Fried Rice out of pan.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Square image close up of Beef Fried Rice.

Beef Fried Rice

An easy and delicious family favorite, this Beef Fried Rice is tasty, quick and can be either a main dish or side!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, make the sauce. Stir together the dark soy, soy, oyster sauce, and sesame oil, set aside.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat add 1/4 of the vegetable oil to the pan and add the beef, sear the steak, getting a char on it, cooking it until just done, 3-5 minutes. Place the beef on a plate and set aside.
  • Add ¼ of the vegetable oil to the skillet and saute the onion until softened and starting to brown, 2 minutes. Next, add the peas and carrots, until slightly softened for 3 minutes. Then add the cooked veggies to the plate with the beef.
  • Add ¼ more of the vegetable oil to the pan and scramble the egg, stirring occasionally until cooked, about 1 minute. Set aside on the plate with the beef and veggies.
  • Next, add the remaining vegetable oil to the pan and add the rice. Let it sit for about 2 minutes to get a slight char, stir it around.
  • Add the cooked beef, veggies, and egg back to the pan, stir to combine.
  • Lastly, add the sauce and stir to coat everything. Continue to cook for about 3 more minutes so everything warms through and the flavors can blend.
  • Serve immediately with a garnish of sliced green onions (optional).

Notes

  • Switch out the meat if you like or just make vegetable fried rice. you could even use cooked ground beef.
  • This can be frozen, see my tips above.
  • You can use any cooked rice that you’d like.
  • Dark soy sauce can be replaced by regular soy sauce. 
  • If you don’t like sesame oil, just leave out. 
  • Oyster sauce is optional but it adds a wonderful depth of flavor and is often used in many Asian dishes. 
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 814mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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