The Best Garlic Fried Rice

5 from 3 votes

This crisp and flavorful Garlic Fried Rice is an outrageously delicious fried rice recipe that is easy to make for a quick meal during the week. Feel free to add in whatever protein you want or enjoy it by itself.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: Japanese

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Allie Petersen

Equipment

1 large pan (non-stick)

Ingredients

2 tablespoon neutral oil such as grapeseed, avocado, canola, or vegetable
12 cloves roughly chopped garlic*
¼ cup diced green onions (white + light green part) plus more for garnish
4 cups day-old cooked jasmine rice*
1 tablespoon soy sauce add more to taste
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch of salt

Instructions

In a large wok or pan, heat neutral oil over MEDIUM heat and add chopped garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the garlic starts to turn golden.
2 tablespoon neutral oil, 12 cloves roughly chopped garlic*
Add in your diced green onions to the garlic and cook for 1 minute until softened and fragrant.
*At this point you can remove a small portion of garlic/green onion for garnish topping, if desired.
¼ cup diced green onions (white + light green part)
Add in your day-old rice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and pinch of salt. Stir until fully combined. Turn heat up to HIGH.
4 cups day-old cooked jasmine rice*, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally (let the bottom rest for a minute so it can crisp up). You should notice some of the rice starting to brown.
Once your rice is done cooking, taste and add a dash more soy sauce, if you prefer.
Serve warm by itself or as a side. Top with garnish: I like to add some of the pan-fried garlic and onion but you could also add fresh cilantro, green onion, red pepper flakes, and more.

Notes

⭐️The best type of rice for fried rice is long-grain rice, such as jasmine rice or basmati rice. These varieties have a firm texture and remain separate when cooked, making them ideal for fried rice. I personally love the flavor of jasmine rice for this recipe but basmati is great too!

Tips for making the best garlic fried rice:

I like to roughly chop my garlic instead of minced so you can enjoy some small pieces of garlic throughout the fried rice. If you prefer, you can mince your garlic into smaller pieces.
Use day-old rice that is slightly dry to get a "crispier" fried rice.
Try to avoid stirring your rice too much as it cooks. It needs at least a few minutes, untouched, for the bottom to start to get golden brown and crispy.
Cook with HIGH heat when browning the rice.

What to eat with this fried rice?

Add more protein to this dish by adding in some air-fried tofu cubes, asian tofu, chickpeas, white beans, or whatever protein you like!

Nutrition