Golden Fried Rice (黄金炒饭, Huang Jin Chao Fan)

This golden fried rice recipe is sponsored by Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs . All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that keep this blog going.

If you love fried rice, you’ll go crazy for this classic Chinese golden fried rice featuring crispy rice coated in egg yolk, tender shrimp and asparagus. This delicious one-bowl meal is easy and fast to put together and will leave your family wanting more. {Gluten-Free}

What is golden fried rice

Golden fried rice, or Huang Jing Chao Fan, is a traditional Chinese dish that uses a special technique. Instead of scrambling the eggs with the rice, this recipe uses egg yolks to coat the rice first, then proceeds to stir fry it. It creates a beautiful yellow color that’s reflected in the name of the dish, and it lends a subtle and aromatic flavor.  

While the words “golden fried rice” refer to the egg yolk coated rice, it’s quite common to use all kinds of combinations of other ingredients to make the fried rice. 

For a super simple side dish that accompanies your main course, you can totally make the fried rice without any additional protein or vegetables. When I make golden fried rice, I prefer to add some shrimp and fresh vegetables such as asparagus. Both go really well with the mild flavor of the rice, add a beautiful texture to the dish, and make it fulfilling to use as a main dish.

Ingredients

You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Since the rice is lightly seasoned and the egg is the star of the dish, it’s important to use high quality eggs.

I love to use Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs for my golden fried rice. Their eggs are high in quality and very flavorful and they have beautiful bright orange yolks. There are no GMOs, antibiotics, chemicals, or pesticides involved in their organic egg farming. The hens aren’t cooped up in cages, either. When you use their egg yolks to coat the rice, it gives the rice a natural beautiful golden color without needing to add any other food coloring such as turmeric (a common way to make the rice look golden when using lower quality eggs).

How to use other vegetables and protein

Again, it’s totally OK to skip the vegetables and protein to make the golden fried rice for a quick side dish.

Alternatively, you can also use cooked meat such as rotisserie chicken, roast pork, or ham to replace the shrimp. Half a cup of chopped cooked meat should be sufficient. 

It’s also OK to use grilled or fried tofu to make the dish vegetarian. Check out this recipe to see how to make fried tofu in the oven without any oil.

For the vegetables, I really enjoy using asparagus because its mild flavor and crispy texture works well with the mild rice. Or you can simply replace it with frozen vegetables such as peas, carrots, green beans, and / or corn. You should thaw the vegetables and drain them beforehand, so they won’t make the rice soggy.

Mise en place

When you’re ready to cook, your table should have: eggs, chopped asparagus, sliced green onion, sliced shrimp, minced garlic, salt, and cooked rice.

How to make golden fried rice

For the first step, you need to coat the rice with the egg yolk, and ensure every grain of rice is evenly coated.

TIP: Do not throw away the egg whites! They are the perfect ingredients to make egg drop soup or hot and sour soup. In fact, egg white usually works better for those dishes than whole eggs, to create thin threads of egg ribbons.

When you’re ready to cook:

1. Pan fry the shrimp
2. Cook the rice with salt until the egg yolks are fully cooked
3. Add the asparagus and garlic
4. Stir in the green onion
5. Return the cooked shrimp to the pan

That’s it!

Tips on how to make the best golden fried rice

What type of rice to use

I prefer to use medium grain white rice (such as jasmine rice) for my fried rice because it’s less sticky than short grain rice and holds together better than long grain rice. It’s possible to use brown rice as well, but your fried rice will have a chewier texture.

What does leftover rice mean?

What you really want to do is use rice that has less moisture and is less sticky, so the grains will separate better during the stir fry. 

If you just made fresh rice, you can spread the rice into a thin layer on a large plate so it cools off faster, and lets more moisture out. When it has cooled off a bit, transfer it to the fridge (without covering it) and let it sit until it’s cooled down completely before covering up. This will make the rice more suitable for fried rice.

And of course, you can use any leftover rice that has been sitting in the fridge or freezer for a few days.

The key is to use enough heat and oil

You need to cook the rice with enough heat and enough oil for a crispy texture. For golden fried rice, I prefer to use a nonstick pan so the rice won’t stick to the pan. No matter what stove you’re using, it’s important to cook the rice long enough, so the grains are fully separated, coated with oil, and heated through. You should also make sure to use enough oil, otherwise the rice will have a dry mouth feel once toasted. 

How to serve golden fried rice

You can enjoy golden fried rice as a one-bowl meal. Or serve with some the recipes below for a multi-dish dinner.

• Egg Drop Soup
• Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork, 叉烧肉)
• Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce (蚝油芥蓝, Gai Lan)
• Chinese Curry Chicken
• Crispy Baked Chicken Leg
• Black Pepper Tofu