Beef Fried Rice Recipe

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This simple beef fried rice has tender strips of beef, fragrant spring onions, and aromatic rice.  It is great for lunchboxes for school or work, or a quick and simple one pot weekday dinner!

This beef fried rice recipe reminds me of the fried rice I would always order at Din Tai Fung, one of my favourite Chinese restaurants in Singapore.

Growing up in an Asian household, fried rice was one of our staples.  It is a simple dish to prepare and also very easy to pack in lunchboxes or serve at dinner.  The beauty about fried rice is that you can add almost any ingredient you want in it.  Our typical fried rice we had at home included mixed frozen veggies (carrots, peas, and corn), onion, egg and Chinese sausages.  Beef fried rice was always special as we would only have this when we go out to Chinese restaurants. 

How to make this recipe?

Ingredients

Rice For the best result, I recommend using medium-grain Jasmine rice. However, you can use any kind of rice you have in your pantry.

Beef For this recipe, I am using chuck steak. I like this cut of meat for this recipe, as it has some fatty bits which will give the beef fried rice more flavour and a different texture (I love biting into the fatty bits!). If you don’t like the fats, you can always use a leaner cut of beef. However, as we will be cutting the beef into thin slivers, the quality of your meat will not matter too much. So, I’d say go for the cheapest cut of beef you can find!

Oyster sauce We will be adding this sauce when frying up the beef to give it some seasoning.

Eggs We will be making an omelette to add to our fried rice. I personally love adding egg to any of my fried rice. It gives the dish more flavour and another texture too.

Spring onions Another ingredient I love to add to any of my fried rice. Spring onions are so fragrant and taste delicious in fried rice!

Oil You will want to use an oil that can take high temperatures. I recommend using peanut, vegetable, or palm oil. You will not want to use olive oil in this dish, as it cannot take too high temperatures. If you find that your rice is sticking to the wok while frying, feel free to add more oil to help with this.

Soy sauce This seasons the rice nicely. You will want to fry the rice with the soy sauce for a few minutes before adding the other ingredients. This will give you the authentic fried rice flavour.

Fish sauce I like adding fish sauce in fried rice, as it not only adds some saltiness, but also gives the dish an umami aroma.

Chicken powder This elevates the dish’s flavour. Chicken powder also adds some saltiness to the dish. So, I use this in place of regular salt.

White pepper Depending on your preference, you can add as little or as much pepper as you’d like to your fried rice. I like my fried rice extra peppery, so I add LOTS!

Instructions

Cook the rice in a rice cooker.

To cook the beef Heat up a tablespoon of oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat.  Slice the beef into thin slivers.  Once the wok is heated up, add in the beef and oyster sauce.  Fry until the beef just cooks, it should still look a little pink.  Set aside in a bowl.

To make the omelette Heat up a tablespoon of oil in the same wok.  Crack the eggs in a bowl and beat with a fork.  When the wok is hot, pour in the eggs and leave it for about one minute.  Then, flip the eggs onto the other side for about half a minute.  Set aside in a bowl.

To fry the rice Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in the same wok over high heat.  When the wok is hot, add in the cooked rice and stir it around for about one minute.  Add in the soy sauce, fish sauce and chicken powder, and stir it around for about two to three minutes. 

Add in the beef, eggs, and spring onions into the wok.  Fry the rice until the ingredients are evenly distributed in the rice.  At this time, add in some white pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or keep store it in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

What is the secret to a good fried rice?

I have a couple of tips to share, so that you can make the yummiest fried rice!

1. Start off with a blazing hot wok or a large frying pan.
2. Allow the rice to brown lightly in the wok.  This will add an extra flavour (wok-hey) to your rice.  Do this by leaving your rice in a hot wok with some oil for about 5 minutes, stirring every 30-seconds.  After about 5 minutes, add in your ingredients and toss them together until they are evenly distributed in the rice.  Don’t worry if you are getting slightly ‘burnt’ bits (brown not black in colour) at the bottom of your wok.  Simply scrape the bottom as you fry the rice.  These are the best bits, as it adds an extra crispiness to your fried rice.  However, if you find that it is sticking too much, add a little more oil as you are frying.

Do you cook the rice before frying it?

Yes, you will have to cook the rice in a rice cooker or in a pot before frying it.  For the best result, cook the rice the night before, keep it in an air tight container in the fridge.  When you are ready to fry the fried the next day, fry this cooked rice while it is still cold.  Using cold rice means that the grains of rice are firmer, making it easier to separate and decreasing the chance of having mushy fried rice.

What type of rice is used for fried rice?

For Chinese-style fried rice, like this recipe, you would typically use medium-grain Jasmine rice.  However, you can use whatever type of rice you have in your pantry.  Another great option would be short-grain sushi rice.  A healthier version would be Basmati rice or brown rice.

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