Bacon + Egg Fried Rice

This very delicious fried rice takes its inspiration from Chinese flavors and the Western breakfast combo of bacon and eggs. Add in tons of veggies and this fried rice transcends from beloved side dish to main course status!

The Story

I love fried rice. I am a fried rice stan. I love all kinds - lightly colored fried rice with peas and pork, rich, dark fried rice with peppers and tofu, or pineapple fried rice with cashews (especially when it's served in a scooped-out half pineapple!). I like it with eggs, shrimp, carrots, and mushrooms, with Chinese, Thai, Korean, or Japanese ingredients, but what I don't like is bland or mushy fried rice.

As a third-gen European Jew, fried rice is not in my cultural heritage, so my attempts at making delicious fried rice at home has sadly yielded many failed versions over the years. I have made versions that are either flavorless and dry, or mushy due to watery rice. Learning from YouTube (Chinese Cooking Demystified, Souped Up Recipes and J. Kenji Lopez Alt are some of my favorites!) and blogs (check out Hot Thai Kitchen, Just One Cookbook, and The Woks of Life) has amped up my skills cooking with Asian flavors and techniques, and I am so grateful to the internet for paving the way for me to learn how to make my favorite foods at home! The three technical things I have learned that make all the difference are: not over-cooking the rice, batch cooking the veggies, and using the exact right amount of sauce.

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The inspiration for this dish came from a 2017 trip to Nashville, of all places. My husband Josh ordered a bacon and egg fried rice at a modern diner called Fenwick's 300. I didn't eat meat at the time, but I really regretted it when that steaming bowl of rice came to the table! I thought the mix of the Western breakfast staple of bacon and eggs was such a fun combo with a Chinese style fried rice, and I thought about it for years...

Cut to 2020. I started eating meat again and in an early pandemic moment where we had very little in the fridge except a few pieces of bacon and a couple eggs and random veggies, I decided to try my hand at recreating the memory. I've codified the vegetables here for you, but there is a ton of flexibility (see ingredient notes below!) if you don't like or have the veggies that I have listed.

There is not much authentic about this fried rice, but I love making it and hope you do too!

Ingredient notes -

Rice: The best type of rice to use for fried rice is leftover rice, because it has typically dried out in the fridge. Freshly cooked rice rice is usually wetter and can make the whole dish mushy. If you don't have leftover rice, I make my rice for fried rice as listed in Step 1. This method makes a reliably drier rice than other methods I've tried.
Vegetables: Feel free to substitute any of the vegetables to whatever you have or like. Just note that the cooking times may vary! Ideas for subs below:

• Yellow Onion: Red onion, shallot, leek, green garlic, or scallion
• Carrot: Daikon, turnip, or radish
• Red Pepper: Another color of pepper, celery, or zucchini
• Green Beans: Asparagus, frozen peas, or broccoli
• Cabbage: Bok choy, yu choy, gai lan (Chinese broccoli), kale, or spinach
• Cilantro or Basil: Toasted sesame seeds, pickled ginger, kimchi, or fried shallots

Shaoxing wine: This is a Chinese rice cooking wine that is one of my favorite Chinese pantry ingredients. If you don't have it, you can use sake or dry sherry instead. (P.S. This is likely much cheaper at your local Asian market than it is online!)

The Recipe

makes 5-6 main course servings

Ingredients

For the Rice

• 1 cup (200g) uncooked white jasmine rice OR 3 cups (420g) cooked white jasmine rice (skip step 1 if using cooked rice)
• 6 strips bacon (approx. 200g)
• 1 small yellow onion (about 1 cup or 150g), 1/4" diced
• 3 medium carrots (about 1 1/3 cup or 250g before peeling), peeled and 1/4" diced
• 1 medium red pepper (about 1 cup or 150g), 1/4" diced
• 1/2 lb green beans (about 2 cups or 225g), cut into 1/4 inch coins
• 1/4 small green cabbage (about 2 tightly packed cups or 150g), thinly sliced
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons (40g) neutral high-heat safe oil (canola, grapeseed, avocado, etc.), divided

For the Sauce

• 3 tablespoons (45g) shaoxing wine
• 3 tablespoons (57g) regular or vegetarian oyster sauce
• 3 tablespoons (51g) soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon (12g) light brown sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced finely

To Finish

• 1 tablespoon (13g) toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro or basil, roughly chopped
• Chili oil (optional)

To Make

1. Make the Rice

Rinse 1 cup (200g) jasmine rice 3-4 times until the water is mostly clear, and transfer to a small pot. Add enough water to cover by a few inches, like you are cooking pasta. Stir, cover, and bring to a boil, and then lower the heat so the rice is gently simmering.

Stirring occasionally, cook until the rice is almost cooked through, but still has a bit of raw crunch in the very center, about 3-5 more minutes. Do not cook completely or you will have a mushy mess when you go to fry the rice. Drain the rice into a fine mesh sieve or colander (make sure the holes are small enough so as not lose all the rice!).

Return the rice back to the empty pot, cover, and let sit for about 10 minutes off the heat. The residual heat will continue to cook the rice. Once the rice is cooked, spread it out onto a sheet tray or large plate and let come to room temperature, stirring occasionally to release as much steam as possible. If you have time, put the rice in the fridge to cool completely, but it will work as soon as it's room temp.

2. Mix the Sauce

While the rice is cooking, add 3 tablespoons (45g) shaoxing wine, 3 tablespoons (57g) vegetarian or regular oyster sauce, 3 tablespoons (51g) soy sauce, 1 tablespoon (12g) light brown sugar and 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced finely into a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. (Pro tip: This is also a great time to chop all the veggies! 😉)

3. Cook the Bacon

Using clean kitchen scissors, cut 6 strips bacon (approx. 195g) into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) strips directly into a wok or very large skillet. I usually do 2 or 3 strips of bacon at a time. Set the pan over medium heat.

Add a splash of water, about 2 tablespoons, and cook, stirring frequently, until the water is cooked off and the bacon is evenly golden brown and crisp to your liking. This should take about 12-15 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Place two heat-proof bowls, one quite large and one small, on your counter. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer all of the cooked bacon to the large bowl, leaving behind as much bacon fat in the pan as possible. VERY CAREFULLY, pour the bacon fat into the small bowl.

4. Cook the Veg

NOTE: Cooking the veggies in batches promotes browning without steaming, so if your stove isn't that strong you might want to do each individually.

Turn the heat back on all the way high and swirl in a good glug, about 1 tablespoon or 13g, of neutral oil. Once your pan is very hot, add 1 small yellow onion (about 1 cup or 150g), diced, and 3 medium carrots (about 1 1/3 cup or 250g before peeling), diced, and toss well. Allow the veggies to fry, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly charred, and just barely cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat, and transfer the carrots and onions to the large bowl with the bacon.

Repeat the same process with 1 red pepper (about 1 cup or 150g), diced, and 1/2 lb green beans (about 2 cups or 225g), cut into 1/4 inch coins, together (about 2-3 minutes), and then 1/4 small green cabbage (about 2 tightly packed cups or 150g), thinly sliced, alone (about 1-2 minutes) - tablespoon glug of oil, toss well, char lightly, and then add to the large bowl with the bacon, carrots, and onions.

5. Cook the Eggs

In a small bowl, whisk 2 large eggs until very smooth. Heat the wok again over medium-high, and add the reserved bacon fat. Pour in the eggs and cook, spreading the eggs into a thin layer, using a spatula to pull raw egg from the center to the edges.

When the eggs are just barely set on top, about 2 minutes later, turn off the heat and roll into a log with the spatula. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) strips and place in the bowl with the bacon and veggies. (Alternatively, you can transfer the eggs to the cutting board first and then roll them up, I just prefer to roll it in the wok!)

6. Assemble and Serve

Bring the wok to medium heat, and add contents of the large bowl - bacon, veggies and egg, the rice, and the sauce, and mix well.

Once everything is hot and sizzling, about 2-4 minutes, add the 1 tablespoon (13g) toasted sesame oil and most of the 1/2 bunch of cilantro or basil, roughly chopped, reserving some for garnish. Mix to combine, and turn off the heat. Serve with the reserved chopped herbs and optional chili oil.

I hope you make and enjoy this recipe!

Thank you for being here!

💖, Katrina

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