This 15-minute easy Japanese Garlic Fried Rice recipe is loaded with fried crispy garlic, spring onions, fluffy scrambled eggs, and rice. A perfect Japanese side dish to serve along with other main dishes or simply delicious on its own.
Asian cuisine and fried rice are inseparable and a staple in our weekly meal rotations. I love cooking this easy Japanese rice as it is a quick one-pan dish that all kids and adults can enjoy.
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I’ve shared loads of our family favourite fried Rice Recipes on my blog.
Chicken Fried Rice, Thai Basil Fried Rice, and Prawn Fried Rice are popular recipes you don’t want to miss!
Ingredients and Variations
The following is a quick guide; please find the detailed measurements on the recipe card.
Rice
- Use Japanese short-grain rice for authentic Japanese fried rice taste. You can also try Thai jasmine rice or a choice of white rice.
- Use a day-old leftover cooked rice to prevent the fried rice from turning mushy when stir-frying. Day-old rice is drier and firmer than freshly cooked rice.
- If you have to use freshly cooked rice, spread the cooked rice on a tray and let it chill for a few hours before adding it to your stir fry.
Garlic & Other Ingredients
- Garlic: Use plenty of fresh garlic cloves because they bring the best garlicky aroma.
- Eggs: Fluffy scrambled eggs can’t be missed when making fried rice.
- Green onion ( spring onion): The mild, sweet flavour of spring onion pairs really well with garlic and rice. They are a perfect combo!
- Oil: Neutral-flavoured oil is best for making garlic fried rice. It does not ruin the garlic's flavour. We usually use sunflower, canola, peanut, or vegetable oil.
Seasonings
- Regular soy sauce
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Chicken Powder or MSG ( optional )
Expert Tip
- Fried garlic is the star of Japanese fried rice, and it’s important to keep the texture crispy. Once the garlic is fried, you need to remove it from the wok before adding rice. Then, place it back in the rice just right before serving.
- Garlic should be cut uniformly for an even colour and texture to prevent uneven burning. You can either cut it into thin slices or finely chop.
- It’s important to fry the garlic with medium heat to fry every piece evenly for the best crispy golden result. Frying with hot oil can result in burnt, bitter garlic.
Instructions
Step 1. Prepare Fried Garlic
- Heat the large wok or pan to medium heat and add oil. Once the oil is hot, add garlic slices and fry for 2-3 minutes or until crispy golden brown.
- Remove fried garlic and garlic oil from the pan and set it aside. Leave a couple of tablespoons of garlic oil in the pan to fry the egg and rice.
Step 2. Stir Fry Egg
- Heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat and add the whisked egg. Stir fry the egg and scramble it into small pieces.
- Push the fried egg to one side of the pan and add the white part of spring onions. Stir fry the spring onions for a few seconds until fragrant.
Step 3. Stir Fry Rice with Fried Garlic
- Next, add the cooked rice. Season the rice with soy sauce, salt, and chicken powder. Stir it well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Finish with green onions, black pepper, and sesame oil. Sprinkle half of the reserved fried garlic and toss everything well. ( Keep the rest of the fried garlic for garnish. )
- Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with more crispy garlic on top.
Storage and Reheating
- Like other fried rice dishes, leftover Japanese fried garlic rice can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the pan with medium heat until heated. You can also microwave it for about 2-3 minutes by stirring halfway through.
- You can make crispy garlic and garlic oil in a big batch and keep them in a dry, clean, airtight jar for later use. They usually last a month if you keep them dry and scoop them with a clean, dry spoon.
- Leftover fried garlic: Sprinkle the leftover fried garlic over other stir-fry dishes, soups, and noodles, like my Pak Choy with Garlic Sauce, or you can pair it with the Crispy Garlic Noodles recipe.
FAQ
My favourite rice varieties are Japanese short-grain rice, Thai jasmine rice, and regular long-grain rice. You can also use brown rice or Chinese long-grain rice.
It is delicious on its own without any add-ons, but you can add extra toppings and side dishes like fried prawns, grilled chicken, stir-fried vegetables, Teriyaki Chicken, etc.
Yes, absolutely! Green peas, sweetcorn, carrots, mushrooms, or a choice of seafood or meat can also be added.
More Easy Fried Rice Recipes
From Spam Fried Rice to Mushroom Fried Rice, the following are my easy quick fried rice recipes that I highly recommend you try!
Make it a complete dinner
You can pair this Japanese garlic fried rice with other Japanese or Asian appetizers and main dishes for a complete dinner. Here are my favourites:
- Tori Karaage (Japanese fried chicken)
- Crispy Shredded Beef
- Hot and Sour Soup
- Crispy Deep Fried Dumplings
- Crispy Orange Chicken
If you've tried out this garlic fried rice recipe, please do share your feedback in the comments and give me star 🌟 ratings!
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📖 Recipe
Garlic Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 3 cup Cooked rice A day-old cold rice, About 200 g or 2 serving rice.
- 6-7 cloves Garlic Cut thin slices or finely chopped
- 2 Eggs Whisked in a bowl with a pinch of salt
- 3-4 tbsp Oil Sunflower, vegetable or neutral flavour oil, Add more oil if needed.
- 3-4 Spring Onions Green onions, Cut thin slices and separate white part and green part.
- ½ tsp Salt Add less or more salt according to your taste
- 1 Tbsp Soy sauce Regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Chicken bouillion powder Or msg
- 1 Tsp Black pepper Or to taste
- 1 Tsp Sesame oil optional
Instructions
- Cut garlic and spring onions into thin slices. Separate spring onion white part and green part.
- Heat the large wok or pan on medium heat, add oil, and stir fry the garlic until light golden brown. Remove fried garlic and oil from pan and set aside.
- Leave 2 tbsp of garlic oil in the pan and bring it to over medium high heat. Add the whisked egg, set it for a few seconds, then stir and crumble it into small pieces. Then push the egg to one side of the pan.
- Add white part of spring onions and stir it well until fragrant, then add the cooked rice and seasonings, soy sauce, salt, and chicken powder. Stir it well.
- Now add spring onions, black pepper, and sesame oil. At the final stage add the reserved fried crispy garlic.
- Toss everything well and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with fried garlic and spring onions.
Video
Notes
- Long-grain rice, jasmine rice, or basmati rice are the best to make fried rice but it's absoloutely fine to use any day-old cooked rice.
- You can add some chilli oil for a kick of heat.
- Increase the garlic if you love more fried garlic in the rice.
- You can store the leftover garlic rice in the fridge in an air-tight container.
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder can be swapped with 1 tsp msg or a tablespoon of oyster sauce. If you cannot find chicken powder, smash the regular chicken bouillon into a powder.
- To serve, you can enjoy it on its own or pair it with other main dishes, salads, or soups.
Jimmy says
Thank you for the recipe Khin. Can I use Garlic flakes for this fried rice? Keep up your good work.
Khin says
Fresh garlic is ideal to use this recipe however If you would like to use garlic flake, please make sure to soak it before you fry them. Thanks