Your New Go-To Meal: 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!)

Let’s be real. We’ve all been there. It’s been a long day, your energy is at an all-time low, and the siren call of the takeout menu is growing louder by the minute. You’re craving something comforting, savory, and satisfying—something like a heaping plate of classic egg fried rice. But then you think about the delivery fees, the wait time, and the slightly greasy aftermath, and you hesitate.

What if I told you that you could have a plate of steaming, flavorful, better-than-takeout egg fried rice on your table in the time it takes to scroll through a food delivery app? A dish that is not only incredibly delicious but also incredibly simple, requiring just a handful of ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen?

Welcome to your new kitchen secret: the ultimate 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!). This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a culinary lifeline. It’s a testament to the fact that the most beloved dishes are often the simplest ones, built on a foundation of technique and quality ingredients. In the time it takes to boil pasta, you can transform leftover rice and a few pantry staples into a meal that is simultaneously humble and spectacular.

This recipe is the hero of busy weeknights, the savior of empty refrigerators, and the champion of budget-friendly cooking. It proves that you don’t need a long list of exotic ingredients to create something truly magical. So, let’s dive in and unlock the secrets to perfecting this timeless classic.

Why This 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!) Recipe is a Game-Changer

Before we even look at the ingredients, it’s important to understand why this specific formula works so well.

• Speed & Efficiency: The 10-minute timeframe is no exaggeration. With your ingredients prepped and your pan hot, you’re moments away from a complete meal. It’s faster than delivery and more rewarding.

• Accessibility: With only six core ingredients, this recipe eliminates the barrier of a complicated shopping list. It’s built on staples, making it accessible to cooks of all levels.

• Versatility: This 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!) serves as a perfect blank canvas. While we’re focusing on the pure, classic form today, it can easily be adapted with whatever veggies or protein you have lurking in your fridge.

• The “Waste Not, Want Not” Philosophy: This dish is the perfect destination for that container of leftover rice that often gets forgotten. It gives it a glorious second life, reducing food waste in the most delicious way possible.

Deconstructing the Magic: The 6 Essential Ingredients

The beauty of this 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!) lies in the synergy of its components. Each one plays a critical role in building the final flavor and texture. Let’s break them down:

1. Cooked Jasmine Rice (Cold & Day-Old): This is, without a doubt, the most important ingredient. The quest for perfect fried rice begins the day before. Freshly cooked rice is moist and steamy, causing it to clump together and become mushy when stir-fried. Day-old rice that has been chilled in the refrigerator has dried out slightly, resulting in separate, distinct grains that fry up beautifully, achieving that coveted slightly chewy texture. Jasmine rice is preferred for its fragrant, slightly sticky nature, but any long-grain white rice will work.

2. Large Eggs: The “egg” in egg fried rice! Beaten eggs provide rich, fluffy pockets of protein that are woven throughout the dish. They act as a binding agent of sorts, bringing the rice and seasonings together. Cooking them quickly over high heat ensures they stay tender and don’t become rubbery.

3. Regular Soy Sauce: This is our primary source of salt and umami—that deep, savory flavor that makes this dish so addictive. Using regular or light soy sauce (as opposed to dark soy sauce) provides the classic salty, brown color without making the rice overly dark or sweet. It’s the flavor backbone of our 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!).

4. Sesame Oil: While we use a neutral oil for cooking, a small amount of toasted sesame oil added at the end is a power move. It’s not a cooking oil; it’s a finishing oil. Its intense, nutty aroma and flavor provide the unmistakable, authentic fragrance that will make your kitchen smell like your favorite Chinese restaurant.

5. Vegetable Oil (or any neutral oil): We need a high-heat, neutral-flavored oil to sear our ingredients. Vegetable, canola, or avocado oil are perfect as they have a high smoke point and won’t impart their own flavor, allowing the other ingredients to shine.

6. Green Onion: Don’t underestimate the power of this humble allium. The white parts provide a sharp, aromatic base, while the green parts, added as a fresh garnish at the end, offer a pop of color and a fresh, oniony crunch that cuts through the richness of the dish.

The Art of the 10-Minute Frenzy: A Step-by-Step Guide

The process for this 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!) is fast and furious, but simple to master. Read through the instructions once before you start cooking to get the sequence locked in.

Prep Time: 2 minutes mins
Cook Time: 8 minutes mins
Total Time: 10 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 2
Calories per serving: 501 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked jasmine rice, cold & day-old (or sub with any white long grain rice)

• 1 green onion, finely chopped

• 2.5 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce (avoid dark soy sauce)

• ½ tablespoon sesame oil

• 4 large eggs, beaten

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil or any neutral oil

Instructions

1. The Hot Start: Heat your vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. If you are using a traditional carbon steel wok, you can let the oil just begin to smoke, which signals it’s perfectly hot. If you’re using a non-stick or standard pan, just get it nice and hot—no need to wait for smoke.

2. Scramble the Eggs: Pour in your beaten eggs. They should sizzle immediately upon contact. Using your spatula, quickly stir and scramble the eggs. You’re not looking for a slow, gentle scramble here; you want to cook them fast so they form soft, fluffy curds. The key is to stop just before they are fully cooked through—they should still look a little wet. This ensures they stay tender once mixed with the rice.

3. Incorporate the Rice: Immediately toss in your cold, day-old rice. If the rice is clumped together from the fridge, use your spatula to press and break apart the clumps directly in the pan. This is much easier than trying to break it up with your hands beforehand. Toss everything together, ensuring the rice gets coated in the oil and the eggs are distributed throughout.

4. Aromatics & Sauce: Now, here’s a pro trick for our 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!). Push the entire contents of the pan to one side. You should see a bare spot of hot pan. Add a tiny bit more oil if it looks dry, then add your chopped green onions (reserving some of the green tops for garnish) to that empty space. Let them sizzle for just 15-20 seconds to release their fragrance before mixing them into the rice.

5. The Flavor Finish: Next, pour the soy sauce and the sesame oil along the edges of the hot pan, rather than directly onto the rice. Why? This allows the sauces to heat and caramelize slightly upon contact with the hot metal, deepening their flavor before they coat the rice. Immediately toss and stir-fry everything vigorously until every single grain of rice is evenly colored a light, appetizing brown.

6. Serve Immediately: Remove the pan from the heat. Your 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!) is done! Transfer to bowls, garnish with the reserved green onion tops, and serve hot. Fried rice is always best enjoyed straight from the wok.

Your New Go-To Meal: 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!)

Print Recipe

Got leftover rice and eggs? Then you’re only 10 minutes away from the easiest, tastiest fried rice! With just six simple ingredients, this recipe is budget-friendly, beginner-friendly, and packed with flavor. It’s perfect as a main dish or a quick side—and with a few simple tricks, it tastes just like your favorite Chinese takeout.

• Author: salah

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked jasmine rice, cold and day-old (or any long-grain white rice)

• 1 green onion, finely chopped

• 2.5 tablespoons soy sauce (regular or light; avoid dark soy sauce)

• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

• 4 large eggs, beaten

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large pan or wok.

  • If using a wok, allow the oil to lightly smoke.

  • If using a regular pan, heat until hot but not smoking.

• Add beaten eggs and quickly stir-fry until they begin to set but remain slightly moist.

• Add rice. Break up any clumps and toss with the eggs.

• Push everything to one side of the pan. Add the remaining oil to the empty space, then add green onions. Stir briefly, then mix into the rice.

• Pour soy sauce and sesame oil around the edges of the pan so they sizzle, then toss until all the rice turns a nice brown color.

• Remove from heat and serve immediately while hot!

Notes

• Use high heat to get that restaurant-style smoky flavor.

• Don’t overcook the eggs—soft eggs blend better into the rice.

• Add-ins (optional): peas, carrots, garlic, shrimp, chicken, or extra green onion.

• Swap soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos if you need a lower-sodium or gluten-free option.

Pro-Tips for Truly Authentic Takeout Flavor

Achieving that elusive “wok hei” (the breath of the wok) at home is challenging without a commercial burner, but these tips will get you 99% of the way there.

• The Rice is Right: I cannot stress this enough. COLD, DAY-OLD RICE. It is the non-negotiable secret to success. Plan ahead by cooking a extra batch of rice the night before, or use leftover rice from takeout.

• Mise en Place is Everything: In a 10-minute recipe, there is no time for chopping or measuring once the heat is on. Have all your ingredients measured, your eggs beaten, and your green onions chopped before you even turn on the stove.

• High Heat is Your Friend: Don’t be shy with the heat. You want to cook quickly to achieve a slight sear on the rice without steaming it. A hot pan ensures everything cooks fast and stays distinct, not soggy.

• The Pan Sauce Technique: Pouring the soy sauce and sesame oil around the edges of the pan is a small step with a big payoff. It unlocks a deeper, more complex flavor profile that simply tossing it on top can’t achieve.

• Resist the Urge to Stir Constantly: While you need to toss and combine, let the rice sit for 20-30 seconds at a time in the hot pan. This allows it to develop a slight toastiness and that “fried” quality.

Customizing Your 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!)

While the classic version is perfection, this recipe is a wonderful base for experimentation.

• Add Protein: Diced cooked chicken, shrimp, chopped ham, or crumbled bacon are fantastic additions. Add them with the rice to heat through.

• Add Vegetables: For a more vegetable-forward dish, finely diced carrots, peas, corn, or bell peppers work beautifully. For firmer veggies like carrots, sauté them in the oil for a minute before adding the eggs to soften them up.

• Add Aromatics: A teaspoon of minced garlic or ginger added to the oil right before the eggs will add another layer of fragrance.

• Spice it Up: A drizzle of chili oil or sriracha at the end, or a pinch of red pepper flakes cooked with the green onions, will add a welcome kick.

Final Thoughts

This 10 min. Easy Egg Fried Rice (only 6 ingredients!) is more than just a recipe; it’s a fundamental skill that belongs in every home cook’s arsenal. It embodies the principles of efficient, budget-conscious, and deeply satisfying cooking. It demonstrates that with a little knowledge and the right technique, you can create something extraordinary from the most ordinary of ingredients.

So, the next time you’re staring into the abyss of your fridge, feeling uninspired and tempted by takeout, remember this recipe. Grab that leftover rice, those eggs, and your trusty bottle of soy sauce. In just ten minutes, you’ll be sitting down to a meal that is not only fast and easy but also profoundly delicious. It’s a small act of kitchen magic that never fails to impress. Happy cooking!