Easy Beef Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 200 g (about 7 oz)Beef mince, or chicken, lamb or another mince of your choice
• About 200 g (3 cups)Cooked rice, preferably leftover or a day old and cold
• ½ tspWhite pepper
• 2–3 clovesGarlic, finely chopped
• 2 tspGinger paste or finely grated ginger
• 1Carrot, cut into small cubes
• 100 gFrozen green peas
• ½Onion, cut into small cubes
• 3–4Spring onions, thinly sliced, with the white and green parts separated
• 2Eggs, whisked
• 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml)Vegetable or other neutral-flavoured oil
• 2 tbsp (30 ml)Light soy sauce or all-purpose soy sauce
• 2 tbsp (30 ml)Oyster sauce or vegetarian stir-fry sauce
• 1 tbsp (15 ml)Sugar
• 1 tsp (5 ml)Dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp (5 ml)Toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp (15 ml)Shao Xing wine, Chinese cooking rice wine or Japanese mirin
• ½ tspWhite pepper or black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the sauce

   Combine the stir-fry sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Prepare and gather the vegetables.

2. 2

   Season the beef

   Mix the beef with 1 tablespoon of the sauce mixture, white pepper and grated ginger. Set it aside.

3. 3

   Scramble the eggs

   Heat a pan over medium-high heat and stir-fry the eggs, breaking them into small pieces. Take them out of the pan and set aside.

4. 4

   Cook the aromatics

   Add more oil to the same pan and sauté the onion. Add the garlic and the white parts of the spring onions, then stir for a few seconds.

5. 5

   Brown beef and vegetables

   Add the marinated beef and flatten it against the bottom of the wok. Let it sear for 1–2 minutes, then turn it and stir-fry over high heat until cooked through and no longer pink. Add the carrot, followed by the peas, and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

6. 6

   Fry the rice

   Add the cooked rice and pour in the remaining sauce mixture. Mix well and stir-fry over high heat for 1–2 minutes, or until everything is cooked through.

7. 7

   Finish the dish

   Turn off the heat. Add the scrambled eggs and green parts of the spring onions, then toss everything together.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Transfer the rice to a serving plate, garnish with chopped spring onions and serve straight away.

What is beef fried rice?

Fried rice is a familiar Chinese dish made by stir-frying cooked rice with seasonings and other ingredients. This version pairs minced beef with egg, peas, carrot and spring onion for a quick, complete-tasting meal.

Cold leftover rice and a sauce mixed before cooking make this version especially practical. The ingredients can be cooked in quick stages in one pan, then tossed together at the end.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 742 calories, 37g protein, 85g carbs, 26g fat.

The rice supplies most of the carbohydrates, while the beef and eggs contribute much of the protein. Oil, sesame oil and the sauces provide much of the fat; serve with steamed greens or salad to add vegetables alongside the rice.

Why use cold cooked rice?

Cold, day-old rice tends to be drier and easier to separate than freshly cooked rice, helping it fry rather than clump. Break up any compacted grains before adding them to the pan.

Get the sauce ready first

Sauce: mix the listed sauce ingredients in a small bowl before you start frying, so they are ready to add with the rice. The light and dark soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil and wine bring savoury, sweet and aromatic notes.

Beef: season the mince with a tablespoon of the mixed sauce, white pepper and ginger. Keeping this separate portion for the beef helps it take on flavour before it goes into the pan.

Cook in quick stages

Eggs: stir-fry them first and remove them while still in small pieces; they go back in after the rice is cooked. This keeps them from getting lost in the other ingredients.

Beef and vegetables: give the beef a brief sear before breaking it up and stir-frying it through. Add the carrot and peas afterwards so they cook until crisp-tender rather than soft.

Look for these doneness cues

The beef should be cooked through and no longer pink, as the method specifies. The vegetables are ready when tender but still have a little bite.

Once the rice and sauce are combined, stir-fry for 1–2 minutes over high heat, until everything is cooked through. Finish with the eggs and green spring onion off the heat.

Serve it straight from the pan

The spring onion greens add a fresh finish, while the hot rice makes a satisfying standalone meal. For a fuller plate, serve it with a simple side of steamed greens or a crisp salad.

Recipe notes & tips

• Have the vegetables chopped and the sauce mixed before heating the pan, as the cooking stages move quickly.
• Separate the white and green parts of the spring onions so they can be added at different stages.
• Use cold cooked rice and loosen any clumps before frying.
• Keep the pan hot for the beef and rice stages, as directed in the method.
• Return the eggs at the end and toss them through gently.

Variations

• Change the mince: use chicken, lamb or another mince in place of beef.
• Make it vegetarian: use vegetarian stir-fry sauce instead of oyster sauce and choose a suitable meat alternative.
• Adjust the vegetables: swap in other quick-cooking vegetables you have available.
• Vary the pepper: use black pepper instead of the final listed white pepper.
• Use mirin: substitute Japanese mirin for the Shao Xing wine as listed.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Adding freshly cooked, wet rice: use leftover or day-old cold rice as specified so it is easier to stir-fry.
• Skipping the sauce mixture: combine it in a bowl first so it is ready when the rice goes into the pan.
• Overcooking the vegetables: cook the carrot and peas only until crisp-tender.
• Leaving the beef in large clumps: flatten it to sear, then turn and stir-fry until cooked through.
• Cooking the eggs with the rice from the start: set them aside after scrambling and toss them in at the end.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly, store them in a sealed container in the fridge and eat within 2 days. Reheat until steaming hot throughout, stirring to heat evenly; avoid reheating more than once.

Frequently asked questions