Dan chao fan 蛋炒饭 is the most basic Chinese fried rice and the one I grew up eating in Beijing as an after school snack and a late breakfast. It is a Chinese home dish, not a restaurant dish, and the whole point is letting the rice and the egg be the flavor without crowding the pan with extra ingredients. If I want a fuller fried rice with meat and vegetables, I cook my Yang Zhou fried rice or my chicken fried rice instead.
I still eat this for breakfast on cold mornings in NY when I want something hot and salty before the rest of the day starts, and my husband eats it straight from the pan with a soup spoon while I am still plating. My son is 2 and he gets a small bowl with extra egg.
On a weeknight I tackle it in one pan and a short window of attention. I beat the eggs and slice the green onions while a heavy skillet heats up, scramble the eggs in hot oil until the bottom sets and the top is still partially runny, drop the cold rice straight onto the runny egg, chop with the spatula until the grains separate, finish with salt and green onion, and let the rice toast against the pan for a couple of minutes. The whole dish is on the table in 10 minutes. Yes, you read that right!
Ingredients
This is a 3 ingredient recipe at heart, with salt and oil pulling the rest of the weight. Everything sits in the fridge already, and the cooking is what turns the parts into the dish.
Day old white rice: Cooled rice that has lost its surface moisture is the only kind that fries into separated grains instead of a sticky clump. I cook a pot the night before and refrigerate it uncovered for an hour or 2 to dry the surface, then seal it.
Eggs: Beaten just enough to break the yolks into the whites. I like to add a pinch of salt to season the eggs separately, to layer the flavor.
Green onions: Sliced thin, the whole stalk including the green tops. This is one of the only flavors in the dish and the rice tastes thin without enough of it.
Salt and oil: Plain salt is the entire seasoning, and a neutral oil like peanut or vegetable oil carries the heat into the eggs and the rice. To boost the flavor, I also like to use a touch of chicken bouillon powder on top of the salt.
How to make
1. Prep the ingredients: Beat the eggs in a small bowl until the yolks break into the whites. Slice the green onions thin. Pull the rice from the fridge and break up any clumps with a spoon while it is still cold.
2. Cook the egg: I prefer to heat up my small wok really hot until smoking before adding the eggs, so it chars the bottom instantly and fluffy up the eggs. Pour the beaten eggs into the hot oil and wait until the bottom is just set, about 15 to 20 seconds, then slightly scramble it. I like to cook until most of the egg is set but some parts on top are still runny.
3. Cook the rice: Pour the cold rice on top of the runny egg in an even layer. Use the spatula to chop the rice and the egg into small pieces, so some of the rice is coated with egg and the crispy egg bottom breaks into bits. Keep chopping and stirring until the rice is well separated.
7. Season: Sprinkle the salt over the rice and add the sliced green onion.
8. Toast the rice: Press the rice into an even layer against the pan and let it sit undisturbed for 30 to 45 seconds, then stir and press it back into a layer. Repeat for 2 to 3 minutes total until the rice turns slightly golden and crispy on the surfaces touching the pan.
I like to use peanut oil to make this dish, which makes the rice a little nutty. If you use a neutral oil like vegetable oil, you can add a touch of toasted sesame oil at the end of the cooking, when the heat is off. It adds a beautiful nutty fragrance and immediately elevate the dish.
9. Rest and serve: Turn off the heat and let the rice sit in the warm pan for another minute to crisp further. Transfer to a plate and serve hot as a side or a light main.
My Cooking Tips
Chill fresh rice on a sheet tray if no leftovers: If I am cooking fresh rice that day, I spread it in a thin layer on a sheet tray, let it cool to room temperature, then chill it for 30 minutes minimum before frying.
Do not skimp on the oil: 2 tablespoons is the minimum for 3 cups of rice. The oil is what carries the heat into the grains and gives them their toasted crust, and an under-oiled pan steams the rice instead. For fluffier eggs, use a bit more oil.
Use more green onion than you think you need: 4 green onions to 3 cups of rice is the working ratio. The whole stalk goes in, white and green parts together, since the white parts add savory depth and the green parts add a fresh top note.
Add a pinch of chicken bouillon if the dish tastes thin: A quarter teaspoon of chicken bouillon or MSG is the difference between a home plate and a takeout plate. I leave it out when I want the eggs and rice to be the only flavor.
Cook in a wok or large skillet: A wok or 12 inch pan gives 3 cups of rice room to spread in a thin layer. A smaller pan piles the rice deep and steams the bottom while the top stays cool.
How to Serve
I serve egg fried rice as the side that completes a Chinese dinner, paired with a saucier main like kung pao chicken and a bowl of authentic hot and sour soup. The rice catches the sauce from the chicken, the soup brings the sour taste and the heat, and the table comes together as a real homestyle Chinese dinner instead of a single dish.
When I cook this as a light meal for myself, I plate it alongside an easy Chinese cucumber salad for crunch and acid against the rich egg, and that is the bowl I bring to my desk for lunch on a work day. For breakfast I eat it on its own straight from the pan, since yesterday’s leftovers turn into a 5 minute breakfast that beats anything I could put together on a weekday morning.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use brown rice or jasmine rice?
Both work, and jasmine is what I use most often since it is what is usually in my rice cooker for everyday meals. Brown rice fries nicely and adds a nuttier note, though the grains stay chewier and the toasting takes a touch longer. I avoid short grain or sushi rice because the grains are too sticky.
What can I add to make this more filling?
Diced ham, leftover meat like rotisserie chicken or stew meat, crispy bacon bits, or 1/2 cup of frozen mixed vegetables go in alongside the green onion at the end without changing the cooking method. For a soy sauce version, I add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce along with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in place of the salt, which deepens the color and adds umami depth.
How long do leftovers keep?
Egg fried rice keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days, and I reheat it in a hot dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes to re-crisp the rice. I also simply microwave the rice to reheat when I feel lazy. I usually don’t freeze fried rice because I often finish them quickly, but you can freeze them up to 1 month.
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I love making this 10-minute Chinese homestyle Egg Fried Rice recipe. I prepare it with day-old rice, eggs, and green onions, seasoned with nothing but salt. It is the dish I cook when there is leftover rice in the fridge, four eggs in the carton, and I want something hot and savory on the table for my family.
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Add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until smoking. Pour in the beaten eggs. Wait until the bottom of the eggs is set. Lightly scramble the eggs until mostly set but some parts are still runny.
Add the rice on top of the runny egg. Use your spatula to chop the rice to separate it into small pieces, so some of the rice is coated with egg. Keep stirring and chopping the rice until the rice is well separated.
Sprinkle with salt and add the green onion. Keep cooking and stir occasionally, until the rice turns slightly golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste the rice. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt (or a touch of chicken bouillon or MSG), if needed. You can leave the rice in the pan for a couple more minutes after turning off the stove, so the rice gets even crispier.
(Optional) If you used a neutral oil like vegetable oil, add toasted sesame oil after turning off the heat. Stir to mix again.
Transfer everything to a plate and serve hot as a side dish or a light main dish.
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 296kcal, Carbohydrates: 38.4g, Protein: 9.1g, Fat: 11.5g, Saturated Fat: 2.6g, Cholesterol: 164mg, Sodium: 357mg, Potassium: 154mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.8g, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 3mg
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