This Beef Fried Rice recipe is easy to make with tender beef tossed in a flavorful rice with vegetables, fluffy eggs, and the best sauce! It’s a complete meal in a single skillet!

Be sure to try my Pepper Steak and Beef Lo Mein recipes next!

Beef Fried Rice in a skillet with peas and carrots and a spoon.

Beef Fried Rice

Nothing beats making your own Beef Fried Rice at home! There is plenty of juicy, flavorful beef in this dish, (no need to go digging for it like I usually do with takeout fried rice)! And the rice itself is loaded with flavor- we cook it in beef broth instead of water in this recipe and it really makes all the difference. (And the sauce is a flavor explosion!)

If you’re in need for a flavorful way to use up leftover rice, this recipe is perfect for that too.

Don’t miss my pro rice tips along with everything you need to know to nail this recipe!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Tenderize the beef with a meat mallet and cut into thin slices. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the sauce mixture and set aside. Scramble 2 eggs and set aside.

A bowl of uncooked slices of beef next to a skillet of scrambled eggs.

Cook the beef in a large skillet for 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Deglaze the skillet with white wine and reduce by half.

Cooked beef on a plate next to a skillet being deglazed with white wine.

Soften the onions and garlic. Add frozen peas/carrots. Add cold rice and sauce. Toss and cook through until sauce is absorbed, 3-4 minutes.

A skillet of onions, peas, and carrots next to a skillet of cooked rice with sauce being added.

Add beef, eggs, and green onions. Toss to coat and heat through. Serve!

Adding beef and scrambled eggs to a skillet of beef fried rice.

Tips For The Rice

  • Dry Rice is Key: Cold leftover rice works best for fried rice. If cooking it fresh, you’d ideally lay it on a tray for a few hours (or overnight) before frying. Dry rice absorbs the sauce while remaining crisp.
  • Rinsing Rice: There is debate as to if rinsing rice is necessary to remove excess starch, I prefer the consistency when I don’t rinse it. 🙂 Feel free to rinse if preferred!
  • I like to use long grain white rice for this. The consistency is much better than Instant Rice. (But instant can be used if needed!)
  • If using leftover rice, you’ll need 3 cups for this recipe.
  • Other Varieties of Rice: If preparing with a different kind of rice, (brown rice for example), refer to package for the amount of liquid (beef broth), and simmering time that will be required to cook it.
  • Cauliflower Rice:  3 cups of uncooked cauliflower rice can be added at the end, instead of cooked rice. Cook it for 5 minutes in the sauce, then add the beef/eggs/green onions, and cook for up to 3 more minutes. You may want to partially cover the skillet to allow it to steam slightly.

A skillet with Beef Fried Rice with vegetables and green onions.

Pro Tips

  • Cuts of Steak: Strip steak, skirt steak, flank steak, or sirloin are great options for this recipe.
  • Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are great in this recipe. Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing cooking wine) can also be used, (only 2 TBSP. should be used). Chicken broth can also be used if you don’t cook with wine.
  • Broth: All beef broth may be used, I like the depth of flavor from using a combination of chicken and beef. (Chicken broth to cook the rice, beef broth for the sauce.)
  • Hot Sauce: The hot sauce in this recipe doesn’t make it hot/spicy, it’s just a small amount that is used to enhance the other flavors. I use Frank’s Hot Sauce.
  • Variations: Check out my Chicken Fried Rice, Shrimp Fried Rice, and Pineapple Fried Rice as well! And check out all of my Takeout Recipes here!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Leftovers freeze and reheat very well, making this a convenient snack, lunch, or dinner!

Beef Fried Rice on a white plate with a fork on the side.

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Beef Fried Rice in a skillet with vegetables, beef, green onions, and a spoon on the side.

Beef Fried Rice

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
4.92 from 12 ratings
Servings: 4 people
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This Beef Fried Rice recipe is easy to make with tender bites of beef tossed in savory rice with vegetables, fluffy eggs, and the most flavorful sauce!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Rice

  • 1 cup uncooked white long grain rice, see notes
  • 2 cups chicken broth

Sauce

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup beef broth, see notes
  • 1 tablespoon honey, can sub brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil, optional
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Stir Fry

  • ¾ lb. strip steak, or skirt, flank, or sirloin
  • Salt/Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 eggs, whisked well
  • 1-2 tablespoons peanut oil, can sub olive or canola
  • ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • ¾ cup frozen peas
  • ¾ cup frozen carrots
  • 3-4 green onions, diced

Equipment

Instructions

  • Equipment: A 3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid is highly recommended for steaming the rice. A wide skillet with a lot of surface area is recommended for frying the rice.

Cook the Rice

  • Add 2 cups chicken broth to a medium pot and bring it to a boil. Add the rice and submerge it into liquid. Bring back to a boil and cover the pot. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer (I put my heat on medium-low), and let it steam for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, lift the lid. If the liquid is gone, the rice is likely done. If not, give it 5 more minutes.
  • Spread the cooked rice out on a tray and transfer to the fridge to allow it to cool completely, this ensures it’s nice and crispy when fried. Alternatively, let cool and store in an airtight container overnight for even crispier fried rice.

Prepare the Sauce/Marinate the Beef

  • Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.
  • Place saran wrap over the beef and use a meat tenderizer to pound it on each side. This makes it much more tender. Cut away any large areas of fat.
  • Slice the meat into thin strips (against the grain). Cut the strips into smaller pieces, about 1.5 inches long.
  • Transfer to a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the sauce mixture to it. Toss to coat and set aside.

Scramble the eggs

  • Melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the whisked eggs. Cook/scramble until just cooked through, then remove and set aside. (I like to use an 8-inch nonstick skillet when I make fluffy scrambled eggs.)

Make the Fried Rice

  • Add the oil to a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt/pepper and add it to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until seared and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add the wine. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet and let the liquid reduce by half, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the peas and carrots (it’s okay if they’re still frozen) and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the chilled rice and the remaining sauce. Increase heat to medium-high and toss continuously for about 3 minutes, until the rice is brown from the sauce and most of the liquid from the sauce is absorbed.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add the cooked beef, eggs, and green onions and toss to coat and heat through. Remove from heat and serve!

Notes

Tips about the Rice:
  • Dry Rice is Key: Cold leftover rice works best for fried rice. If cooking it fresh, you’d ideally lay it on a tray for a few hours (or overnight) before frying. Dry rice absorbs the sauce while remaining crisp. 
  • Rinsing Rice: There is debate as to if rinsing rice is necessary to remove excess starch, I prefer the consistency when I don’t rinse it. 🙂 Feel free to rinse if preferred!
  • I like to use long grain white rice for this. The consistency is much better than Instant Rice. (But instant can be used if needed!) See blog post about using other rice varieties as well as cauliflower rice.
  • If using leftover rice, you’ll need 3 cups for this recipe.
More Pro Tips:
  • Cuts of Steak: Strip steak, skirt steak, flank steak, or top sirloin are great options for this recipe.
  • Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are great in this recipe. Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing cooking wine) can also be used, (only 2 TBSP. should be used). Chicken broth can also be used if you don’t cook with wine.
  • Broth: All beef broth may be used, I like the depth of flavor from using a combination of chicken and beef. (Chicken broth to cook the rice, beef broth for the sauce.)
  • Hot Sauce: The hot sauce in this recipe doesn’t make it hot/spicy, it’s just a small amount that is used to enhance the other flavors. I use Frank’s Hot Sauce.
  • Variations: Check out my Chicken Fried Rice, Shrimp Fried Rice, and Pineapple Fried Rice as well! And check out all of my Takeout Recipes here!
Storage: 
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Leftovers freeze and reheat very well, making this a convenient snack, lunch, or dinner!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes 4 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 556kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 158mg, Sodium: 1458mg, Potassium: 676mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 2240IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 91mg, Iron: 4mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian
Author: Stephanie