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!
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.