This healthy fried rice recipe is nourishing, easy to make, and packed with crave-worthy flavors.
And the best part? It's ready in just 15 minutes.
Once you make healthy fried rice, you'll never go back
This reader's comment says it all: "OMG, I am not overreacting at all: this is the best recipe of rice, EVER."
Traditional fried rice starts with a lot of unhealthy, denatured oil. While that might taste good, it's really unhealthy and hard on your digestive system. Don't worry, friends—there is a better way.
I decided to change up the preparation and some of the ingredients, then prepare it in a much healthier way.
Healthy Fried Rice is just as good as the original
My version isn't actually fried at all, but I didn't think that Healthy Un-Fried Veggie Fried Rice had quite the same ring to it. So, I'm calling it my Healthy Fried Rice!
Fried rice has such a distinct flavor, and I think it's just as good the un-fried way.
This is also a great way to use up any cooked brown rice you have leftover from other dishes.
This dish is full of healthy fiber, protein, good fat, and good carbs, and is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Your taste buds will thank you for it now, but your whole body will thank you for it later.
A reader recently said, "This was so unbelievably good I made it twice in one week!"
And another said: "This [healthy fried rice] recipe saved me from going out to get super fatty, caloric and sodium-filled fried rice dish from my local joint. I didn’t have a few ingredients (scallions and rice vinegar) but improvised (with onions and white wine vinegar) and also cooked the rice in chicken broth for extra flavor. Came out practically as good and my craving is diminished. Thanks for being there for me, highly recommend."
I absolutely love sharing my favorite recipes with you, so it means the world to see that you're enjoying them too!
Healthy Fried Rice Key Ingredients
Ready to make the best fried rice ever? Of course you are! First, let's talk about some of the key ingredients.
The Rice
If your rice is already prepared, this healthy fried rice recipe takes about 10-15 minutes to come together. I like to use leftover rice from takeout, or sometimes I grab some prepared rice from the hot food bar at the grocery store.
If you need to cook your brown rice, plan for about an hour of total cooking time.
I love making this healthy fried rice when I already have some brown rice around to make a quick and easy meal.
You can use any type of rice here; substitute cooked white rice if you prefer.
Tamari or Low Sodium Soy Sauce
To keep the salt content in check, use tamari or low sodium soy sauce in your healthy fried rice.
Tamari is a gluten-free soy sauce that tastes just like regular soy sauce—I love it in healthy fried rice. If gluten-free is important to you, double-check the label that your tamari is certified gluten-free.
You can find tamari or low sodium soy sauce in the ethnic aisle of most grocery stores or at an Asian market.
You can also use a product called "coconut aminos," which is a savory sauce made from coconut sap that is similar to the taste of soy sauce.
Toasted Sesame Oil
Toasted sesame oil is dark in color and has a distinct deep flavor. It's different from regular sesame oil, which is light in color and mild in flavor. The toasted sesame oil is what brings together your healthy fried rice, so don't skip it.
A small bottle will keep in the fridge for a year or so (always check your expiration dates).
Ok, no go make some healthy "un-fried" fried rice and enjoy your delicious, savory, healthy meal! You can also find more healthy dinner ideas on the dinner page for more inspiration.
Print
Healthy Fried Rice Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 2-4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
This healthy fried rice recipe is a fan-favorite! One reader commented, "OMG, I am not overreacting at all: this is the best recipe of rice, EVER." If your rice is already prepared, this recipe takes just about 15 minutes to prepare. If you need to prepare the brown rice, plan for about 55 minutes total.
If you love it, please leave a star rating in the comments under this post to help other readers. (Thank you!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other healthy cooking oil), divided
- 3 large eggs
- 5-6 scallions (aka green onions), root and 2 inches of green top removed, chopped (about ½ cup)
- 1 large carrot, shredded or julienned (about ½ cup)
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 2 cups cooked brown rice*
- 3 tablespoons organic tamari** or low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (no sugar added)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- big pinch of sea salt (more or less to taste)
- a few spins freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat ½ tablespoon oil over medium heat.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs into a uniform mixture until well combine and season with a small pinch of sea salt and fresh black pepper.
- Add the eggs to the pan and scramble. Once cooked remove the scrambled eggs from the pan to a plate and reserve for later.
- Add the remaining ½ tablespoon oil to the pan over medium heat; add the scallions and carrot and sauté 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add the frozen peas to the pan, then add the rice, tamari, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and ginger. Stir well to combine, the heat from the pan will quickly defrost the peas.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the scrambled eggs. Season with a pinch of sea salt if needed–it will depend on the sodium content of the tamari and other ingredients.
- Turn the heat to low and cook another 5 minutes until the entire dish is warmed through.
- Water chestnuts, bean sprouts, edamame, just about any other veggie you like, or plain shredded chicken would also be a delicious addition to this dish.
Notes
*Grab some cooked brown rice on the hot bar at the store to make this even easier. Frozen brown rice also works, defrost it first. Or, cook your rice from scratch according to the package instructions. Any white rice can also be substituted if you prefer.
**Tamari is gluten-free soy sauce and tastes just like regular soy sauce. You can find it in the ethnic aisle of most grocery stores or at an Asian market. Substitute low-sodium soy sauce if desired.
Keywords: Healthy Fried Rice, Fried Rice Recipe, Healthy Rice Recipe
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Roger L
I love fried rice and love your recipe. I also really love vegetables and add several times the carrots and peas listed. I also always use "real" carrots and peel and dice them. They are so much better than frozen or the baby carrots. It is necessary to cook them until just firm before adding.
Erin
Tamari is not ALWAYS wheat free. I had to give away a brand new bottle because I assumed it was ok, but when I checked the label at home, it sure enough had wheat. Because so many of us can get seriously sick from even a tiny amount of wheat, ranging from damage to our intestines to anaphylaxis, would you consider revising this to be clear that the reader really needs to read labels, not just assume tamari is wheat free? Obviously it’s an easy mistake to make. You and I both did it. And the stakes are just too high.
★★★
Albertina Geller
My brother loves to eat fried rice and it is one of his favorite dishes. I am making this recipe since it showed up on your website!
Dunja
How many calories per serving?
Elizabeth Rider
I don't count calories because it feels unhealthy to obsess about a number to me. Plus, calories can vary greatly depending on how a recipe is measured and prepared. If people want to track this, they can use an app such as My Fitness Pal and input the exact brands they use when they prepare meals. For me, I just focus on eating mostly real food and don't count calories.
Rae McKinney
Hello. I cannot locate the nutritional info. Can you help?
Laura
One of my favorite quick meals on a work-day. So satisfying! I increased the amount of carrots and peas to increase my veggie intake.
★★★★★
Mary Pearson
In some parts of Europe and West Africa they do put a bit of salt in the rice while cooking, and they drizzle it with a bit of olive oil too. And they keep stirring it so the grains don't stick together. To each his own, I would say.
Valerie
I made this for dinner tonight (paired with some beef broccoli I made) and it came out soooo good. The freshness of all the ingredients used together was just amazing! Thank you for this recipe, will have to save it!
★★★★★
Harshan K
Very Informative. I tried and I liked it. Btw I am a Man from India. Thanks again for the healthy recipe.
Mar
May I ask how does the rice vinegar fit it? A bit puzzling as this is my first time seeing fried rice with added rice vinegar! Hehe
Michelle
This was so unbelievably good I made it twice in one week!
Elizabeth Rider
Hi Michelle, glad to hear it! Thanks for stopping by to comment 🙂 ~E
Susie
I am so excited to try you none fried rice. I love fried rice and can’t wait to bring to the healthy side for my family
Laura Roybal Holman
This recipe saved me from going out to get super fatty, caloric and sodium-filled fried rice dish from my local joint. I didn't have a few ingredients (scallions and rice vinegar) but improvised (with onions and white wine vinegar) and also cooked the rice in chicken broth for extra flavor. Came out practically as good and my craving is diminished. Thanks for being there for me, highly recommend.
Elizabeth Rider
Hi Laura! So glad to hear it. This is one of my favorites, too. ~E
Carrin
Delicious! I left out the eggs to make it vegan and added 2 minced garlic cloves. I also just used a cup of frozen carrots and peas, but that is just a personal preference. The seasoning in this is perfect and as good or better than take out. It is much healthier too.
I added some gardein sweet and sour porkless bites . My husband and I LOVED it. We’re making a double batch today for easy work lunches this weekend (we’re RN’s). Thank you!
Rachel
This was amazing!!! Definitely used the Uncle Bens 90 second rice and threw in chili sesame oil for a bit of a kick, but the ingredients and easy to follow recipe was key! Thanks for sharing!!
Levinia St. Jean
Great recipe. I actually add the eggs last. It gives the rice a different texture 🙂
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Ginger Williams
Sounds great and just what I have been looking for as I need to cut out as much sugar from my diet as possible. From what I can see, any store bought "fried rice" package has added sugar. Thanks, will give it a try.
Red
Another one of your recipes that I have tried!! Delicious! My son loves this and it's such a great way for me to sneak egg into his meals because he won't eat it otherwise. I had to cut back on the tamari I used; I guess it depends on each brand's sodium level. Question- I used regular sesame oil and your recipe states "toasted sesame oil." Should that make a huge difference in the overall taste of the rice? The sesame oil had a rather overwhelming taste, so I just added extra brown rice to even everything out and it was really really good. Thanks for sharing!
Angela Bonsu
Sometimes its really hard for me too eat brown rice
Angela Bonsu
Hey your recipes looks good am.going too try it
victoria
This looks really good, I was wondering how long this will store in the fridge for? Thanks
Elizabeth Rider
2-3 days 🙂
Janet Fink
Sounds great but I will make it vegan, no eggs.
Nicole Hobbs
I made this tonight and it was SO good! I added some broccoli too. I will definitely make this again - thanks for sharing!
Roxana Elena Dudau
OMG, I am not overreacting at all: this is the best recipe of rice, EVER. I just tried it at home, I didn't have any sesame oil, I just added seeds. It looks and it tastes GREAT! Next time I will also add mushrooms because I think they go just fine with rice. Seriously, this tastes better even than the rice bought from the chinese restaurant. It's fast&easy to prep and it's delicious! Hooray!
Elizabeth Rider
Yay! I'm so glad you love it - it's one of my faves too.
ellen
Thanks for sharing Elizabeth! Looks great! I'd suggest stirring in some ground flax seed or hemp would work too, for some added nutrition. Looking forward to trying it.
Elizabeth Rider
Great suggestions!