Shrimp Fried Rice

This easy Shrimp Fried Rice is a one-skillet, 20-minute meal that's perfect for busy weeknights!

Course Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword easy, homemade, shrimp fried rice

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings people

Calories 503kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into ½-inch pieces
4 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce, or more to taste, divided
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 green onions, thinly sliced with the white and green parts placed in separate piles
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups cooked rice, cooled
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
½ cup frozen peas, or more if desired

In a medium bowl, toss together chopped shrimp, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and brown sugar. Set aside.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.
Add an additional 1 tablespoon butter to the empty skillet. Melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add eggs and stir with a rubber spatula until set but still wet, about 15 seconds. Push the eggs to one side of the skillet. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the white parts of the green onions, and the garlic to the skillet; cook until fragrant (about 15 seconds).
Add rice and stir to break up any clumps or large pieces of egg. Cook until the rice begins to sizzle loudly, about 3 minutes.
Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame oil; stir constantly for 2 minutes.
Stir in peas, shrimp and any accumulated juices in the bowl, and green parts of the green onions. Cook just until heated through, about 1 minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper or additional soy sauce, if desired.

I prefer the meaty texture of jumbo, extra-large, or large shrimp. Dice them into bite-size pieces so that they cook uniformly and so that they're easier to eat when the meal is done.
Allow plenty of time for your cooked rice to cool before using it in the recipe. Warm (or even lukewarm) rice doesn't fry as well. Try leftovers from a previous meal, or take a shortcut with microwaveable packets of "ready rice."
Prep all of the ingredients in advance, because the cooking process moves very quickly and you want to be able to focus on the skillet.
Make separate piles of the white/light green parts of the green onions and the darker top parts of the green onions. The white parts have an oniony punch and a more substantial texture, so they withstand longer cooking times better. Wait to add the dark green tops at the end.
Use butter to stir-fry the ingredients. It has more flavor than oil, and helps the rice brown nicely in the pan.
Cook with medium-high heat. If the temperature of your skillet is too cool, you'll end up with steamed rice, rather than crisp, brown, fried rice. Err on the side of HOT.