SaurabhYou can serve pried rice as a dish on its own. However, you can also serve it with different side dishes to get more flavors and textures in one delicious dish.
You can also order fry rice in the restaurant but it is also easy to make it at home. To make your fried rice taste as it does in the restaurant you have to use the right type of rice.
The best rice to use for fried rice is long-grain white rice.
When it is cooked, the grains stay firm, fluffy, and not very sticky. However, fried rice can be also made with other types of long grain and medium grain rice like basmati or jasmine rice.
Another important thing when you are preparing fried rice is the water to rice ratio.
For white long grain rice, it is usually used 1:1,5 ratio. So, for one cup of rice, you should use 1 ½ cups of water. Some fried rice recipes usually call for cold or previously cooked and chilled rice.
Therefore, when you want to cook fried rice, it is best to cook the rice the previous day. That way it will be dryer and will not get sticky and soggy.
Now, let’s take a closer look at some things you can pair fried rice with for your next meal.
15 Foods You Can Eat With Fried Rice
If you have cooked rice, it is easy to make many other dishes. You can mix it with veggies, meat, seafood, or eggs. Cooked rice has a mild flavor and pairs well with different dishes.
1. Chicken teriyaki
This is a dish made of soy sauce, boneless chicken meat, sake, mirin, olive oil, sugar, and fresh ginger. Chicken meat is marinated for 15 minutes in the teriyaki sauce which is made with these ingredients.
After that, the meat is fried, and the sauce is added to the pan until it thickens. It has a sweet and salty flavor that pairs well with the fried rice.
2. Chinese dumplings
There are many types of Chinese dumplings with savory, sweet, and juicy flavor.
You can fill them with different fillings like pork, beef, lamb, chicken, shrimp, carrots, and spinach with ricotta.
You can fry, steam, or boil them. Either way, they taste great served along with fried rice.
3. Egg rolls
You can fill egg rolls with cabbage, ground or roasted pork, chicken, bean sprouts, shrimp, mushrooms, and carrots seasoned with ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. They are crunchy and crispy appetizers that are a great addition to fried rice.
4. Beef and broccoli
Beef and broccoli is a delicious stir-fry dish you can prepare in no time.
You can also add other vegetables like scallions, carrots, peppers, and cauliflower. And with just a sprinkle of sesame oil, you will make this dish full of beautiful flavors that pair well with fried rice.
5. Fried egg
The fried egg is the simplest side dish you can use with the fried rice.
All you need is just to fry the egg and top the fried rice with it. Add some chopped green onion and enjoy in your nice and crunchy dish.
6. Sweet and sour pork
Sweet and sour pork is a sweet and sticky dish that needs more time to prepare. However, it is worth the effort because it is delicious.
The flavor of the marinated pork, mixed with the onions, bell peppers, and pineapple will add a beautiful flavor and color to this dish. And together with the fried rice, you will enjoy its unique flavor.
7. Sesame roasted Brussel sprouts
Sesame roasted Brussel sprouts make a delicious side dish you can use to add a sweet and nutty flavor to the fried rice.
They are crispy, sweet, and savory because of the sesame oil, honey, and soy sauce. Topped with sesame seeds this side dish will make fried rice taste amazing.
8. Hot and sour soup
Hot and sour soup is a popular Asian soup that includes different ingredients. You can make this delicious soup very easily and adjust it to your flavor.
If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you can add tofu or mushrooms and make it hotter if you add more of the chili sauce. Or add some more rice vinegar and make it extra sour.
For the meat version, you can use some pork meat. In the end, top it with chopped green onions and enjoy its flavor.
9. Egg drop soup
The egg drop soup usually includes vegetable or chicken broth, sesame oil, garlic powder, ground ginger, cornstarch, black pepper, salt, eggs, and green onions.
The eggs are whisked into the broth while it is simmering creating little ribbons which give and beautiful texture to the soup. The mild flavor of this soup pairs well with fried rice.
10. Marinated tofu
Marinated tofu is basically pressed tofu cut into cubes and marinated for 30 minutes. The marinade is a mixture of onion powder, garlic powder, soy sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ground ginger, and hoisin sauce.
The marinated tofu is fried, and the leftover marinade is thickened with cornstarch and used as a sauce. Marinated tofu pairs well with fried rice when topped with chopped chives.
It is a nutritious and delicious vegan dish.
11. Vegan chicken
Vegan chicken is high in protein, flavorful, and has a very good texture. It is made from vital wheat gluten known as gluten powder or seitan.
Other key ingredients include onion powder, garlic powder, dried sage, coriander powder, dijon mustard, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, dried thyme, vegan chicken spice, and stock.
All the ingredients are mixed. When the mixture is firmed, it is cut into small pieces, steamed, seasoned, and fried. You can serve it with parsley, lemon, salt, and black pepper.
This dish has many different flavors that pair well with the fried rice.
12. Pan-seared salmon
If you are a fish lover you can combine pan-seared salmon with fried rice.
Season the salmon filets with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Sear the filets until they get a nice golden color. Add butter, garlic, chopped parsley, and lemon juice to the pan to make a sauce.
Sprinkle some fresh parsley and serve the crispy salmon with fried rice.
13. Roasted shrimp
Roasted shrimp is an appetizer that pairs well with fried rice and takes minutes to make.
All you need is deveined and peeled shrimp, olive oil, minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, lemon juice, grated parmesan, and fresh parsley.
Place the shrimp on an oiled baking sheet in the preheated oven at 400 F.
Add the other ingredients (except the lemon juice and the parsley) and toss to combine them. Roast for about 6-8 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked.
Add some lemon juice and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve while hot with fried rice.
14. Hot garlic mushroom
Hot garlic mushroom is a delicious side dish that pairs well with many other dishes like fried rice, noodles, wraps, and plain rice.
Blend garlic, red chilies, salt, sugar, lemon juice, water, and chili powder into a thick paste. Add some oil to the pan and saute cumin and onion. When the onion is sauteed, add chili paste, and after 2-3 minutes throw in the mushrooms.
Serve it with your fried rice and enjoy a great meal.
15. Lemon chicken
Lemon chicken with sweet, sour, and sticky lemon sauce is one of the most flavorful dishes made with chicken meat.
First, make the batter with eggs, soy sauce, and Chinese Shaoxing wine. Then, coat the chicken tenderloins with the batter. Let them marinate for 20 minutes and coat them with cornstarch.
Fry the chicken pieces until they turn golden. Then, prepare the lemon sauce. Saute ginger and garlic, add lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, stock, honey, and salt.
Add corn starch to the simmering sauce. When the sauce thickens, just add the meat and coat it evenly. Serve with sesame seeds, lemon slices, and green onions along with the fried rice.
FAQs
Is fried rice the main dish?
You can serve fried rice as a main dish if you add some vegetables, mushrooms, pork, chicken meat, ground beef, or seafood.
Or as a side dish served with chicken teriyaki, sweet and sour pork, lemon chicken, beef and broccoli, and many other dishes.
What should I serve with fried rice?
There are various dishes you can serve with fried rice.
Common dishes include sour soup, beef, broccoli, egg rolls, Chinese dumplings, lemon chicken, roasted shrimp, vegan chicken, hot garlic mushroom, and pan-seared salmon.
You can also pair it with egg drop soup, chicken teriyaki, marinated tofu, sesame roasted Brussel sprouts, sweet and sour pork, fried egg, and many other dishes.
How do you make fried rice special?
You can make fried rice special by adding different ingredients that will provide many flavors to the rice and provide a wholesome meal. Follow the next easy recipe!
Ingredients:
- 100g sliced roasted pork
- 100gr chicken breast
- 60 g shrimp
- 4 cups cooked
- cooled long-grain rice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 cup green peas
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 spring onion
- A pinch of white pepper
- A pinch of black pepper
- 3 beaten eggs
Instructions:
- Boil the rice and leave it to cool
- Boil the chicken breast for about 6 minutes, and when it is cooked and cold cut them into strips.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or pan and add the beaten eggs with constant stirring. When the eggs are cooked take them out on a plate. Fry the garlic and the onions in the wok, and add the chicken, roasted pork, peas, and carrots, and cook all together for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the cold rice and the shrimp to the pan and stir it to break the lumps if there are any.
- Fry all the ingredients together for 5-6 minutes. Add the salt, white pepper, black pepper, sesame oil, the fried eggs, and soy sauce and fry for 1-2 minutes to bond all the ingredients together. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp.
- Serve the special fried rice garnished with chopped spring onions.
What goes well with fried rice vegetarian?
With fried rice vegetarian goes well vegan chicken, marinated tofu, vegan Thai red curry, crispy fried tofu, Korean tofu soup, Asian kale salad, and many other dishes.
Fried rice combination curry
You don’t have to serve fried rice with curry. In India curry is usually eaten with a type of bread called roti, chapati, or naan. They also use those pieces of bread as a spoon.
You will get Thai curry on a big plate away from the fried rice to prevent the rice to get soggy. You can also flavor rice to match with the curry.
Some of the spiced rice dishes are Ghee, Pulav, Chitranna, and Jera.
What to serve with egg-fried rice?
Egg fried rice is one of the easiest types of fried rice to prepare.
You can serve it with honey chili garlic shrimp, sambal potatoes, Chinese garlic cucumber salad, Chinese green beans, and many other dishes.
What meat goes well with fried rice?
Fried rice is a dish that pairs well with different types of meat. You can use chicken meat, pork meat, ground beef, shredded beef, shrimp, or diced ham.
Whatever meat you choose your dish will be nice and delicious. You can even use leftover meat to prepare your favorite dish of fried rice.
Wrap Up
Fried rice is a favorite take-out dish but you can also make it at home.
You can even use leftovers from your refrigerator to make it. You can serve fried rice as a main or side dish. And you can use many different ingredients to prepare it.
Veggies, mushrooms, different types of meat, eggs, or seafood are just some of the ingredients you can use to prepare fried rice.
There are also many vegetarian and vegan versions of fried rice that include various ingredients like tofu, seitan, vegetables, and mushrooms.
What do you pair with fried rice? How do you cook it? What is your favorite type of fried rice? Let us know in the comment section below and share your best recipes with us.
