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Restaurant-Style Shrimp Fried Rice: Quick and Flavorful Weeknight Dinner

Close-up of a bowl filled with savory shrimp fried rice, featuring plump shrimp, scrambled egg, and green peas.
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Make better than takeout shrimp fried rice right at home! This easy shrimp fried rice recipe delivers savory, restaurant-style flavor in under 25 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights using leftover rice.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 cups cold, day-old cooked rice
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mix
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil. When the oil shimmers, add the shrimp and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes until pink and cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the wok and set aside.
  2. Add the beaten eggs to the hot wok. Scramble quickly until just set, about 1 minute. Break the eggs into small pieces and push them to one side of the wok.
  3. Add the butter to the empty side of the wok. Once melted, add the frozen peas and carrots and diced onion. Stir fry for 2 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Add the cold, day-old cooked rice to the wok. Break up any clumps with your spatula. Stir fry everything together for 3 to 4 minutes, ensuring the rice heats through and gets slightly toasted. This high heat step is key for restaurant style shrimp fried rice.
  5. Return the cooked shrimp to the wok. Pour the soy sauce and sesame oil over the rice mixture. Add the white pepper.
  6. Toss everything together vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes until the rice is evenly coated and hot throughout. Taste and add more soy sauce if needed.
  7. Serve your homemade shrimp fried rice immediately.

Notes

  • Using cold, day-old rice prevents the fried rice from becoming mushy. If you must use fresh rice, spread it on a baking sheet and chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes before cooking.
  • For extra flavor, use a high-heat oil like avocado oil for the initial stir fry.
  • This recipe is a great way to use up leftover vegetables you have on hand.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://sundayflavor.com/shrimp-fried-rice-recipe-quick-easy/