An authentic recipe for Thai fried rice – just like you get in Thailand and at Thai restaurants!
Make this with shrimp/prawns, chicken or any protein you wish. If you’re feeling inspired, indulge in a Thai banquet at home with Chicken Satay Skewers, Thai Fish Cakes, and a Thai Red Curry or Green Curry!
Thai Fried Rice
I’m pretty sure every Asian country has their version of Fried Rice, and this is how the Thais make it!
This is a regular when I go out for Thai. While the “normal” thing to do is to have Thai Red Curry or Green Curry with plain steamed jasmine rice, I just can’t resist ordering fried rice instead.
Actually, come to think of it, it’s not just restricted to Thai food… Chinese Fried Rice, Nasi Goreng Indonesian Fried Rice, Indian Biryani, Mexican Red Rice, Middle Eastern spiced pilaf…… I’m a big fan of flavoured rice dishes!
What’s the difference between Thai Fried Rice and Chinese Fried Rice?
Traditionally, Thai Fried Rice is not made with soy sauce. Purists will tell you that if you use soy sauce, it becomes Chinese Fried Rice.
Though this may be the case in the past, the reality is that soy sauce is sometimes used in Thai Fried Rice – both in Thailand and in restaurants outside of Thailand. Also, a few cookbooks I have by by Thai restaurateurs use soy sauce.
So I’ve provided a choice of three sauces to choose from. Which is handy – you can choose depending on what you have or can source.
The other difference is the rice – Thai Fried Rice is made with jasmine rice whereas Chinese fried rice is made with white long grain rice.
What you need
Here’s what goes in Thai Fried Rice.
Why cold cooked rice?
A must for any fried rice, from Chinese to Indonesian! Cold, day old cooked rice dries out so the grains are separate and easy to “stir fry” to make fried rice. Freshly cooked rice becomes gluey when stir fried.
For a truly authentic Thai Fried Rice, use Jasmine Rice.
How to make it
It’s a very straightforward recipe, all cooked up in a single wok or large skillet in a matter of 5 minutes or less.
A unique technique used in Thai cooking is the way the egg is cooked – the other ingredients are pushed to the side, then the egg is scrambled on the other side before tossing through the remaining ingredients.
This same technique is also used in Pad See Ew, a popular Thai Noodle dish.
How and what to serve with Thai Fried Rice
For a truly authentic experience, serve Thai Fried Rice simply with plain wedges of tomato and slices of cucumber. This is just how Thai Fried Rice is served in Thailand!
My favourite way to serve it at home is with Chicken Satay and Thai Fish Cakes. These are dishes usually served as starters at Thai restaurants, but by adding Thai Fried Rice, I make it into a meal.
Otherwise, serve it as part of a multi-dish banquet with a selection of your favourite Thai dishes, such as:
-
Grilled Marinated Thai Chicken (Gai Yang) or Southern Thai Tumeric Chicken (Grilled or Baked)
-
Pad Thai and Pad See Ew
For more ideas, have a browse of the Thai recipe collection!
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Thai Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola or peanut oil)
- 2 large garlic cloves , very finely chopped
- 1/2 onion , diced
- 5 oz / 150 g small prawns/shrimp (cooked or raw) , or chicken breast thinly sliced (Note 1)
- 3 green onion (shallots) , cut into 1.5 "/4 cm pieces
- 2 eggs , lightly beaten
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice , cold (preferably refrigerated overnight) (Note 2)
- ONE Sauce Option (see below for options)
Sauce Option 1
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
Sauce Option 2
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar (any type)
Sauce Option 3
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Thai Seasoning (Gold Mountain) (Note 4)
To Serve (optional)
- Tomato wedges
- Cucumber slices
- Fresh coriander
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large wok or a large skillet over medium high heat. (Add 1 tbsp extra oil if using a skillet)
- Add garlic and onion, stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add prawns/shrimp and white part of green onion, stir fry for 1 minute.
- Push everything to the side and pour the egg onto the other side. Scramble it quickly - about 20 seconds.
- Add the rice and Sauce of choice. Stir fry for 2 minutes, adding green part of green onions halfway through, until all the rice is coated with the Sauce.
- Serve immediately, garnished with fresh cilantro/coriander with tomato and cucumbers on the side. (See in post for more serving ideas)
Recipe Notes:
- Soy Sauce + Oyster Sauce is more akin to Thai home cooking
- Fish sauce + Oyster Sauce is the version that purists say is "real" Thai fried rice without soy sauce
- Sauce with Thai Seasoning Sauce is commonly used by Thai restaurants in Australia.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published September 2015. Updated with much needed new photos, brand new video, new writing, new process photos!
Life of Dozer
He was a damn cute puppy!
Sooo moorish!! The husband and kids said it was better than our favourite Thai restaurant’s. A hit and will be remaking whenever we have leftover cooked rice
Making my grocery list for this weeks menu and noticed….
Green Onions are scallions, not Shallots.
I’m sure someone has mentioned to you already, as this is from 2019 but FYI..
or do you call them different ‘down under’ compared ‘up and over’?
People in Sydney do often call green onions “shallots” 🙂
Hi Mimi, thanks for answering! Actually up here, that is a common mistake too. But as I mentioned Green Onions are Scallions (Spring Onions are a larger size) Shallots, aka dry French Shallots are brown dry skinned like yellow onions but have a purplish colour under their skin and in their layers. They are more bulbous like a pear, being also very pointy at the dried tops.
Wish I could post a picture.
Australians call them shallots, we know the difference with French and Asian shallots. Scallions is a French term. So it’s cultural as we indeed cook with the shallot you mention, we also came them sitting onions. no need for a photo thank you.
My Asian dinner guest just told me this fried rice was better than any Thai or Chinese restaurant fried rice.
Served with lamb shank Massaman and Thai salad.
Thanks again Nagi.
We bought fried rice in Thailand from a street vendor. They put it in a plastic bag to carry. The rice was delicious. I make fried rice at home but a little different than your receipe. The rice in Thailand included the tomatoes, cooked with the dish. Also it had a little heat in it and I believe they used those red peppers that are so prevalent there. Delicious. I just couldn’t figure out how they included the tomatoes because I didn’t detect any skin with them.
I never leave comments on recipes but this one deserves recognition! So good!
I only had soy sauce and fish sauce on hand so modified sauce #2 (subbed soy sauce for the oyster sauce) and used brown sugar. Flavor was spot on.
I will definitely be making this again. Thanks so much!
Felt like a chef with this recipe it tasted so good. So easy to make. I made the rice in the morning and spread it on trays and placed in the fridge all day. I doubled the quantities and it worked out perfect. Thanks again!
This makes me so happy! I love Thai fried rice and being able to make it at home so simply is perfect. I added a finely diced carrot and a couple of shallots just to add some variety in the the spoonful but it is so lovely. I used the fish sauce and oyster sauce option – spot on for what makes me happy. Thank you
Oh Nagi, I was over here just checking out your Thai Shrimp Fried Rice recipe and saw the Pic of Dozer. I just fell in love with him even more. Your so right on point! He is so very damn cute. Can’t wait until I can order your new Cookbook here in the states. TO.
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I’ve made this over and over, its so good. Go for sauce #2. Take a mouthful and Close your eyes …. you’re in Thailand 🙂
Great recipe that reminds me of the fried rice I would have in Thailand visiting my dad. I add the wedges of tomato in with the rice right as I take it off the heat to give the dish a bit of freshness, as well as serving with a lime cheek.
Great tip Megan! N x
I’ve made this with cauliflower rice a few times. It’s so good! I just add uncooked cauliflower rice where it says to add rice, and cook until tender then add your choice of sauce. Delicious!!
Have made this Thai rice recipe three times..Enjoyed sauce #2 the most… fabulous flavors and and great visual presentation. Enjoyed it more than our local Thai food eatery and at about a tenth of the price for a delicious meal.
So glad you enjoyed it! N x
Hello, I’m going to make this for friends I’m thinking I will need to double the rice, would I double all of the other ingredients too?
Hi Lyndsay, did you double the rice and other ingredients and did it turn out well?
Made the yummiest Thai fried rice ever! Used fish sauce instead of oyster sauce and omitted the onions and it was still super delicious!
My family and I loved this recipe, I’ve made it twice and used two of your variations for the sauce. The lime juice added acidity and this recipe is a new family favorite.
Hi! Excited to make this, would love to try and replicate a Thai Basil Fried rice. Could I use this same recipe and just add the basil?
This is a great recipe Nagi, easy and tasty and a change from the usual Chinese style fried rice I make. Tried the soy/oyster sauce tonight but next time will go back to the fish sauce/oyster/sugar. Thank you.
I want to cook this receipe after cooking Pad See Ew which everyone loved. But I can never get the rice right when cooking fried rice. Can anyone give me any tips on the rice?
Hi Susie – see this post here: https://www.recipetineats.com/how-to-cook-rice/ N x
fantastic, i used pork fillet, super yum, cooked the egg as an omelette first just like i learnt in thailand. then removed from the wok adding again at the end. Really easy saturday lunch….family happy!