How to Make Breakfast Fried Rice

Use your leftover rice to create a delicious breakfast fried rice for the first meal of the day. By combining breakfast ingredients like bacon and eggs with rice, you can create a unique and flavorful meal. Depending on your preferences, you can either create a more traditional breakfast fried rice or create a Hawaiian inspired rice by adding pineapple to the dish.

EditIngredients

EditBacon and Egg Breakfast Fried Rice

6 slices of bacon or 6 slices of tempeh bacon
2 cups (370 g) of cooked white rice or 3/4 cups (140g) of uncooked rice
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tsp. (14.78 mL) of soy sauce
2 tsp. (9.85 mL) of sesame oil

Makes 2 servings.

EditHawaiian Breakfast Fried Rice

4 teaspoons (19.71 mL) of extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup (75 grams) of green onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, minced
4 cups (632 grams) of cooked rice or 1 1/4 cups (250 g) of uncooked rice
1 cup (165.00 g) of chopped pineapple
4 slices of bacon
3 tablespoons (44.36 mL) of soy sauce
2 teaspoons (9.85 mL) of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon (.86 grams) of ground ginger
4 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 4-6 servings

EditSteps

EditCooking Bacon and Egg Breakfast Fried Rice

Cook your rice. Cook your rice in a steamer, pot, or rice maker as you normally would. To cook rice on the stovetop, boil 1.5 cups (354.88 ml) of water then add your 3/4 cups (140 g) of uncooked before reducing the heat to low and keeping it covered on the burner for 20-30 minutes. As an alternative to freshly made rice, you can also use leftover rice. ^[1] Once your rice is cooked, set it aside for later.
- One cup (200 g) of uncooked rice will make 3 cups (600 g) of cooked rice.
Cook your bacon. In a pan or skillet, cook your bacon over medium heat until it becomes dark and crispy. This process should take around 10 minutes. Set the bacon aside on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the grease. When you're done cooking the bacon, leave around 2 tsp (9.8 mL) of bacon fat in the pan. You can use this fat later to cook the other ingredients.^[2]
- If you are a vegetarian, you can pick up tempeh bacon, which is a non-meat based product that replicates the taste of bacon as an alternative.^[3]
- Another non-meat based alternative to bacon is oven baked shitake mushrooms with salt.^[4]
- You can also replace bacon with ham or breakfast sausage.
Cut your bacon into pieces. Take your crisp bacon or bacon substitute and place it on a cutting board once it’s cooled. Chop the bacon into small one inch (2.54cm) pieces using a sharp knife. Set the chopped bacon aside once you’re done.^[5]
Brown your scallions in the bacon fat. Heat the pan over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until the bacon fat is hot. Add your scallions to the fat and allow them to simmer for 2-3 minutes, then reduce your stovetop to medium heat.^[6]
- Your scallions should sizzle when you add them to the pan.
Add the rice to the pan and brown it. Add the rice to your pan and mix it together with the scallions. Break up any larger chunks of rice and continue to stir the pan for 3-5 minutes, or until the rice has slightly browned. Once you’ve finished heating the rice, move it to one side of the pan.^[7]
- When steam starts coming off the rice, it should be fully heated.
Cook scrambled eggs on one side of the pan. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl and then add them to the free side of your pan. Continue to mix the eggs together with a wooden spatula until they become the desired consistency.
- Keep in mind that the eggs will continue to cook while you cook the rest of your ingredients and will become harder and less fluffy the more they are cooked.
Add soy sauce, sesame oil and bacon bits to the rice. Combine 3 tsp. of soy sauce, 2 tsp. of sesame oil, and bacon bits to your pan and continue to mix all of the ingredients together until well incorporated. Once all the ingredients have been evenly distributed throughout the rice, you can remove it from the pan and serve.^[8]

EditCreating Hawaiian Breakfast Fried Rice

Cook your rice. Cook your rice separately in a pot of water. Remember to use a 1:2 rice to water ratio when steaming your rice. When following this recipe, use 1 1/4 cups (250 g) to 2 1/2 cups (591.471 ml) of water. You can also use leftover rice or purchase instant rice if you're in a rush.
Cook and chop up your bacon. Simmer your bacon in a pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until it becomes crispy on one side. Once your bacon is crispy, flip it over and continue to cook it for another 3-5 minutes. Once you’re done cooking the bacon, set it aside and chop it into half inch (1.27 cm) pieces.
- You can also use tempeh bacon or grilled mushrooms as a non-meat alternative to bacon.
Heat olive oil in a skillet. Clean the bacon grease from your skillet or use a new pan to heat 4 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat for five minutes, or until it lightly smokes.
Add the red onion, green onions, garlic, and bell pepper to the pan. Once your oil is hot, add the onions and other ingredients to the pan. Continue to mix and cook the ingredients on high heat for two minutes. Lower your burner to low-medium heat until they become fragrant and the bell pepper becomes tender. This should take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes.^[9]
Stir soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger in a separate bowl. As your vegetables are cooking, you can start to make the sauce. Stir the ingredients together thoroughly so that they are well incorporated. Make sure to get out any lumps of brown sugar that remain in the mixture.^[10]
Add rice, pineapple, and bacon to the pan and stir. Combine your cooked rice and chopped pineapple your pan of vegetables. Continue to cook everything over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes or until the ingredients are heated through. You will know this when they begin to steam.^[11]
Stir in the soy sauce and sugar mixture. Slowly and carefully pour the soy sauce mixture to the pan and stir the ingredients together with a large spoon and reduce the heat to medium. The rice should begin to brown along with the other ingredients. Continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes, reduce the heat to low, and cover the rice.^[12]
Fry an egg in a separate pan. Add a teaspoon (4.92 mL) of olive oil or melted butter to a skillet or pan. Crack the egg over the pan and cook it. Keep it on the heat for 2-5 minutes, or until it’s cooked to your preferences. If you like a runnier egg, keep it on the heat for less time. Gently poke the yolk to determine if it’s cooked enough.^[13]
- Make sure that all egg whites have cooked before removing your egg from the heat.
Top your rice with fried egg and serve. Take your cooked egg and lay it over the top of your rice. You can also add sriracha, salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes to enhance the taste of your fried rice. When cooking for more than one person, divide the rice up and place a fried egg on each portion of rice.^[14]