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Who needs takeout when you can whip up your very own pork fried rice at home? Seriously, put down the menu and step away from the phone. This recipe is loaded with tender pork, crispy bacon, and just the right amount of veggies and seasonings.
It is fast and easy and especially great for a week-night dinner! Plus, it’s a genius way to use up those leftover pork chops lurking in the fridge.
Pork Fried Rice with Leftover Pork
Got some leftover pork chops and not sure what to do with them? Say hello to pork fried rice, the superhero of leftover transformations. This recipe takes humble leftovers and turns them into a recipe that’s anything but boring.
The great thing about this recipe is that you don’t need any special ingredients. It comes together with a handful of ‘this’ and a handful of ‘that’. If you’re down to just a few straggly vegetables, a small piece of last night’s pork dinner, a couple of slices of bacon, and a delicious sauce blend, then you are in luck!
If you love this recipe, try our shrimp fried rice or Instant Pot pork fried rice.
Ingredients for Pork Fried Rice:
Here is a quick preview of the ingredients but keep reading because we have tips and ideas for substitutions.
- Rice. The best pork fried rice is made with leftover rice. Sometimes I make an extra-large batch of rice just so I can make fried rice the next day.
- Cooked pork. I used 2 leftover pork chops in this recipe but you don’t even need that much. This recipe will make a small amount of meat stretch enough to feed a whole family.
- Bacon. Bacon adds a TON of flavor to this meal and all you need is 2 or 3 strips.
- Veggies. If you only have 1 or 2 carrots and a stalk of celery, don’t throw them away. Alone, they won’t even feed one person, but dice them up and toss them into fried rice, bam! Dinner is done. If you have frozen peas, toss those in too.
- Eggs. The eggs add extra protein and give the fried rice a special texture and flavor.
- Onion, garlic, ginger. These ingredients are flavor bases that really add an extra layer to the dish. There is something about fresh ginger and garlic that makes the flavors pop. I realize that a lot of people do not always have fresh ginger, but if you do have it, you will love the flavor it adds.
- Soy sauce. Most kitchens have a bottle of soy sauce stashed in the back of the pantry. It adds a great umami flavor and kicks things up a notch.
- Oyster sauce. Oyster sauce is kind of like an Asian BBQ sauce. It adds complexity to the pork fried rice.
- Mirin. Mirin is a sweet rice wine. It does contain alcohol. If you can’t have alcohol you can substitue with rice vinegar and a dash of sugar.
- Sesame oil. We recommend using toasted sesame oil which has more flavor than regular sesame oil.
The ingredients for the sauce are the same as our sauce for fried rice. If you make a large batch of sauce ahead of time, it will be even faster to cook this dinner.
Substitutions:
Pork fried rice is so customizable. If you don’t have some of the ingredients don’t worry. There are so many ways to make this work.
This recipe calls for fresh carrots and celery but if you want to toss in some frozen vegetables then that works as well. Keep in mind that it doesn’t take very much. All you need is about 1-1/2 to 2 cups of frozen veggies. It is easy to get carried away and add a whole bag of veggies but if you do that then you will quickly run out of room in the skillet.
If you don’t have any bacon then toss in some ham or some prosciutto. It will do just fine in a pinch.
The Best Rice for This Recipe
Long grain white rice works best for fried rice. If you want authentic, restaurant-style fried rice, use Jasmine or basmati rice.
Day-old rice makes the best fried rice since it has time to dry out. If you use fresh, hot rice it will taste fine but it can turn mushy.
However, here is a trick if you cook the rice fresh: spread the fresh rice out on a baking sheet and stick it in a 200°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes then let it cool completely in the refrigerator or freezer. That will help the rice dry out so the texture will be right.
You can certainly make fried rice with fresh rice but it won’t have the same texture that you find in the restaurants. We made our instant pot pork fried rice with fresh rice. Even though it isn’t as authentic, it still tastes great.
Tips for Success
- Use a large wok or skillet. You want one large enough to toss everything around.
- Cut the scrambled eggs into large chunks. Large, fluffy chunks of scrambled eggs help make this fried rice ‘meaty’ and give it a great texture.
- Dice the veggies small. Fresh veggies will take a bit longer to cook than the frozen ones so chop them up small and they will cook quickly.
- Add frozen peas last. The frozen peas will cook from the residual heat so you can even take the skillet off the stove when you add them.
Recipe Variations
Spicy Pork Fried Rice: Turn up the heat by adding a tablespoon of sriracha or your favorite hot sauce. Toss in some diced jalapeños or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Curry Pork Fried Rice: Add a tablespoon of curry powder to the vegetables or stir in some curry paste.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you need to keep it longer, freeze the fried rice for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Zap the fried rice in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. Stop the microwave intermittently to stir. Alternatively, you can add the fried rice to a hot skillet with a splash of water and stir frequently until thoroughly heated.
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Pork Fried Rice
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 3 strips of bacon, cut into small dice
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin or rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 8 oz. cooked, diced pork (I used 2 leftover pork chops)
- 4 cups cooked rice, cold
- ½ cup frozen peas, defrosted
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Break the eggs into a small bowl, add the salt and pepper and whip gently with a fork as if you are making an omelet.
- In a wok or large skillet over medium-low heat add the oil and use a pastry brush to coat the skillet (or non-stick spray). Add the eggs and tilt the pan so the eggs cover the skillet bottom completely. Remove the skillet from the heat when the eggs are set and firm. Cut the eggs into small pieces and reserve.
- Using the same skillet/wok add the diced bacon and cook over medium heat till crisp. Push to the far side of the skillet and add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and grated ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin and sesame oil. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the pork and rice, breaking any clumps of rice loose, and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Add the peas and toss to combine. Remove from heat, the peas will continue to cook in the hot mixture. Add the reserved eggs and toss them together with the rice mixture.
- Transfer the rice to a serving dish and garnish with the chopped scallions.
Video
Notes
- Leftover white rice works best with fried rice recipes. Make the rice in advance and store it in the fridge overnight. The next day, the rice will be dry and firm which gives it the perfect texture for fried rice.
- If you don't have leftover rice you can make fresh rice and dry it out in the oven. Spread it on a baking sheet and bake it for 10 to 15 minutes at 200°F. After you dry it out in the oven, stick it in the fridge or freezer to cool it down.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!This post was originally published on October 3, 2016. We updated the photos and added a video. Part of the original post is below.
It wasn’t until 1975 when Don accepted employment to the U.S. Naval Shipyard Repair Facility at Subic Bay, Philippines that I finally learned to cook rice without it being mushy or gluey.
Our entire family re-located to the Philippines for five years; our four kids were 15, 13, 11 and 7 years of age. We returned to the U.S. in 1980 and by 1987 Don and I were empty-nesters and we returned to the Philippines for another five years.
It was during that first tour in 1975 that I learned to cook rice properly. We had this really nice local lady by the name of Naty that helped me in the home and she taught me how to cook rice. She couldn’t understand how I could have any problems with something so simple. But then she had been cooking rice most of her life.
We survived that huge volcano eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 and returned to the U.S. one year after that event when the U.S. base closed. The Filipino people are gracious, loving and kind-hearted people and we will always treasure our friendships, experiences and memories while living in their country.
This was excellent. I used shrimp instead of pork. I also used the stir fry sauce from your site (8 TBSP) and added 1 TBSP Rice Vinegar.
The sesame oil is an excellent touch. Very authentic.
Thank you.!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! It’s lovely to hear how you adapted it with shrimp and added a few extra touches. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience–it’s always appreciated!
the intro to the recipe says it is with sesame sauce but it is not included in the instructions or list in the ingredients. When and how much should be added?
I misstated! The intro says it is with sesame oil. Not sauce.
Hi, Slim, oops, my bad! This is a mis-type in the into as the recipe does not have any sesame oil. I have corrected the into to the recipe card. Thank you for catching this and bringing it to my attention. It is always nice to hear from our readers as it helps us see how we can improve our instructions.
Hi, Slim, oops, my bad! This is a mis-type in the into as the recipe does not have any sesame oil. I have corrected the into to the recipe card. Thank you for catching this and bringing it to my attention. It is always nice to hear from our readers as it helps us see how we can improve our instructions.
So.. the secret is to wash the rice for 3 times!
Any advice on the amount of water that I should pour?
Hello, Dr. Martin Huang, To the question of how much water to wash the rice with, be generous and rinse until the water is clear. If your question is how much water to use in cooking the rice, I use 1 1/4 cup of water for every 1 cup of rice.
Hello Pat, I am totally crazy about fried rice to eat. It’s my favorite one; this is quick and a great recipe for a lunch, snack or an entire meal. Thank you so much for sharing this lovely recipe.
Thanks Kate this really is a great meal and hard to go wrong
How did you know? This is my favorite Asian dish, and I can’t wait to try your recipe!!
Hi, Sue! So glad to hear that it is your favorite Asian dish. This is a one-pot meal for us and is quick and easy to prepare. Enjoy 🙂
That washing rice tip is key to great rice, I’ve found. Love fried rice, and pork is probably my favorite ingredient in it. So you made this just for me, right? 🙂 Good recipe — thanks.
Absolutely, John! This is a whole meal, dig in! 🙂
This looks like something my family would love – I have actually had my rice making wings clipped! All I turn out is a pot of mush! Eager to try this!
Kathy, the secret is to have cold rice. I hope you like it, thanks for stopping by. 🙂
I may try this recipe sometime Aunt Pat. I make a similar fried rice a friend from China taught me how to make. The ingredients are almost the same except she did not use ginger but added a bit of sugar (about 2 teaspoons) before scrambling in the eggs. She also used cubed ham but told me she uses any pre-cooked meat she happens to have on hand and has even used (small cubed and browned) Spam!
Thanks, Kari…yes, this is an easy recipe and great for a lunch, snack or an entire meal. I like it with shrimp or chicken.
I bet it’s delicious, no matter what type of meat you use. I am looking forward to following your blog. and I just have to say, Dahns cakes are amazing!
Thank you, Kari…I’m so happy to see you on the blog and hope you visit often. We have a facebook page also but are new to this and still getting everything together, but it is coming along. 🙂 Yes, Dahn is so creative and talented, she can do just about anything with her cakes. She is amazing!