Chinese sausage fried rice
Quick, smoky fried rice studded with sliced Chinese sausage, soft scrambled egg and crisp veg — perfect for a speedy midweek supper.
This is the sort of fried rice you make when you want takeaway flavours but are not willing to queue for them. Chinese sausage (lap cheong) gives a lovely sweet-smoky hit that needs almost no fuss. Make it with freshly cooked, well-rested rice and you’ll have grains that separate, not a gloopy mess.
Ideal for a quick midweek supper or to use up leftovers — a true pantry-friendly winner. If you like it, double the sausage next time for an even richer finish.
Ingredients
- 300 g jasmine rice — rinse until water runs clear
- 450 ml water
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 3 Chinese sausages — about 180–200 g total
- 2 eggs — lightly beaten
- 4 spring onions — finely sliced, white and green separated
- 1 carrot — peeled and finely diced (about 100 g)
- 100 g frozen peas — no need to defrost
- 2 cloves garlic — finely chopped
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 5 ml sesame oil
- 0 ml white pepper
- salt — to taste
Equipment
- wok or large frying pan
- sieve
- measuring jug
Instructions
Rinse the jasmine rice under cold running water until the water runs almost clear. Put the rice and 450 ml water into a medium saucepan, bring to the boil over a high hob, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 12 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes to steam — do not lift the lid. Meanwhile, slice the Chinese sausages thinly on the diagonal, separate the white and green parts of the spring onions and finely chop the whites; peel and dice the carrot; finely chop the garlic.
Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high hob. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and, when hot, add the sliced Chinese sausages. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until they start to caramelise and release oil.
Push the sausages to one side of the wok. Add the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the empty space, pour in the beaten eggs and quickly scramble until just set — about 30–60 seconds — then break into large soft curds and mix with the sausages.
Add the diced carrot, frozen peas and chopped garlic to the wok. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until the carrot is just tender and the peas are hot through.
Fluff the rested rice with a fork to break any clumps. Add the rice to the wok, drizzle over the light soy sauce and oyster sauce, sprinkle the white pepper and a little salt if needed. Stir-fry on high for 3–4 minutes, tossing constantly so the rice heats through and each grain is coated. If the rice feels dry, add a teaspoon of water.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the spring onion greens and drizzle with sesame oil. Give the rice a final toss and taste; adjust seasoning with a little more soy or salt if necessary. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Cook and rest the rice — that rest (covered off the heat) is the single most important step to avoid mushy fried rice.
- Slice Chinese sausage thinly and on the diagonal so it crisps evenly and releases flavour fast.
- Keep the heat high while stir-frying and keep everything moving; if your pan isn’t big enough, work in batches.
- If using day-old rice, reduce the stirring time as it will already be drier and separate readily.
- Make ahead: cook the rice and cool completely, refrigerate for up to 24 hours; stir-fry to finish when needed.
Substitutions
Chinese sausages → char siu or diced smoked streaky bacon, same quantity
Noticeably differentoyster sauce → 1 tbsp hoisin sauce (slightly sweeter) or 1 tbsp vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce for a vegan/vegetarian option
Noticeably differentlight soy sauce → tamari in the same quantity for gluten-free
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 620
- Calories
- 20 g
- Protein
- 75 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use day-old rice?
Yes — day-old rice is ideal because it’s drier and separates more easily. If using freshly cooked rice, make sure it rests covered for 10 minutes and fluff well before frying.
My rice keeps going mushy — what am I doing wrong?
Usually rice is too wet or been stirred during the simmer. Don’t lift the lid while cooking, use the correct water ratio, and let it steam off the heat for 10 minutes before frying.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Swap the Chinese sausage for diced, caramelised king oyster mushrooms or use vegetarian lap cheong if available, and replace oyster sauce with a vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce — flavour will be different but still delicious.
How do I get slightly crispy rice?
Use a very hot wok, spread the rice thinly and don’t overload the pan. Stir briefly but allow short contact with the hot base so some edges crisp up.
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