Yangzhou fried rice
Classic Chinese-style fried rice with char siu, prawns and golden scrambled egg — a quick, restaurant-style weekday supper.
Yangzhou fried rice is the sort of dish you make when you want something quick, comforting and impressive enough to pass off as restaurant-worthy. It relies on high heat, good mise en place and day-old rice.
This version layers diced char siu, prawns and silky scrambled egg so every mouthful has savoury pork, sweet prawn and fluffy egg. Perfect for using up leftovers and ideal for a midweek supper.
Ingredients
- 700 g day-old cooked long-grain rice — cold and separated — essential for a non-soggy fry
- 3 large eggs
- 200 g char siu pork — cut into small dice
- 150 g raw king prawns — peeled and deveined
- 100 g frozen peas — no need to defrost fully
- 1 carrot — medium, peeled and finely diced
- 1 brown onion — small, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves — finely chopped
- 4 spring onions — trimmed and sliced thin on the diagonal
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 5 ml dark soy sauce — for colour only
- 15 ml Shaoxing wine
- 45 ml vegetable oil
- 5 ml sesame oil — to finish
- 5 ml fine salt — use less if your soy sauce is very salty
- 5 ml white pepper
- 0 ml caster sugar — optional, balances the soy
Instructions
Prepare everything first: finely dice the brown onion and carrot, slice the spring onions, finely chop the garlic, dice the char siu and peel/devein the prawns. Break up any clumps in the rice with your fingers so it's loose.
Beat the large eggs with a pinch of fine salt. Heat a large wok or frying pan over high heat until very hot, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, swirl, pour in the eggs and scramble very quickly until just set — remove to a bowl while still slightly runny.
Return the pan to high heat with another tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the raw king prawns and a pinch of white pepper; stir-fry until just pink and opaque, about 90–120 seconds. Remove prawns and set aside.
Add the remaining vegetable oil to the hot pan. Add the diced char siu pork, brown onion and carrot. Stir-fry on high heat until the onion softens and edges of the pork start to colour, about 2–3 minutes.
Add the garlic cloves and frozen peas, stir for about 60 seconds to warm the peas and release the garlic aroma.
Add the day-old cooked long-grain rice, breaking up any remaining lumps with the back of your spatula. Pour over the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, caster sugar and the remaining fine salt. Stir-fry hard on high heat, tossing constantly so every grain is coated, about 3–4 minutes. Return the prawns to the pan partway through.
Push the rice to one side, add the scrambled eggs back in and fold through. Stir in the sliced spring onions and drizzle the sesame oil. Toss everything together for 20–30 seconds to combine and heat through, then remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Tips
- Use cold, day-old rice straight from the fridge — fresh hot rice will steam and give a soggy result.
- Prep and measure every ingredient before you start frying; the wok moves fast and you won't have time to chop mid-cook.
- If you don't have char siu, leftover roast pork or ham works well — add it with the pork step so it warms and caramelises.
- Keep the heat high and keep the rice moving; if your pan isn't hot enough, split the rice and fry in two batches.
- Make ahead: cook fully, cool quickly and chill; reheat in a hot pan with a splash of oil — it won't be quite as fluffy as fresh-off-the-wok, but still good.
Substitutions
char siu pork → leftover roast pork or honey-roast ham, same quantity
Stays closeraw king prawns → cooked chicken breast, diced, same quantity
Stays closelight soy sauce → tamari, same quantity (for gluten-free)
Stays closeday-old cooked long-grain rice → day-old jasmine rice, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 560
- Calories
- 32 g
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 950 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Why must the rice be day-old?
Cold, day-old rice has less surface moisture so the grains separate and fry rather than steam. If you must use fresh rice, spread it on a tray to cool and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — swap char siu and prawns for firm tofu or extra mixed vegetables and use vegetarian dark/ light soy sauce. The flavour will be slightly different but still very satisfying.
How do I stop the rice from sticking to the pan?
Ensure the pan is very hot and use sufficient oil. Keep the rice moving and avoid adding too much at once; fry in two batches if your pan is small.
Can I freeze leftover fried rice?
You can freeze cooked fried rice for up to 1 month. Cool quickly, portion into airtight containers and defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating in a hot pan.
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