Shrimp Fried Rice
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Easy and better than take-out Shrimp Fried Rice. Packed in flavors, juicy shrimp, tender veggies, and all the tips to making the best fried rice. It all comes together in less than 20-minutes having dinner on the table in no-time!
Shrimp Fried Rice
Shrimp Fried Rice is one of the most flavorful and nutrient-dense meals you can make. It is packed with juicy shrimp, tender carrots, red bell pepper, corn, peas, and rice. Aromatics such as green onions, fresh ginger and garlic for rich flavor and aroma. Finish off with rice vinegar, sesame oil and coconut aminos for out of this world tastiness.
This rice is perfect to make as a quick and delicious weeknight meal. It comes together in less than 20-minutes and better than take-out. This shrimp fried rice is sure to impress your family and have them asking for seconds!
Ingredients needed to make Shrimp Fried Rice:
- Shrimp– Peeled and deveined.
- Eggs– Lightly whisked and scrambled eggs are a must in any fried rice recipe.
- Vegetables– Carrots, red bell pepper, corn, and peas.
- Aromatics– Garlic, green onions, and ginger.
- Leftover Rice– Medium or long grain rice such as jasmine rice. It doesn’t get mushy like short grain rice does.
- For Sauce– Coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
- Avocado Oil– For cooking.
- Spices– Pink sea salt and black Pepper.
Equipment needed to make Shrimp Fried Rice:
- Large Wok– Or a large cast iron skillet.
- Tongs– For cooking and tossing.
- Whisk– To whisk eggs and sauce.
- Spatula– For stir frying.
- Mixing Bowls– For prepping ingredients.
How to make Shrimp Fried Rice:
- Step 1– Peel, devein and rise your shrimp. Carefully remove tails from shrimp to make it easier to eat once cooked into the rice. Leaving the tails on shrimp does give the rice more flavor so you can leave them if you wish. Dab shrimp dry and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper if you wish to add more flavor to the shrimp and to the overall dish.
- Step 2– Prep all your ingredients: (you don’t want to skip this step. Once you start cooking your rice it moves very fast and you want to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go). Dice carrots and bell pepper. Measure out and set to the side corn and peas. Mince garlic, thinly slice green onions (reserve some for garnishing), peel and grate ginger, and whisk eggs.
- Step 3– Place skillet or wok on stovetop. Drizzle 1 tablespoon avocado oil and bring to a heat on medium-high heat. Start adding shrimp one by one leaving enough space between them to easily flip with a tong. You may have to cook in batches. Cook shrimp for about 1-2 minutes per side until they turn pink and opaque. Continue until all shrimp has been cooked through. Set cooked shrimp to the side.
- Step 4– Grab a damp paper towel with your tongs to clean the surface of your skillet or wok. Drizzle another tablespoon avocado oil and bring to a heat once again on medium-high. Add whisked eggs and scramble them using a spatula. Once eggs are cooked through and scrambled remove from the pan and set aside with shrimp.
- Step 5– Drizzle the last tablespoon avocado oil and allow to heat up on medium-high heat. Toss in carrots and red bell pepper and sauté until veggies begin to slightly soften. About 2-3 minutes. Stir in corn and peas. Add in your cooked shrimp and eggs. Then add in your aromatics; garlic, green onions and ginger. Stir well making sure all ingredients are well combined.
- Step 6– Stir in your rice at this point. Drizzle rice vinegar, sesame oil and coconut aminos over fried rice. Sprinkle pink salt and pepper. Stir everything making sure everything is well coated and rice is mixed with all the other ingredients. Taste for flavor and adjust to taste if desired.
- Step 7– Remove rice from heat and turn off your stove. Serve immediately and garnish with reserved sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Tips and Substitutions:
- Prep all ingredients first- This is an important tip you definitely want to follow. Once you start cooking everything and stir frying, it goes by pretty quick. You want to have all your ingredients prepped so that they are ready to add to your pan a you go.
- Use leftover rice- As stated above, cold leftover rice is firm making it easier to break up and separate. Warm rice will get mushy while being mixed.
- Use medium or long grain rice- Medium or long grain rice such as jasmine rice, are fluffy and sturdy. They don’t clump up or get mushy as short grain rice tends to do.
- Add seasoning at the end- If you have seasoned or salted your leftover rice it’s best to add salt at the end. You don’t want to over season your fried rice.
- Use wok or large skillet- The secret to making a good fried rice is using a well heated large pan such as a wok or cast iron skillet. This will ensure that your ingredients won’t stick to the surface and you will have enough room to stir everything.
- Substitute for coconut aminos– You can use tamari sauce to keep the sauce gluten-free.
Variations:
- Rice– You can also use brown rice. quinoa, or even cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
- Vegetables– Mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, snap peas, and green beans are all great.
- Protein– Use other protein such as scallops, chicken or tofu to make vegetarian.
Shrimp Fried Rice FAQ’s:
Why use leftover rice for fried rice?
Using cold leftover rice for your fried rice will give you better results as supposed to using warm freshly made rice. As rice gets cold in the fridge overnight it firms up. This makes it easier for the rice to break up and separate. Warm rice will end up getting mushy when you mix it with all the other ingredients.
What kind of shrimp is best for this fried rice?
I find the best shrimp is medium sized shrimp to make this fried rice. It’s big enough to get a nice bite and small enough to blend in with the rest of the ingredients. You also want to make sure your shrimp is peeled and deveined. Leaving the tails on gives the rice more flavor. You can remove them if you prefer and want to make it easier to serve.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes. You can use frozen shrimp. Just make sure to thaw-out first before cooking. Frozen shrimp will release a lot of liquid as it defrosts. Thaw-out and pat dry with a paper towel to remove some of the excess moisture.
Meal prepping it:
Making this meal ahead of time is not recommended because it is made with shrimp. Seafood doesn’t keep in the fridge for many days and it’s not good once it’s reheated in the microwave. If you have leftovers I highly recommend reheating the rice on a skillet and stovetop again in medium-low heat.
If you want to save some time when making this dish, you can prep your veggies ahead of time. Dice carrots and bell peppers, measure out frozen peas and corn and keep them in a separate freezer bag that way. You want to have rice cooked and ready to-go. This are small steps you can take if you want to add this meal to your meal plan and do some prepping ahead of time.
Storing Shrimp Fried Rice:
- Storing– Place any leftover shrimp fried rice in an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 2-3 days.
- Freezing– Allow shrimp fried rice to completely cool-off. Place in a freezer friendly container or freeze bag. Place in the freezer and keep frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw-out on the fridge overnight.
- Reheating– Reheat your shrimp fried rice on a skillet or wok over stovetop. You can also reheat in the microwave.
Did you like this Shrimp Fried Rice recipe? You may also like these other Fried Rice recipes:
Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 2 eggs
- 1 large carrot
- 2/3 cups corn (froxen or canned)
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 4 green onions
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp coconut aminos
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1 tsp pink sea salt (plus more for shrimp)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (plus more for shrimp)
- 3 tbsp avocado oil (divided)
Instructions
Peel, devein and rise your shrimp. Carefully remove tails from shrimp to make it easier to eat once cooked into the rice. Leaving the tails on shrimp does give the rice more flavor so you can leave them if you wish. Dab shrimp dry and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper if you wish to add more flavor to the shrimp and to the overall dish.
Prep all your ingredients: (you don't want to skip this step. Once you start cooking your rice it moves very fast and you want to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go). Dice carrots and bell pepper. Measure out and set to the side corn and peas. Mince garlic, thinly slice green onions (reserve some for garnishing), peel and grate ginger, and whisk eggs.
Place skillet or wok on stovetop. Drizzle 1 tablespoon avocado oil and bring to a heat on medium-high heat. Start adding shrimp one by one leaving enough space between them to easily flip with a tong. You may have to cook in batches. Cook shrimp for about 1-2 minutes per side until they turn pink and opaque. Continue until all shrimp has been cooked through. Set cooked shrimp to the side.
Grab a damp paper towel with your tongs to clean the surface of your skillet or wok. Drizzle another tablespoon avocado oil and bring to a heat once again on medium-high. Add whisked eggs and scramble them using a spatula. Once eggs are cooked through and scrambled remove from the pan and set aside with shrimp.
Drizzle the last tablespoon avocado oil and allow to heat up on medium-high heat. Toss in carrots and red bell pepper and sauté until veggies begin to slightly soften. About 2-3 minutes. Stir in corn and peas. Add in your cooked shrimp and eggs. Then add in your aromatics; garlic, green onions and ginger. Stir well making sure all ingredients are well combined.
Stir in your rice at this point. Drizzle rice vinegar, sesame oil and coconut aminos over fried rice. Sprinkle pink salt and pepper. Stir everything making sure everything is well coated and rice is mixed with all the other ingredients. Taste for flavor and adjust to taste if desired.
Remove rice from heat and turn off your stove. Serve immediately and garnish with reserved sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes
Tips for making good Fried Rice:
- Use leftover rice- As stated above, cold leftover rice is firm making it easier to break up and separate. Warm rice will get mushy while being mixed.
- Use medium or long grain rice- Medium or long grain rice such as jasmine rice, are fluffy and sturdy. They don’t clump up or get mushy as short grain rice tends to do.
- Add seasoning at the end- If you have seasoned or salted your leftover rice it’s best to add salt at the end. You don’t want to over season your fried rice.
- Use wok or large skillet- The secret to making a good fried rice is using a well heated large pan such as a wok or cast iron skillet. This will ensure that your ingredients won’t stick to the surface and you will have enough room to stir everything.
- Prep all ingredients first- This is an important tip you definitely want to follow. Once you start cooking everything and stir frying, it goes by pretty quick. You want to have all your ingredients prepped so that they are ready to add to your pan a you go.
- Substitute for coconut aminos– You can use tamari sauce to keep the sauce gluten-free.
*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.
**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used.
**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family.
