Pork Fried Rice Gets a Full Meal on the Table in 15 Minutes

updated Mar 6, 2023
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A pan of savory pork fried rice is one of the most satisfying and quickest meals to make with leftover rice, ground pork, a couple eggs, and frozen vegetables.

Serves2 to 4

Prep5 minutes

Cook10 minutes

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Credit: Amelia Rampe

A quick skillet of fried rice is one of the easiest, most satisfying ways to transform leftover rice into a complete meal. Here, we’ve added crumbles of ground pork, a couple of eggs, and whatever vegetable you’ve got in the freezer to create a winning dinner the whole family will enjoy.

Leftover Rice Makes the Best Fried Rice

If you’ve read our guide to cooking fried rice you know that old, cooked rice is actually a better choice for fried rice than starting with a pot of freshly cooked rice. This goes for both white and brown rice. As the rice sits in the fridge, the grains begin to dry out, which means they’re much less likely to stick together or get gummy or soggy when stir-fried.

If you notice that the rice is clumped together when you take it out of the fridge, just break it up with a fork or your hands before adding it to the wok or skillet.

Starting with ground pork eliminates any prep work (a lot of pork fried rice recipes call for pork cutlets), while still providing the same savory flavor. With that said, use what you’ve got — or swap the pork altogether for tempeh, tofu, chicken, or shrimp.

More Recipes Using Leftover Rice

Pork Fried Rice

A pan of savory pork fried rice is one of the most satisfying and quickest meals to make with leftover rice, ground pork, a couple eggs, and frozen vegetables.

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 10 minutes

Serves2 to 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1

    small yellow onion

  • 3 tablespoons

    vegetable oil, divided

  • 2

    large eggs

  • 8 ounces

    ground pork

  • 1 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 cups

    cold cooked white or brown rice

  • 1/2 cup

    frozen peas and carrots

  • 2 tablespoons

    soy sauce or tamari

  • 1 teaspoon

    toasted sesame oil

Instructions

  1. Dice 1 small yellow onion.

  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a wok or large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 2 large eggs and gently scramble with a rubber spatula until just softly set, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside.

  3. Add the onion, 8 ounces ground pork, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the pan. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon into small pieces, until the pork is cooked through and the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.

  4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and let heat for a few seconds. Add 2 cups cold cooked rice, 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, and stir-fry until the rice is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the eggs to the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.

Recipe Notes

Using Fresh Rice: This recipe is best with day-old rice. But if the craving hits and you don't have any prepared rice, you can make fresh rice, spread it out on a sheet pan, and refrigerate to cool.

Storage: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.