Here’s a weeknight dinner that gives us that cozy feeling every time we make it: Shrimp Fried Rice! It’s over the top delicious and total comfort food. Follow this recipe and it’s the path to shrimp fried rice that’s easy and irresistibly tasty. The garlic, ginger and soy sauce meld perfectly with the colorful veggies, bursts of shrimp and gooey bits of egg into a symphony of flavor. It’s one of our favorites for weeknight cooking…ever.
Ingredients for shrimp fried rice
Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice, eggs, seafood or meat, and vegetables that’s popular in many Asian cuisines: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Cambodian, Indonesian, and more. It’s served in restaurants and made by home cooks. This shrimp fried rice recipe is a spin on our Basic Fried Rice that adds shrimp for added protein, making it even more filling. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
Rice: Medium or long grain rice is best, because short grain rice can become clumpy. Basmati rice is a nice option. You can use either white rice or brown rice (we prefer the flavor of white). Sesame oil: For cooking; use the standard variety, not toasted sesame oil.Onion and garlic: These aromatic veggies form the base.Fresh ginger: Important for the very best flavor: you can find ginger root in the produce section.Carrots, peas, and green cabbage (optional): Carrots and peas are classic. Green cabbage is optional, but it adds a nice contrasting texture.Eggs: Eggs make for the perfect chewy, savory texture. Soy sauce: Essential for the final flavoring.Fish sauce (optional): It really amps the flavors to the next level, if you have it on hand.Shrimp: Shelled medium small to small, fresh or frozen. Keep reading for more…
The best shrimp to use for fried rice
Shrimp is sold in so many different ways: large, small, frozen, fresh, shell on, shell off, tail on, etc. It can be overwhelming once you’re at the store. Here’s what to know about the shrimp to buy for shrimp fried rice:
Frozen or fresh: frozen is just as good! Often frozen shrimp can be even fresher than if you buy it fresh, if it’s flash frozen right after it’s caught. We often buy frozen since it’s convenient to store for months. Medium small to small shrimp. Typically the shrimp in shrimp fried rice is on the smaller side. While we often use medium to large shrimp in other dishes, use medium small here. Shelled (and not tail on). You can buy shrimp in the shell, shelled, or tail on. Here you’ll want it fully shelled so can shovel it into your mouth! Tail on is great for something like grilled shrimp or Cajun shrimp.
Start with day old rice…or here’s a shortcut!
The first thing you’ll hear about fried rice is this: start with day old rice. It’s probably the number one thing to know about this dish. But what if you’d don’t have day old rice and you want to make this shrimp fried rice stat? Here are a few tips:
Leftover rice is best because it’s dried out. After you first make a pot of rice, it holds a lot of moisture. If you use this to make fried rice, here’s what happens: it clumps up and gets very soggy. Using dried out day old rice is preferable because the grains stay separate and you can achieve that perfect fried rice texture. Want to make it day of? Here’s our shortcut! Make the rice. As soon as it’s done, spread the freshly cooked rice onto a rimmed sheet pan or tray. Place the tray in the freezer and freeze for about 15 to 20 minutes until the grains become cool to the touch. Some might even become frozen: that’s ok! They’ll heat right back up once they hit the pan.
Shrimp fried rice variations
Want to make shrimp fried rice…without rice? Here are a few different variations:
Quinoa Fried Rice: Use quinoa instead of rice for a unique spin.Cauliflower Fried Rice: Go grain free! Use cauliflower rice in place of the standard whole grain.
Ways to serve it!
Shrimp fried rice is a meal in itself: but add a few side dishes and you’ve got a feast! Here are a few side dishes we’d pair:
Edamame: Try our Easy Edamame or Spicy Edamame. You could also try 5-Minute Shelled Edamame, but it’s most fun to serve them in the pods.Broccoli: Try Simple Sauteed Broccoli with soy sauce (omit the Italian seasoning). If you have ample prep time and stove space, serve with Broccoli Stir Fry.Brussels Sprouts: Make Crispy Brussels Sprouts but use hoisin instead of balsamic vinegar. Egg rolls: Purchased baked organic egg rolls make a nice pairing.
This shrimp fried rice recipe is…
Pescatarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
More shrimp recipes
Shrimp is a fantastic healthy meal choice: it’s low calorie and full of protein. Here are some of our favorite healthy shrimp recipes: 5 from 2 reviews
Creamy Shrimp Pasta Easy to make with the best big flavors: garlic, lemon, and Parmesan. Shrimp Stir Fry or Classic Shrimp Fajitas Two classic dinners that take 30 minutes or less.Easy Coconut Shrimp Baked to perfection: no one can resist that juicy coconut-scented bite!Shrimp Cocktail The zesty famous cocktail sauce will have everyone begging for the recipe.Broiled Shrimp or Easy Baked Shrimp This shrimp has huge flavor: try it broiled and breaded for an irresistible crunch.3 Cheese Shrimp Pizza Like shrimp alfredo…on pizza crust!Perfect Sauteed Shrimp or Honey Garlic Shrimp This really is the best easy shrimp, with the best seasoning.Shrimp Pesto Pasta A fast and easy dinner recipe! Cover the noodles in glistening green basil pesto for a meal that pleases everyone. Or try Easy Pesto Shrimp.Garlic Shrimp Here’s how to make the best shrimp on the stove: it’s quick and seriously simple.Shrimp and Broccoli Soy sauce and rice vinegar flavor this shrimp and broccoli, which comes together in minutes! Serve with rice or over noodles.
