Cooking Rice For Fried Rice? (Vietnamese & Chinese Tips)

Fried rice is a beloved staple in Asian cooking, my mom’s way to use up whatever’s left in the fridge. While it’s already easy to make, with a few tips for cooking the rice just right for fried rice, I bet your dish will be even tastier!

🍚 What type of rice is best for fried rice?

Well, it really comes down to personal preference. Japanese and Korean cuisine often use short-grain rice, which is starchier and stickier for their fried rice dishes.

However, in Vietnamese, Cantonese, and other Southeast Asian cuisines, we prefer our fried rice to have a crispy yet fluffy texture.

So, if you’re making Japanese or Korean Fried Rice, go for short-grain rice. But if you’re a fan of Chinese-style fried rice (or Vietnamese Fried Rice, Thai Fried Rice), long-grain rice is the way to go.

For long-grain rice, we have Basmati and Jasmine rice. Both are fluffy and not very sticky, making them good for making fried rice.

You could choose either one, but for me, the best recipe is a 50-50 mix of the two grains. Jasmine rice is plumper, softer, more fragrant, and a bit moister than Basmati, which has a firmer chew and a drier character.

📝 Step-by-step Instructions

Rinse Rice:

A must in an Asian kitchen, washing rice helps remove any dirt and bugs from the rice. To make fried rice, it’s even more important since it reduces the starch in the rice, making the rice even fluffier.

• Add rice and water to a bowl. Use your hands to gently wash the rice. Pour out the water once it starts to change color.
• Repeat this process three times until the water runs clear. Make sure to drain all the water when finished.

Cook Rice:

You could cook this rice with slightly less water than your daily cooked Jasmine/Basmati rice. Dry and firm rice can make delicious fried rice.

• Add the rice to the inner pot of rice cooker, then add water: 1 cup of rice to 2 or 1+3/4 cups of water.
• Make sure your rice cooker is on and follow the manual instructions to cook rice.

Cool Rice:

The best rice for fried rice is one-day-old rice since chilled leftover rice undergoes the retrogradation process in which the starch molecules form crystalline structures. This makes the grains firm enough for another round of cooking.

If you’re using the rice within a day, ensure your rice is completely cooled. My method for cooling the freshly cooked rice quickly.

• Spread the cooked rice on a large plate or baking sheet.
• If you have a fan, use it to cool the rice quickly, then transfer the rice to the fridge for 20 minutes.
• If you don’t have a fan, let it cool at room temperature for 10 minutes before transferring it to the fridge for 20 minutes.

If you’re making fried rice a day later, ensure your cooked rice is completely cooled. Cover the bowl of rice with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight or for two to three days.

Now you have a perfecr rice for cooking fried rice.

🌟 Helpful Tips

• If you want to make a large batch of rice and store it for longer, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Remember to defrost the rice before cooking.
• If your rice grains stick together in large clumps after being taken out of the fridge, you can use your hands to separate them. Or when frying your rice, use a spatula to break up the clumps.
• Your rice may appear firm and chewy, but that’s the ideal texture. It will become softer and fluffier when fried.

❔ FAQ

Check out more recipes for Asian rice

• Microwave Jasmine Rice (Quick & Easy, Asian Approved)
• Coconut Basmati Rice
• Instant Pot Sticky Rice
• Instant Pot Hainanese Chicken Rice
• Collections of recipes with Jasmine Rice