Thai Fried Rice

Make this with shrimp/prawns, chicken or any protein you wish. If you’re feeling inspired, indulge in a Thai banquet at home with Chicken Satay Skewers, Thai Fish Cakes, and a Thai Red Curry or Green Curry!

Thai Fried Rice

I’m pretty sure every Asian country has their version of Fried Rice, and this is how the Thais make it! This is a regular when I go out for Thai. While the “normal” thing to do is to have Thai Red Curry or Green Curry with plain steamed jasmine rice, I just can’t resist ordering fried rice instead. Actually, come to think of it, it’s not just restricted to Thai food… Chinese Fried Rice, Nasi Goreng Indonesian Fried Rice, Indian Biryani, Mexican Red Rice, Middle Eastern spiced pilaf…… I’m a big fan of flavoured rice dishes!

What’s the difference between Thai Fried Rice and Chinese Fried Rice?

Traditionally, Thai Fried Rice is not made with soy sauce. Purists will tell you that if you use soy sauce, it becomes Chinese Fried Rice. Though this may be the case in the past, the reality is that soy sauce is sometimes used in Thai Fried Rice – both in Thailand and in restaurants outside of Thailand. Also, a few cookbooks I have by by Thai restaurateurs use soy sauce. So I’ve provided a choice of three sauces to choose from. Which is handy – you can choose depending on what you have or can source. The other difference is the rice – Thai Fried Rice is made with jasmine rice whereas Chinese fried rice is made with white long grain rice.

What you need

Here’s what goes in Thai Fried Rice.

A must for any fried rice, from Chinese to Indonesian! Cold, day old cooked rice dries out so the grains are separate and easy to “stir fry” to make fried rice. Freshly cooked rice becomes gluey when stir fried. For a truly authentic Thai Fried Rice, use Jasmine Rice.

How to make it

It’s a very straightforward recipe, all cooked up in a single wok or large skillet in a matter of 5 minutes or less. A unique technique used in Thai cooking is the way the egg is cooked – the other ingredients are pushed to the side, then the egg is scrambled on the other side before tossing through the remaining ingredients. This same technique is also used in Pad See Ew, a popular Thai Noodle dish.

How and what to serve with Thai Fried Rice

For a truly authentic experience, serve Thai Fried Rice simply with plain wedges of tomato and slices of cucumber. This is just how Thai Fried Rice is served in Thailand! My favourite way to serve it at home is with Chicken Satay and Thai Fish Cakes. These are dishes usually served as starters at Thai restaurants, but by adding Thai Fried Rice, I make it into a meal. Otherwise, serve it as part of a multi-dish banquet with a selection of your favourite Thai dishes, such as:

Grilled Marinated Thai Chicken (Gai Yang) or Southern Thai Tumeric Chicken (Grilled or Baked) Thai Red Curry and Green Curry Massaman Curry Thai Chilli Basil Chicken or Cashew Chicken Stir Fry Thai Beef Salad Pad Thai and Pad See Ew

For more ideas, have a browse of the Thai recipe collection! – Nagi x