BLT Fried Rice Recipe · i am a food blog (2024)

BLT Fried Rice Recipe · i am a food blog (1)

Fried rice – is there anything better? I love how you can take innocent, singular ingredients and turn them into so much more. It’s funny how much regular, plain rice can change from being fluffy and slightly sticky, to crisp, intensely flavored and moreish. It’s absolutely one of my favorite things to make and eat. I like it simple and plain, with just eggs or all dressed up, like this BLT version.

But, before we go into BLT fried rice, let’s chat a little bit about fried rice in general. It seems to me that sometimes people get confused about fried rice. Is it a side dish, is it a main, is it a vehicle for old, leftover rice? Just what purpose does fried rice serve? Well, friends, I’m to to tell you once and for all: fried rice is all of those things and more.

BLT Fried Rice Recipe · i am a food blog (2)

Well, actually, it’s not really served as a side dish – most Chinese dishes are cooked with the intention to be eaten with plain white rice. Traditional, and even not so traditional, Chinese dishes are made to be extrasaucy and flavorful so that the ever present bowl of rice served alongside is a sponge to soak up all the goodness. And while fried rice is sometimesserved alongside traditional dishes,it’s more of an eat it on its own dish: good fried rice is incredibly flavorful on its ownand shouldn’t need anything with it. With that being said,people have been known to choose the fried rice option over the plain option, which is just plain gildingthe lily.

I’ve definitely been known to eat fried rice alongside other dishes, but my favorite thing to do is just make a big batch of fried rice for a complete meal. If you do it right, fried rice will have your protein, grain, and vegetables all in one tasty bowl. This BLT fried rice is the perfect example, with savorybacon, crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes.

BLT Fried Rice Recipe · i am a food blog (3)

You might be thinking that lettuce in fried rice is kind of strange, but there’s actually a Hong Kong stylefried rice that features beef and crispy lettuce – it’s one of my favorites. I spun off that and went with the classic ingredients for a BLT, minus the mayo.

The key to this fried rice, and all of them, really, is a really really hot pan. Make sure all of your ingredients are prepped before hand and give this rice a try. It’s a fun departure from yourregular BLT and a super delicious bowl of fried rice.

BLT Fried Rice Recipe · i am a food blog (4)

BLT Fried Rice
serves 3-4


  • 4-6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1/4 onion, diced
  • 2- 3 cups old, cold jasmine rice
  • 1-2 cups shredded romaine
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • sliced green onions, to garnish

In a large cast iron pan or wok, cook the bacon bits until the fat is rendered out and pieces are crispy. Remove some of the bacon fat, reserving on the side. You want about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat left in the pan/wok. Add the onions and cook until softened slightly, 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat up to high and add the broken up rice and cook, undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. Toss and cook until rice is crispy and heated through. Add the romaine and tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes while tossing. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Note: Using old, cold rice is key. But cold rice tends to clump up and also key is breaking up the rice into individual kernels. Before starting your fried rice, break up the rice by wetting your hands and gently breaking up the clumps into individual grains.

20 Comments

  1. September 30, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    never thought about lettuce in fried rice until a couple months ago, when a korean restaurant put it in their fried rice. and when i asked my mom, she talked about it so casually that like she’d been withholding this from me all this time. i love how sweet and tender it gets when cooked into fried rice!

    Reply

  2. Lexi says:

    September 30, 2015 at 12:48 pm

    gonna try the recipe soon! btw: love the owl bowl :) where did you get those?

    Reply

  3. Synnøve says:

    September 30, 2015 at 1:29 pm

    BLT fried rice! what a wonderful idea!

    Reply

  4. cynthia says:

    September 30, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    Life. MADE.

    Reply

  5. September 30, 2015 at 2:00 pm

    I have never seen lettuce in fried rice before and I really love this idea. One of my favorite aspect of Chinese food is the plain rice bowl accompanying each dish. I am such a rice fan. I’ve been known to eat white rice as a side to my fried rice (oops!). Definitely going to be making this one.

    Reply

  6. Melissa says:

    September 30, 2015 at 3:31 pm

    This looks so amazing.

    Reply

  7. Cindy says:

    September 30, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    There really aren’t many things better than fried rice! Also, obsessed with those owl bowls.

    Reply

  8. T00551542 says:

    September 30, 2015 at 9:06 pm

    I thought lettuce in fried rice was a little weird at first too. However thinking about it it would work extremely well, heated just enough to be warm but not wilted, a BLT Fried Rice would be a great dish to make for me to take to work. I learned quite a bit about fried rice today. I will be honest, I never truly knew how fried rice was made or how it should be properly served. Now I knows its place in the dinner table.

    Reply

  9. Kristina says:

    October 1, 2015 at 12:43 am

    This is delicious. A perfect recipe for a quick dinner. I love rice in all forms (fried rice, rice as a side, risotto, you name it) and there are so much different kinds of it. I will deffinitely try this twist on it!

    Reply

  10. Alana says:

    October 1, 2015 at 8:02 am

    FRIED RICE IS MY EVERYTHING. One of my absolute favorite quick meals. and HOMG, BLT fried rice!! YES YES YES, GF!!

    Reply

  11. madeline says:

    October 2, 2015 at 7:31 am

    My mom used to make me bacon, eggs, and fried rice all mashed together like this. I love the idea of adding tomato!

    Reply

  12. Joe says:

    October 23, 2015 at 2:32 pm

    OH MY GOSH. Definitely will give this a try! Is the green onions mandatory?

    Reply

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      October 23, 2015 at 7:04 pm

      you don’t absolutely need them but they do add a bit of freshness!

      Reply

  13. Mahee Ferlini says:

    February 12, 2017 at 2:44 pm

    Amazing idea! I have to try it!!

    Reply

  14. lorna says:

    March 2, 2017 at 1:26 pm

    I made this with pancetta and topped it with kecap manis. Delicious and simple.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

BLT Fried Rice Recipe · i am a food blog (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient to restaurant fried rice? ›

Cooking bits of chopped vegetables, seasoning, soy sauce, and oil, seems easy enough. However, when making fried rice at home, there's one ingredient you may be overlooking: Sugar.

What gives restaurant fried rice its flavor? ›

Signature flavor

To give your dish that signature fried rice taste, you'll need to drizzle in sesame oil and soy sauce, but feel free to use as much or as little as you wish. You can even mix in things like garlic powder, ginger root, or Sriracha sauce and chili pepper for a bit of a kick.

How do you pre cook rice for fried rice? ›

Precook the rice at least 30 minutes, but preferably one day, before making fried rice and keep it uncovered in the fridge. Place the rice into a fine sieve and wash with water to remove excess starch. Drain the water and place the rice into a saucepan. Add the water.

What can I add to fried rice? ›

3. Choose Your Mix-Ins
  1. Baby bok choy, chopped.
  2. Kale, spinach or watercress, chopped.
  3. Bell pepper, chopped.
  4. Broccoli or cauliflower, chopped.
  5. Pineapple, chopped.
  6. Mushrooms, sliced.
  7. Red onion, chopped.
  8. Snow peas, thinly sliced.

Why does Chinese restaurant fried rice taste so good? ›

The answer: high heat, expert tosses, and something known as 'wok hei. ' As J. Kenji López-Alt writes for Serious Eats, expert cooking with a wok (and the gas range it requires) is one of the main reasons that fried rice from a Chinese restaurant tastes so much better than what you can make at home.

Why does homemade fried rice not taste like restaurant? ›

In fact, the use of classic Chinese sauces is exactly what makes takeout fried rice so incredibly moreish. Key amongst these is soy sauce. By adding soy sauce during cooking chefs are adding both salt and umami to the fried rice which, unsurprisingly, greatly improves the dish's overall flavor.

What oil do restaurants use for fried rice? ›

What oil do Chinese takeaways use for fried rice? - Quora. They use soybean oil. It's cheap and has a high smoke point, making it ideal for wok cooking.

How do I make rice taste like a restaurant? ›

Use Stock Instead of Water

“Instead of water, use either vegetable or chicken stock. Homemade is ideal, but plenty of premade boxed stocks exist for convenience. Add stock to the hot pan with vegetables and toasted rice.” He explains that toasting the rice first adds a layer of nutty flavor and creates more depth.

How do restaurants make their rice so good? ›

By using good quality rice. Not the run-of-the-mill broken stuff from the harvest a year or two ago. They wash the rice. This gets rid of some of the staleness that the surface starch may have accumulated.

Should rice be cold before making fried rice? ›

Use COLD day old rice: For best results! Cold rice will crisp up in the hot oil. Warm rice will not toast and can even become mushy. If you are in a pinch make the rice first and spread it out onto a baking sheet in a single layer.

Should you cool rice before making fried rice? ›

Start by cooking your rice, then letting it rest and cool. One cup of dry/uncooked rice will serve four eaters. In a very hot skillet with 1 to 2 tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil, cook your protein, then remove it from the skillet. (If you're using leftover cooked protein, skip this step and add it later.)

Do you rinse rice after cooking for fried rice? ›

Rice for pilafs, fried rice, and salads all benefit from washing. Even when you're steaming rice for dishes like kimbap or sushi, when you want the grains to stick together slightly, you still want to rinse off excess starch, which can result in unpleasantly mushy rice.

Which spice is good for fried rice? ›

The Perfect Nigerian Fried Rice
  • 2 bay leaves.
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
  • 2 Tasty Cubes.
  • 1 teaspoon salt.
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper (substitute other ground pepper)
  • 2 teaspoon curry powder (divided)
  • 1 teaspoon thyme.

What is fried rice syndrome? ›

Fried rice syndrome is caused by a bacterium called Bacillus cereus, which is present in these types of starchy foods prior to cooking. Bacillus cereus is a heat-resistant bacteria, so even recooking foods that have not been appropriately refrigerated can result in food poisoning.

How do Chinese restaurants make fried rice yellow? ›

Actually, the yellow colour of the fried rice came from the beaten eggs. The beaten eggs is the one that gives the yellow colour to the Fried Rice. This type of Fried Rice is called “Golden Egg Fried Rice.”

What is the difference between fried rice and Chinese fried rice? ›

The usage of rice

But in Chinese rice, it is suggested to use leftover cooked rice to avoid the rice from being sticky. In Fried Rice, most quick-service restaurants (QSRs) use long-grain white rice like Basmati, whereas Jasmine Rice is used in Chinese Rice.

What does vinegar do in fried rice? ›

1. Flavor enhancement: Vinegar can add a tangy and slightly acidic flavor to the fried rice, which can help balance the overall taste and complement the other ingredients. 2. Brightening the dish: The acidity in vinegar can help cut through the richness of the fried rice, making it taste fresher and more vibrant.

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