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One thing I love about fried rice is how versatile it is. There are literally endless combinations of ingredients you can throw in, which makes it one of the most adaptable dishes to go with whatever else you are making on any given day. Japanese fried rice is usually referred to chahan or yakimeshi and it’s one of my favorite dishes to prepare at home because it’s not only super easy and quick, but you can make it with almost any left over veggies and meats you have in the fridge!
I opted to just use green onions and egg for this chahan recipe, but in the past I’ve chopped up chives, shiso, spam, bacon, hot dogs marinated in a soy sauce and sugar mixture, and so many other things, and it always comes out tasting amazing.
What makes Japanese fried rice different from Chinese fried rice?
The main difference when making a Japanese fried rice recipe is the type of rice used. Chinese recipes call for long grain rice, whereas chahan uses the short grain rice typically found in Japanese cuisine.
How to prepare the rice
The best rice for chahan is day old rice that’s been in the refrigerator. This slightly dries it out, which helps to keep the kernels intact while cooking in your wok instead of being mushy and soft like fresh Japanese rice. If a craving suddenly hits you and you don’t have any day old rice, you can cook a pot, and then spread it out on a baking sheet to let it cool out in the open. This will also achieve a similar consistency, so you can get down to business the same day!
Equipment You’ll Need
Special Ingredients You’ll Need
Short Grain Rice (I use Nishiki)
Simple Japanese Fried Rice Recipe
Easy Japanese Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients Â
Poached Eggs
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Rice Vinegar
Japanese Fried Rice
- 2 cups Rice short grain
- 1 Green Onion
- 1 Egg
- 2-3 Tbsp Avocado Oil or other neutral oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper Powder
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
InstructionsÂ
Poached Eggs
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and pour in the salt and rice vinegar
- Crack each egg into their own individual small cups
- Once the water is boiling, stir quickly with a wooden spatula to create a cyclone
- As the water cyclone is spinning around, drop the first egg in and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes before scooping it out. Carefully Pat it dry with a paper towel
- Repeat steps with the second egg
Japanese Fried Rice (Chahan)
- Put your wok or large pan over medium heat and add cooking oil. Be sure you really coat the whole wok
- Crack egg into the wok and scramble it. Just before it's totally cooked through, remove the egg and set aside
- Pour the rice into the wok and start stirring it around for 1 minute
- Add soy sauce and continue mixing and stirring for 1 minute
- Add salt and white pepper powder and continue mixing
- Add chopped green onion and the scrambled egg, and continue mixing until all the rice has a nice brown color
- Once it's ready, pour everything into a serving bowl
- To get the dome shape, you'll want to fill a rice bowl with the Japanese fried rice, pat it down to make sure it's compacted, and then flip the bowl onto a plate. BUT FIRST…
- Fill the bowl up only a quarter of the way with the fried rice, and then plop one of the poached eggs right in the middle. Then proceed to fill the rest of the bowl before flipping onto the plate.
- Repeat for the second serving
Video
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