Hot, savory, and brimming with veggies, scrambled eggs, and edamame, this House Special Fried Rice is a favorite healthy comfort food.

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This post was published on September 17, 2020. It was updated on May 21, 2021.

Get the experience of your favorite Chinese restaurant without even having to leave the house with this House Special Fried Rice recipe.

With garlic, ginger, edamame, sesame oil, and more this vegetarian fried rice is special, yet still accessible and easy to make. This dish can easily be made gluten-free and is ready in under 25 minutes.

I'm back this week with another restaurant copycat recipe: house special fried rice!

'Cause when is there not a good time to share a favorite restaurant recipe that you can make at home in less than 25 minutes?!

This fried rice is like the special loaded fried rice you like to get at your favorite Chinese take out or hibachi restaurant but without the extra grease and calories.

But -- of course -- it still has the same experience and all. That. Flavor.

At the foundation of this dish is your favorite long grain rice (I chose brown jasmine rice-- so fragrant and delicious!) and just enough unsalted butter to add savory umami without heft. We stir-fry an easy-to-find frozen veggie blend but add in some extra stars (more on that below) and chopped pineapple for a little pop!

Oh, and don't forget the classic fried rice finish-- a splash of soy sauce and sesame oil is all we need to get that daydream worthy salty and nutty experience.

But let's not forget about how we're amping this recipe up!

We'll sneak some extra veggies in for nutrition, ginger & garlic for a low-calorie flavor burst, and edamame and extra scrambled eggs for vegetarian protein. Oh, and a squeeze of lime juice at the end to brighten up and tie the dish together.

Pretty easy steps and accessible ingredients that come together to make a dish that is good enough to make you want to grab your bowl, run to the couch, and tuck yourself in with that rice for the night. Not that I know from experience or anything! 🤷

This special fried rice recipe is...

• Savory
• Hot
• Crunchy
• Filling
• Perfectly seasoned
• Quick

Introduce your own house special fried rice to your family this week!

Recipe ingredients:

• Rice -- long grain brown rice or white rice are perfect!
• Avocado or olive oil -- whichever you have on hand is just fine
• Large eggs
• Unsalted butter
• White or yellow onion
• Shelled edamame -- fresh or frozen are both fine
• Frozen vegetable blend -- the typical blend of corn, carrots, peas, and green beans are perfect
• Frozen, canned, or fresh pineapple -- drain the pineapple if canned
• Garlic
• Fresh ginger
• Baby spinach -
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil -- go for toasted sesame oil; it adds a nice light and nutty finish to the dish
• Lime juice -- fresh or bottled both work

Ingredient substitutions

• Butter -- coconut oil can work in place of butter
• Vegetables -- substitute in any of your favorite vegetables in place of the frozen vegetables; diced peppers, broccoli, zucchini, or celery would all be delicious
• Onions -- diced red onion or sliced green onions can substitute for the yellow or white onions
• Soy sauce -- liquid coconut aminos work in place of the soy sauce for a gluten-free fried rice option
• Citrus juice -- lime juice is the best pick for this recipe, but lemon juice also works if in a pinch.

How to make this house fried rice...

Follow my illustrated steps below to make this recipe. For the complete recipe and specific instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Scrambled the eggs in oil. Then remove the eggs from the pan.
2. Melt the butter in the skillet and add the veggies. Stir-fry until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the pineapple to the veggies and stir-fry for 1-2 more minutes, or until the pineapple is heated through.
4. Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger and stir-fry until fragrant.
5. Add the cold rice and baby spinach to the pan and stir fry until the rice is crispy and the spinach is wilted.
6. Stir the soy sauce, sesame oil, and lime juice into the rice and cook until all the moisture has absorbed.
7. Remove the rice from the heat, sprinkle with cilantro (if using), and serve hot!

Recipe pro-tips:

• Use cold rice -- the cold, dried-out rice is where it's at. Hot or warm rice won't crisp up the same cold rice will. The butter will also make warm rice mushy, whereas it will nicely coat the cold rice.
• Cook on a hot pan -- we need to cook the veggies and rice quick so they don't get soggy or mushy. I cook my fried rice over medium-high heat.
• Don't skimp on fat -- not only does the fat add flavor, but it also helps to crisp up the rice and add that savory buttery flavor you know and love in fried rice.
• Use toasted sesame oil and lime juice -- these finishing elements make the dish!
• Prep all the ingredients ahead of time old rice, hot pan, don't skimp on fat; use sesame oil, don't forget the lime; prep all ingredients ahead of time

Dietary adaptations:

• Gluten-free: to make this vegetable fried rice gluten-free, just substitute liquid coconut aminos or tamari sauce in place of soy sauce
• Vegan: make this special fried rice vegan by omitting the scrambled egg step from the recipe
• Protein: add more animal protein to this recipe by stir-frying 1 ½ cups cubed pre-cooked chicken or uncooked baby shrimp with the vegetables

Serving suggestions:

This fried rice is hearty enough to serve on its own for a lighter vegetarian dinner, or you can stir-fry in chicken or shrimp (as directed above) but you can also serve it as-is with more classic Chinese take out style dishes:

• Mushroom Chicken
• Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef
• Hot & Sour Soup
• Vegan Sweet and Sour Chickpeas
• Air Fryer Orange Chicken
• Instant Pot Beef & Broccoli
• Chinese Orange Chicken
• Restaurant-Style Chili Chicken
• Peanut Butter Chicken Curry

Top the fried rice with sriracha or sriracha mayo (¼ cup mayonnaise + 1-3 teaspoons sriracha sauce) for a little extra kick!

How to steam the perfect rice:

If you have one, pressure cookers steam the perfect rice. Here's how:

• Long-grain white rice: cook 1.5 cup rice to 1.5 cup water on high pressure for 3 minutes.
• Long-grain brown rice: cook 1.5 cup rice to 2 cups water on high for 10 minutes.

For both situations, natural-release the steam for 10 minutes and then quick-release the rest of the pressure.

You can also boil the rice. I recommend boiling rice like pasta: fill a large saucepan with salted water and boil the rice for the time recommended on the package, stirring occasionally. At the end of the cooking time, drain the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and follow the rest of the recipe as directed.

Storage directions:

• Refrigeration: store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
• Freezing: fried rice can last frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: for best results, reheat this fried rice covered in the microwave in small portions over medium-high heat, until heated through

Tools needed to make this recipe:

• Large (12") non-stick pan or wok
• Heatproof spatula or turner
• Cutting board
• Chef knife
• Microplane zester
• Citrus juicer (optional)
• Measuring cups & spoons

More Asian-inspired recipes:

• Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
• Tri-Tip Steak Marinade
• Orange Peel Ground Beef Stir-Fry
• Chicken and Frozen Vegetable Stir-Fry
• Stir-Fried Sesame Veggies
• Air Fryer Sesame Kale Chips
• Thai Green Chicken Curry

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