Description
This delicious Beef Fried Rice recipe is a quick and easy stir-fry made with ground beef, mixed vegetables, eggs, and a flavorful homemade sauce. Perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal, it uses day-old rice to achieve the ideal texture and caramelized flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 1/2 tsp white sugar
- 1/8 tsp white pepper (or black pepper)
Fried Rice
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (peanut, vegetable, canola, or other neutral oil)
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 250g (8 oz) lean beef mince (ground beef)
- 2 cups frozen diced carrots, peas, corn (still frozen or fresh diced vegetables)
- 3 cups day-old cooked rice (1 cup uncooked rice = 3 cups cooked)
- 1/2 cup finely sliced green onions (1-2 stems)
Instructions
- Mix Sauce: In a small bowl, combine dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, white sugar, and white pepper. Stir well and set aside.
- Scramble Eggs: Heat sesame oil in a large wok or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Pour in the lightly whisked eggs and cook gently while stirring to create soft scrambled eggs. Remove the eggs from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Cook Beef: In the same pan, heat vegetable oil over high heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, cooking for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spatula, and cook for approximately 2 minutes until no longer pink. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the prepared sauce and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Add Vegetables and Caramelize Beef: Add the frozen mixed vegetables directly to the pan. Cook without stirring for about 2 minutes to allow the beef to caramelize and develop rich flavor. Avoid stirring too often to achieve the perfect caramelization.
- Add Rice and Sauce: Add the day-old cooked rice and the remaining sauce to the pan. Toss and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, ensuring the sauce is evenly distributed and the rice grains start to caramelize slightly for added flavor and texture.
- Combine Egg and Green Onions: Return the scrambled eggs to the pan along with the sliced green onions. Give everything a quick toss to combine evenly, then divide the fried rice between bowls and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use lean beef mince to reduce excess fat and achieve a better texture.
- Day-old rice is ideal for fried rice because it is drier and less sticky, which helps achieve the perfect stir-fry texture.
- Caramelizing the beef properly is key to unlocking deep flavor, so don’t rush this step.
- Substitute white pepper with black pepper if unavailable, but white pepper offers a milder, more authentic taste.
- Chinese cooking wine adds depth to the sauce; if unavailable, dry sherry can be used as a substitute.
