How to Make Egg Fried Rice
Master classic egg fried rice by prepping cold grains, high-heat wok tossing, soft-scrambling eggs, and searing aromatics for individual, fluffy grains.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Wok or large nonstick skillet
- ✓ Wok spatula or wooden spoon
- ✓ Small mixing bowl
- ✓ Fork or whisk
- ✓ Chef's knife
- ✓ Cutting board
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 3 cups cold cooked white rice (preferably day-old)
- ✓ 3 large eggs
- ✓ 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
- ✓ 2 stalks scallions (whites and greens separated)
- ✓ 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
- ✓ 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ✓ 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Ensure the pan base is stable on the burner before applying rapid tossing motions.
- • Keep hands and face back when drizzling soy sauce into hot oil to avoid steam and spatter burns.
- • Use a high-smoke-point oil (like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil) to prevent oil burning at high heat.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Prep scallions and beat eggs
Thinly slice scallions, keeping the white bases and dark green tops in separate piles. Crack 3 eggs into a small bowl, add a pinch of salt, and whisk vigorously with a fork until no translucent egg white streaks remain.
- • Uniformly yellow, lightly frothy egg mixture with no clear streaks
- • Scallions sliced into thin rings separated into two distinct piles
- • Under-beating eggs resulting in separated white and yolk clumps
Break up the cold rice
Place cold, cooked rice in a wide bowl or keep it on a plate. Use clean, dry hands or a damp spatula to gently massage and separate the clumped grains into individual pieces.
- • Loose, distinct rice grains with zero dense golf-ball-sized clumps
- • Dumping solid cold rice blocks directly into the hot pan
Soft-scramble the eggs
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pour in beaten eggs; let them puff for 3 seconds, then gently push them toward the center with your spatula until soft curds form, then immediately transfer back to the bowl while still slightly runny.
- • Glossy, soft, custard-like yellow egg curds resting on the plate
- • Overcooking eggs until dry, rubbery, or browned
Sauté aromatics and fry the rice
Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok over high heat. Add the sliced scallion whites and stir for 15 seconds until fragrant, then add the separated rice. Press and toss the rice continuously with the flat side of the spatula for 2-3 minutes until the grains are steaming and lightly popping.
- • Steaming rice grains bouncing slightly in the wok with light gloss on every grain
- • Smashing rice straight down with force, mashing the grains into paste
Season and reintroduce eggs
Drizzle soy sauce along the hot inner perimeter walls of the wok rather than directly on top of the rice, allowing it to caramelize. Add white pepper, return the soft scrambled eggs to the pan, and use the edge of the spatula to cut the egg into bite-sized bits while tossing everything together.
- • Even, pale golden-tan color across all rice grains with distributed egg ribbons throughout
- • Pouring cold soy sauce directly onto the center, making wet clumps
Finish with green scallions and serve
Turn off the heat and toss in the dark green scallion slices. Stir continuously for 20-30 seconds using residual heat to wilt the scallions while keeping their bright color, then transfer immediately to a serving dish.
- • Vibrant green scallion rings evenly speckled throughout steaming, golden rice
- • Leaving fried rice sitting in the hot pan off-heat, which burns the bottom
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by The Everyday Recipe — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Day-old cold rice? Freshly cooked rice spread flat on a baking sheet and chilled in the freezer for 15 minutes
- No Wok? Large 12-inch heavy-bottomed stainless steel or nonstick frying pan
- No White pepper? Finely ground black pepper