You can make this Easy Pork Fried Rice any time of the year thanks to frozen vegetables. Add them straight from the freezer to your skillet. Want to use frozen rice? That makes dinner even easier!

Photography Credit: Nick Evans | Art Banner Credit: Andy Christensen

Even when there’s “not much” in the fridge, I can usually scrounge together enough ingredients to make a fried rice happen! This fried rice recipe requires a tiny bit more planning because of the pork, but otherwise, it calls for ingredients you most likely already have on hand, like frozen peas and frozen carrots. (You can even use frozen rice, if you have it!)

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FRIED RICE MADE WITH FROZEN PEAS AND CARROTS



Frozen peas and carrots makes it easy to make this fried rice any time of the year – just add the vegetables straight from the freezer to your skillet when you get to that step. I still recommend chopping an onion and a little garlic and ginger and adding that as well; it really adds to the flavor of the fried rice!

USE FROZEN RICE!



Using frozen peas and carrots is a no-brainer for this recipe, but you can also use frozen rice if you have it! You’ll just need to thaw the rice before adding it to the skillet – not steaming hot, but thawed just enough so the grains can separate.

You can also use leftover cooked rice or fresh rice. If you are using fresh rice, spread it out on a baking sheet before frying and make sure it is completely cool. This ensures the grains separate and the rice won’t clump together.

TIPS FOR COOKING FRIED RICE



There are two keys for great fried rice:

Make sure the rice is chilled and dry. This keeps the grains from clumping together. When you add the rice to the skillet, stir it into the oil to separate the grains, then let it sit without stirring for a minute or two to develop some browning color. Great fried rice will have no clumped rice; individual grains mixed with the add-ins is what you’re going for! Make sure to cook the ingredients in the right order. Cook the pork first, remove from the skillet, then cook the onions, garlic, ginger, and frozen peas and carrots. Once those have cooked, remove them from the skillet, cook the rice and eggs, and then stir everything back together! Cooking in phases ensures you don’t burn any single ingredient.

HOW TO STORE AND FREEZE FRIED RICE



Fried rice will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Frozen fried rice will keep in the freezer for three months. Reheat fried rice in the microwave with a splash of water so the rice rehydrates.

DAD ADD – CHILI SESAME OIL



This fun little condiment is really good on fried rice. Stir together toasted sesame oil, chili oil, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds. Then, if you have the time, very gently heat this combination over low heat to open the flavor. Drizzle it lightly on any stir-fry or fried rice dish!

REPORT CARD

If you round up from 50%, then 100% of my kids ate this dinner! I’m joking, of course. My older kid absolutely loved this fried rice, even if he insisted on finishing his coloring while he ate it. He does have a thing against cooked carrots right now which I haven’t quite figured out. He piled those up separately, but in general ate a good portion of the fried rice.

My three year old danced in the background while we ate dinner and legend has it that she hasn’t eaten a full meal to this day.

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