Sausage and Pepper Fried Rice
A savory stir-fried rice dish loaded with crispy sausage pieces, colorful bell peppers, and aromatic aromatics. The key to great fried rice is using day-old cooked rice and high heat to achieve light, separated grains with caramelized edges. This one-pan meal comes together in minutes and is endlessly customizable.
Steps
Before you start
- Cook rice the day before and refrigerate it—cold rice grains separate better and won't turn mushy
- Have all ingredients prepped and within arm's reach before you start cooking—fried rice cooks fast
- Use a large skillet or wok so ingredients have room to move and fry rather than steam
Cook the sausage
- Place the large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the crumbled sausage and cook for 4–5 minutes, breaking it into small bite-sized pieces as it cooks with the wooden spoon.
- The sausage should be browned and cooked through with no pink remaining.
- Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
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Ready when: Sausage is browned throughout with no pink inside and reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C)
Tip: Break the sausage into small pieces as it cooks so you get crispy edges, not a large clump
Toast the aromatics
- In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil and return it to medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onion and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until just beginning to soften.
- Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant.
- Do not let the garlic burn.
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Ready when: Onion is slightly softened and garlic/ginger smell fragrant
Tip: Keep the heat high and don't let the garlic sit—it burns quickly and turns bitter
Add the peppers
- Add the diced red and yellow bell peppers to the skillet and stir-fry for 2 minutes over medium-high heat.
- The peppers should stay slightly firm with a little color on the edges.
- Do not overcook them—they will continue to soften after the rice is added.
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Ready when: Peppers are slightly softened and have some caramelized edges
Tip: Keep the heat high to get a little color on the peppers; if the heat is too low, they'll steam instead of fry
Break up and add the rice
- Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of neutral oil to the skillet.
- Pour in the cold cooked rice and use the spoon or spatula to break up any clumps as you work it into the pan.
- Spread it in a single layer and let it sit for 1 minute without stirring so the bottom grains can make contact with the hot pan.
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Ready when: Rice smells lightly toasted and bottom grains are golden
Tip: Resist the urge to stir immediately—letting it sit helps separate the grains and creates light toasting
Fry the rice and combine
- Stir the rice frequently for 2–3 minutes, breaking up any remaining clumps and tossing everything together.
- You want the rice grains to be separated and light, with no wet patches.
- If it seems dry, add a splash of water (about 1 tablespoon) and toss again.
- Return the cooked sausage to the skillet and fold it in.
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Ready when: Rice grains are separated and light, sausage is evenly distributed
Tip: Keep the heat high but stir frequently so nothing sticks to the bottom; a little browning is good flavor, but charring is too much
Season and finish
- Pour the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil over the fried rice and toss for 30 seconds to coat everything evenly.
- Taste a spoonful and adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper as needed.
- Remember that soy sauce is already salty, so taste before adding more salt.
- Stir in the white and light green parts of the sliced green onions.
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Ready when: Soy and sesame oil are evenly distributed and fragrant
Tip: Add sesame oil at the very end—its flavor is delicate and cooking it too long makes it taste musty
Serve
- Divide the fried rice among four serving bowls.
- Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of the dark green onion tops.
- Serve hot.
Good to know
Tips
- Day-old refrigerated rice is essential—fresh warm rice will turn mushy and sticky. If you don't have leftover rice, cook it fresh, spread it on a baking sheet, cool it completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- High heat is your friend in fried rice: it keeps rice grains separate and creates light toasting. If your heat is too low, the rice will absorb moisture and become gummy.
- Customize with extras: stir in ½ cup frozen peas and corn in step 3, or add a beaten egg in step 5 for fried rice with egg. If adding egg, reduce soy sauce slightly since egg is bland and dilutes seasoning.
- Don't stir too much, but don't leave it alone either. Fried rice needs heat and movement to fry, not steam, but constant stirring prevents the rice from developing those light golden spots.
Make ahead
Prepare all ingredients (mince garlic, dice peppers and onions, cook sausage) up to 1 hour ahead. Rice must be cooked and refrigerated the day before or at least 4 hours ahead. The final stir-fry takes only 12 minutes once you start.
Storage & reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-high heat with a splash of water for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Fried rice does not freeze well because the rice texture becomes mushy.
Substitutions
- fresh pork sausage links → Diced cooked ham or Chinese lap cheung (Chinese sausage), sliced thin. Both work well; lap cheung adds authentic flavor and only needs to be warmed, not fully cooked.
- red bell pepper → Carrots, diced small, or a mix of red and orange peppers. Carrots take slightly longer to soften (3 minutes instead of 2), so add them with the onions.
- soy sauce → Tamari (gluten-free) or coconut aminos. Use the same amount; coconut aminos is slightly sweeter.
- long-grain white rice, cooked and cooled → Day-old jasmine or brown rice. Short-grain rice (like sushi rice) is too sticky for fried rice; stick with long grain.
