Spam Fried Rice with Tomato

Name: Spam Fried Rice with Tomato
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Hawaiian
Ingredients: 12 oz (340 g) Spam (12 oz / 340 g can), removed from can and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or peanut); 1 whole (150 g) yellow onion, medium, finely diced (about ½ inch / 12 mm pieces); 3 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced; 3 cups (500 g) cold cooked white rice (jasmine or short-grain), chilled, grains separated and any large clumps broken up by hand; 2 whole (300 g) medium Roma or beefsteak tomatoes, seeds scooped out, flesh cut into ½-inch (12 mm) dice; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sesame oil (dark, toasted); ¼ teaspoon (½ g) white pepper, ground; 3 whole (30 g) green onions (scallions), thinly sliced, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A savory Hawaiian-style fried rice featuring diced spam, fresh tomatoes, and onions tossed with day-old rice in a wok or large skillet. The spam renders its fat into the rice while staying crispy on the edges, and the tomatoes add a bright acidity that balances the salt. This one-pan meal comes together in minutes and is perfect for lunch or a casual dinner.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 12 min
Total: 27 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 1.5 cups per person)

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Ingredients

4 servings

12 oz (340 g) Spam (12 oz / 340 g can), removed from can and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or peanut)
1 whole (150 g) yellow onion, medium, finely diced (about ½ inch / 12 mm pieces)
3 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced
3 cups (500 g) cold cooked white rice (jasmine or short-grain), chilled, grains separated and any large clumps broken up by hand
2 whole (300 g) medium Roma or beefsteak tomatoes, seeds scooped out, flesh cut into ½-inch (12 mm) dice
3 tablespoons (45 ml) soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) oyster sauce
1 teaspoon (5 ml) sesame oil (dark, toasted)
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) white pepper, ground
3 whole (30 g) green onions (scallions), thinly sliced, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts

Equipment (5)

Wok or 12-inch (30 cm) skillet
Cutting board
Chef's knife
Wooden spoon or spatula
Small bowl (for mixing soy sauce mixture)

Steps

Before you start

Use cold cooked rice (ideally a day old) to prevent clumping; fresh hot rice will turn mushy
Have all ingredients prepped and within arm's reach before you start cooking
Use a wok or large (12-inch) skillet—you need space to toss the rice without overflow

1
Cook the spam
- Heat the wok or skillet over medium-high heat (about 6 out of 10).
- Add 1 tablespoon oil.
- Once shimmering, add the diced spam in a single layer and cook without stirring for 2–3 minutes until the edges begin to brown and crisp.
- Stir and cook for another 1–2 minutes until the spam has rendered some of its fat and the pieces are golden brown on multiple sides.
- Transfer the spam to a clean plate, leaving about 1 teaspoon of rendered spam fat in the wok.
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Ready when: Spam edges are crispy and light golden brown; fat has rendered into the pan
Tip: Don't stir the spam too early—let it sit so the outside crisps up instead of steaming.
2
Sauté aromatics
- Add the diced onion to the same wok and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is starting to soften and smell fragrant.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, stirring constantly.
- The wok should smell sweet and aromatic at this point.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent at the edges; garlic smells fragrant and just begins to turn golden
Tip: Add garlic last so it doesn't burn while the onion cooks.
3
Add and break up the rice
- Add the cold cooked rice to the wok, breaking up any clumps with the back of your wooden spoon or spatula as you stir.
- Continue stirring and pressing the rice against the pan for 2–3 minutes.
- The goal is to heat the rice through and separate every grain; you should hear a light clicking sound as the rice grains rub against the hot pan.
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Ready when: Rice is heated through and grains are separate and moving freely; no clumps remain
Tip: If the rice seems dry or is sticking, it's cooked correctly. Fried rice should be a bit dry, not moist like steamed rice.
4
Mix in soy sauce and oyster sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.
- Pour this mixture over the rice in the wok and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes, coating every grain evenly.
- The rice should take on a light brown color and smell savory and deeply umami.
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Ready when: Rice is evenly light brown; no visible pools of sauce remain
Tip: Whisk the sauce in a bowl first so it blends smoothly; adding raw soy sauce and oyster sauce separately can cause uneven seasoning.
5
Return spam and add tomato
- Return the cooked spam to the wok and add the diced tomato.
- Stir gently for 1–2 minutes to fold everything together and heat the tomato through (you want it warm but still holding its shape, not breaking down into mush).
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Ready when: Tomato is warm and bright red; rice is glossy and evenly coated
Tip: Fold the tomato in gently to preserve its shape. Rough stirring will mash it.
6
Season and finish
- Add the white pepper and stir once more to combine.
- Taste a spoonful of rice.
- Adjust seasoning if needed with a splash more soy sauce or a pinch more white pepper.
- Remove from heat and stir in most of the green onion whites and light green parts, reserving some dark green tops for garnish.
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Ready when: Seasoning is balanced; green onion is incorporated
Tip: Add white pepper instead of black so the flecks don't show and the flavor stays clean and bright.
7
Serve
- Transfer to serving bowls or plates.
- Garnish with the reserved dark green onion tops.
- Serve immediately while hot.
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Tip: Fried rice is best eaten right away while the rice is still warm and grains are separated.

Good to know

Tips

Cold or day-old rice is essential. Fresh hot rice has too much moisture and will turn sticky and gluey when stir-fried.
Keep the heat at medium-high throughout—low heat will make the rice steam instead of fry and separate.
Prep all ingredients before you start cooking. Fried rice comes together in 12 minutes, so there's no time to pause and chop.
The spam is the star here, so don't skip browning it first. It renders fat that flavors the whole dish and gives those crispy-edged bits everyone loves.

Storage & reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet or wok over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring often and adding a splash of water or oil if the rice is dry. Do not freeze—reheated fried rice loses its texture and the spam can become rubbery.

Substitutions

Spam (12 oz / 340 g can) → diced Chinese sausage (lap cheong) or diced cooked ham. Both offer a similar salty, savory quality. Lap cheong brings a sweeter, spiced flavor; ham is leaner and less salty, so increase soy sauce slightly.
medium Roma or beefsteak tomatoes → diced red bell pepper or 1 cup (150 g) diced fresh pineapple. Red pepper keeps the fresh taste and structure; pineapple adds sweetness and is popular in Hawaiian fried rice (just reduce soy sauce by 1 tablespoon).
oyster sauce → 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce or 2 teaspoons fish sauce mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar. Both add umami depth. Hoisin is slightly sweeter; fish sauce is more pungent but very authentic.
cold cooked white rice (jasmine or short-grain) → cooked brown rice, jasmine rice, or short-grain white rice. Brown rice will take 1–2 minutes longer to heat through. Avoid long-grain white rice, which can feel mushy when fried.