Yangzhou Fried Rice
The classic Chinese banquet fried rice: fluffy, separate grains of rice tossed with tender shrimp, salty-savory Chinese ham, fully set egg curds, sweet peas and scallions. It's seasoned lightly so each ingredient stays distinct, and it comes together in about 14 minutes at the stove.
- Prep
- 16 min
- Cook
- 14 min
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Makes
- About 6 cups (4 main-course servings, or 6 as a side)
Steps
Before you start
- Cook the rice at least 8 hours ahead (ideally the day before). As soon as it is cooked, spread it about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick on a rimmed tray and cool it for no more than 1 hour, then refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below. Cover it once it is fully cold. Cold, dry rice gives separate grains, and fast cooling keeps it safe. Frying does not destroy the toxin that Bacillus cereus can form in slowly cooled rice.
- Discard any rice that sat at room temperature for more than 2 hours, and use refrigerated rice within 1 day (2 days at most, only if it was cooled quickly).
- Stir-frying moves fast. Have every ingredient prepped and within arm's reach before you turn on the heat. Keep the shrimp and eggs refrigerated until you cook them.
- Use a 14-inch (35 cm) carbon-steel wok or a large 12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet. Don't double the recipe in a home kitchen; cook in two batches instead.
- Thaw frozen peas and shrimp completely (shrimp in the fridge), and have an instant-read thermometer ready for the final check.
Loosen the rice
- Tip the cold rice into a large bowl.
- With slightly damp fingers, gently rub and break apart every clump until the rice looks like individual grains.
- You should be able to pour it like loose sand.
- Return it to the fridge while you prep if your kitchen is warm.
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Ready when: No clumps larger than a few grains remain.
Tip: Do this before cooking. Breaking up clumps in the hot wok crushes the grains and makes the rice gummy.
Marinate the shrimp cold
- Pat the cut shrimp very dry with paper towels.
- In a medium bowl, toss them with the 1 tsp Shaoxing wine, cornstarch and ¼ tsp salt until each piece is lightly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Shrimp look lightly glossy with no dry cornstarch patches.
Tip: Dry shrimp sear instead of steaming. Keep them in the fridge until the moment they go in the wok.
Prep the remaining ingredients
- While the shrimp marinate, dice the ham, slice the scallions (keep whites and greens in separate piles), and drain the thawed peas.
- Beat the eggs with ⅛ tsp salt in a small bowl and keep refrigerated until cooking.
- Arrange everything next to the stove, along with a large plate for the cooked components.
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Ready when: Everything is chopped, measured and within reach.
Sear the shrimp
- Heat the wok over high heat until it just begins to smoke lightly, about 1½ minutes.
- Add 1 tbsp oil and swirl to coat.
- Add the shrimp in a single layer and stir-fry for 1½ to 2 minutes, tossing often.
- Transfer to the plate.
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Ready when: Shrimp are pink, curled and fully opaque with no translucent gray center.
Tip: Don't leave the shrimp and eggs on the plate for more than about 10 minutes before they go back into the hot wok.
Scramble the eggs
- Reduce heat to medium-high.
- Add 1 tbsp oil, then pour in the beaten eggs.
- Let them sit for 10 seconds, then push and fold with the spatula to form large curds.
- Keep cooking, breaking the curds into pea-size pieces, until no liquid egg remains.
- Move them to the plate with the shrimp.
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Ready when: Eggs are completely firm and dry-looking with no wet or glossy patches, about 60 to 90 seconds total.
Tip: Cook the eggs fully here rather than leaving them soft. This keeps the dish safe for children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone immunocompromised.
Fry ham and scallion whites
- Return the wok to high heat.
- Add 1 tbsp oil and the diced ham and scallion whites.
- Stir-fry for about 1 minute.
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Ready when: Ham edges look slightly glossy and the scallion whites smell sweet and fragrant. Nothing should be browned or burnt.
Tip: Chinese ham is salty, so don't add any extra salt until you taste the finished rice.
Stir-fry the rice
- Add the last 1 tbsp oil, then the loosened rice.
- Press and toss continuously, spreading the rice against the hot wok surface and scooping it over itself, for 3 to 4 minutes.
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Ready when: Rice is steaming hot all the way through, grains are separate and bounce in the wok, and you can hear a light crackle. It tastes hot, not cold, in the center.
Tip: If the rice sticks, lower the heat slightly for a few seconds. Don't walk away from the wok.
Season the rice
- Drizzle the 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine around the edge of the wok so it sizzles and evaporates on contact.
- Sprinkle in ½ tsp salt and the white pepper.
- Toss for 30 seconds.
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Ready when: The sharp smell of alcohol has cooked off and the rice smells toasty, with a pale, even color.
Combine and check temperature
- Add the shrimp, eggs, peas and scallion greens to the wok.
- Toss for 2 to 3 minutes until everything is piping hot.
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the rice in 2 or 3 spots.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
- Turn off the heat, drizzle with the sesame oil if using, and toss once more.
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Ready when: Every thermometer reading is at least 165°F (74°C), peas are bright green, shrimp are opaque and firm, and everything is evenly distributed through the rice.
Tip: If any spot reads below 165°F (74°C), keep tossing over high heat for another 30 to 60 seconds and check again. Serve immediately.
Good to know
Tips
- Use long-grain rice cooked with slightly less water than usual. Soft, wet rice cannot be rescued by frying.
- Don't overcrowd the wok. If your burner is weak, cook the rice in two batches of 2 cups (300 g) each and combine at the end.
- Keep the seasoning light. Authentic Yangzhou fried rice has no soy sauce, so the colors of the shrimp, egg, ham and peas stay distinct.
- Cook the components separately and combine them at the end so each one is perfectly cooked, and always confirm 165°F (74°C) in the finished dish before serving.
Make ahead
Cook the rice, spread it thin on a tray, cool it within 1 hour, refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below, and cover once cold. Use it within 1 day (2 days at most if cooled quickly). Discard rice left out more than 2 hours. Dice the ham, slice the scallions and thaw the peas up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate covered. Marinate the shrimp no more than 2 hours ahead, kept covered in the fridge, or toss them with the marinade just before cooking. Cook the dish just before serving.
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers within 1 hour, spreading them in a shallow container, and never leave them out longer than 2 hours. Refrigerate in an airtight container at 40°F (4°C) or below for up to 1 day. Freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in a hot skillet or wok with a teaspoon of oil, tossing for 2 to 3 minutes, or microwave covered with a splash of water, until steaming hot and 165°F (74°C) throughout. Reheat only once.
Substitutions
- Chinese ham (Jinhua ham) → Prosciutto, Spanish serrano ham or thick-cut smoked ham. Use the same weight (85 g). Prosciutto is saltier and softer, so add the salt cautiously.
- medium raw shrimp → Chinese barbecue pork (char siu), diced. Use 6 oz (170 g) and add it with the ham. Skip the marinade and the separate shrimp step.
- Shaoxing wine → Dry sherry. Use the same amount in place of Shaoxing wine (both the marinade and the wok).
- neutral oil (peanut, canola or avocado) → Lard or rendered chicken fat for 1 tbsp of the rice oil. This adds richer flavor in the traditional style.
