A quick & easy beef fried rice recipe made with ground beef, eggs, leftover rice and seasoned with cumin that can be made as a side or a meal
This cumin beef fried rice was inspired Xinjiang cumin lamb that I absolutely adore whenever we go out to eat at our local Uyghur restaurant. There is something very flavorful about the combination of cumin with meat and on lazy days when I want to have a one-bowl meal without all the fuss - this definitely hits the spot. The best part is, you can have a one-bowl meal of ground beef spiced with cumin, mixed with egg fried rice in about 15 minutes if you are using leftover rice.
INGREDIENTS FOR CUMIN BEEF FRIED RICE
- Ground Beef - I usually like to use lean ground beef for this recipe. If you can get a hold of ground lamb it will work beautifully with this recipe as well.
- Rice - Try to use leftover rice to make fried rice. I have a few tips below on how to break it apart, and why it works better than using freshly made rice. If you have leftover vermicelli rice pilaf, you can also use that as well!
- Garlic/Ginger - Ginger and garlic, when toasted in oil adds a wonderful flavor that works very well well with cumin and beef. Definitely do not omit these 2 ingredients.
- Cumin - I try to use whole cumin for this beef fried rice whenever possible. Always toast it in a pan for a few seconds to bring out its flavor before using it. I have tried using ground cumin and although it does work, it does not have as strong of a flavor.
TIPS FOR MAKING FRIED RICE
- Try to use leftover rice whenever you make fried rice. Compared to freshly made rice, leftover rice tends to be a bit drier and firmer and can hold its shape better while you are stir-frying it. This can make a big difference between having fried rice with whole individual rice grains with a good mouthfeel, or soggy fried rice.
- If you don't have day-old rice, you can make a pot of rice and put it in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours. The texture you are aiming for is granular when you separating the big chunks of rice. Alternatively, you can also add slightly less water to your fresh batch of rice when steaming it.
- Using your hands, break apart your cold rice into smaller pieces by gently squeezing the rice in a separate bowl before you start making the beef fried rice. It's a lot easier, quicker, and less messy to just put the smaller chunks directly into the frying pan than break it apart directly into the pan while the heat is still on cooking the eggs. I also find that the rice is easier to break apart in the frying pan, once they are in smaller pieces.
- Add in the rice when your eggs are half cooked. This will coat some of the rice with a bit of egg which will help with evenly breaking up the egg into smaller pieces throughout the fried rice when it is done cooking.
LOOKING FOR MORE EASY RECIPES? TRY THESE!
- Tuna Mayo Deopbap (Korean Tuna Rice Bowl)
- Stir Fry Chicken Teriyaki Noodles
- Simple Egg Fried Rice
- Thai Basil Turkey Fried Rice
DID YOU MAKE THIS CUMIN BEEF FRIED RECIPE?
If you made this cumin beef fried rice recipe – I want to see it! Follow Pups with Chopsticks on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag and hashtag it with @pupswithchopsticks and #pupswithchopsticks. I love to know what you are making!
Stay connected and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of my latest recipes!
Cumin Beef Fried Rice
A quick & easy beef fried rice recipe made with ground beef, eggs, leftover rice and seasoned with cumin that can be made as a side or a meal
Print
Pin
Share
Email
Rate
Save
4 Servings
Recipe Notes
- Try to use leftover rice whenever you make fried rice. Compared to freshly made rice, leftover rice tends to be a bit drier and firmer and can hold its shape better while you are stir-frying it. This can make a big difference between having fried rice with whole individual rice grains with a good mouthfeel, or soggy fried rice.
- If you don't have day-old rice, you can make a pot of rice and put it in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours. The texture you are aiming for is granular when you separating the big chunks of rice. Alternatively, you can also add slightly less water to your fresh batch of rice when steaming it.
- Add the salt into the meat and not the rice, the grease from the meats spreads out the salt more evenly throughout the fried rice once everything is combined.
- Toast your whole cumin seeds for a few seconds for a more robust and nutty flavor.
- I try to use whole cumin for this beef fried rice whenever possible. Always toast it in a pan for a few seconds to bring out its flavor before using it. I have tried using ground cumin and although it does work, it does not have as strong of a flavor.
- I have also tried sprinkling in some sumac for some extra flavor but this may not be for everyone. Sumac has an intensely sour flavor, so if you're up for a bit more flavor and you're okay with a bit of tartness then give it a try!
Ingredients
- 500 g ground beef (or ground lamb)
- 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds (see notes)
- 1.5 tablespoons garlic (4 cloves, finely minced or grated)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (grated or very finely minced)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 eggs
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3-4 cups rice (cold, preferably a day old)
- 1 green onion (finely chopped)
- sumac (optional, see notes)
Instructions
Preparation
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl and scramble it. Set it aside for later
- Using your hands, separate the leftover rice into small pieces (see the photo in the blog post for how small I break up the rice). Set aside for later.
- Cut the root tips off the green onions and finely chop it (including the whites of the green onion). Set aside for later.
Making the Beef Fried Rice
- Add a bit of oil to a frying pan, and set it to medium heat and wait for the oil to get hot.
- Add in the whole cumin seeds and toast it for 15-30 seconds. Watch it carefully to make sure it doesn't burn!
- Add in the ground beef. Break up the meat into tiny pieces and cook for about 5 mins or the water in the ground beef evaporates away.
- Add in the salt, ginger, garlic and soy sauce and cook for another 2 mins
- Push the ground beef to the side of the frying pan. Add eggs into the pan and let it cook for a few seconds until the egg is about 50% cooked. (See the blog post for a photo of how much I cook the eggs before adding the rice in)
- Add in the rice and mix the beef, egg, and rice together for about 10 mins. Keep the rice moving to fully cook the eggs.
- Turn off the heat, and add the green onions and enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 874kcal | Carbohydrates: 114g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 962mg | Potassium: 604mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 5mg
*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*
Did you try this recipe?I'd love to hear from you! Let me know how it was and consider giving it a rating! Tag me on Instagram with @pupswithchopsticks to show me!
Disclaimer: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. These earnings help maintain and keep our little blog running. While I appreciate the support – please always try to buy your items locally to support your local shops (chances are they are cheaper locally as well!)
Lionel says
Cumin is my latest spice I have been experimenting with and so loved to find this recipe. As an aside, cumin in guac or as an addition to rice pilaf... mmm. I added red pepper flakes for spice, the lime someone suggested and used that aforementioned cumin rice pilaf leftover. A quick, easy delicious meal that will be a staple. One suggestion... cooking times are way too long even allowing that I had halved the total ingredients.
Joyce Lee says
Hi Lionel!
I may be using very fatty ground beef, so it takes me a lot of time to cook away the excess liquid once it renders out.
I do agree, cumin is a very underrated spice and it makes meat taste amazing!
Josie says
Hi Joyce, I did so many fried rice in different cooking ways, but I have never tried to add cumin as 1 of the ingredients into cooking with fried rice. So, I have done to follow your exact receipe, slightly fried green onions to get its aroma. Amazingly, everyone from my family loves it .🙂👍. Thamk you for your new innovation in cookings.
Joyce Lee says
H Josie,
Cumin is a wonderful ingredient and so full of flavor in fried rice! I'm so happy you liked it! and Yes! Green onions make everything better haha!
Myrna says
This is a very tasty dish. I added chopped onion and celery and minced cilantro as well as the green onion to top it. I used half ground beef and half ground lamb but definitely recommend draining the grease after browning. I lost some of the cumin seeds but added more to taste during cooking. I will add a bit of heat next time, perhaps Aleppo pepper.Served with a quartered lime. Give it a try - it’s 😋
Joyce Lee says
Hi Myrna!
I'm so happy this turned out for you! I love the additions you added to this recipe! I definitely will add some onion next time I make this as well! 🙂
Harsh but fair Harsherson says
Hope you’re a better cook than food blogger. Overuse of the word gluey, rambling pointless story and a lot of BS.
No idea about the recipe as I haven’t any old rice and I wouldn’t (gasps, clutching pearls) want it to turn out “gluey”.
Joyce Lee says
What can I say? I *really* don't like gluey/soggy fried rice and I *really* don't want anyone making this to experience that either.
That being said, you're right - writing is not my forte, cooking is. That, and this post was one of the very first post I have ever written when I first created this site so I wasn't very good at putting my thoughts into words. You live and you learn right. That reminds me, this post definitely is in need of an update with better photos and instructions.
Linh says
Hey Joyce!
I liked your story - it was short and sweet and gave some background why you like the dish (it definitely was not rambling!). You don't need to apologize for how wonderful you are. If people don't like it, they don't need to read your blog and they definitely don't need to comment.
And I 100% agree that day old rice is the best - gluey is gross. I like that you gave an alternative in case day-old rice isn't available. That's very considerate!
I hope you have a lovely day!
Joyce Lee says
Hi Linh,
Thank you so much for this. You really brightened up my day and warmed my heart. I am beyond touched and if you were here I would give you a big hug right now. When I write these recipes, I really just want to share yummies and to make sure it turns out successful and delicious in the end for everyone. 🙂 I really appreciate the wonderful people and support. Thank you, and hope you have a wonderful day as well - please stay safe.
Sue says
My local bulk barn has sumac, if it helps anyone find it.
Tawd says
I love cumin + beef and cumin + lamb. Great flavours. Combine that with yummy fried rice and you've got yourself a delicious treat. I'm heading over now!
Joyce says
Haha!I love that combo too! ..and too late! It's in my belleh! 🙂
Kelly says
I love adding cumin to ground beef dishes - this sounds like such a different flavor combination for me, and something I can actually make here at the house with my limited kitchen. Thanks!
Joyce says
I find that it makes the beef really stand out too! 🙂 I'm glad you would enjoy this! 🙂