Go Back
–+ servings
thumbnail of yeung chow fried rice.
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Yeung Chow Fried Rice

This Yeung Chow Fried Rice recipe brings the authentic flavors of a classic Chinese restaurant right into your kitchen. It's the perfect way to use up leftovers, transforming them into a delicious, family-friendly meal that's quick and easy to prepare.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main, Side
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 4
Calories: 572kcal
Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

  • 3 cups leftover rice
  • 5 shrimp (sized 21/25, sliced in half, or 12 smaller shrimp)
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots (or diced gai lan stems)
  • 1 cup Chinese BBQ pork - char siu (or 1 Chinese sausage (lap cheong))
  • 2 stalks green onion (finely minced, whites and greens separated)

Scrambled Eggs

  • 2-3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon oil

Seasoning

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt (or 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce)

Instructions

Preparation

  • Breakup 3 cups leftover rice by hand until individual grains. Set this aside.
    Breaking chunks of rice by hand into individual grains for fried rice.
  • Finely chop 2 stalks green onion, separating the whites from the greens. We will use the whites in the stir fry and the greens as a garnish. Set these aside.
    green onions chopped, with whites and greens separated.
  • Dice 1 cup Chinese BBQ pork - char siu (or 1 Chinese Sausage or leftover meat) into small, bite-sized pieces.
    chopping char siu on a cutting board.
  • Peel 5 shrimp. (Make sure the shrimp is fully thawed before using it, if using from frozen)
    Peel the shrimp.
  • (Optional) Cut Shrimp Smaller: If you are using smaller shrimp already or you like large pieces of shrimp in your fried rice, then skip this step. Otherwise, cut the shrimp in half lengthwise, or chop them into smaller bite-sized pieces.
    slicing shrimp length wise to make them smaller for yeung chow fried rice.
  • In a small bowl, beat 2-3 large eggs with 1 teaspoon oil and set this aside.
    eggs beaten with a bit of oil in a beige bowl.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and ¾ teaspoon salt (or 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce) and set it aside.
    a small bowl of sauce in a glass bowl.

Cook the Fried Rice

  • Heat the Wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the wok is hot, add oil. (Don't be shy with the oil)
  • Add frozen peas and carrots, and the whites of the green onions and stir fry them for 1-2 minutes, until the frozen vegetables soften a little.
    stir frying veg in a frying pan.
  • Add the char siu (or Chinese sausage or leftover meat) in the pan and stir fry everything for 2-3 minutes until the char siu is toasted.
    stir frying veggies and char siu in frying pan.
  • Push everything to the side of the pan, and add more oil. Add in the shrimp and cook it for 1-2 minutes until it is fully cooked through.
    stir frying shrimp with veg and char siu.
  • Push the shrimp aside on top of the veggies, and add a bit more oil to the pan, then add in the scrambled eggs and cook them until they are about 50-70% cooked.
    scrambling eggs in frying pan.
  • Add your day-old rice to the wok on top of the partially cooked egg, and stir fry just the egg and rice until the eggs are fully cooked and look dry (not soggy, wet, or mushy).
    mixing scrambled eggs with the cold rice in a frying pan.
  • Mix everything together and add in the sauce, and greens of the green onions and stir-fry everything for a minute to let things meld together.
    yeung chow fried rice completed in a frying pan.
  • Enjoy your delicious yeung chow fried rice!
    yeung chow fried rice in a white bowl with wooden chopsticks and grey napkin.

Notes

  • Use Day-Old Rice: For the best yeung chow fried rice, always try to use day-old rice. Freshly cooked rice tends to be mushy when stir-fried, while day-old rice has had time to dry out in the fridge, resulting in individual grains that are perfect for a fried rice dish. If you don't have leftover rice, you can make fresh rice but make sure you use less water to cook it, and dry it out in the freezer for a few hours or fridge in a single layer before using it.
  • Break Up Rice Grains Ahead of Time: Making fried rice is a very quick process, so it's important that you break the rice up into individual grains ahead of time before you start the cooking process, this helps the rice fry more evenly as well.
  • Don't Be Shy with the Oil: A good fried rice will have enough oil to help brown and toast every single ingredient in the fried rice. The oil, coats all the ingredients and helps bring up the temperature so that it stir-fries evenly. This will prevent mushy fried rice as well. I like to add a bit of butter for flavor as well, but that is optional.
  • Use a Wok or a Large Skillet for Stir-Frying: To make a good fried rice, it's important that you don't overcrowd the pan, because that will 'steam' the ingredients and make the final dish mushy. That's why a wok is the best tool for making any fried rice recipe, including yeung chow fried rice. Its high, sloping sides and wide top allow for easy tossing and quick, even heating. That being said, you can also use a large pan or make smaller batches as well for the best texture.
  • More Umami: Instead of seasoning this fried rice with just soy sauce and salt, I like to use oyster sauce for an extra layer of umami. If you want a traditional and lighter-looking yang chow fried rice, stick with the salt and soy sauce combo. If you want a bit more umami, substitute the ¾ teaspoon of salt for 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce instead.

Nutrition

Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 113g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 876mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg