Fried Rice with Bacon and Edamame
By: Merritt
Fried rice is a versatile dish, that makes a great dinner and even better leftovers. Whenever I go out to eat, its one of my favorite dishes to bring home, and now its one of my favorites to make. Some great ad-ins are bacon, green onion, and edamame as they create a colorful and tasty bowl and are very accessible for most home-cooks.
Finished with the creamy coating of egg, this dish will be a great go-to for anyone wanting to elevate their dinner on any night. There is nothing worse than the feeling of needing to use leftovers and not knowing what to make, but the great thing about fried rice is that it can stand alone for days and will never disappoint.
This recipe is very easy to make and can pair well with a lot different, vegetables or meats. Some of my favorite ways to serve it is with steak or fried tofu. You will love it because it comes together quickly using only one pan or wok.
Notes and Tips to Cook Great Fried Rice Every Time:
Cold rice works best for this. I make a pot of short grain sticky rice the day before to make sure I do not end up with a mushy dish which can happen if your rice is not cold.
Maximize your largest skillet, you will not regret making more. I usually try to make 4 cups of cooked rice per serving. This makes a few extra meals that I can easily grab for later snacking or eating.
Great fried rice happens when you have enough oil. Do not be afraid to add a little extra butter or oil if your vegetables or rice are looking dry during the cooking process. This allows them to get nice and crispy.
What To Pair With Fried Rice with Edamame?
Try pairing this with soy marinated flank steak!
Other super easy add-ins that make additions are shitake mushrooms, peas, carrots, or crispy broccoli. Try it with your favorite vegetable and let me know how it turns out in the comments below!
Making breakfast for dinner? Instead of coating your rice in egg, make an over-easy runny egg or two and set it atop your rice for serving.
What Kind Of Soy Sauce Do I Need?
I have made this soy sauce, shoyu soy sauce, and tamari. All are great so use whichever you have on hand, and get ready to have the best fried rice ever.
What Kind Of Pan Do I Need To Cook Fried Rice In?
You can cook this recipe in a large skillet. Since home cooking is hard to achieve restaurant level heat, something that gets a lot of surface area on the cook top is best. You can use a wok but but a skillet works great too.
If you are cooking on an electric stovetop, move your pan to a different burner when going to stir your egg in. Electric tops will hold too much heat and will scramble your egg. If you are using a gas stovetop, turning your burner off works fine for that step.
Ingredients for Fried Rice With Edamame and Bacon:
Recipe: Serves 6
- 3-4 cups cooked short grain rice Cooked and cooled.
- 3-4 Tbs olive oil or butter. You can also use vegetable or coconut oil.
- 1 Tbs sesame oil Sesame oil adds flavor and depth.
- 1 Clove of garlic lightly minced. You can use 1 tsp of garlic powder too.
- 1 bunch green onion Chopped on a bias
- 2 Tbs soy sauce Plus more, to taste.
- 4-5 strips cooked and crumbled bacon Any type will do, though thick cut is great.
- 1/2 cup cooked and shelled edamame You can add more, to taste.
- 1 tsp garlic powder This adds extra garlic powder, in addition to the fresh garlic.
- 1 egg, whisked The egg will coat the rice for a delicious addition.
- sesame seeds for topping. White or black sesame seeds work great.
How To Make Fried Rice:
In a large skillet, heat 2-3 Tbs of oil over medium heat.
Prepare your vegetables by coining your green onion and setting aside some of the green part for topping.
Lightly mince your garlic garlic clove.
Crumble or chop your cooked bacon and set aside. IF your bacon is not pre-cooked: cook your bacon strips first in your skillet. Once cooked, remove from the heat and use the bacon grease to start step 5.
To your hot skillet, add your green onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the bacon, minced garlic and edamame and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.
Add the rice, garlic powder, sesame oil and soy sauce. Mix well and allow to cook until the rice is well heated. If your rice mixture looks dry or is starting to stick, add another tablespoon or two of cooking oil.
While your rice and vegetables are cooking, crack an egg into a small bow and whisk well. Add in 1 tsp soy sauce to the whisked egg and stir well.
When ready to add your egg, turn the heat off and pour over your rice.
Continuously stir so that the egg does not scramble but coats your rice as it cooks. You might see some scrambled egg, but if stirred constantly, the consistency should mimic that of carbonara or golden rice.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!