Instant “Fried” (No-Fry) Rice
In a hurry and looking for a fun little side dish? Look no further than Instant “Fried” (No-Fry) Rice! This six ingredient fried rice dish is ready in about 12 minutes using the magic of instant rice. With no messy frying.
If you are a hard core rice aficionado with no patience for fast/instant rice, you should stop reading now.
I love Minute Rice.
It almost always works (as long as I measure properly) and it doesn’t clump or burn either. This recipe calls for regular white Minute Rice, which is what I have in the pantry (in a big old red box from Sam’s Club), but this would be great with instant brown rice too. It would just take a few extra minutes.
We use instant rice quite a bit. Check out our Mexican Rice Bean and Corn Salad or Creamy Rice and Four Bean Salad for more ideas.
What exactly is instant rice?
Instant rice is rice that has been precooked.
Instant rice is made using several methods. The most common method is similar to the home cooking process. The rice is blanched in hot water, steamed, and rinsed. It is then placed in large ovens for dehydration until the moisture content reaches approximately twelve percent or less.
The basic principle involves increasing moisture of the milled white rice by using steam or water to form cracks or holes in the kernels. The fast cooking properties come from the fact that, when recooked, water can penetrate into the cracked grain much more quickly.
Wikipedia
See? That’s not so bad.
Then we get to the “No-Fry” part of the Fried Rice. We are seasoning up the water and adding veggies to it while it comes to a boil so everything is ready at the same time. Then we scramble an egg or two and mix them in.
We aren’t getting out the wok or fry pan. Just a big pot. (And a little non-stick skillet for the eggs.)
“Fried” (No-Fry) Rice is a perfect side dish as prepared, but you can mix in just about any protein to make it a one bowl meal. Pork chops, chicken, pot roast, sausage, tofu… the list is endless. This is a perfect way to use up leftovers!
Start by cutting the carrots into tiny bites. I use my hollow edge santoku knife (affiliate links follow, see disclaimer page for details). Once the carrot is peeled, slice it on a diagonal before cutting each piece into matchsticks. Then cut the matchsticks into small dice (about a 1/4″).
Add the water, soy sauce, peas, carrots and butter to a medium pot.
Bring to a rolling boil, then add the rice. Stir.
Turn off the heat and put the lid on right away. Meanwhile, make a scrambled egg or two in a small non-stick skillet. Spray with cooking spray and drop in the egg when the pan is hot. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt.
Let it set for a few seconds before stirring vigorously to scramble. I like the eggs a little chunky and two-toned in the Instant “Fried” (No-Fry) Rice.
When the rice is cooked through (five minutes or so) add the eggs to the pot and stir. Serve immediately.
Instant “Fried” (No-Fry) Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups Water
- 2 tbsp Tamari or Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Butter (Optional)
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
- 1 medium Carrot, peeled and chopped finely
- 2 cups Minute Rice
- 2 large Eggs
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Combine water, soy sauce, butter, peas and carrots in medium sauce pan.
- Heat until the liquid comes to a rolling boil and add instant rice. Turn off heat and put lid on pan.
- Meanwhile, heat a small non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Coat with cooking spray and add eggs. Allow eggs to set briefly, then scramble using a wooden spoon or spatula.
- When rice is cooked through, about 5 minutes, add scrambled eggs and mix well. Serve immediately.
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