Pork Fried Rice, made with tender pork tenderloin, is a delicious and complete meal your family will love. See how easy it is to make in your own kitchen just like you would enjoy in a Chinese restaurant!
Why this recipe works:
Pork fried rice is a recipe I've been making for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I always used leftover pork chops, which you can totally do. For this recipe, I used a pork tenderloin.
I've been craving authentic pork fried rice for quite some time now, and thought pork tenderloin would be so much better than using leftover pork chops. Turns out I was right.
This recipe is outstanding because it is full of great flavor. Unlike other fried rice recipes, you'll find that this one has a great texture too because there's a trick with the rice.
Read on to find out how to make pork fried rice like a Chinese restaurant. YUM!
Ingredients you will need:
- Short grain white rice - I cook mine in the Instant Pot
- Butter
- Eggs
- Pork Tenderloin - this will be cut into tiny pieces prior to cooking
- onion, carrots, peas, garlic, green onions - all sliced and diced into small pieces
- Soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, salt and pepper
How to make it:
This recipe is cooked in phases and then all combined together at the end. Before you start making the fried rice, you will need to make the rice. For this recipe to work, the rice needs to be at room temperature or cooler, so I recommend setting it out on a baking sheet which helps it get extra sticky.
- Cook the scrambled egg until set in some butter (photo 1). Set that aside. Next cook the pork pieces in butter (photo 2). Spread it out as much as possible and stir it infrequently to give it a nice crispy brown. Set that aside.
- Next, you'll saute the vegetables in butter (photo 3) and set them aside once they are limp and begin to brown. Finally, you'll melt more butter in the pan and add the rice (photo 4). Let that sizzle and crisp up before you stir it.
- Finally, you can add all the cooked ingredients back into the pan (photos 5 and 6), toss everything together, and add the soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, green onions, and salt and pepper.
Cooking tips:
- This recipe can be made in a large fry pan, but for best results you will need a wok.
- For the best results, be sure to dice the vegetables into really small pieces. You want to be able to eat this meal with a spoon or chopsticks, and the smaller the vegetables are, the easier they will stick to the rice.
- You can easily make a vegetarian version of egg fried rice or vegetable fried rice, but I much prefer the addition of meat.
- You need to cook the egg, meat, and vegetables all separately and then combine them at the end. This will give you soft eggs as well as meat and veggies with a nice, flavorful, golden brown sear.
- Soy sauce and toasted sesame oil are to be added at the very end for flavor.
Substitutions:
- You can make slightly different versions of this recipe by swapping the pork tenderloin with boneless skinless chicken or shrimp.
- If you're looking to make healthier version, you can easily replace the white rice with brown rice.
- I have replaced the frozen peas with fresh sugar snap peas and that was delicious.
- If you don't have sesame seeds but you have some of that everything-but-the-bagel seasoning, try that!
- Butter can be replaced with oil, however butter is what gives you the tastiest browning on your meat, veggies and rice.
How to reheat pork fried rice:
Leftover fried rice is excellent, however you must reheat it carefully so as to not over cook the meat or the egg. There are two methods I recommend.
- First option would be the microwave. I recommend heating it on a lower power setting or, if your microwave offers, the reheat setting. Heat, uncovered, just until warm. Fried rice tastes better when it is really warm as opposed to super hot.
- My other recommendation would be to melt a bit of butter in a saute pan and reheat over medium heat, uncovered, with very little stirring. This method will heat your pork fried rice all the way through without over cooking the meat or the egg.
Other great stir fry recipes:
Recipe video below!
Did you make this recipe? Please leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Full Recipe Instructions
Pork Fried Rice
Pork Fried Rice, made with tender pork tenderloin, is a delicious and complete meal your family will love. See how easy it is to make pork fried rice just like a Chinese restaurant in your own kitchen!
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Scale: servings
Kitchen Tools
Ingredients
- 4 cups short grain white rice (cooked and chilled)
- 5 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 2 eggs (slightly beaten)
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 carrots (peeled and diced)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup green onions (sliced thinly (mostly whites but some greens))
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (more if preferred)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (more if preferred)
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (more if preferred)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Ahead of time, you'll want to cook your rice. Rice typically triples in size when it cooks, so you'll need at least 1 ⅓ cups uncooked rice to start with. I typically make more just to have it on hand for the kids. You want the cooked rice to be cold when you make the pork fried rice, so if you need to chill it quickly, you can spread a thin layer on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator or even freezer.
- Cut the pork tenderloin into very small pieces. This is easier if the meat is partially frozen and you use a serrated edge knife.
- In a very large pan over medium heat, melt 1 T of the butter. Add the whisked egg and cook to a slightly underdone scramble. Transfer to a plate.
- Increase heat under pan to medium high and melt another 1 T of butter. Add the tenderloin pieces, stirring only occasionally in order to get them to brown. Once mostly cooked, add the garlic, stir, and cook for a few more minutes. Transfer to a large plate.
- Add another 1 T of butter to the pan. Saute the carrots, onion, and peas until slightly golden brown, stirring only occasionally. When done, transfer to the plate with the meat.
- Add the remaining 2 T of butter to the pan. Add the cold rice and spread to an even layer. Allow to cook for a couple minutes before stirring to get the bottom layer to crisp up a bit. Then give it a good stir to heat through. Add meat and veggies back to the pan (along with any juices on the plate). Stir to combine to heat through. Add scrambled egg, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper and additional soy sauce and/or sesame oil, if needed.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Cooking tips:
- This recipe can be made in a large fry pan, but for best results you will need a wok.
- For the best results, be sure to dice the vegetables into really small pieces. You want to be able to eat this meal with a spoon or chopsticks, and the smaller the vegetables are, the easier they will stick to the rice.
- You can easily make a vegetarian version of egg fried rice or vegetable fried rice, but I much prefer the addition of meat.
- You need to cook the egg, meat, and vegetables all separately and then combine them at the end. This will give you soft eggs as well as meat and veggies with a nice, flavorful, golden brown sear.
- Soy sauce and toasted sesame oil are to be added at the very end for flavor.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 664mg | Potassium: 512mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3902IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg
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This recipe was originally created in January 2018 and has been updated with process photos, helpful information and cooking tips. Don't worry - I didn't change the recipe!
Kathy Kendall
Just finished our main noon meal of combo fried rice using your recipe almost exactly. I didn't have green onion so I used a shallot. I used frozen peeled and deveined shrimp cut in half and chicken cut in small cubes. I subbed brown rice for white, as that is what I'm supposed to be eating. I followed your directions exactly otherwise. We both LOVED it. Another great recipe. Thanks!
Raelyn
Thanks for this fabulous recipe, my husband surprised me and said “let’s cook something together” so this was even better!! We added extra garlic, and a whole jalapeño chopped up and it was SO GOOD! We thoroughly enjoyed this rice!!!
Peg
What if I don't have sesame oil?
Krissy
You can make it without or substitute with a different oil or butter. Sesame oil just adds a fantastic flavor.
Dee
I used turkey chops Great recipe
Scott
Great recipe, thank you! I use more egg and I add hot chili oil, just my preference.
Krissy
both are great suggestions!
Korinne
Love this recipe for leftover chicken or pork. Have made it many times. I use a mandolin to cut things up small. Btw: Recipe missing the garlic.
Krissy
Great suggestions! Also, it lists the garlic as an ingredient and states to add it in step 4.
Vance
Gone in 20 minutes
Jenn
This recipe is delicious! I used a frozen bag of mixed veggies instead of just the peas and carrots. So good!
Kathy
This was absolutely delicious! I used leftover pork chops that had been fried. There was a lot of flavor in them. But the secret is cutting everything super small. I also added celery and poblano peppers because it’s what I had. Thanks for a great recipe!
Sheryl
This is the fried rice recipe I've been looking for...perfect as written. I doubled the recipe too. Perfect
Rachel
Great recipe. Very tasty
Wanda
By far my favorite!
I hate all the ads though so rarely look for anything else to try. Just too annoying!
George
This recipe is great! I've been making it for years. Key ingredient I use to season the chopped up pork is Chinese Five Spice!
Krissy
Great recommendation!
Darla Schmitz
This was fantastic! Way better than takeout. I can’t have soy so I substituted coconut aminos and added a little salt…but YUM! Definitely going to add additional proteins next time.
Linda
Had left over rice from carry out; and left over pork tenderloin. These two short cuts allowed for quick assembly! Very tasty!
Sophia
Great recipe I add Napa cabbage and some bean sprouts love it!!
Thank you for sharing
Keely
I don't ever leave reviews but I've been making this for over a year now, so figured it was due. Easy to make and so so good!! I use left over pork steak/chops and I do a bag of mixed frozen carrots and peas. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Marky
Ive been making this recipe every few weeks.The process is foolproof and the chilled rice step really works. I add hot chili oil and less butter to the butter steps, but other than that, i do it exactly like it is..Better than Asian take out, everyone who has tried this has devoured it.Sometimes i do it with pork, chicken and shrimp, and that is a real crowd pleaser! Thanks for this great recipe!