Pork Fried Rice

4.97 from 60 votes

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!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: servings

Author: Krissy Allori

Equipment

wok pan

Ingredients

Cook Rice Ahead of Time:

2 cups short grain white rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoon oil optional, avocado oil recommended

Make Fried Rice:

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
1/2 cup peas fresh or thawed frozen
1/4 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

Cook Rice: Ahead of time, you'll want to cook your rice. Combine 2 cups short grain white rice and 2 cups water (plus the 1 tablespoon oil, if using) in Instant Pot and press the "Rice" button, or use a rice cooker or covered pot on the stove.
Chill Rice: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and add cooked rice in a flattened layer. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of one hour or in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Having the rice chilled is a key component to really good fried rice.
Prepare your ingredients before cooking: Cut the 1 pound pork tenderloin into very small pieces. Mince the 3 cloves garlic. Dice the 1 small onion and 2 carrots.
Cook scrambled egg: Heat a very large pan, wok, or griddle (like a Blackstone) over medium heat. When the cooking surface is hot, melt 1 tbsp of the butter. Add the whisked 2 eggs and cook to a slightly underdone scramble. Transfer to a plate.
Brown meat: Increase heat under pan to medium high and melt another 1 tbsp of butter. Add the pork 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.
Cook Vegetables: Add another 1 tbsp of butter to the pan. Sauté the carrots, onion, and 1/2 cup peas until slightly golden brown, stirring only occasionally. When done, transfer to the plate with the meat.
Combine: Add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter to the pan. Add the cold cooked 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 the cooked meat and veggies back to the pan (along with any juices on the plate). Stir to combine to heat through. Add scrambled egg, 1/4 cup green onions, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper and additional soy sauce and/or sesame oil, if needed.
Serve warm.

Video

Notes

This recipe can be made in a large fry pan, but for best results you will need a wok or a large griddle. If using a large frying pan or a wok, 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. My preferred cooking method is to use the Blackstone on the deck because everything can be cooked at the same time.
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.
Other meat (i.e. shrimp, chicken, etc.) can be used in place of the pork tenderloin. You can also use leftover cooked meat like chicken thighs, pork chops, etc. If using pre-cooked meat, only sear long enough to brown with a bit of flavor - do not overcook.
Soy sauce and toasted sesame oil are to be added at the very end for flavor.

Nutrition