Best fried rice ever! Salty, sweet, and a blast of color, flavor, and texture. Skip the greasy take-out and enjoy this totally wholesome, completely amazing, homemade fried rice. You need a handful of ingredients and it's ready in less than 30 minutes!

Here's why this is the best fried rice ever. I enlivened the dish with a little hoisin sauce, a thick, syrupy blend of fermented soybeans, five-spice powder, garlic, red chili peppers, and sugar. It's like soy sauce on steroids. Soy sauce is fabulous, don't get me wrong (and it's also in this recipe). But hoisin adds a depth of flavor you simply can't get with just soy sauce. 

Here's another reason why this is the best fried rice ever. I also added honey! You don't typically see honey in fried rice recipes, and I'm not sure why. The sweetness perfectly balances the saltiness of the soy sauce and hoisin sauce. 

I made this fried rice with chicken, but you can use steak, pork, shrimp, or tofu instead. Instead of chicken breasts, thighs, or tenders, you can use steak or pork that's cut into bite-size pieces, shrimp, or tofu. I didn't add egg here - it wasn't needed and I loved the way it looked without it - but you can certainly add eggs. If you want to add eggs, do it just before serving. Simply push the ingredients to one side of the pan and scramble 2 to 3 eggs on the other side. Once the eggs are cooked, you can fold everything together. 

What kind of rice should you use for this fried rice? I used long grain white rice, but you can also use jasmine, basmati, Texmati, or a combination. Short grain rice is too starchy, so save that for risotto night. The most important tip: fried rice turns out best when the rice cools before using. Rice that's cooled (preferably chilled) doesn't clump. If you want to save prep time, make the rice a day or two in advance and refrigerate until ready to use. 

This fried rice isn't spicy, so serve hot sauce on the side if you like a little heat. I served our fried rice with sriracha sauce and it was a nice little kick for folks wanting heat. You can serve the dish with any hot sauce, and even crushed red pepper flakes. 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup long grain white rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs

1/2 cup chopped onion

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, or more soy sauce 

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, kept frozen until ready to use

Chopped green onions for serving, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook the rice according to the package directions. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread out to cool. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Season the chicken and vegetables with salt and black pepper. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and honey and stir to coat. Fold in the rice and vegetables and cook for 2 minutes to heat through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Top with green onions, if using, and serve.