Breakfast Fried Rice Is the 10-Minute Meal Your Mornings Have Been Missing

By Erin Cullum

Updated on 10/22/2018 at 9:05 AM

POPSUGAR Photography | Erin Cullum
POPSUGAR Photography | Erin Cullum

Fried rice: it's what's for breakfast. No, not a cold serving from the box of leftover takeout in the fridge, but a homemade fried rice that's fast and easy for weekday mornings. The best part of this recipe is that it uses up leftover rice (or farro, spelt, sorghum, quinoa, or any other grain you cooked for dinner) in a whole new way the next morning.

Scrambled eggs and chopped ham allow this to qualify as breakfast, and while the recipe calls for spinach, you can substitute any vegetables of your choice or use whatever you have on hand. Skip the unsatisfying granola bar and try this Asian-inspired dish the next time you want to actually look forward to breakfast.

POPSUGAR Photography | Erin Cullum
POPSUGAR Photography | Erin Cullum
POPSUGAR Photography | Erin Cullum
POPSUGAR Photography | Erin Cullum

Morning Fried Rice

Yield3 to 4 servings

From Rise and Shine: Better Breakfasts For Busy Mornings by Katie Sullivan Morford

INGREDIENTS

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
    • 3 cups cooked brown rice, or farro, spelt, or sorghum
    • 1/2 cup chopped ham
    • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
    • 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only (about 1/3 cup)
    • 2 large handfuls baby spinach
    • 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
    • Sriracha or other hot sauce (optional)

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rice and ham and cook, stirring regularly, until heated through, about two minutes (for a finished dish with a little more texture and crunch, cook an additional one to two minutes).

    2. Push the rice far over to one side of the skillet. In the empty part of the pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil. Add the eggs and scramble them just until cooked through. Scoop up the eggs and put them on top of the rice. Pour the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil into the empty part of the pan and add the scallions. Sauté for about 1 minute to soften. Add the spinach and sauté just enough to wilt. Stir everything thoroughly together in the pan. Add the rice vinegar and soy sauce and stir again. Serve with sriracha on the side, if desired.

    Notes

    It's best to use a nonstick skillet, otherwise the rice, ham, and eggs might stick to the bottom of the pan, even with the recommended amount of oil. Boost it: When you add the scallions to the pan, add a clove of thinly sliced garlic and/or one 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped.