Shrimp Fried Rice

Seafood lovers! Glow-up your fried rice so it says “fancy” – without any extra effort. This succulent 15-minute Shrimp Fried Rice upgrades a basic meal into a special occasion where everyone is a VIP – no fancy dress required.

🎥 Watch How to Make Shrimp Fried Rice

Fried Rice dishes are the ultimate one-pot meals you can enjoy as a quick 30-minute meal while sinking into your couch on Friday night. Or, dress it up fancy for easy entertaining at home, because seafood just sings fancyyy *pinky up*

Any way you throw it together, fried rice is practically fool-proof with so many variations. The limit is really your imagination! Simple Egg Fried Rice or Vegetable Fried Rice are good bases for any fried rice and you just build upon it like seared Steak Fried Rice! Then there’s Chicken Fried Rice and Roast Pork Fried Rice that just tastes like childhood on Friday nights and Adobo Fried Rice for breakfast! Once I graduated college, I could never get enough of Kimchi Fried Rice – I mean who can resist that combo of spicy, tangy, carb-y goodness?!

🥘 Ingredients for Easy Shrimp Fried Rice

This easy shrimp fried rice recipe comes together quickly, so make sure your ingredients are all prepped before firing up the stove!

Shrimp: raw peeled & deveined shrimp – not cooked shrimp, otherwise, it’ll be overcooked. I like using large or jumbo but you can use whichever you like.
Regular Soy Sauce is the base of your fried rice seasoning. We’re aiming for that salty goodness, so stick with the standard soy sauce—not the light or low-sodium kind.
Dark Soy Sauce isn’t about flavor like regular or light soy sauce—it’s all about that rich golden color. You can technically skip it, but keep in mind your fried rice will look much paler than the photos!
Oyster Sauce is a flavor triple threat – sweet, salty, and umami! You can easily find it at your local Asian market, or even in the Asian/international aisle of your grocery store.
Shaoxing Wine is a Chinese cooking wine and fried rice game changer! It’s used in restaurant marinades, sauces, and wok deglazing to boost the flavor of your dish. It’s what gives your fried rice and shrimp that takeout-level taste.
Sesame Oil is a seasoning oil drizzled at the end to give that signature nutty flavor! A little goes a long way!
Cornstarch is a restaurant secret for tenderizing protein FAST. Once you try it, you’ll never go back to prepping your stir-fry protein any other way!
Neutral Oil that has a high smoke point is key since you’ll be cooking on high heat. Trust, olive oil isn’t it! I like grapeseed oil, but canola, vegetable, peanut, or avocado oil all work too!
Vegetables: Use up the veggies rolling around your fridge drawer for a quick fridge clean-out! Just skip the veggies that release a lot of water, like spinach, so your fried rice doesn’t turn mushy. Or, use frozen veggies straight out of the freezer (no defrosting necessary!) to save even more time. Either works!

What is the best rice for fried rice?

Jasmine rice or long-grain rice is your go-to! They have that perfect flaky texture, just like your favorite Asian Takeout. Short or medium-grain rice tends to get sticky and clumpy when stir-frying.

The most ideal rice is cold day-old rice because it’s drier, so it absorbs all that delicious liquid seasoning like a sponge! Your fried rice turns out sooo flavorful – without turn mushy or soggy!

But what if you want to make it NOW (who could blame you??) and you have to use fresh rice? I gotchu!

Before cooking your rice, add a little less water than normal so it comes out drier. Then, once it’s cooked, immediately spread it out on a baking sheet or any large clean surface to cool down completely. You can even pop it in the fridge to speed things up!

See recipe card for quantities.

👩🏽‍🍳 Secrets for the Best Homemade Fried Rice

Break Up Rice Clumps: Before tossing the rice in the pan, break up any large clumps and chunks so it cooks evenly and every grain so deliciously seasoned with the sauce!
Cook Shrimp Until Just Pink: Keep a close eye on them so they don’t overcook, otherwise, they’ll turn tough and rubbery. Once they turn pink, immediately remove them from the pan.
Cook on High & Large Surface: Excess moisture is not your friend here! To create as a flavorful shrimp fried rice, toast and sear your ingredients on high heat. Also, avoid overcrowding your wok, because you’ll end up steaming your fried rice and shrimp, which could easily turn mushy and soggy.
Pour Seasoning Sauce Along Edges of Wok: This quick trick amplifies the flavor of the soy sauce and caramelizes the sugars!

🔪 Instructions

Fluffy eggs cooked in a wok with a wooden spoon.

Step 1: Cook Eggs. Start by heating a wok over medium-high with a splash of oil. Add your scrambled eggs and let the edges set before gently pushing them to the middle. Repeat this until the eggs are soft and cooked through. Once done, take them out and set them aside.

Seared shrimp being cooked in a wok with a wooden spoon.

Step 2: Cook Shrimp. Drizzle in a bit more oil and add the shrimp. Let them sear for about 20 seconds without touching them, then flip and cook until they’re just pink. Careful not to overcook them so they don’t turn rubbery! Take the shrimp out and set them aside.

Step 3: Cook Aromatics & Veggies. If your wok’s looking a little dry, add another splash of oil and toss in the onions. Cook until they’re soft and see-through, then toss in the garlic. Give it a few seconds to get fragrant but be careful not to let it burn. Burnt garlic is potent and SO unforgiving, you’ll have to start over 🙁

Throw in the veggies next and cook for 1-2 minutes until they’re tender but still crisp. If you’re using frozen veggies, cook until any excess moisture is evaporated.

Step 4: Now for the rice—toss it in, breaking up any clumps. Crank up the heat and pour the seasoning sauce around the edges to get that perfect smoky flavor. Continue to toss the rice with your spatula until the sauce is soaked up, then spread it into an even layer and let it cook for about 30 seconds to further caramelize those sugars.

Shrimp fried rice cooked in wok topped with green onions.

Step 5: Finally, add the shrimp and eggs back in, drizzle the sesame oil, and mix everything well. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with green onions, give it one last toss, and enjoy!

💭 Recipe FAQs

Store any leftover fried rice with shrimp in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.

Reheat in the pan or wok with a splash of water or in the microwave until warm.

Cook the scrambled eggs separately first then remove them from the pan. Then, cook your fried rice and add the eggs back in at the end. With this technique, you get your eggs the texture you like without worrying about overcooking them.

Yes! Cold day-old rice is ideal because it’s much drier and rehydrates by absorbing all that liquid seasoning much easier! Freshly cooked rice tends to have more moisture, but you can still get away with making fried rice with freshly cooked rice. Just cook the rice with a little less water so it comes out drier, then spread it out on a baking sheet to cool completely before cooking.

Since fried rice is cooked on high heat, you’ll need an oil with a high smoke point. Grapeseed, avocado, canola, vegetable, or peanut oils all work! Avoid low smoke point oils like olive out, otherwise, you’ll end up with a smoke-filled kitchen.

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Let’s get cooking!

Get into my secret stash of Goody-Packed Newsletters with meals planned for you & time-saving tips! Want step-by-step videos of how to make my recipes too? I gotchu over at my youtube channel. Aight, enough chatting, more eating!