Ham Fried Rice

5 from 18 votes
24 Comments

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Restaurant Ham Fried Rice tastes just like your favorite take-out, but with simple, wholesome ingredients you already have at home! 

A bowl of ham fried rice
Featured With This Recipe
  1. Restaurant Ham Fried Rice
  2. Ingredients In Ham Fried Rice
  3. Putting it All Together
  4. Suggestions for Ham Fried Rice
  5. Gluten-Free Fried Rice
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
  7. More Fried Rice Recipes
  8. Main Dishes To Serve with Ham Fried Rice
  9. How to Make Ham Fried Rice
  10. Ham Fried Rice Recipe

Restaurant Ham Fried Rice

This Restaurant Style Ham Fried Rice tastes just like the rice at your favorite Chinese take-out. As much as I love eating out at Chinese restaurants, it’s just as fun to make a big feast at home to share with my people. It’s easy to make, uses simple ingredients and pairs beautifully with oh so many of our delicious Asian inspired recipes.

My family teases me for being so picky about my fried rice. I like it slightly dry, yet tender but not clumpy or sticky. I like simple ingredients, nothing too fancy or complicated. This recipe meets all my expectations! The texture is perfect for picking up with chopsticks without the rice sliding off the end. A perfect Chinese Fried Rice that rivals anything you could get for take-out. The simple flavors combine together creating the ideal side dish for any Asian main course.

Close up of a bowl of ham fried rice


Ingredients In Ham Fried Rice

  • Rice – A long-grain white rice (like Jasmine rice) works best. Make a fresh batch of rice or use leftover plain white rice. I actually think using day old rice works best because it has had some time to dry out and not be so clumpy.
  • Vegetables – onion, carrots, and peas are the perfect veggies for fried rice
  • Ham – Cubed ham is best. You can buy it fresh or use leftover ham. Leftover Christmas or Easter ham is perfect!
  • Eggs – A perfect egg scramble is a must in all fried rice recipes
  • Seasonings – a little garlic, soy sauce, and maybe a little sesame oil is all you need

Putting it All Together

If your rice is pre-cooked you are already halfway done. Here’s what to do:

  1. Cook the onions in some vegetable oil in a wok or non-stick skillet or pan.
  2. Next, ham and veggies and cook until tender.
  3. Add beaten eggs and stir together.
  4. Finally, stir in the rice and soy sauce (and any other seasonings like salt and pepper if desire) and serve!

Suggestions for Ham Fried Rice

  • The beauty of this recipe is there are no fussy ingredients. All you need are things you probably have on hand in your pantry right now. Just some long grain rice, onions and garlic, ham, eggs and a few diced veggies if the mood strikes you and you’re in business!
  • Consider this recipe as a “base” recipe that you can add your favorite ingredients to! Feel free to toss in anything, like shredded carrots, pineapple, baby corn, broccoli, bacon or additional meat into the rice mixture.
  • If you’re not crazy about ham, this fried rice tastes delicious with any kind of protein such as shredded or cubed pork, chicken or even shrimp. Or omit the meat altogether for a vegetarian dish.
  • For a low sodium option, simply use low sodium soy sauce or even liquid aminos.
  • Make a big batch of this rice because it stays nice and fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week! You can freeze leftovers too; just use freezer safe bags or containers and push as much air out as possible.

Gluten-Free Fried Rice

Looking for a gluten free fried rice dish? The biggest obstacle in making this one completely gluten-free is the soy sauce. Most soy sauce brands contain gluten so make sure to read the labels carefully! There are some great GF soy sauces out there, I personally love Tamari, so check your local grocery store.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the secret to good fried rice?

Using leftover rice or day-old rice is the secret to the best fried rice. The rice has time to dry out a little so it can absorb the flavors of the seasonings without getting clumpy or sticky when you stir-fry it over the stove top.

What rice is used in fried rice?

There are different rices used for different variations of fried rice. Long-grain white rice works best for Chinese Fried Rice like this recipe. We like using Jasmine rice because it is fragrant and has a nice texture. Japanese fried rice usually uses a short grain rice, and Thai fried rice usually uses a Basmati rice.

Is fried rice usually made with white or brown rice?

Fried rice is usually made with white rice.

Read Next: 35+ Dinner Ideas

More Fried Rice Recipes

Main Dishes To Serve with Ham Fried Rice

Needing Chinese food ideas to make at home? Pair this delectable rice with some of our Asian inspired recipes and you can have a full-on family style Chinese take-out night for a fraction of the price of going out.

How to Make Ham Fried Rice

A bowl of ham fried rice

Ham Fried Rice

5 from 18 votes
Restaurant Ham Fried Rice tastes just like your favorite take-out, but with simple, wholesome ingredients you already have at home! 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Asian
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (sesame oil can also be used)
  • 1 small onion or green onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1-2 cups ham diced
  • 1 cup carrots and peas diced, frozen works great
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 cups long-grain white rice cooked (leftover rice works best)
  • soy sauce to taste

Instructions

  • Heat vegetable oil (or sesame oil) in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions to the hot oil and stir until clear and light brown. Stir in garlic.
    Onions and garlic in a pan
  • When garlic is lightly browned, add ham and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add carrots and peas and cook until they are tender.
    Onions, garlic, and ham in a pan
  • Beat eggs together in a small bowl and add eggs to the skillet. Cook until eggs are scrambled and firm.
    Pouring beaten eggs into a pan
  • Add cooked rice to skillet and mix in thoroughly. Stir in soy sauce, a little at a time. (you can always add more so don't overdo it).
    Close up of a bowl of ham fried rice

Notes

  • For a “dry” fried rice, steam the white rice a day ahead. After cooking rice, let it cool to room temperature. Place the rice in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge overnight. Add refrigerated rice to the skillet as described in the instructions above.
  • If you’re not crazy about ham, this fried rice tastes delicious with shredded or cubed pork, chicken or even shrimp. Or omit the meat altogether for a vegetarian dish.
    Make a big batch of this rice  because it stays nice and fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week! You can freeze leftovers too; just use freezer safe bags or containers and push as much air out as possible.
  • For a low sodium option, simply use low sodium soy sauce or even liquid aminos.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1gCalories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 10gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 253mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1751IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe was simple to make with all ingredients readily available,was not time consuming and delicious! I prepared the rice early in the morning so was perfect for preparation. I’m making it tonight again. Great recipe for leftover ham!

  2. 5 stars
    Tried this for dinner last night and it paired perfectly with Mongolian beef; easily, a new favorite fried rice recipe!

  3. 5 stars
    With Trader Joe’s frozen rice, this was such an easy dinner to throw together. Added lots of veggies and it was delish!

  4. Where does the water come in? It states to make the rice according to package directions…..or do you use the 2 cups water to make the rice. Did I miss something?

      1. I learned a trick on how to cook rice (white) perfectly. I measured for most of my life, but sometimes needed to add more water, and sometimes the finished product was clumpy. The trick(s):
        Almost like cooking pasta… start with way more water than rice, and bring to a boil. Add the rice and cook for 9 minutes (stirring occasionally). After 9 minutes, drain the rice and put in a bowl or storage container and fluff up with a fork. The rice grains will be separate. *If you are going to make fried rice, put the cooked rice either in the freezer or refrigerator so it will be cold when you start to fry it up. I don’t know who figured out this, but it sure works!

  5. The recipe states that I should use 1 tsp. sesame oil and 2 Tbsp. veg. oil. But the note states that 3 Tbsp. of just sesame can be used instead. Does that mean that the original amounts of oil should add up to 3 Tbsp? So should the original 1 tsp. sesame oil actually be 1 Tbsp?

    1. You are right, it should be 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp. 3 Tbsp. of sesame oil may be too overpowering. I will go fix it in the recipe. Thanks for the heads up!

  6. 5 stars
    I made this tonight to take to a NYE potluck. Before I add the egg, I like to mix them up in a bowl with some soy sauce, a little garlic salt and then fry them in a separate hot skillet so they look like flat little pancakes. Then I cut the egg into thin strips before adding it to the fried ham. Regardless, yours is a great recipe and I’ve had plenty of samples along the way. Thank you.

    1. Thank you so much for the 5 stars! Also, thank you for the tip on how you add the eggs to the rice. Great idea! Happy New Year!

  7. 2 questions: if you make the rice the night before, do you leave it on the countertop or put it in the frig?
    Your ingredients say 3 eggs. Your recipe says egg, not eggs. Do you definitely use 3 eggs?
    Thank you! Glad I’m not the only one who prefers fried rice without veggies, especially peas!

    1. Keep the rice in the fridge if you make it the night before. You can easily reheat it in a skillet before serving. You do use three eggs in the recipe. Thank you for letting us know there was typo in the instructions. I’ve made the correction. Enjoy your rice! 🙂

  8. 5 stars
    a as far as fried rice,im from hawaii so theres more to it then this,like adding cut up green onion,and i use spam cut up in little bitty chunks,plus bbq pork which ever meat,but ham is good but want flavor so i like bbq pork you can buy in selected grocers, also add a 1/4 tsp oyster sauce ahhh! at end when cooking rice in it and a little more soyu for more brown color and pepper and salt,is using kikoman soy no salt ok. this is for 4 cps rice,ahh lrft overs are great next day.oh a use only half can of spam or bbq pork use 1/4 cp or little more to ur liking. enjoy.