Shrimp Fried Rice is one of my go-to 30-minute meals and my family can’t get enough of it. Shrimp and rice loaded with veggies and egg is a protein-packed and easy dinner. Fried Rice is the best way to use leftover Cooked Rice.
We love recreating Asian takeout dishes like Chow Mein, General Tso’s Chicken, and of course saucy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry. Making fried rice is probably the easiest homemade takeout dish.
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Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
Even though fried rice is easy to make, there are some things to know before you start to avoid gummy and sticky rice. I learned how to make (non-sticky) fried rice years ago from one of my favorite bloggers, Jaden of steamykitchen.com.
Once you have a great basic recipe for fried rice, you can easily change up the protein depending on what you have in the refrigerator or what leftovers you have from dinner the night before. That’s how we came up with our popular Chicken Fried Rice Recipe.
Shrimp Fried Rice Video Tutorial
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Secrets for the Best Fried Rice
Here is our best advice for making perfect (non-sticky) fried rice:
- Ingredients prepped ahead: The cooking process moves fast, so be sure to have everything prepped and ready before you start the stove
- Chilled rice: Start with cold cooked rice. Leftover rice is best. Avoid fresh, warm rice or it will become sticky and gooey when it hits the pan.
- High heat: Fried rice is supposed to cook quickly over high heat so give your pan a chance to heat up. Also, give the ingredients time to sizzle and resist the urge to stir constantly.
- Follow the process: Add ingredients to the pan separately and in the order listed. Adding everything at once will cool the pan too quickly and your fried rice will fail.
- Add sauces to taste: Add soy sauce and sesame oil to your taste preference. Depending on how your rice was cooked (with or without salt) or if you use low sodium soy sauce, you will likely need to adjust soy sauce and sesame oil.
Ingredients for Shrimp Fried Rice
- Rice: cooked and chilled rice works best (more on that below)
- Shrimp: use 20-24 count or 26-30 count RAW peeled and deveined shrimp.
- Cornstarch – makes the shrimp slightly crisp when stir-fried like in our Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos.
- Vegetables: we use a bag of frozen peas and carrots that we thaw according to package instructions.
- Eggs: large eggs add more protein and great texture and color to this dish
- Green onion – light and dark green parts, plus more to garnish
- Soy Sauce – use regular, low sodium or even coconut aminos then add them to taste since they will have varying amounts of salt in them.
- Sesame oil – DO NOT SKIP the sesame oil which makes it taste like authentic Chinese fried rice. Use pure sesame oil, not toasted.
How to Make Shrimp Fried Rice
From the time the shrimp hits the skillet, it takes about 10 minutes on the stove so you want everything measured out, prepped, and ready to add to the skillet.
- Marinate shrimp – toss shrimp together with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Heat the skillet – preheat over medium/high heat then add cooking oil and shrimp. Cook 1 minute per side. Transfer shrimp to a plate and reduce heat to medium.
- Add beaten eggs – pour eggs into the hot skillet and scramble with your spatula until no longer runny. Transfer to the same plate as the shrimp.
- Wipe down the skillet with a paper towel then increase to medium/high heat, add oil and chives, and saute for 30 seconds.
- Spread rice into the skillet and sizzle for 1-2 minutes without stirring. Flip and sizzle another 1-2 minutes.
- Add Sauces & Veggies – drizzle in Soy sauce and sesame oil to taste then stir in vegetables.
- Add cooked shrimp and eggs back to the pan and stir to combine and add more soy sauce to taste.
How to Cook Rice for Fried Rice
Leftover chilled white rice is best, but If you don’t have leftover white rice, you can make it ahead, but be sure to rinse the rice until water runs clear prior to cooking to remove the extra starch.
Cook White Rice on the Stovetop then cool to room temperature, spread the rice into a casserole dish or baking sheet, and refrigerate until chilled. This will help dry out the rice so it doesn’t turn gummy on the skillet. We love Jasmine rice, but medium or long grain rice will work.
Common Questions
We love Jasmine rice, but medium or long grain rice will work. You can even use leftover brown rice for healthier fried rice.
Rice is gluten-free, so you really just need to make sure your soy sauce is gluten-free like this Tamari soy sauce.
Instead of soy sauce, try using Coconut Aminos, but you need a little more since it contains less salt.
You can leave out the shrimp altogether to make it vegetarian like our Pineapple Fried Rice, or substitute it with whatever protein you have such as ham, bacon (like this Bacon Mango Fried Rice) beef, or chicken for Chicken Fried Rice.
I hope you’re inspired to make some Shrimp Fried Rice this week. Thank you for watching, subscribing, and sharing our recipes with the people you love!
Do YOU have any recipe requests for future videos? Please let me know in a comment below.
More Asian Recipes to try
- Fresh Spring Rolls
- Asian Chopped Salad Recipe
- Korean Beef Tacos
- Crispy Egg Rolls
- Chicken Stir Fry
- California Rolls
Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb 26-30 count uncooked shrimp , (peeled and deveined)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp LIGHT olive oil, or canola
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
- 5 cups leftover chilled white rice , (rinse rice before cooking)
- 12 oz frozen carrots and peas, thawed
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos , or added to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the shrimp, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium/high heat. When a bead of water sizzles and evaporates, swirl in 2 Tbsp of cooking oil and add shrimp to the hot skillet and spread them out in a single layer. Cook 1 minute per side, or until cooked through and opaque. Remove to a bowl.
- Over medium heat, add beaten eggs to the same skillet. Break up the eggs with a spatula and cook until no longer runny. Remove to a bowl.
- Wipe down the skillet with a paper towel and return to medium/high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and onions and cook green onion until fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Stir in rice then spread it evenly over the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes without disturbing it then stir and sauté another 1 to 2 minutes. Rice should sizzle.
- Drizzle 2 Tbsp soy sauce (or add to taste) over rice and stir well. Add sesame oil and vegetables and mix well.
- Add cooked shrimp and cooked eggs back to the pan and mix well. Continue to cook until the rice is hot and sizzles, stirring frequently. Add more soy sauce to taste, if desired.
Nutrition Per Serving
This recipe was first published in 2014 and republished in 2022. We have added a video, new photos (see original photo below), and more tips for making the Best Shrimp Fried Rice.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
This is th best shrimp fried rice I ever made. A keeper recipe!
So happy you found this recipe!
Perfect and easy! The crowd loved it!
I had no frozen carrots on hand, so substituted fresh chopped carrots for frozen. The texture is better that way anyway.
The treatment for shrimp made my frozen ones plump and firm – that’s not always the result with frozen shrimp.
Many requests for a repeat and for the recipe, which I was glad to forward.
Thanks, Natalie!
You’re so welcome, Hal! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Very good we just added extra soy to taste
Okay, I will thaw the shrimp first. Thank you!
Hi Natasha:
Do the shrimp need to be thawed? Or does it matter?
Thank you!
Hi Wallace, yes, we recommend thawing it first.
So easy, great directions & prep information
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Kimberly!
I add fish sauce or oyster sauce to add additional authenticity. Just a tbsp or so. It is salty like regular soy sauce, so I substitute it with low sodium soy sauce.
DELICIOUS as is everything in her cookbook!!!!
I need to know how to make Mongolian beef and rice.
Hi JudyKell, We have this Mongolian Beef recipe you can try. I hope you love it.
Hi Natasha, I’ve followed your receptor years now and this particular recipe is AWESOME on my Blackstone at the campgrounds! After all, a flat top griddle is basically a skillet 😁
I bet this tastes that much better out in nature and on a Blackstone! I’m so glad you loved it!
What happens if I use toasted sesame oil in stead of regular? Thats all I have on hand.
Thank you.
Hi Teresa. Toasted sesame oil should not be used for frying, it doesn’t perform well. It is used as a finishing oil drizzled on food. You can use another all purpose frying oil and add the toasted sesame oil at the end for taste.
I followed the recipe approximately … I added string beans and celery, and used fresh carrots. I we cooking only for 2, so quantities were less, and I didn’t measure anything. But I followed the methodology to the letter. It was DELICIOUS!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Just made this recipe for the first time. Very easy to follow and it came out great!! The only thing I did different was I didn’t measure my soy, tamari, or sesame oil!! Turned out fantastic!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I followed this recipe using frozen shrimp and a frozen bag of peas and carrots mix, and it turned out SO well! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Gina!
Omg. Quick, easy, and tasty. The only thing I did differently is I added salt and pepper to the eggs. Thank you!
I have come to trust Natasha’s kitchen, I have not been disappointed. This recipe is wonderful and will be sharing with family and friends.
Thank you so much, Larry!
Delicious and easy to make. Makes a lot, put half in the freezer. Only change is when cooking green onions, I added a tablespoon of grated ginger and two minced garlic cloves. Thank you Natasha, love your recipes and cook book!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with me, Inna!
Muy bien explicado ese tipo de comidas siempre me fascinaron lo incorporaremos a mis dietas
Turned out good only thing is you forgot to put when to add the peas and carrots so I forgot them
She said add the oil and vegetables…….