Shrimp Fried Rice is one of my go-to one-pot, 30-minute meals that is high in protein with plenty of veggies! The juicy shrimp is pan-seared and then tossed with rice, scrambled egg, and your favorite vegetables for an easy family favorite meal with what you have on hand!
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Helpful Reader Review
“This is the best shrimp stir fry! So easy to make and I like that you can add any vegetables to it. My family loves this one!” – Rhonda ★★★★★
Shrimp Fried Rice Video
Fried rice is so easy to make, but be sure to check out my tips for avoiding gummy, sticky rice, a process I picked up from one of my favorite OG bloggers, Jaden of steamykitchen.com.
Best Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
Shrimp Fried Rice is so easy to make, and once you have a great basic recipe, you can easily change up it up by swapping protein and veggies for what you have on hand. That’s how I came up with my popular Chicken Fried Rice. I love how easy it is to make–and clean up! It’s a one-pan meal that comes together quickly and won’t mess up the kitchen.
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.
Shrimp Fried Rice Ingredients
The shrimp fried rice cooking process moves quickly on a very hot skillet, so be sure to have all the ingredients prepped and ready before you start to cook.
- Rice: Start with cold cooked rice. Leftover rice is best. Avoid fresh, warm rice, or it will become sticky and gooey. I prefer Jasmine rice, but you can use medium, long-grain, or even brown rice.
- Shrimp: 20-24 count or 26-30 count RAW peeled and deveined shrimp. You can use frozen shrimp thawed according to directions on the package. Make it vegetarian by leaving out the shrimp, 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.
- Cornstarch – makes the shrimp slightly crisp when stir-fried, like in our Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos.
- Vegetables: I use a bag of frozen peas and carrots, thawed according to package instructions, but you can substitute leftover steamed or roasted vegetables (like Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Broccoli).
- Eggs: Large eggs add more protein, but you can omit the eggs if you’d prefer
- Green onion – light and dark green parts, plus more to garnish. Don’t have any? Leave them out.
- Soy Sauce – regular, low-sodium, or even coconut aminos, add them to taste to account for varying levels of salitness in the sauce, rice, and veggies. For Gluten-free Fried rice, check the label for GF, like this Tamari soy sauce.
- 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
This shrimp fried rice takes just 10 minutes to cook, so allow the pan to come to high heat and add in order so the ingredients sear perfectly.
- Marinate shrimp in cornstarch, salt, and pepper for 10 minutes.
- Cook the shrimp – Heat the skillet over medium/high heat, add cooking oil, and cook the shrimp for 1 minute per side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and reduce the heat to medium.
- Add beaten eggs into the hot skillet and scramble with your spatula until no longer runny. Transfer to the same plate as the shrimp.
- Cook green onions – Wipe the skillet with a paper towel, then increase to medium/high heat, and saute the chives in a little oil for 30 seconds.
- Spread cooked 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, and then stir in vegetables. *resist the urge to stir too often
- Add cooked shrimp and eggs back to the pan and stir to combine, and add more soy sauce to taste. Serve!
Helpful Reader Review
“Oh my gosh this is so good! I doubled it. The only other changes I made were extra sesame oil and green onions because I love the flavors and added fresh chopped garlic with the onions. Soooo much flavor! Will definitely make it again.” – Betsy ★★★★★
I hope you’re inspired to make some Shrimp Fried Rice this week. You’ll love how easily it comes together in under 30 minutes and how your family will love it! Add this to the menu this week!
Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb 26-30 count uncooked shrimp , (peeled and deveined)
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 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
- Marinate shrimp – In a medium bowl, mix the shrimp, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Cook the shrimp – 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.
- Add beaten egg – 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.
- Cook green onion – Wipe down the skillet with a paper towel and return to medium/high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and onions, and cook green onions until fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Spread rice – 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.
- Add sauces and veggies – Drizzle 2 Tbsp soy sauce (or add to taste) over rice and stir well. Add sesame oil and thawed 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.
Notes
- Cool the fried rice by spreading it into a shallow container and refrigerating it uncovered until cool. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight, or heat from frozen in a covered saucepan over medium heat. Stir until heated through (165°F). You can also microwave a thawed portion for 30-second intervals (stirring between intervals) until the food registers 165°F.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Asian-Inspired Takeout Recipes
- Fresh Spring Rolls
- Asian Chopped Salad Recipe
- Korean Beef Tacos
- Crispy Egg Rolls
- Chicken Stir Fry
- California Rolls
- Ground Beef Stir Fry
Great recipe! I’m glad I had the foresight to precook the diced carrots though honestly – otherwise they would not have cooked fully. Other than that I used probably double the suggested amounts of all liquid additives even though I used only 3 cups of pre-cooked cooled and dried basic long grain rice and 1/2 lb of shrimp. Surprisingly yummy and satisfying with minimal effort and ingredients. 👍🙏
Love it so much! I’ve made it a bunch of times and it’s always good. Popular with my non Meat eaters as well as meat lovers.
That’s wonderful, Susan! Thanks for sharing your experience.
This is the best shrimp stir fry! So easy to make and I like that you can add any vegetables to it. My family loves this one!
I’m so happy this was a hit with your family, Rhonda!
Making today and have enjoyed many times before 🥰 it’s my go to for shrimp fried rice 👍
This one is a myst try and I’m so glad it’s your go-to, Toni! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Great recipe with all ingredients added in at the perfect times, but I found it lacking somewhat in taste. I ended up adding a bit more soy sauce as suggested in the recipe as well as Trader Joe’s black garlic flakes during the rice frying step and then a bit more garlic powder and onion powder later on. I wanted some heat, so I added gochujang sauce at the end and mixed it in. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this for dinner tonight. I had some leftover steamed jasmine rice but not enough. I made more and cooled it spread out on a sheet pan for an hour or so. It came out great and not mushy at all. I have never made fried rice before but with your tutorial video I felt confident. It came together quickly with little prep. We ate it with some crunchy sliced Persian cucumbers and radishes. Delicious!
I’ve made this several times and it’s the best recipe out there. Tons of flavor. Gather all your ingredients because it comes together quickly.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Jean!
What kind of recipe has no amounts 🙄 are we just supposed to guess
Hi Candy, this recipe has all the ingredients and amounts listed on the recipe card. Simply click Jump to Recipe. I hope that’s helpful.
Hi Natasha,
Can the shrimp stir fry leftovers be reheated without overcooking the shrimp? Is added liquid needed.
Thanks,
Bob
Hi Robert, yes, you can reheat leftovers on the skillet the following day 🙂
No it wasn’t mushy at all.. however I used brown rice.. it was still good maybe not as good as white rice.. I would definitely make it again!
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Marty!
Natasha this was great as usual but you forgot the directions for the frozen vegetables
I watched the video instead But it was terrific
Hi Robert, I think it’s easy to miss but it’s in step 6. I’m so happy you loved the shrimp fried rice!
I followed the recipe to the word!
It was terrible! Mushy .. tasteless!
The only thing good was our local fresh shrimp … and the eggs were lost in the entire process!
Hi there! I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it. Did you use freshly cooked rice? This recipe calls for leftover day-old rice. Also, make sure to not over-cook your rice or stir it too much or it becomes mushy. I can’t think of anything else that would make this mushy unless you used more liquid than called for or it your heat was too low causing this to steam cook.
Your recipes are always right on the money!!!
Thanks
Hi Isabel! That’s so wonderful to hear. Thank you.
Oh my gosh this is so good! I doubled it. The only other changes I made were extra sesame oil and green onions because I love the flavors and added fresh chopped garlic with the the onions. Soooo much flavor! Will definitely make it again.
That’s wonderful to hear. Happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the feedback.
Is it possible to do without the eggs? Some of my family members are allergic!
Hi Danna! Traditionally fried rice always contains eggs, but you can definitely experiment without.
This was good enough that I would make it again, but for a family that likes flavour in its food it was definitely lacking something, even though I added some red pepper flakes. What could I do to zing it up a bit?
Hi Anne! I’ve never had this be bland or lacking flavor, but I understand how it can be a preference to add more spice/flavor to dishes. You can try things like, garlic and ginger, oyster sauce, sesame oil, a splash of rice wine vinegar, and consider finishing with a drizzle of chili oil or a toasted sesame oil. That may help you achieve a greater flavor profile although not commonly used for fried rice recipes.
I use chopped chili peppers to add heat. And coriander leaf.
In your video for shrimp fried rice you said to marinate shrimp with baking soda, but in your written recipe you said to use corn starch. Which is it?
Hi Roland, the video says cornstarch and so does the recipe. I’m not sure where the baking soda mention came from but I don’t hear it or see it anywhere. Cornstarch is correct.
Made this tonight and it was a last minute let’s see what we have in the fridge dinner. Had all the ingredients and the fam loved it.
That’s wonderful, Diana!
Hi, what is the serving size? It’s missing that part in the nutrition facts. I haven’t made it yet so that’s why there’s no rating. Thanks.
Hello! The serving size for the whole recipe is 6 people. Just divide the whole recipe to 6 to get the each serving size.
is it 5 cups of pre-cooked rice or post-cooked rice? if the latter, how much is the equivalent in pre-cooked rice? thanks!!!
Hi Jules! It’s 5 cups of cooked rice.
Your shrimp fried rice recipe is to die for It’s become part of my rotation. Love all your recipes. I’m a huge fan!