Beef Fried Rice Recipe Quick and Easy Stir Fry

Craving restaurant-quality beef fried rice in minutes? This super simple recipe delivers big flavor without the fuss, making it perfect for busy weeknights.

Keep reading to discover the secrets to perfectly cooked rice, tender beef, and a knockout sauce that will have everyone asking for seconds!

Ingredients to Gather

Let's gather the ingredients for our beef fried rice—trust me; you're gonna love this! You'll need 2 tablespoons of oil, like peanut or canola—whatever's chillin' in your pantry.

Next, grab half an onion; dice it finely, almost like you're mincing it. Two garlic cloves should also be finely minced—no vampire repellent here! Then, 250g/8 oz of beef mince should do it—I use lean, but go wild and choose your own adventure! Ensure you are using beef sirloin for the best flavour.

For the veggies, two cups of frozen diced carrots, peas, and corn will work. Don't sweat thawing them; toss 'em in straight from the freezer! Now, here's a head's up—don't forget 3 cups of day-old cooked rice. This keeps things from getting gluey.

Lastly, chop up half a cup of green onions.

Mixing the Sauce

Alright, friend, let's get started mixing the sauce—it's super easy! Grab a small bowl; we're gonna throw everything in there.

First, you'll want 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce, followed by 2 teaspoons of light soy sauce—don't mix them up, okay? After that, add 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce; it adds all the umami. Then, for a touch of that restaurant flavor, 1 tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine, but if you don't have it, don't sweat it. For a richer flavor more akin to takeout, consider adding a touch of cornstarch to slightly thicken the sauce during cooking, just like in a Chinese Beef and Broccoli recipe.

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Next, a tiny bit of sugar – just ½ teaspoon – to balance everything out, and a pinch–1/8 teaspoon–of white pepper. Now, whisk it all together until the sugar dissolves. Looks good, right? Set that aside until we're ready to rock 'n' roll.

Cooking Instructions

Now, moving onto the cooking instructions! First, scramble those eggs! Heat a teaspoon of sesame oil in a wok—or a non-stick pan—over medium-high heat. Toss in your whisked eggs, and stir gently to get them softly scrambled. Once they're done, take 'em out and put them on a plate. Don't eat them yet!

Next up, cook the beef. Heat two tablespoons of oil in the same pan over high heat, go with peanut, vegetable, canola, or any neutral oil. Sauté your diced onion and minced garlic for 30 seconds, and then toss in your ground beef. Break it up as it cooks for about two minutes, until you don't see any raw beef anymore. To really deepen the flavour, add two tablespoons of the sauce—remember that sauce we mixed?—and cook for another minute.

Recipe Notes

I've got to tell you a lil' bit about the soy sauces I use. Dark soy sauce is my go-to for color and flavor—it's richer than the regular stuff. If you can't find it, don't sweat it; just use more light soy sauce.

Oyster sauce? Total flavor bomb! Veggie versions work, too, or even hoisin—it's a bit different but still delicious. Chinese cooking wine makes it taste like a pro made it. If you're skipping the wine, chicken broth and a knob of butter work wonders. Seriously, try it!