Ham Fried Rice Recipe
Turn leftover cooked ham and cold rice into an easy ham fried rice with eggs, peas, carrots, green onions, and a simple savory sauce. A quick one-pan meal that's ready in about 20 minutes.
- 3 cups cold cooked white rice
- 1 ½ cups cooked leftover ham, diced
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger, optional
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon butter, optional
- 1 Mix the sauce. Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, and optional ginger in a small bowl.
- 2
Cook the eggs. Heat a little vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Scramble the eggs until just cooked, then transfer them to a plate.- 3
Brown the ham. Add a little more oil and cook the diced leftover ham for 2–3 minutes until hot and lightly browned.- 4
Add the vegetables. Stir in the peas and carrots, garlic, and white parts of the green onions. Cook for 1–2 minutes.- 5
Fry the rice. Add the remaining oil and cold rice. Break apart any clumps and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes.- 6
Season. Pour in the soy sauce mixture and toss until the rice is evenly coated.- 7
Finish. Return the scrambled eggs to the skillet. Add the remaining green onions and optional butter. Toss together until hot and serve immediately.NoteCold, day-old rice works best for this ham fried rice recipe because it is drier and less likely to become mushy.
Dice the leftover ham into small, even pieces so it heats quickly and gets lightly browned around the edges.
Don't overcrowd the skillet. A large skillet or wok gives the rice enough room to fry instead of steam.
Taste before adding extra salt, as both ham and soy sauce can already be quite salty.
Feel free to add extra vegetables such as corn, bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, or edamame.
For a little heat, add sriracha, chili crisp, or red pepper flakes.
Store leftovers promptly in the refrigerator and reheat until steaming hot throughout.
Keep in mind how long the ham and cooked rice were stored before making the fried rice.
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