Basil fried rice is a Thai-inspired favorite that brings loads of flavor to a simple fried rice recipe, comes together in minutes and makes an easy side dish or base to add your favorite protein to.
Why You’ll Love Basil Fried Rice
Fried rice is one of the easiest and quickest meals to make when you need a throw-it-together-fast kind of dinner. Basil fried rice is a personal favorite because of its fresh, herby flavor and peppery notes that combine with the umami sauce.
- It’s the perfect use for leftover rice. In fact, it’s best with cooked and cooled rice so feel free to batch cook some rice over the weekend, throw it in the fridge and make this fried rice recipe during the week for an easy meal.
- Makes great use of random vegetables in the fridge. As with any fried rice recipe, you can customize this to many different vegetables for flexibility.
- Combine it with any protein for a full meal. Basil fried rice goes well with shrimp, tofu, chicken and even just egg to add some protein and make this a more well-rounded meal rather than a side dish.
If you like fried rice dishes like this, make sure to check out this tofu fried rice recipe and pineapple fried rice too.
My Pro Tip
Time-Saving Tip
Microwave rice can be a great time-saving option if you don’t have leftover white rice on hand. Pop some in the microwave to cook then spread it out onto a baking sheet in an even layer and cool in the refrigerator for as long as possible before making the basil fried rice.
You can also make fried rice from frozen rice.
The Ingredients
Fried rice is incredibly customizable so feel free to use what you have on hand for vegetables. The main components are the rice, basil and sauce. Beyond those, you can play around how you like.
- Rice — Jasmine rice is my preferred choice (but basmati will also work) for making fried rice and it’s best when cooked and cooled. This process dries the rice out and keeps the grains separated rather than clumped together. It also allows the rice to crisp up in the pan while it cooks instead of a mushy final dish.
- Basil — Thai basil (purple stems) is the most traditional for this recipe, but if you can’t find it, sweet Italian basil or any other basil variety will work just fine. Fresh is a must, this recipe doesn’t have the same flavor if you use dried basil.
- Vegetables — Onion, garlic, red bell pepper and a small red Thai chili pepper (if desired) make up the vegetable component of this fried rice dish.
- Sauce — The umami sauce that coats the rice is made up of soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. You can use gluten-free and/or vegetarian options for any of the sauces as desired.
- Lime — A squeeze of fresh lime brightens up the dish and awakens all the savory flavors of the fried rice. Don’t serve this dish without it!
For a complete list of recipe ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.
My Pro Tip
Ingredient Tip
Basil stays fresh the best by keeping it at room temperature. Store it like a bouquet of flowers by trimming the ends and placing it upright in a glass filled with water on the counter and cover it loosely with a plastic bag. If you refrigerate basil, the leaves will quickly turn black.
*Did you know? You can eat basil stems too! Finely chop them and sauté with vegetables in any recipe.
Step by Step Directions
Fried rice is a simple dish no matter how you make it, but here’s a quick run-through of making basil fried rice so you can see for yourself.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
- Add oil to a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions, red bell peppers, garlic and chili pepper. Cook for a few minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the rice to the pan and break up any clumps using a spatula.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and toss until well combined with all the vegetables.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the basil leaves until wilted.
Cooking Protein Into This Dish
If you choose to add a protein, you can add it to the skillet at the same time as the vegetables to cook. This works well for thinly sliced chicken, shrimp, tofu and scrambled eggs.
Otherwise, you can add crispy air fried tofu, air fryer skirt steak, air fryer frozen shrimp or a fried egg to the dish after it’s been cooked.
How To Shape Fried Rice Into a Dome
If you want to make the signature style fried rice dome shape for serving, spoon the fried rice into a bowl pressing it down firmly with a spatula so that it’s molded to the bowl. Place a plate on top of the bowl, then flip it over quickly so the rice pops out of the bowl and onto the plate. If the rice is hot from the skillet, it will hold its shape together on the plate.
Storage and Reheating
Keep the cooked basil fried rice in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Fried rice reheats best in a skillet for 2-3 minutes with a splash of water to rehydrate it a little bit. The microwave will dry out the edges of the rice too much.
Basil Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 red chili, finely sliced (adjust to spice preference)
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, or vegetarian alternative
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce, optional, for authentic flavor
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice, day-old is best
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, separated from stems
- ½ lime, for serving
Instructions
- Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce (if using) and sugar in a small bowl.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil.
- Once hot, add the garlic, onion, red chili and bell pepper. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the cooked rice, breaking up any clumps.
- Pour in the sauce mixture and toss everything together, cooking for 2 minutes until well coated.
- Turn off the heat and fold in Thai basil leaves until wilted.
- Serve hot with a lime wedge on the side.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
