Extra Vegetable Fried Rice
Learn how to make vegetable fried rice—it's a simple and satisfying dinner! This recipe features extra vegetables and brown rice. Vegetarian/gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
I set out to create a more interesting take on greasy take-out vegetable fried rice. Here it is in full glory, and it’s as flavorful as it is colorful. Hooray!
I used brown rice, naturally, and even threw in a handful of greens, which offer even more health bonus points. (The greens are optional.)
I also played around with a variety of vegetables, and all of them worked well as long as they were cut into very small pieces.
This is exactly what you should make when you have leftover rice and some random raw vegetables in your fridge. You’re going to love it!
The Best Vegetable Fried Rice
I designed this recipe to work well in a regular skillet (preferably cast iron), since most of us don’t have woks at home.
The only tricky part, which really isn’t so difficult, is to cook the eggs, vegetables and rice separately, and combine them all at the end.
That way, each component will be cooked just right, and the vegetables and rice will get a chance to develop those delicious golden edges.
Delicious veggie fried rice, coming up! As always, please let me know how you like this recipe in the comments. I’m always so eager for your feedback.
Craving more? Check out my Thai pineapple fried rice. If you’re looking for more versatile recipes to use up the last of your vegetables, don’t miss this roundup.
Watch How to Make Vegetable Fried Rice
Extra Vegetable Fried Rice
Learn how to make vegetable fried rice—it’s a simple and satisfying dinner! This vegetarian recipe features extra vegetables and brown rice. Recipe yields 2 large or 3 moderate servings (I think you could double it if you have a large enough skillet, but you might not get as much caramelization on the edges of the veggies and rice).
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons + 2 tablespoons avocado oil or safflower oil, divided
- 2 eggs, whisked together
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- 2 cups additional veggies, cut into very small pieces for quick cooking (see photos for size reference; options include snow peas, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, bell pepper, and/or fresh or frozen peas—no need to thaw first)
- ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon grated or finely minced fresh ginger
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 cups cooked brown rice (*see notes!)
- 1 cup greens (optional), such as spinach, baby kale or tatsoi
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce**
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Chili-garlic sauce or sriracha, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- This recipe comes together quickly. Before you get started, make sure that all of your ingredients are prepped and within an arm’s reach from the stove. Also have an empty bowl nearby for holding the cooked eggs and veggies. I’m suggesting that you start over medium-high heat, but if at any point you catch a whiff of oil or food burning, reduce the heat to medium.
- Warm a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until a few drops of water evaporate within a couple of seconds. Immediately add 1 ½ teaspoons of oil and swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Add the scrambled eggs and swirl the pan so they cover the bottom. Cook until they are just lightly set, flipping or stirring along the way. Transfer the eggs to a bowl and wipe out the pan with a heat-proof spatula.
- Return the pan to heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining veggies and salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally (don’t stir too often, or the veggies won’t have a chance to turn golden on the edges), until the veggies are cooked through and turning golden, about 3 to 5 more minutes. In the meantime, use the edge of your spatula or a spoon to break up the scrambled eggs into smaller pieces.
- Use a big spatula or spoon to transfer the contents of the pan to the bowl with the cooked eggs. Return the pan to heat and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and mix it all together. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is hot and starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the greens (if using) and green onions, and stir to combine. Add the cooked veggies and eggs and stir to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the tamari and sesame oil. Taste, and add a little more tamari if you’d like more soy flavor (don’t overdo it or it will drown out the other flavors) or salt, if the dish needs an extra boost of overall flavor.
- Divide into bowls and serve immediately. I usually serve mine with chili-garlic sauce or sriracha on the side. Leftovers store well in the refrigerator, covered, for 3 to 4 days (if you used purple cabbage, it might stain your scrambled eggs a funny blue color, but it’s fine to eat).
Notes
*Rice notes: You’ll need to cook about 1 cup dry rice to yield enough for this recipe; be sure not to over-cook it or it will stick to the pan. I prefer short-grain brown rice since it’s a little chewy, but medium-grain or jasmine rice will work, too. Here’s how I cook brown rice. You can use freshly cooked rice if you spread it onto a large tray and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes first (this gives it a chance to dry out a bit so it doesn’t steam itself in the pan). Day-old leftover, refrigerator rice is great, too. Just break up any clumps of rice before you add it to the pan. Credit goes to Serious Eats for the rice tips!
**Make it gluten free: Be sure to use gluten-free tamari, not regular soy sauce.
Make it vegan: Omit the eggs and the 1 ½ teaspoons oil that goes with them. For extra protein, you could mix in 1 cup edamame (thawed if necessary) or a batch of my crispy baked tofu with the cooked veggies at the end.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This was so good and flavorful. My 2 and 4 year old adored it too! I love all your recipes and each one has been equally delicious!
Hooray! Happy to hear the kiddos enjoyed, too.
Loved this dish! I’m now the official fried-ricer maker at home. Added a red chilli in with the veg for an extra kick and some pak choi for a bit more crunch in the dish towards the end of the cooking. Will definitely be making this again, but might add some cashewnuts or peanuts too.
Turned out excellent! Great recipe. Thanks Cookie and Kate!
i made the vegan version with broccoli, yellow bell pepper, edamame and peas and it was delicious. i also threw in some peanuts for extra crunch.
I LOVE this recipe. I have made it several times with various veggies and it always comes out great.
This is an awesome recipe! I made it completely vegan by substituting the egg with garbanzo bean flour eggs and I don’t eat rice, so I substituted the rice with cooked quinoa. It was so delicious, my kids loved it as well. I will make it again soon. Thank you for the recipe!!
Great idea on the substitutions, Christi, to fit your needs! Thank you for your feedback and review!
Thank you so much!! Appreciate the recipe and tips
You are very welcome, Morely! I appreciate your review.
So colorful and good! Great way to use up leftover rice.
Thank you! I appreciate the review, Rachel:)
Oh, Kate! It’s fabulous!
Awesome!
Just made it. Hubby LOVED it but I started too late for the children. I’m certain it will be even better for lunch tomorrow and it won’t take so long next time.
It is great as leftovers! Thank you, Alicia for sharing.
Just tried this for the first time and it is absolutely delicious :) Perfect comfort food!
Thank you, Saoria! I appreciate your review.
Have you tried it with cauliflower rice? I’ve eaten a fried “rice” that was cauliflower and it was delicious–didn’t notice it was not actually rice.
I haven’t with this one. I like the protein the rice provides. Let me know what you think if you try it!
So yummy! Whenever I make rice I’ll be making extra so I can have this later in the week.
Sounds like a great idea, Maureen!
With more mouths to feed than usual over the holidays, I made this twice in the last 10 days! Both times, I followed the recipe exactly, and it was a huge hit! I used snow peas and red pepper for the 2 cups of extra veggies. Everyone gobbled it up and asked for seconds. Thanks, Kate!
Great veggie options, Emily! Great it was such a hit. Thanks for sharing and the review!
turned out very well. kids ate it with no issue.
Win! I appreciate the review, Jennifer.
This is by far the best veggie fried rice recipe I ever used. It came out so delicious I had to leave a comment which I never do!
The vegetables I used were onion carrot ginger garlic bell pepper jalapeño zucchini cauliflower snow peas and mushroom. I followed all the steps and this person knows what they’re talking about.
Thank you!
This recipe is perfect! I opted for brussel sprouts, zucchini and extra egg and followed your instruction to the tee! Amazing! I had extra cooked veggie mix so I can make another batch. Unless you have another recipe calling for a veggie mix?
Sounds like a wonderful combination, Sunshine! There are more rice options on the blog or another batch sounds perfect. Thank you for your review.
Just made this, it is absolutely amazing. Love these recipes
Great! Thank you. If you wouldn’t mind leaving a star review since you liked it so much, I would appreciate it!
Made this last night and it was fantastic! The only thing I changed was the use of coconut oil versus olive oil, and added extra kale. I love kale! Incredibly colorful, flavorful and satisfying meal. I’ll make this again and again. Thanks so much for the recipe, Kate! P.S. Cookie is adorbs.
I’m a fan of kale myself, Cindy! Thank you for sharing. I appreciate your comment and review.
Dynamite recipe. The whole family ate it up. So good it’s going on my regular rotation weeknight recipe. Easy to make, fresh and tasty. I added more veg than the recipe called for and the ratio still worked well.
I like that description! Thank you, Alina.
Simply the best!! I absolutely enjoyed eating as well as preparing this recipe. Keeping a lookout for more healthy vegetarian recipes. Thanks C + K!!
There’s a lot to explore on the blog and I’m excited about some that are coming down the line. If you haven’t signed-up to receive my newsletter, I highly recommend it!
Hi… I only have coconut, olive, and canola oil. Which would you recommend for this recipe? Thanks!
I would recommend coconut oil or olive oil if you don’t have avocado oil or safflower oil.
Ok great, thanks! I’m making it today.
It’s so good. Used olive oil and it still came out tasty!!!!
Thanks for the tip!
Great! That is a good alternative oil substitute for sure.
So I LOVE your Thai fried rice recipe, but I want to add more veggies like this recipe has, so to add pineapple to this recipe, would you recommend throwing the pineapple in the pan caramelize a bit right before putting the onion and garlic in?
I also am going to add cashews into it, too. Those were so good in the other recipe, I’m sure they’d be great in this too. I’ll let you know!
What I would recommend is using the Thai fried rice recipe and increase the vegetables you would like. Hope this helps!
My husband loved this! We are going to be making this a regular meal!
Love hearing that, Nicole! Thanks so much for sharing.
So good! I stuffed myself. I used olive oil, just asparagus for the 2 cups veg (and I had more than 2 cups), coconut aminos…and it was sooooooooo amazing! Thank you!
I made this last night and it was fabulous! Doubled the recipe and used a large wok. I also added shrimp. Thank you for this amazing and versatile recipe!
Hi, Karen! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the comment and review!
Thank you! I made this recipe this morning before I went to work so I could have it for lunch. It was soooo good. I made it with carrots, onion, purple cabbage, and frozen peas. I’ve also done your veggie chili (twice). I’m on a budget, so having something that’s good and filling helps.
You made this before work! That’s awesome. Thank you for commenting.
What do you think about adding cashews? When in the recipe would you add them if you did, and do you think they’d need to be soaked first?
Thanks for all your great recipes!
Add them! I don’t think they would need to be soaked first. Might add a nice crunch.
I had to try this recipe as soon as I found it in my email box. Thank you for sharing! I love the extra vegetables & the extra kick the red pepper flakes add & it is healthy! : )
You’re welcome! I love the extra vegetables too, and that you can use what you have on hand. I appreciate the review!
Yum! I knew I’d find a perfect fried rice recipe on your website. I made this tonight and was completely satisfied. I also have plenty of left overs.
I did not have a few ingredients in my kitchen, such as ginger and soy sauce (nor an iron skillet!), but I used my favorite hot sauce and it still tasted great. The key tip in the recipe is to drain the rice and layout the rice before putting it in the pan to fry.
I used brown rice, red cabbage, fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, carrots, greens, and a few bits of steak on top :)
I’m glad you were able to make this work! It’s a great one to work with what you have on hand.
I made this last weekend and love love loved it so I’m making it again this weekend! My husband really liked it too, and it’s a tall order to get him to eat a lot of vegetables so this will be entered into our regular rotation for sure. So glad I found this blog, I’ve email subscribed and have just purchased your cookbook! Thanks Kate!!
I made this with red cabbage and red bell pepper as the misc vegetables, and subbed olive oil for the avocado oil. It turned out so good! I will definitely keep this recipe and will look forward to trying different combinations.
Great combination, Hannah! Thank you, for sharing.
Delicious! Packed full of veggies and way better than chinese buffet fried rice! I made it in my stainless steel pan and needed a little extra oil, the rice ended up sticking but that added a lovely crust to it. Will definitely make again.
Wonderful, Christina!
Yum! Made this for the first time yesterday, and my non-vegetarian husband has already requested it again!
That’s a win! Thank you, Eileen for the review.
My family loves this recipe, we have it often! Sometimes I add left over roast chicken!
Thank you for your recipes! I love them!
You’re welcome!
Made this tonight. So good! Added a couple extra eggs, but otherwise followed recipe.
Thank you, Lauren for the review!
What is the calorie count for this dish?
You can find the nutrition information under the notes section of the recipe. I hope this helps!
Amazing recipe! My family loved it.
Thank you Kate!
Welcome! I’m happy to hear that.
Just cooked this. I used quinoa and turned out yummy..i love that its load of vegies and a great way to use up variety of vegie leftovers. Thanks for sharing :-)
You’re welcome, Liza! Thanks for the review.
Tastes delicious, thanks for sharing
You’re welcome! If you would like to leave a star review, I would appreciate it. :)
Hi Kate, I made this tonight, thinking it would be fast, but it really wasn’t by the time you chop everything and cook it separately. Still, it came out delish (and pretty) and we have leftovers for tomorrow cuz I made double. I substituted tofu for the egg (cut in little squares and fried with some soy sauce) and did everything else the same. Thanks for the tip on spreading out the rice to dry it out a bit. I cheated and used brown minute rice, but I would have had time to cook it from scratch after all. The chili sauce makes all the difference, I used San-J Szhechuan sauce.
Thanks for sharing, Diana! I appreciate the star review.
This is a great recipe!
This was my first time with a rice cooker (third batch was great; I learned that Google knows better how to make rice in a rice cooker than the instruction manual for the appliance does).
This was also my first time making fried rice.
I love ginger and so when I make this again, I’m probably going to add more ginger. Still, as is, this is terrific!
Thanks so much for this!!!
You’re welcome, Jodi! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Yes, SO GOOD!! I also threw in some marinated and baked tofu that I had left over from a few days ago. I doubled the veggies and almost doubled the rice and I loved the ratio of rice to everything else. I’ve never been successful with making fried rice before. I bet the leftovers for lunch will be even better. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Julie!
Hey! I just made this recipe at home and it was so good!
I also have my own food blog where I post recipes like this. Here’s the link if you want to have a look at it :)
Thanks!
Made this recipe during the week and my family says its yet another hiT! Does not seem like you can go wrong with these recipes.
Thanks again,
Quinton Breen
Thank you!
Came out excellent didnt use eggs but at theend i added cooked shrimp. Tasted just like chinese takeout also dont like spicy didnt add pepper flakes either. This is the reciepe i have been looking for!!!!!! Thanks
I’m glad you were able to make it your own, Judy! Thanks for your review.
I love this recipe so much. I make it at least 2 times a month with salmon. My two year old son even loves it too, especially when I throw purple cabbage in there. Thanks!!
Absolutely delicious recipe! I live in Asia and this is one of the best fried rice dishes I’ve found, thank you!
You’re welcome, Sarah!
What oil can I use instead of avocado oil? Thanks, preparing to make this tonight and it look amazing.
Hi Ginny, great question! Safflower oil is another option that I recommend. Let me know what you think!
I ended up using olive oil oil bc thats what i had. Delicious! Making it again this week! Thanks.