Name: Shrimp Fried Rice
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb / 454 g raw 31/40 shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off; 4 cups cold cooked long-grain rice, preferably day-old; 2 large eggs, beaten; 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed; 4 scallions, whites and greens separated; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced; 3 tbsp neutral high-heat oil, divided; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tsp fish sauce, optional; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; 1/4 tsp ground white pepper; kosher salt, as needed

Dry the shrimp and loosen the rice

Pat shrimp very dry. Break cold rice apart with your hands so there are no hard clumps.

Sear the shrimp first

Heat a wok or wide skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp. Stir-fry 60 to 90 seconds until nearly opaque and lightly browned. Transfer out.

Set the eggs

Add a little oil and pour in eggs. Scramble quickly until barely set, then push to the side or transfer out.

Fry the aromatics and rice

Add remaining oil, scallion whites, garlic and ginger for 15 seconds. Add rice and toss over high heat 2 to 3 minutes until hot, dry and separated.

Season the rice

Add soy sauce around the hot edge of the pan, then peas and carrots, white pepper and fish sauce if using. Toss hard for 1 minute.

Return the shrimp

Add shrimp and eggs back and toss only 30 to 45 seconds, just until the shrimp is opaque.

Finish off heat

Turn off the heat, add sesame oil and scallion greens, taste for salt and serve immediately.

How to know it's done

Use these recipe-specific texture cues. Color and curl alone cannot establish safety; use a thermometer to check 145°F / 63°C at the thickest part for cooked shrimp.

RawTranslucent shrimp and cold, firm rice.

Just rightOpaque shrimp with a little browning; rice grains separate and dry on the surface.

Too farRubbery shrimp and wet, clumped rice from too much time or too little heat.

ShrimpSense Notes

The little details that make a big difference.

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Cold rice is a texture tool

Fresh hot rice carries too much surface steam and tends to clump.

◉

Shrimp cooks separately

The rice needs minutes of heat; the shrimp does not.

❄

31/40 distributes well

This size gives you shrimp in every serving without dominating the rice.

↻

Sauce goes on the pan

Pour soy around the hot edge so it flashes and seasons without making the rice wet.

Best shrimp for this dish

Our data-backed recommendation for the best results.

31/40

Raw · peeled/deveined · tail-off

✓Best: Whiteleg / Pacific white shrimp

✓Great everyday choice: Gulf white shrimp (incl. Carolina white)

✓Also good: Gulf brown shrimp

!Avoid precooked shrimp if possible and avoid phosphate-heavy shrimp that shed water into the wok.

Why?

Fried rice uses intense dry heat, but the shrimp only needs a short first sear and a brief return. Medium raw shrimp are ideal.

◉See the pan-seared shrimp guide

Bags that match this recipe

Matched to the recipe’s size, form and cooking requirements. Check the current label before buying.

No recorded bag has enough size and form information to confirm a match yet. Use the size and preparation guidance above when shopping.

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Shrimp Fried Rice

The Recipe

Ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions