Vibrant yellow, and packed full of flavor, this golden fried rice takes the classic fried rice to the next level. With just a handful of ingredients, this easy rice meal will become the perfect side pairing for all your favorite dishes!

What makes golden fried rice “golden”?

Golden fried rice gets its iconic yellow color by mixing the rice with egg yolks prior to being stir fried. It was traditionally a Chinese imperial technique, served to the upperclass and powerful emperors and families within Chinese history.

Apart from its striking visual factor, coating the rice with the yolks first also covers each grain with savory, umami flavor -making this fried rice extra special and ultra delicious!

Some restaurants will add a pinch of turmeric into their rice as well, enough to further intensify the dish’s beautiful golden color. The addition of turmeric honestly doesn’t add much flavor at all, it’s mainly for presentation’s sake, so feel free to omit this if you choose to.

Ingredients for golden fried rice

Cooked, day-old rice: almost every fried rice recipe will emphasize day-old rice, and for a reason! Day-old rice provides the perfect texture for making fried rice, and ensures our final product doesn’t end up too moist or mushy. If you don’t have any day-old rice lying around, I’ve included a quick “hack” you can do described in the section below using fresh rice.
Eggs: for this recipe, you’ll want to separate the yolks from the whites. The yolks will be mixed directly into the rice to provide it that signature golden color. As for the whites, we’ll be frying these separately in a pan and tossing them in along with our aromatics and proteins.
Garlic, green onion, salt, white pepper, sesame oil: these will be the main aromatics and seasonings we’ll be using to flavor our fried rice. As always, feel free to adjust the ratios according to your preference.
Chinese sausage: Chinese sausage is an umbrella term for a wide variety of sausages from China. I absolutely adore these since they can last for a long time in your fridge (which is perfect for meal planning and lazy-day meals) and they can add a slight savoriness and sweetness (sometimes spicy, depending on the variety you buy) to your everyday dishes. You can definitely leave this out if you can’t find them in your local Asian supermarket, or simply substitute it with another protein if you prefer (e.g., shrimp, chicken, beef, etc.)

Day-old rice

Day-old rice is crucial in ensuring the proper texture for your fried rice. This is because freshly-cooked rice holds a lot of moisture and water, causing the resulting fried rice to likely end up soggy, or even worse: mushy.

A trick I learned to speed up this “drying” process (if you find yourself with only fresh rice) is by simply spreading your rice onto a plate and letting it cool, uncovered, in your refrigerator for at least 15-30 minutes (the longer the better).

Of course, this “hack” isn’t exactly perfect, but doing this one little step while you’re prepping the rest of your ingredients can definitely make a difference to ensure your fried rice is at its optimal texture.

Instructions

In a bowl, combine together the rice, egg yolks, salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. Gently mix until every rice grain is well-coated. Set aside.

Heat your wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add in the oil, and fry the egg whites until just cooked through.

Add in the Chinese sausages and sauté for 1 minute. Add in the garlic and the white parts of the green onions, and continue to sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

Add in the golden rice mixture. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the egg yolks are cooked and the rice is no longer overly moist/wet.

Stir in the green parts of the green onions. Season with more salt or white pepper, to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Other variations

Fried rice is the perfect recipe to clean out your fridge! Feel free to add in any leftovers or vegetables lying around in your fridge to create a more filling meal. Here’s a couple ingredients you can add to this golden fried rice:

Frozen vegetables (peas, carrots, corn)
Protein (shrimp, beef, chicken)
Sauces (chilli crisps, chili oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce)

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