The Best Fried Rice Isn't Made In A Frying Pan

Fried rice is a fan favorite that makes its way into countless takeout orders day after day. But fried rice is also a fun dish to make at home — and with a little know-how you can heat up a frying pan and whip up a pretty good one fairly quickly. You can even use your microwave for instant pan-free fried rice! But if you haven't tried making it in the oven on a sheet pan, you are selling your fried rice short. While the frying pan makes things quick and convenient, turn to the oven for crispy "fried" rice perfection.  

Plenty of foods enjoy a good sheet pan treatment, from toasted nuts to delightfully crispy gnocchi. When it comes to rice, baking it on a sheet pan gives the rice and veggies room to spread out so everything cooks evenly and the edges get that perfect crisp texture you'd expect from a restaurant. 

The technique is easy — mix leftover rice with your vegetables, soy sauce, oil, and flavor-builders like garlic and ginger, making sure that everything is well-coated before you spread it all out on the pan and bake. It's a good idea to toss everything once you're about 15 minutes into cooking. You can add in your pre-cooked proteins like meats, tofu, or seafood at this stage and return it to the oven to cook for a few more minutes. This is also a great time to add egg so you've got those delicious bits of scrambled egg mixed in. If you want your rice a bit crispier, give it more time in the oven, but keep a close eye because too much longer and your rice will likely be too crispy — sadly, yes, there is such a thing as too crispy!     

A Chinese chef once told me to buy steamed rice from a local Chinese restaurant the day before I plan to make fried rice — best cooking advice ever. It's advice that is actually rooted in history. Fried rice is believed to have originated in China during the Sui Dynasty (589 to 618 BC) when it was created as a way to use up leftover rice, and clearly the idea caught on since cooks have been using this strategy to avoid wasting rice and make yummy food ever since. Day-old fried rice is dried out enough to avoid steaming the rice instead of letting it get crispy in the oven.

It's also important to choose veggies that are low in moisture. Although you are free to experiment with different options to make your dish your own, you'll want to avoid high-moisture vegetables like zucchini or tomatoes if you want crisp, dry, non-sticky fried rice. And as long as your rice is evenly coated with oil, don't grease your sheet pan before using it. The oil coating the rice and vegetables will do the job of a release agent, so the food won't stick to the pan or come out too greasy in the end. 

There is no single recipe for fried rice — you can get creative with flavors and ingredients, so have fun creating. You can add in just about any protein you want, like pork, duck, sausage, seafood, or even tofu, and you can also incorporate various levels of heat by adding in things like kimchi or chili crisp to give it more personality and a kick of spicy flavor.