Bacon fried rice is an all-time favorite at my house. With crispy bacon and scrambled eggs what’s not to love. This fried rice is quick and easy so it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Forget take-out, this dish is just as good and you probably have most of the ingredients in your fridge and pantry already. Most of the ingredients are also pretty affordable.
Bacon can be a little pricey. To save some cash buy it on sale (BOGO is best) and freeze it. It keeps in the freezer for 4 months. If you have leftover bacon use it in this bacon lentil soup or these bacon wrapped chicken thighs.
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Ingredients
- Cooked white rice – We use long grain white rice, you can use leftovers or make fresh, then refrigerate. You will need about 5 cups cooked rice. Use cold cooked rice for the best fried rice. For step by step instructions and tips check out this article on how to make white rice.
- Spices – Salt and ginger powder to add a little zing.
- Produce – From the produce aisle you will need garlic, green onions, and bean sprouts (also called mung beans). They are a must at my house but if you prefer, use 8 ounces of mixed vegetables (like carrots and peas) instead.
- Bacon – Lots of crispy bacon and the bacon drippings that will be used to cook the eggs and make the fried rice.
- Eggs – Use five eggs to make this fried rice. After all what goes better with bacon than eggs, right?
- Soy Sauce – Use low sodium soy sauce because the rest of the ingredients are seasoned. You can add salt at the end, if needed.
- See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
Recipe tips
- Use kitchen shears to cut the bacon and green onions to make quick work of it.
- Use a microplane to grate the garlic cloves, it’s quick, plus you can grate it right into a bowl and skip the cutting board.
- Things move quickly when making fried rice and stir fry. Have all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.
Cook the bacon
Add the bacon to a large, deep, nonstick skillet or wok. Cook over medium heat until crispy (about 15-18 minutes).
The bacon will take a little time to get going, but once it starts browning it will crisp up quick. Make sure you stick around and stir frequently.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
Reserve at least 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings. Then, wash the skillet/wok and dry thoroughly (or use a different one).
Wash the pan after cooking the bacon to get rid of the fine crumbs left in the drippings and skillet. A little bit is ok but too much will make the rice look dirty, plus they’re such fine particles that they might burn.
Make the scrambled eggs
Heat 1 teaspoon of the reserved bacon drippings in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook the eggs for 3-5 minutes while stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until they’re cooked through. Remove the eggs and reserve for later.
Instructions
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon drippings in a large wok or deep, non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
- When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the garlic and ginger powder, stir well to combine. Cook 15-30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Raise the heat to medium and immediately add the cooked white rice, eggs and bean sprouts, stir well.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes until the mixture starts sizzling and is hot and steamy. Stir frequently, almost constantly to fry everything evenly and prevent the bottom from burning.
- Next, add in ¼ cup of soy sauce while stirring constantly to coat the ingredients completely. Cook, while stirring the fried rice for 1½ – 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and continue stirring. Check the color and taste the rice, add more soy sauce (a teaspoon at a time) if needed.
Finally, sprinkle in the reserved bacon and green onions and continue stirring until everything has come together.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes to warm everything and let the flavors come together.
Top tip
It is best to use cold rice to make fried rice. If you do not have leftovers then make rice, cool it quickly and refrigerate. Place the hot rice a large bowl or a casserole dish. Stir it often to let the steam escape. Once it has cooled down refrigerate until it is cold. And if you find yourself with leftover rice, try these ham fried rice and chicken fried rice recipes.
Serving and storing
This fried rice is a meal on its own. But serve it with homemade pork egg rolls, pork potstickers, or delicious pork tenderloin to make it a feast!
Garnish the fried rice with extra green onions, if desired, serve and enjoy.
Store leftover fried rice in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a non-stick skillet or the microwave until heated through.
For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
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Bacon Fried Rice
Ingredients
Ingredients to make white rice
- 3 cups Water
- 1½ cup Long Grain White Rice about 5 cups cooked rice
- 1 teaspoon Salt we use kosher salt
Ingredients bacon fried rice
- 5 cups Cooked White Rice
- 12 ounces Bacon cut into 1 inch pieces and cooked crispy (3 tablespoons bacon drippings reserved)
- 5 Large Eggs beaten
- ½ teaspoon Salt we use kosher salt
- 2 Large Garlic Cloves grated or finely minced
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
- 8 ounces Bean Sprouts
- ¼ cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce plus 1-2 teaspoons if needed
- 3-4 tablespoons Green Onion sliced (plus extra for garnish if desired)
Instructions
Cook the white rice (if not using leftover)
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. When the water is boiling vigorously, add the rice and 1 teaspoon of salt, stir.
- Lower the heat to medium and boil, uncovered, until most of the water has cooked out and you can see the rice on the surface, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Stir the rice briefly, lower the heat to low and cover. Cook the rice on low for 20 – 25 minutes until done. Uncover the rice, fluff with a fork and let it cool. Once it has cooled some, refrigerate until cold.
Cook the bacon
- Add the bacon to a large, deep, nonstick skillet or wok. Cook the bacon over medium heat for 15 – 18 minutes or until crispy, stir frequently.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
- Reserve at least 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
- Wash the wok or skillet (or use a different one) and dry thoroughly.
Make the scrambled eggs
- Add ½ teaspoon of salt to the eggs and beat until combined.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of the reserved bacon drippings in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook the eggs for 3-5 minutes while stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
Make the bacon fried rice
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon drippings in a large wok or deep, non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the garlic and ginger powder, cook 15-30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Raise the heat to medium and immediately add the cooked white rice, eggs and bean sprouts, give everything a good stir. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the mixture starts sizzling and is hot and a little steamy. Stir frequently, almost constantly to fry everything evenly and prevent the bottom from burning.
- Next, add in ¼ cup of soy sauce while stirring constantly to coat the ingredients completely. Cook, while stirring for 1½- 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and continue stirring. Check the color and taste the rice, add a little more soy sauce (a teaspoon at a time) if needed. As a reference we did not add extra to ours.
- Finally, sprinkle in the reserved bacon and green onions and stir until combined.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes to warm everything and let the flavors come together.
Notes
- The cooking time does not include cooking and chilling the white rice. Making white rice takes approximately 35 minutes. Chilling it will take at least 1-2 hours.
- For the best fried rice, refrigerate the rice until completely cold and firm, or use leftover rice.
- With fried rice and stir fry, it’s best to have all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go because things move very quickly.
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