Best Way to Make Fried Rice as Per Chinese Takeaway

Hi all Ozbr's.

What is the best way to make fried rice similar to an Aussie Chinese takeaway restaurant? Admittedly some restaurants are not as good as others.

I purchased some Baccarat Woks as we use an induction cooktop. I have also tried it on the Ziegler BBQ using this attachment.

I've tried both vegetable oil and sesame oil, and heat it up for at least 3 to 5 mins

Rice is cooked, cooled and fluffed. I generally use a Joseph and Joseph Microwave container

I precook the bacon.

I have even used Oyster Sauce (even though I have allergies to shellfish and fish)

I use the basics :-

  • Long Grain Rice (and I have used Jasmine)
  • Pre-cooked Bacon
  • Egg (Even Pre-cooked)
  • Spring Onions
  • MSG
  • Soy Sauce (either light or normal Kikoman)
  • Peas

The only thing I can think of is I am not using a good seasoned wok, and/or I need a more intense Gas burner? Is the induction letting me down?

Again, as I mentioned above not all Asian takeaway places have decent fried rice especially the ones in shopping centres, and have it Ready to Go.

Comments

    1. Heat a little oil oil (you can use vege/canola oil) until it's really hot and smoking. Your 3 - 5 min should be about right depending on how good your induction top is.
    2. add in your aromatics (eg onion and garlic). fry for 30 sec to 1 minute (again depends on how hot your cooktop gets)
    3. add hard veges (eg broccoli) fry for about a minute
    4. add some water to steam. add more oil too if all the oil has already been absorbed by your veges.
    5. chicken, prawns etc. fry for about 3 minutes.
    6. add the rest of your veges (baby corn, water chestnuts, thin strips carrots, etc.)
    7. add a little more oil if it looks too dry
    8. add egg, cooked bacon, cooked rice, etc.
    9. add oyster or use mushroom sauce if you're allergic. you don't need extra MSG. sauces are already salty enough.
    10. kau tim

    you don't need to add all your oil at once. cooking is done in steps, so add a little bit of oil in steps too.
    also, always be stirring.

  • +3

    I've used this recipe, it's pretty good imho. Maybe you'll see something that will make the difference.

    https://www.recipetineats.com/egg-fried-rice/

    • +1

      Love recipetineats!

    • Have made from this recipe a few times. As mentioned in the recipe, mirin or mirin flavouring is what makes it great.

  • You also need:

    Diced onion, brown it off first.
    Sweet soy sauce for colour.
    Char Siu pork from the duck shop
    Bag of frozen mixed vegies from the supermarket. I use carrots, peas, corn.
    I make an egg omelette separately and slice it up into long strips to add. Just salt and pepper in it.

    If you can't get sweet soy, or can't have soy, then use Massel chicken stock powder for flavour in the rice.
    If I don't have char siu pork, I just use diced ham which works well.
    I grow my own spring onions so I put it in everything.
    Always yummy in my house!

  • If your local Chinese joint is anything like my local you probably just need to double the oil. I've never done that wok hei thing, too expensive and impractical for me.

  • +2

    I’ll give you the secret - boil rice in chicken stock. You will thank me.

    • YES! Prepared rice as per your suggestion & it was the best fried rice with chicken yet.

      Thank you! :)

  • I can get my friend rice close the restaurants but I believe the thing holding it back is the amount of oil and salt the restaurants uses. They use lots of it.

    Each grain is moist and separated which can only be done with a shit load of oil.

    Bacon or ham has no place in fried rice. Chinese sausage or Chinese roast pork.

  • I keep the bacon grease in the wok after pre-cooking it, for the rice. I also marinate the bacon in that red char siu sauce first, to make it look/taste more like the real roast pork.

  • Lots of finely chopped garlic (not mince)! If you're not sure if you have enough, then you probably don't.
    Also gas stove - the more powerful the better.
    Let us know if you find the perfect recipe. Good luck on your hunt!

    • We use fresh mince, works great in a wok.

    • I'm sure there are a few here. :)

  • Ingredients
    1 Teaspoon Oil
    5 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
    1 Tablespoon Oil, Extra
    3 Rashers Bacon or 4 Ham Steaks
    4 Spring Onions
    6 Cups Cooked Long Grain Rice (1 cup raw rice makes approx. 3 cups cooked rice). I use an el chepo rice cooker.
    1 500g Packet OF frozen Birds Eye Country Harvest Peas, Corn and Capsicum
    1 410g can (2 Cups) Bean Sprouts
    4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

    Instructions
    1)Cook rice previous night ensuring to run under cold water immediately to stop further cooking. Cover with a tea towl or similar and place in fridge.
    2)Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a wok or frying pan (I use an electric frying pan), add beaten egg ,swirl over pan and cook for2 – 3 mins or until golden. Flip to cook other side for a further 2 mins. Remove and set aside.
    3)Heat remaining oil, add bacon and spring onions and cook for 2 mins. Add rice, vegetables and cook for a further 4 mins, stirring continually.
    4)Slice eggs into strips, add to rice with bean sprouts and soy sauce, plus any leftover chicken or pork etc, and gently stir to combine over a low heat for 2 – 5 mins.
    5)Serve.

  • +1

    Main thing is make sure you use next day rice thats been in the fridge and cook each thing separately and then bring them together in the end

    I like to also use dry based seasoning over stuff like soy or oyster sauce this way it doesnt come out soggy. Such as msg/chicken stock. I also like putting chilli oil in mine once you put it all in together

  • -1

    Go with Korean fried rice. It’s so much better.

  • +1

    It's hard at home due to restaurants having jet engine burners compared to what you have at home.

    You can get close with a very hot gas or induction though. Unless you have a high quality gas, induction will be hotter so I think you should stick to induction. I use the Ikea portable one and am getting good results from that.

    Most of the flavour comes from charring the rice at high temperature and the salt from your salting agent plus copious amounts of MSG.

    You are right to use overnight rice. Spread it out on a plate in the fridge to give it the maximum change to evaporate as much moisture as possible. Once dry, I like to add a tablespoon of peanut oil (or other high smoke point vegetable oil) and use my hands to break up as much clumps as possible such that the rice is almost in individual grains. This helps greatly in the wok cooking phase.

    1. Get the wok hot (setting 5 out of 9 on my Ikea one is hot enough). Stir fry the meat component
    2. Push the meat to the side, add more oil, let it come to heat then add the beaten egg. Swirl around and scramble. Use wok shovel to chop scrambled egg into bite size pieces
    3. Push egg and meat to side, add more oil, increase the heat to high (6 on my Ikea) then add the rice. Use shovel to alternately toss and break up the rice. Cook until rice is slightly charred
    4. Add vegetables and whatever salting agents you're using. You mentioned oyster sauce. You can use soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken stock powder, MSG etc. Your choice.
    5. Garnish with chopped spring onions.

    *For a non traditional but delicious alternative, try using kewpie mayo instead of oil to mix in with the rice when breaking it up prior to cooking

  • Nah, not possible to get the same on a home stove. Not hot enough so the cook time takes too long. Extra time in the wok ends up steaming the rice rather than frying it.

  • +2

    You won't quite get the same flavour as take away fried rice… Because heat. You need "kiss of the dragon", ie flame, smoke and high heat. If you are serious about it, research commercial grade gas burner with shitloads of btu's. It's the only way.

  • +2

    Don't use a non-stick wok/pan/anything - use a well seasoned carbon steel/cast iron pan at a minimum. If you want to do it on induction I would recommend a something as wide and as flat as you need to avoid excessive crowding. Woks don't work well on induction in my experience not because of the lack of heat (pretty sure they could melt steel) but because the heat doesn't travel up the sides at all so you lose a huge amount of your cooking surface.

  • +1

    It’s been mentioned in some of the replies but use old rice (ie day old). Don’t

    • +2

      Are you saying we should use day old rice or shouldn't use day old rice?

    • +1

      day old is just everyday language. you just need the cooked rice to loose bit of moisture.

  • +2

    Google DimSimLim egg fried rice. he's the owner of Lawson Chinese restraurant in NSW. His makes home and restaurant style fried rice video. He uses freshly(abeit with seasonings) cooked rice not aged rice. Follow his recipe and you get authentic takeaway fried rice.

  • BBC sometime ago did a youtube video how to do fried rice. If you are interested you could have a look. It is good.

    • Uncle Roger have heart attack from BBC.

    • The one with the colander?

  • +1

    Use day old rice, never freshly made

    • I use fresh, just spread it on a tray or 2 and leave on the bench for a bit to dry out first. Instead of our rice cooker (RIP), started using a pressure cooker for cooking rice lately and it looks to make the rice a bit better for immediate fried rice too, less water in it.

  • +1

    Get a wok burner for outdoor use
    https://www.auscrown.com.au/products/product/high-pressure-l…

    Buy a carbon steel wok from chinatown, should be no more than $30 and properly seal it

    Get set of wok utensils (just buy from same place as wok)
    https://www.amazon.com.au/Utensils-Spatula-Chinese-Accessori…

    • use day old rice
    • use chinese sausage but you can substitute with ham, chicken or meat of your preference
    • dont use oyster sauce, use soy sauce instead

    the big advantage of using the wok and burner is that you can cook other stir frys with it.

  • This is my favourite recipe (or as close as I could find to the one in her first book which I have, the only difference is the coriander stems which is not in the recipe I have, and I haven't used). You can swap out the bacon for char siu pork. Day old rice is a must. I have made this recipe a LOT and love it.

    https://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/everyday-fried-rice-reci…

  • Just commented so I could say not disappointed by the Uncle Roger and Lethal Weapon 4 references.

  • +1

    Afaik to achieve similar level, you will need high pressure wok burner. Normal burners will take time which will result in food being cooked for longer time and make them discolor and loose that texture. Use day old or drier cooked rice. Seseme oil is not to be cooked with, but rather added later.

  • +2

    You need commercial gas burner for Chinese-restaurant quality fried rice. Domestic gas burner cannot reach the temperature from commercial ones. The secret of fried rice flavor is temperature according to science.

  • +1

    Don't use freshly cooked rice. Cook it and let it sit in the fridge overnight, otherwise you end up with a sticky mess.

  • +1

    Here's a tip for those still recommending day old rice as sometimes we simply don't have that. You can achieve a similar result with freshly cooked rice BUT you'll need to reduce the amount of water in your rice cooker. For example fill the water slightly less than 1.5 line to cook 2 cups of rice (need experience to get the right amount).

    If you get it right you can use the rice straightaway even when it's still steaming hot fresh out of your rice cooker :)

  • You need wok hei

    • WOK HAY!!
      (sorry I think it's hilarious the way he spells it)

  • honestly most of the hard work is high heat and cooking it quickly. you gotta cook it at the highest heat possible. when you cook it hot and fast, the rice will toast but won't dry it out so you get the nice little char on it. too low heat and the moisture will evaporate from the rice so you get very dry rice.

    i'd say cook in small portions to get that result. another 'cheat' is using a butane blowtorch and torch the top while you cook, just to introduce that charring you need on the rice.

  • +2

    Don’t forget MSG LOTS OF IT

    HAIYYAAAAA

    • Fruiyoh! MSG

  • I don't know where I read this but it works for me. After cooking rice and letting it cool (too last minute to wait overnight) I then separate two eggs and mix the egg yolk in with the rice. Then do the stir fry bit and add the egg white with other vege/meat.

  • Use leftover rice, preferably overnight. Make sure it's not wet and sticky because you want the grains to separate.
    You don't have to precook the bacon.
    Heat up wok, add oil generously, heat up the oil.
    Add the bacon and cook until brown and fragrant. Add peas if you're using them.
    Add the rice and mix with the bacon and oil.
    Push the rice and bacon to the side of the wok, making a hole in the middle of the wok. Add beaten egg and let it cook until the bottom is set but still runny on top.
    Scramble the egg and mix the rice and bacon in.
    Add seasoning. Salt will do but I find fish sauce to give the best flavour.

  • +1

    Watching Uncle Roger, these were my main takeaways (pun intended).

    1.) don't use a colander
    2.) disregard any fried rice cooking methods, recipes or ingredients from Jamie Oliver

  • As everyone above has mentioned, you need a commercial burner to something similar to restaurants.
    But there are a couple of tricks to achieve a similar result.
    A good read on wok hei: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/dining/stir-fry-recipe-wo…
    How it looks like in practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcGRskPjQcU

  • Use rice that is a day old, keep in the refrigerator.
    The rice has it be dry and hard to make Chinese style fried rice.

    If using soy sauce to season the dish, pour it on around the wok rather than on the rice. Then stir the rice over the area.

    Japanese style fried rice is quite different. The rice is sticky mushy, but it works.

  • +4

    I've explained this to many people before, but fried rice is basically Asian people's sandwiches: tastes much better when someone else makes it, never quite the same when you make it yourself.

    Everyone has their own way to make it. If you want to go uber traditional, I think the most common style of fried rice is Yangzhou fried rice. Adam Liaw has a very thorough receipe here.

    Recipes evolve over time, depending on where you live, what you have access to and what you can afford. Being "authentic" or "traditional" can make you go crazy. Uncle Roger is very funny but like with any critic that goes viral or becomes part of pop culture, it unecessarily breeds elitism. Don't worry if you don't have a seasoned carbon steel wok over roaring flame to make authentic fried rice so that second generation Asian migrants can go "…nice". I've cooked fried rice on a nonstick pan in an apartment which has been ok.

    Rather than give you a procedure, I'll give you a list of things most fried rice can have, and changes you/I can make.

    Cooking fat: Canola oil is good because you can get the heat super high. Canola oil + pork fat (rendered from sausage, bacon) makes it tastier.

    Umami/tanginess: you can add MSG. I've been able to avoid MSG (mainly because I can never remember to buy a bag of that stuff) by getting natural MSG thru adding garlic, onion (shallot, white spring onion, wahtever you have), soy sauce/fish sauce/oyster sauce/sesame oil, egg, tomato paste (I'm Vietnamese so "red rice/Cỏm Đỏ" is a thing you see commonly when getting Crispy Skin Chicken/Gà Da Dòn). Pork fat and protein source will help make it tangy too.

    Rice: general consensus is day old rice to get it as dry as possible so gives you the best chance to make it crunchy.

    Vegetables: Peas, carrots and corn is something I see often and is mad because you just dump whatever you have from the freezer section. I've added broccoli, kimchi (umami source too), and cauliflower and it has all been mad.

    Protein: My favourite ever fried rice was using up the day before's smoked pulled pork (despite it being American themed) and using up all the pork fat drippings from that. Second favourite fried rice is using oily Salmon fish. Mum used to put spam in it, which honestly I can't think of spam being used in anything else that makes you go "mm I'm glad spam is in this." Shredded leftover chicken, vegetarian style mushroom all makes me happy too.

    For me, when in doubt, more fish sauce. You'll find your own magic sauce that saves everything.

  • +1

    Rule #1: Do NOT use freshly cooked rice, use rice from yesterday.

    stephenchow #godofcookery

  • What's the secret to the yellow colour that is usually the standout in takeaway Fried Rice? I always thought it was egg, but apparently Turmeric is the secret? Or is it just a yellow food colouring?

  • The most important ingredient is wok hei….

  • ok here is another video you could try and follow. I know it sounds strange to watch some French guy cooking fried rice but from what I have seen his method probably seems easiest for home cook using a induction cooktop.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L5qBMtFXBs

    I haven't read all the comments from the others so these are just my own experiences and it varies (for your information I am chinese and I do enjoy cooking)

    I think the main thing is having a hot enough pan or wok. I cook fried rice very often and I have access to both induction and gas cooktop.

    I have tried using a standard pan and there is just no way I can cook my fried rice near the taste on my induction cooktop if I am using some pan similar to what you posted.

    My own fried rice would probably taste 10 times better when I use a gas cooktop with a proper wok.

    However if I only have a induction pan I would definitely try to get access to a cast iron pan like the Lotus ones, as the pan needs to be really hot and I would probably let it preheat at least a few mins until it starts to smoke before even trying to cook with it.

    like someone have said, the key is the "wok hey".

    I do think when I do my own fried rice with a proper wok and gas stove top it does taste better than most of the standard chinese take away or restaurant, and that it won't taste any where near as good if I am doing it with those non-sticks wok on induction wok.

    so if you have only induction, I would rather try and get a really really heavy cast iron pan and do it like the youtube video I have posted (I haven't tried it myself of course)

  • you need a strong gas stove.

    but home cooked fried rice can still taste good, dont use non stick wok, get the proper chinese wok, have it well seasoned.
    add peanut oil and heat up
    cook the egg first and dish up
    oil again
    add in bacon, peas, vannemei prawns, stir fry for a minute or so
    add leftover cooked rice from fridge and use back of wok spatula to break up big chunks of rice
    stir fry until rice grains nicely toasty
    add in soy, dark soy, salt, sugar, msg (optional)
    toss until well coated
    add in egg and shallot
    toss again until toasty
    drizzle a dash of sesame oil at end just before plating up
    plate up and enjoy

  • +1

    I'd suggest a Chinese wok and a bigger flame!

  • +1

    Swap bacon with Chinese sausage. Use extra amount of spring onion. don't overload with peas. Don't precook the egg. You don't need crazy heat. Small amount of soy sauce and top up with regular salt.

    trust

  • You are missing sugar and garlic mince. The real magic is the Sugar/Salt/MSG combo.

  • Aside from the ingredients advice that others have given, there are also two main factors to achieve wok hei

    1. The amount of heat that your burner is able to generate. A (good) Chinese restaurant would be using burners with an output of 50,000 BTU or more. In comparison, the typical home burner is usually around 6000 BTU on max.
    2. The amount of food you put in your wok. If you're using a weak burner, you're unfortunately going to have to cook less or in small batches. If you're using a home burner and flat-based wok, you'd typically only be able to put an amount of food that fits the flat surface. Also, you don't get to lift up your wok and do the fancy flips at home because the flames aren't high enough and the moment you lift, the heat drops, and you can't have that if you want wok hei.

    There is a workaround of using cast iron frying pan, but you have preheat that thing for like 10 minutes or more. The reason is that the heat will be more stable and remains high if you dump a lot of food on it. Also, there is a new trend of literally using a blow torch on your food to achieve wok hei and a cast iron pan is a lot better for that ergomically.

    I know some people are saying to add things like soy sauce, but the soy sauce just burns quick. If that is the flavor you are working towards, then add it early, but I do recommend just adding it towards the end of cooking.

    • I saw one that was @ 12000BTU that was @ 12,000 BTUS. Some of the ones @ 50,000 look like they need a housing etc as I think it will be too heavy for the Ziegler. :)

      Someone else earlier mentioned using a flame/blow torch.

      I have normal, light, & dark soy sauce.

  • +1

    Thank you so far BTW, for all the comments. This post is the second most commented post of the week, which shows no only the diversity, but passion of cooking by OZBr's.

    I have a feeling this might end up being an expensive exercise. :)

    • +1

      Expensive but worth it! 😁

  • +1

    Best Way to Make Friends…
    Best Way to Make Friends…
    oh
    Best Way to Make Fried…rice

  • I leave rice overnight in fridge. Prep veggies. Corn, carrot, peas. Some meat (Chinese sausages). Preheat wok. Peanut oil. Omelette sliced.

    Then I ask my mum if she can make me fried rice and drop it over cause my one would taste like crap.

  • -1

    The look the asian people have in the foodcourts, like their one step away from just ending it all.

  • Add sesame oil only at the end of the cook - do not fry with it! Just add it before removing from heat whilst stirring it through to get that nutty flavour.
    Next day rice is better than cooled rice too :)

  • I see lots of references to Chinese sausage. I have an restaurants use what looks like ham or bacon.

  • Golden fried rice is where it’s at! Coat the rice in egg yolk for the best fried rice ever.

    Lucas Sin’s methods are legit delicious:
    https://youtu.be/SlZuMLN14wk

  • I've sent a message to a very good old friend of mine. His family had a restaurant weekend we were growing up.

  • quick summary from browse of the comments - main repeated point seems to be use dry old hard (cooked) rice that has been in the fridge for a day or so - broken up - to avoid the grains sticking to each other

    I think I read something about faking wok hei - maybe a splash of oyster sauce or sesame oil

    and too-bad we don't have the 50,000BTU gas rocket like the Chinese restaurants - those things are terrifying

    otherwise try pre-heating the crap out of the wok (not sure about whether induction loses heat by heating the whole wok rather than the centre where you want the heat concentrated - some have a boost function some say is way too hot) and when you toss in a ladle full of oil it should curl and swirl immediately it hits the extremely hot surface - whereupon you chuck in your pre-prepared ingredients all to hand - total time to cook might be typically 20-40 seconds

  • My local restaurant uses pork not ham or bacon. Yes I know bacon and ham are pork too, I’m assuming it’s pork tenderloin.

  • Use peanut oil instead of olive/vegetable oil, and sesame oil to dress it when it's nearly done.

  • Your ingredient list is missing the secret sauce oft used but never talked about.

    Maggi Liquid Seasoning

    It's your MSG component, but it's so much more.

    That & an outdoor high pressure wok burner, to really get the wok hei

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