Pork Fried Rice Recipe

This Japanese-style pork fried rice from 2000 F&W Best New Chef Takashi Yagihashi was his favorite childhood after-school snack. Thanks to the clever inclusion of quick-cooking Chinese barbecue pork, it comes together in just 25 minutes, making this pork fried rice recipe one that you’ll find yourself turning to on busy weeknights. The leftover fried rice makes a lovely lunch or, yes, after-school snack.

What is Chinese barbecued pork?

Chinese barbecued pork, or char siu in Cantonese, can be made from various meat cuts. It’s first marinated in a barbecue sauce that typically contains Chinese five-spice powder, honey, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and oyster sauce, then roasted until it’s exceptionally tender. Premade char siu is available at Asian grocery stores.

The best rice for making fried rice

While this recipe calls for short-grain Japanese rice, some cooks prefer frying rice with a longer grain and less starch, such as jasmine rice. The real key to great fried rice, regardless of what kind you’re using, is to start with cold, already-cooked rice.

Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Since you’ll need six cups of cold cooked rice to make this recipe, it’s best to cook the rice a day in advance and refrigerate it overnight. However, you can still prepare pork fried rice for dinner tonight even if you didn’t plan ahead. Simply cook the rice as normal, then spread it onto a sheet pan in an even layer. Let it cool a bit then cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before proceeding.

Suggested pairing

A spicy yet smooth Aussie Shiraz.