Rice Skillet with Egg
Yesterday's rice is the prerequisite, not the fallback option, as fresh rice turns to mush in the pan.
- Preparation
- 8 min
- Cook/bake time
- 10 min
- Total
- 18 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 564 kcal
- Servings
- 2
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cooking & baking
- 10 min
Yesterday's rice is the prerequisite, not the fallback option, as fresh rice turns to mush in the pan. Overnight in the fridge, the starch in the rice changes so that the grains remain separate and take on color. That is why fried rice is a leftover meal all over the world, and why it tastes better than freshly cooked.
Why this works
Freshly cooked rice contains starch in a swollen, soft form and a lot of bound water. If it cools overnight, this starch rearranges itself and partially crystallizes, a process called retrogradation. The grains become firmer, release water, and can be browned individually in the pan instead of sticking together. That is the whole difference. The second point is the heat: The pan must be really hot and must not be overloaded, otherwise the temperature drops below the roasting threshold and the rice steams. And the egg comes in two stages, one part is set separately and folded in so that you have pieces of egg in the rice instead of an even yellow breading.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Loosen rice
Crush the cold clumps of rice with your fingers until all the grains are separate. This takes two minutes and is the most important preparation step: Clumps brown on the outside and remain cold and moist on the inside.
- 2
Set eggs separately
Whisk the eggs, pour them into the hot, oiled pan, and stir them into large soft pieces in twenty seconds. Remove immediately, they will continue to cook later when folded in, and once overcooked, eggs become rubbery.
- 3
Aromatics and rice
Add more oil, fry the garlic, ginger, and the white of the scallions for thirty seconds, then add the rice. Press it flat and let it sit for a minute before stirring, this gives it roasted spots. If there is too much rice at once, work in two batches.
- 4
Combine
Add frozen peas, fry for a minute, then pour the soy sauce along the edge of the pan, where it evaporates briefly and caramelizes instead of just moistening the rice. Fold in the eggs and the green of the scallions, finish with sesame oil and white pepper.
Our best tips
- Rice must be cold and from the day before. Fresh rice contains too much water and turns to mush in the pan, nothing can compensate for that.
- Pour soy sauce along the edge of the pan, not in the middle. At the hot edge it evaporates briefly and caramelizes, poured into the middle it just makes the rice wet.
- Do not overload the pan. If the temperature drops, the rice steams instead of frying, two batches are faster than one that does not work.
Tasty variations
With Kimchi
Fry 150 g of well-squeezed kimchi with the rice and stir in a teaspoon of gochujang. The acidity of the kimchi cuts through the fat and makes the pan much more lively.
With smoked tofu and cashews
Fry 200 g of smoked tofu in cubes beforehand until crispy and fold in at the end with a handful of roasted cashews. Turns the side dish into a filling main meal.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 564 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 21 g |
| Carbohydrates | 69 g |
| – of which sugar | 6 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Fiber | 6 g |
Where the 564 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
I don't have any rice from the day before, what should I do?
Cook fresh, spread thinly on a baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour, better two. This does not entirely replace the night, but lowers the water content enough. A plate of rice cooled in the microwave, on the other hand, is not enough.
Which rice is suitable?
Long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati. Short-grain rice like risotto or rice pudding has too much amylopectin and remains sticky even after a night. Brown rice works, but needs a little more oil.
Is cooked rice from the day before safe?
If it was cooled quickly and stored in the refrigerator, yes. Rice that has been at room temperature for hours should be thrown away, Bacillus cereus spores can multiply in it, and their toxin is not destroyed even when fried. Into the refrigerator within an hour, then it keeps for two days.
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