Pork fried rice is quick, delicious, and perfect for those busy days!

I love pork fried rice. It’s easy to make and is suitable as a main dish, as well as a side dish. And even though it takes no time to make, you can still do a little bit of prep beforehand to make your cooking time almost nothing! With the balance of life and work, I find having a few of these quick recipes on hand are a lifesaver.

Let’s take a closer look at this amazing dish.

Fried rice has its origins in Asia of course, but it has become a much-loved dish all over the world, most of all in the United States. We’ve adopted it as one of our own, and thus, you can find recipes for it all over the internet.

My recipe takes all the best-loved elements of fried rice sesame, red pepper flake, and peas–and then elevates them with some tender pork which has been sauced to add a boost of yum!

The ingredients combine to create a sensational flavor.

So, what makes great fried rice? Well, no surprise, it’s the rice! And specifically, it’s rice that has been cooked beforehand and has been left to chill out in the fridge for a day–or a few hours at the very minimum. Why is this important?

Well, when cooled, leftover white rice goes through a process called retrogradation where the starch molecules form crystalline structures that make the grains solid enough to resist the subsequent cooking, in contrast to freshly cooked rice, which forms soft, mushy clumps when stir-fried.

Cold rice fries well and is less sticky making for perfect a fried rice recipe.

If pork fried rice isn’t your thing, no problem, use your favorite protein or make the dish with just the scrambled eggs.

I have lots of other fried rice recipes:

Luau Fried Rice – A Hawaiian twist on classic fried rice.
Leftover Ham Fried Rice – A fantastic option after the holidays. This dish helps get rid of the leftover ham in your fridge, and it’s lower carb.
Mexican Fried Rice – Black beans, chilis, and tomato add a lot of flavors. It’s fantastic as a main dish or as a side dish.

And there’s more where these came from–rice is such a staple, and it has so much versatility which is why I have loads of rice recipes on my blog.

Okay, let’s get ready to talk about putting this dish together.

The prep time includes cooking the rice. As mentioned, it’s best to cook the rice the night before so it has plenty of time to chill in the fridge. If you’re cooking it the same day, place it on a baking sheet, then put it in the fridge to chill as long as you can. At least an hour.

I use a 15″ skillet and saute everything in this one skillet. However, if you don’t have a large skillet, you can cook each portion separately and then mix it all up in a large 8-quart bowl like this.

To begin, scramble the eggs, then place them on a plate/bowl and set aside.

Next, mix up your sauce by combining the cornstarch and broth with soy sauce. Cube up your pork into bite-size pieces.

Heat your skillet to medium/high heat and saute your pork in sesame oil. When pork is lightly browned, add your sauce and simmer on medium until pork is cooked through (165° about 10 minutes). Remove and put to the side.

Then add a little more sesame oil to the pan and saute the sweet peppers, onions, and cabbage. Once tender add your frozen peas and carrots, and finally your rice.

Stir to combine and cook. You don’t want to walk away at this point–keep stirring until it’s cooked through.

When everything is cooked, add your pork back in and combine. Serve!

Can I use a different protein?

Yes, chicken is a great substitute, as is beef. Or you can go completely vegetarian. You can adjust your broth preferences as well. Sausage, shrimp, or ground beef are also other great options.

What type of rice do you suggest?

I love jasmine rice, but you can use any rice you prefer, long grain rice is readily available. I like jasmine rice it tends to cook up nicely and slightly drier so it fries well.

How much does this make?

This makes a lot of food–which is great for leftovers, serve it for a large dinner, or having meals ready for the week. Enjoy it for breakfast, my personal favorite way to enjoy leftovers. You can easily reheat them on the stovetop or in a microwave.

Typically fried rice is not “saucy” it’s well… fried in hot oil and although it’s my all-time favorite since I wanted a quick method to cook the boneless pork chops/loin instead of slowly roasting it, I diced boneless pork chops into one-inch pieces, they are cooked in a simmering sauce making the pork nice and tender. This method will also work great for boneless skinless chicken breasts as both tend to dry out so easily.

So this dish is not overly saucy, but the pork is so tender and delicious it reheats beautifully.

This is a great meal to make for enjoying delicious food in minutes. Meal prep is the key to reducing takeout, saving time, eating the foods you love- anytime!

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