Make this Shrimp Fried Rice in less time than it takes to get take-out. It is super simple and tastes much better too! This fried rice features juicy shrimp, sweet green peas, crunchy carrots, scrambled eggs and lots of fresh scallions.

Shrimp Fried Rice is a frequent dish on our dinner table as we often have leftover steamed white rice in our fridge. It's good enough to enjoy on its own (especially with a teaspoon or two of spicy chili oil!) or as part of a multi-course meal.

It pairs really well with Chinese dishes such as Beef and Broccoli, General Tso's Chicken or even Char Siew (Chinese BBQ Pork).

Fried Rice Secrets

Making fried rice is a great way to utilize leftover cooked rice in the fridge. In fact, rice that has been sitting in the fridge for a day or two yields excellent fried rice. The refrigerator dries out the rice just a little – this allows the rice grains to separate in the wok to get properly seasoned.

Take the rice out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Wash your hands, then use your wet fingers to break apart the clumps in the rice.

Got a sudden craving for fried rice today and can’t wait for the rice to sit in the fridge overnight? No problem! Cook the rice with about a cup less water than you would normally use. When cooked, fluff the rice with a pair of chopsticks or a fork, then let it sit uncovered until you are ready to fry the rice.

How to Make Shrimp Fried Rice

Like any good stir-fry, you will want to have all the ingredients prepared and within reach before you fire up the wok. You won't have the time to get and measure the ingredients; your hands will be too busy stir-frying!

Shrimp Fried Rice only calls for a few ingredients.

8 oz of medium-sized shrimp (peeled and deveined) - put ice on the fresh raw shrimp to keep them fresh. As shown in the picture below, I keep them in a colander over a bowl to keep them dry as well. I remove the ice cubes just before they go in the wok.
- Note: if you are using frozen shrimp, place them in a bowl filled with tap water. They will defrost in just a few minutes.
6 cups of cooked rice (white rice or brown rice works well for this recipe)
1 cup of frozen peas and carrots - No need to defrost completely. I just give them a quick rinse.
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
½ a medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 dashes of ground white pepper
¾ cup chopped scallions

Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok over medium-high heat. As soon as the wok starts to smoke a little (that's how you know it's hot enough), add the shrimp. Stir-fry the shrimp until fully cooked. It should only take about a minute to cook the shrimp. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp as they will get very rubbery.

When the shrimp are cooked, remove them from the wok and set them aside.

Add a splash more oil into the wok, then pour the eggs into the wok. Give the eggs about 30 seconds to set, then scramble them with your wok spatula.

Remove the scrambled eggs from the wok and set aside.

scrambled eggs in wok for shrimp fried rice

Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the wok, then stir-fry the chopped onion and minced garlic for about 20 seconds or until aromatic.

Add the peas and carrots to the wok. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds to allow the peas and carrots to heat up.

peas and carrots in wok with chopped onions

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Pour the cooked rice over the vegetables, then drizzle the soy sauce evenly over the rice.

Stir-fry until all of the rice is evenly coated in the soy sauce.

pouring soy sauce over rice for shrimp fried rice

Return the cooked shrimp and scrambled eggs to the wok.

Sprinkle ground white pepper over the rice.

Turn off the heat, then add the chopped scallions. Stir to combine all the ingredients, then transfer to a serving plate or bowl.

Enjoy!