This Garlic Fried Rice is bursting with fragrant, crispy garlic and is ready in under 20 minutes. Made using leftover rice, it makes a quick and easy side dish for any meal - Restaurant quality!
During a recent visit to an authentic Thai restaurant in Las Vegas, I had the most incredible garlic fried rice—it was truly out of this world. Inspired by this experience, I decided to recreate it at home so I could enjoy it more frequently and at a fraction of the cost of dining out.
While garlic fried rice is traditionally a Filipino dish known as Sinangag, you’ll also find variations in Thai and Chinese restaurants.
If you are a garlic lover, then this recipe is for you! It is loaded with tons of fried garlic, green onions, rice and flavorings to make it tasty. It is such an easy side dish to whip up for any meal or try the garlic butter shrimp and rice, a one-pot meal loaded with garlic.
Like the egg fried rice, I find that it is best is to use leftover rice, since the rice grains are more firm and not mushy.
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Why you'll love it?
- Ready in 20 minutes
- Restaurant quality
- Quick and easy side dish
- Bursting with crispy garlic
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Rice - For the best results, I recommend using long-grain white rice, such as jasmine or basmati, as it helps achieve the ideal texture. To avoid a soggy or mushy outcome, make sure the rice is at least a day old. Freshly steamed rice tends to retain too much moisture, which can compromise the texture when frying.
- Garlic - Garlic truly takes center stage in this dish! I used 6 cloves of garlic for 2 cups of cooked rice, and the flavor is fantastic. If you’re concerned about the garlic being too intense, feel free to reduce the amount to 4 or 5 cloves. However, remember that toasting the garlic not only softens its flavor but also imparts a nutty richness.
- Sauces - I use a combination of soy sauce and oyster sauce, which adds saltiness, color, authentic flavor and umaminess.
- Scallion - Adds subtle onion flavor and color.
- Egg - Egg adds protein and flavor.
- Pepper - I use ground black pepper because it's a common staple in most households. However, for a truly authentic taste, you might consider using white pepper. White pepper adds a subtle depth of flavor and can elevate your rice to restaurant-quality right in your own kitchen.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Pro tip: Don't burn the garlic! It will make the rice bitter, unpleasant taste. Here are a few tips to achieve the best results:
- Avoid cooking the garlic over high heat, as it will quickly brown on the outside while remaining raw inside, leading to an unpleasant taste. To achieve a perfect, even cook, use medium heat.
- Chop the garlic into evenly sized pieces to ensure uniform cooking. If the pieces vary in size, the smaller ones may burn before the larger chunks have a chance to turn golden.
- Remove the cooked garlic prompty from the pan to avoid over cooking.
What to serve with garlic fried rice?
Garlic fried rice, also known as Sinangag, is a versatile side dish that pairs wonderfully with any Asian meal—or just about anything! I particularly love serving it with air fryer bang bang chicken.
If you don’t have leftover cooked rice but need a quick fried rice option, try my instant pot egg fried rice. These one-pot dishes cook the rice and other ingredients together, so there's no need for leftover rice.
Recipe tips
- Cooked rice - Always use cooled cooked rice instead of freshly cooked rice for best resulting dish.
- Don't burn the garlic - There is nothing worse than burnt garlic. So make sure to cook your garlic in medium heat and remove promptly when it turns golden in color.
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Garlic Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 large cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups cooked and cooled white rice
- 1 scallion chopped
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add oil, chopped garlic, and ⅛ teaspoon salt into a medium saute pan.
- Place the pan over medium heat, cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic has turned golden brown. Remove the garlic, leaving the garlic-infused oil in the pan.
- Add the egg and scramble until partially cooked.
- Add all the remaining ingredients (cooked rice, scallion, soy sauce, oyster sauce, black pepper and remaining salt).
- Turn the heat to high, and mix to combine. Stir in the reserved fried garlic and mix. Give a taste and mix in additional salt, pepper or soy sauce, if needed!
- Garnish with additional chopped scallions and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
Such a fun recipe!! It’s like a mash-up of three things all kids love! I would totally dig this for lunch! Xoxo
heather (delicious not gorgeous)
fried rice is the best!! if you like fried rice + omelettes, highly recommend that you check out omurice (:
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Maria, your recipes always make me smile!! This is so genius. You should have a cookbook dedicated to meals for kids!! The best!
Agness of Run Agness Run
Wow! So many of my favorite ingredients in just one dish, Maria! Is there any alternative to the soy sauce?
Deepika|TheLoveOfCakes
This is such a fun meal for kids and fussy eaters! And with that egg omelette on the outside, its very filling too!
Sherry
Yes made this, really good, I did add shredded cabbage and a bunch of green onions. Was out of oyster sauce, so did Soy sauce vinegar and ginger.
Lisa
Hi! Could I use fish sauce or Hoisin sauce if I don’t have oyster sauce?
Maria Doss
Hi Lisa, You can try using a combination of hoisin and fish sauce - Maria
Doug Baby
Turned out Fantastic!!!makes Anyone feel they can really Cook😀
Maria Doss
That’s so great to hear, so glad you loved it - Maria ♡