This Schezwan fried rice is an easy and flavorful Asian-style recipe. It's perfect for lunch or dinner and requires minimal ingredients. Now, you can effortlessly bring home your favorite Chinese restaurant.
How We Came Up With This Recipe?
This spicy Schezwan fried rice is one of our family's favorite dishes. We enjoy it in Chinese restaurants, and I frequently make it at home when we decide to have a Chinese-themed dinner(like this Hibachi Soup).
I always try to share more effortless recipes; this fried rice is one of a kind. To put the process in a more straightforward and single line, Simply saute garlic and vegetables and add rice and sauce. Mix and serve. And how easy is this right?
This recipe is easy and quick to make. The recipe does not require long-listed ingredients. All you need is store-bought Schezwan sauce.
The Ingredients
- Garlic: I highly recommend using freshly minced garlic for rich, classic Szechuan-flavored fried rice.
- Veggies: For today's recipe, I used the popular Chinese takeout combination of cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms. Choose your favorite vegetables. You can also opt for frozen mixed veggies to cut down half of the prepping time.
- Sauce: I used store-bought Szechuan sauce for convenience since I wanted to make this Szechuan fried rice recipe most suitable for busy weeknight dinners.
- Cooked rice: I used long-grain rice for this dish. However, the variety of rice does not limit the bold flavors and taste of Szechuan fried rice. So feel free to use the rice that you are comfortable with, like brown rice, jasmine rice, sushi rice, or brown rice.
- Green Onions: You can add or omit them depending on availability.
How To Make Schezwan Fried Rice?
In a pan, add cooking oil, followed by 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic. Add all the thinly sliced vegetables and flash fry them in high flame. Stir it continuously.
Saute for a couple of minutes or until the vegetables slightly change their color.
Add Szechuan sauce and cooked rice. Stir them gently until sauce, vegetables, and rice combine well.
Serve hot with ketchup, soy sauce, or Szechuan chicken.
Leftovers and Reheating:
- Refrigerate: For the best results, store leftover Szechuan fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator to use within 3-4 days.
- Freeze: To extend the storage time, transfer leftover fried rice to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Thaw: You can place the frozen fried rice in the refrigerator overnight or quickly defrost it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time.
- Microwave Reheating: Transfer cold fried rice to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel(this retains moisture and prevents the rice from drying out too much). Microwave for 30 seconds to 2 minutes(or until it's heated thoroughly), make sure to stir in between for even reheating.
- Stovetop Reheating: To reheat the rice on the stovetop, sprinkle a little water or vegetable broth over it and toss it in a pan over high heat.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- For the best textures, refrigerate to chill the rice for about 2-3. You can also use refrigerated leftover rice to make this dish.
- The vegetable should not be cooked thoroughly; it has to be sauteed in high heat to make it crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Szechuan is a province in southwestern China, and its cuisine is known for its spicy, bold, flavorful food. This Szechuan fried rice is a hot and spicy main dish made with the influence of Szechuan cuisine(thanks to the store-bought sauce).
Long-grain rice is my choice—it's convenient and can hold its shape after frying with vegetables. You can also opt for any rice that allows flavors to meld, like jasmine, brown, or basmati rice.
Yes, you can adjust the spiciness of Szechuan fried rice according to your preference and heat tolerance. If you want the dish with gentle heat, reduce the amount of Szechuan sauce and vice versa.
Yes, you can add proteins like chicken, tofu, shrimp, beef, or pork to Szechuan fried rice. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, cook it separately, and toss it into the dish along with the veggies.
Printable Recipe Card
Schezwan Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- ¼ cup cabbage julienne cut/ thinly sliced
- ¼ cup carrot julienne-cut/ thinly sliced
- ¼ cup mushroom julienne-cut/ thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon Szechuan sauce or as required
- 2 cups rice cooked
- ¼ cup scallion thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a pan add vegetable oil, followed by a 2 tablespoon of minced garlic.
- Add all the thinly sliced cabbage, carrot, and mushroom.
- Flash fry them in high flame, by stirring it continuously.
- Saute for a couple of minutes or until the vegetables slightly changes its color.
- Add szechuan sauce and cooked rice.
- Stir them gently until the sauce, vegetables, and rice combine well with each other.
- Garnish with scallion and serve hot with ketchup or soy sauce.
Notes
- For the best results, store leftover Szechuan fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- For extended storage time, transfer leftover fried rice to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- You can refrigerate the frozen fried rice overnight or quickly defrost it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Transfer the cold fried rice to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel(this retains moisture and prevents the rice from drying out too much). Microwave for 30 seconds to 2 minutes(or until it's heated thoroughly); make sure to stir in between for even reheating.
- To reheat the rice on the stovetop, sprinkle a little water or vegetable broth over it and toss it in a pan over high heat.
Anjali says
This tasted just like my favorite Chinese restaurant's fried rice! It was super flavorful and a great side dish for our dinner tonight.
Gianne says
The combination of spicy Schezwan sauce with the flavorful rice and veggies was perfect. It's definitely going to be a regular dish in my rotation. So delicious!
Hetaher says
So delicious and comes together in a snap! This was a hit at our dinner table, thank you!