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Who needs takeout? You can make the best Shrimp Fried Rice at home! This recipe pairs succulent shrimp with crispy rice, egg, peas, and carrots—plus my secret ingredient for getting that restaurant-style flavor.

shrimp fried rice in a bowl

Why You’ll Love This Easy Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe

  • Super Fast. You can have this dish whipped up in less than 30 minutes, which is faster than it would take to peruse a menu and wait for it to be ready and delivered. We want shrimp fried rice NOW.
  • Budget-Friendly. Of course, another great benefit of cooking your own shrimp fried rice is the cost savings. Chicken Fried Rice and Pork Fried Rice are also affordable takeout alternatives!
  • Tastes Delicious. This shrimp fried rice recipe is incredibly fresh and flavorful. With a perfect shrimp-veg-rice ratio and a simple but flavorful sauce, this shrimp fried rice with egg recipe is far superior to fast food takeout chains.
  • Endless Options. Master making your own Homemade Fried Rice, then try your hand at Cauliflower Fried Rice and Quinoa Fried Rice with Chicken and Vegetables.
shrimp fried rice on spoon

5 Star Review

“I have never reviewed a recipe before but I made this last evening. Followed the recipe with no changes and it was excellent!”

— Elizabeth —

How to Make Shrimp Fried Rice

The Ingredients

  • Shrimp. Shrimp are perfect for fast, easy dinners like this one, Shrimp Tacos, Garlic Butter Shrimp, Honey Walnut Shrimp, and other healthy shrimp recipes. I actually prefer to use frozen, deveined shrimp as it’s faster to prep, less expensive than fresh, and most grocery store shrimp was frozen before it arrived “fresh” anyway. Leaving the tails on or taking them off prior to cooking is up to you. 
  • Cornstarch. Tossing the shrimp in cornstarch prior to cooking is a trick to make them crispy.
  • Oil. Choose a cooking oil that has a high smoke point (so NOT olive oil), as the key to making great fried rice is a HOT wok. I recommend canola oil, grapeseed oil, or peanut oil.
  • Green Onion. We’ll use both the white and green parts of the onion to add color, subtle onion flavor, and a little bite.
  • Butter. The secret ingredient in Chinese fried rice is butter. You only need a little.
  • Eggs. The egg is gently cooked before the rice is fried, and then stirred back in at the end. For fried rice without egg, simply omit it from the recipe; to add something with a similar texture, try Air Fryer Tofu.
  • Rice. Do not use freshly cooked rice!
  • Soy Sauce. A must-have in authentic Chinese shrimp fried rice. I recommend low-sodium soy sauce so that the rice doesn’t become too salty and you can better control its flavor.
  • Sesame Oil. This is one of those power-house ingredients, and a little goes a long way. Sesame oil adds a warmth and complexity to the soy sauce.
  • Vegetables. A great hack to making shrimp fried rice a fast weeknight meal is to use frozen mixed vegetables, which don’t even need to be thawed prior to cooking! I used a mix of carrots and peas, but you can use whatever mix of fresh and/or frozen you like.

Market Swap

Other vegetables that work well in shrimp fried rice:

  • Pea Pods
  • Broccoli
  • Slice Onions
  • Eggplant
  • Yellow Squash
  • Zucchini
  • Mushrooms

The Directions

shrimp for rice
  1. Season. Toss shrimp in cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
shrimp in a pan
  1. Start the Shrimp. Cook shrimp in hot oil in a single layer.
shrimp cooking in a pan
  1. Cook the Other Side. Turn shrimp and finish cooking. Transfer to plate.
scrambled eggs for shrimp fried rice
  1. Scramble the Eggs. Gently scramble eggs in butter. Remove to the plate with the shrimp.
rice cooking for shrimp fried rice
  1. Fry the Rice. Cook onions in oil, then add the cooked rice and let sizzle until lightly crisp on the bottom.
browning rice
  1. Add the Soy Sauce and Oil. Stir, return to a single layer, and let sizzle 1 minute more. Drizzle over the soy sauce and sesame oil and stir to combine.
shrimped fried rice with vegetables
  1. Stir in the Veggies. Add the vegetables and remaining butter.
vegetable shrimp fried rice on pan
  1. Finish. Stir everything together. ENJOY!

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Let shrimp fried rice cool to room temperature, then store in refrigerator in airtight storage container for up to 5 days.
  • To Reheat. Gently rewarm leftovers in a large skillet over medium-low heat until hot. You can also place leftovers on a microwave-safe plate or in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until warmed through.
  • To Freeze. Once your shrimp fried rice has cooled, place it in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or zip-top bag, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat as directed.

Meal Prep Tip

  • Making shrimp fried rice with cold, leftover rice is the key to great, restaurant-style fried rice, so you’ll need to be sure to prep some cooked rice in advance. 
  • I like to make a large batch of rice and then divide it into 3-cup servings and store in freezer zip-top bags. You can use rice that’s been frozen and then thawed in the refrigerator.

Leftover Ideas

  • Wrap up leftover shrimp fried rice in lettuce for lettuce wraps. If you love lettuce wraps, see these better-than-P.F.-Changs Asian Lettuce Wraps.
  • Stir in some Crispy Tofu to stretch the leftovers.
fried rice with shrimp

What to Serve with Shrimp Fried Rice

Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Defrost Frozen Shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, thaw the night before in the refrigerator, or if you forgot (guilty!), you can submerge a sealed bag of shrimp in bowl of cold water for 20 to 30 minutes until defrosted. (Do not use hot or warm water! This is tempting to speed along the defrosting, but will mess up the shrimp as it will start to cook on the outside.)
  • Use Leftover Rice. For great fried rice, you must use COLD, leftover rice! As far as what type of rice, that is up to you. I like long-grain brown rice but white rice such as Jasmine and Basmati are popular choices.
  • Make Sure the Pan Is Hot. Be sure to monitor your pan’s heat level when cooking shrimp fried rice. Keeping the pan hot is critical, otherwise you may end up steaming everything instead of frying it.
  • Know When the Shrimp Are Done. Shrimp cook FAST, especially as we’re working over medium-high heat for shrimp fried rice. You know shrimp are done cooking when they are pink, and the moment they are no longer translucent.
  • Avoid Overcooking the Scrambled Eggs. Do not overcook the egg. Gently scramble them until they are just barely set.
large pan of fried rice with shrimp and vegetables

Shrimp Fried Rice

4.95 from 18 votes
The best shrimp fried rice is homemade! This quick and easy recipe is loaded with peas, carrots, eggs, and succulent shrimp in every bite.

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on or off, thawed if frozen
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil grapeseed oil, or peanut oil, divided
  • 3 green onions thinly sliced, about 1/2 cup, white and green parts divided
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 4 large eggs beaten
  • 3 cups COLD leftover brown rice
  • 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce plus additional for serving
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil toasted or untoasted
  • 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen peas and carrots about 1 1/2 cups, no need to thaw

Instructions
 

  • Pat the shrimp dry. Place in a bowl and top with the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
  • In a wide, deep skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the shrimp in a single layer. Let cook on the first side for 1 to 2 minutes, then turn and continue cooking on the other side until the shrimp are pink and no longer translucent, about 30 seconds more. Do not overcook! Transfer the shrimp to a large plate or bowl and set aside.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet. Let melt, swirling to coat the pan. Pour in the the beaten eggs. With a spatula, immediately begin to move the eggs around, cooking until they are scrambled and barely set. This will only take a minute or two. Remove to the plate with the shrimp.
  • Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the white part of the green onions. Let cook, stirring constantly, for 15 seconds. Add the cooked rice and spread into a single layer. Let sizzle undisturbed until lightly crisp on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir, return to a single layer, and let sizzle 1 minute more.
  • Drizzle the soy sauce and sesame oil over the top . Stir to combine.
  • Stir in the peas and carrots and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Let cook 1 to 2 minutes to warm the veggies through and melt the butter. Stir in the shrimp, eggs, and the green parts of the green onions, using a spatula to break up the eggs into small pieces. Let heat 1 minute more. Enjoy hot with additional soy sauce to taste.

Video

Notes

  • TO STORE: Let shrimp fried rice cool to room temperature, then store in refrigerator in airtight storage container for up to 5 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers in a large skillet over medium-low heat until hot. You can also place leftovers on a microwave-safe plate or in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until warmed through.
  • TO FREEZE: Once your shrimp fried rice has cooled, place it in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or zip-top bag, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat as directed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4Calories: 497kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 33gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 361mgPotassium: 556mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 562IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 127mgIron: 3mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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16 Comments

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  1. I made this for dinner and my picky 12 year old, who never EVER has a positive comment about dinner (and who never eats rice or vegetables) scarfed down a plate, declared it really good and told me to make it again! Thanks for a dinner win!5 stars

  2. This recipe was amazing! I used fresh broccoli florets instead of the green peas. I didn’t have leftover rice to use, but I cooked some brown rice in the rice cooker, which always overcooks it a tiny bit, let it cool, and then threw it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. I don’t cook well, but it turned out great anyway! I felt like a rock star! Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

  3. I have never reviewed a recipe before but I made this last evening. Followed the recipe with no changes and it was excellent! Thanks for sharing.5 stars

    1. Hi Sharon! I stopped including sodium info because it can vary so much depending upon what products you used, and I found a lot of conflicting info online, so ultimately I didn’t feel comfortable publishing it because sometimes it wasn’t even in the ballpark. If you’d like to calculate it yourself, there are lots of free tools online (myfitnesspal.com is popular). I hope that helps!

  4. Made this with edamame and well done sautéed mushrooms as the only change. OMG!! This is a keeper. I could not stop eating 😂. Your recipes are always great – thank you!5 stars

  5. Made this tonight and loved it. My 4 year old ate his whole dinner! I wasn’t as lucky with my 2 year old, but he wants everything separate. For the purpose of parenting (ha), I could try separating next time since the shrimp and eggs are already set aside in the steps. But the flavors all came together so well and I felt proud of myself!5 stars

  6. The combination of shrimp, veggies, and leftover rice is just irresistible. I loved the hint of smokiness from the sesame oil, and the green onions added a nice freshness. Definitely a new favorite! I really love cooking your recipes. You make it fun and it tastes good. Thank you so much!5 stars

  7. I don’t normally leave comments anywhere but I have to thank you for this recipe. I made it today and my husband was very happy. The fried rice is packed with flavors. I’m always struggling to find what to make for dinner and this was a success. This will be a regular for us.5 stars