How to Cook Vietnamese Fried Rice (2024)

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Asian Food
Southeast Asian Food
Southeast Asian Sides

Connie Veneracion

Food writer and blogger living in the Philippines and specializing in Southeast Asian home cooking and travel.

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Updated on 08/16/21

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Diana Rattray

Tested byDiana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 12 mins

Total: 27 mins

Servings: 3to 4 servings

Yield: 4 cups

22 ratings

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Fact: Every cuisine in Southeast Asia has been influenced by the Chinese in one or more ways.

Fact: Vietnamese cooking—with its sweet, spicy, salty, sour, and bitter flavors—is heavily influenced by the Wu Xing philosophy with each flavor corresponding with earth, metal, water, wood, and fire, respectively, or the Five Elements.

From those two facts alone, it is easy to glean how much Chinese cuisine has influenced Vietnamese cooking.

When it comes to fried rice, is there adifference between Chinese and Vietnamese fried rice? Yes, there is. Vietnamese fried rice has milder flavors because of its seasonings.

In this recipe, the sweetness of the lap cheong(dried fatty Chinese sausage) and the barbecued pork, and the saltiness of the fish sauce are balanced by a bit of lime juice.

"The rice was flavorful, and I loved the combination of barbecued pork and Chinese sausage. It was an easy preparation with a bit of chopping and slicing. Cooking is quick, so it's best to have all of the ingredients ready before you begin to cook." —Diana Rattray

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 large eggs, beaten with a drizzle of fish sauce
1 stalk lemongrass (white portion only), finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
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2 medium shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup sweet peas, thawed if frozen
1 link Chinese sausage, lap cheong, about 1 1/2 ounces, thinly sliced
1/2 cup barbecued pork, such as char siu, cut into thin strips
3 cups cooked rice, cold jasmine or long-grain, preferably not freshly cooked, rubbed to separate the grains
1 teaspoon fish sauce, or more to taste
1/2 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro, or Thai lemon basil or mint, to garnish

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Heat the peanut oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat.
Pour in the beaten eggs. Cook, swirling often to form a flat egg pancake, just until set, about 1 1/2 minutes.
Scoop out egg pancake and transfer to a cutting board.
Over medium heat, saute the lemongrass, garlic, and shallots until softened and aromatic.
Turn up the heat, add the chopped carrot and sweet peas, and stir fry for half a minute.
Add the sliced lap cheong and the barbecued pork. Stir fry for about a minute.
Add the rice. Drizzle in the fish sauce. Stir fry until the rice is heated through. Turn off the heat.
Roll up the egg like a cigar and cut into thin slices.
Add egg slices to the rice. Toss. Add the lime juice and toss a few more times.
Serve hot, garnished with cilantro, lemon basil, or mint, or all three.

Tips

Always rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking on the stovetop, in a rice cooker, or in an Instant Pot.
If using fresh-cooked rice, spread it out on a baking sheet to let the moisture evaporate. Once it has cooled, refrigerate it or make the fried rice.
Make sure that clumps are broken up before adding the rice to the wok.

Recipe Variations

If you like heat, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes along with the lemongrass, garlic, and shallots.
Replace the frozen peas and fresh diced carrots with 1/2 cup of frozen peas and carrots.
For additional protein and flavor, add 8 to 10 medium peeled and deveined shrimp to the stir-fry along with the meat.

How to Store

Refrigerate leftover fried rice in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 5 days.
To freeze, transfer the cooled fried rice to zip-close freezer bags; label with the name and date and freeze for up to 6 months.
To reheat leftover fried rice on the stovetop, transfer it to a skillet with a small amount of water or broth and cook over medium-low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until it reaches 165 F.
To microwave leftover fried rice, put it in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a damp paper towel; microwave for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until it reaches 165 F.

What can I use as a substitute for lap cheong?

You may substitute with about 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of Chinese or other Asian sausage, or salami, chorizo, or ham in a pinch.

Southeast Asian Sides
Beans, Peas or Rice Sides
Pork Recipes
Citrus Recipes
Vegetable Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
407	Calories
17g	Fat
47g	Carbs
17g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3to 4
Amount per serving
Calories	407
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g	21%
Saturated Fat 4g	22%
Cholesterol 124mg	41%
Sodium 271mg	12%
Total Carbohydrate 47g	17%
Dietary Fiber 2g	9%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 6mg	32%
Calcium 67mg	5%
Iron 3mg	18%
Potassium 541mg	12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Carrot
beef fried rice
entree
asian

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