The Best Vegan Fried Rice (2024)

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Have you been searching for a Vegan Fried Rice recipe that is similar to the Hibachi-style rice or takeout fried rice you love? If so, look no further than this delicious & homemade fried rice recipe without eggs that contains 10 simple ingredients and can be made in 30 minutes or less!

Fried rice actually reminds me of one of my favorite traditions growing up-going out to Hibachi on Christmas Eve. As a Jewish American, most restaurants are closed on Christmas Eve in my hometown. Luckily, our local Hibachi restaurant was always open so we made a new tradition of going out to eat there with friends and family. It truly made the Holiday just as special for us as it did for everyone celebrating Christmas.

If I'm being honest, the reason I loved going out to Hibachi was really because of the buttery, flavorful, & CRAZY DELICIOUS fried rice we always got. Even when I did eat meat, I always shoved that to the side just so I could eat another serving of delicious crispy fried rice.

Since it was one of my favorite foods growing up, I knew it was time to make a vegan vegetable fried rice recipe!

The best vegan fried rice

If you loved my Black Pepper Tofu and my Vegan Lo Mein, get ready for the next great recipe to come to SGTO. Grab the ingredients, cook the white rice, and prep that wok because it's time to make some epic homemade fried rice!

Ingredients:

Sushi rice (or any rice variety rice- I prefer short grain rice but long grain also works)
Vegan Butter (I use Miyokos brand)
Soy sauce (or coconut aminos to keep this dish soy-free)
Rice wine vinegar
Sugar (can be subbed with maple syrup or coconut sugar to be refined sugar-free)
Onions, diced
Frozen or fresh peas
Carrots, diced
Frozen or fresh edamame (optional, but gives this dish tons of protein!)
Furikake seasoning (optional, a mix of white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, and dried seaweed)

As you can probably guess from that list my secret to the BEST vegetable fried rice is... using vegan butter! Seriously, skip the oil and use vegan butter to make this recipe go from good to great. My other secret is to add a little rice wine vinegar to my soy sauce for a little flavor twist.

Tools:

There is only ONE tool I absolutely recommend for this recipe and it is a high-quality Wok. Using a wok does wonders for stir fry recipes because it can evenly distribute high-heat. That leads to really crispy and perfectly cooked fried rice.

For reference, I have the BergHOFF cast iron wok. I've had it for over 5 years (splurged on it before I even had this blog). It is truly my kitchen go-to for making stir-fries, curries like my Vegan Eggplant Lentil Curry, and even pasta dishes like my Vegan Lemon Butter Pasta.

How to cook Japanese short grain rice on a stove

The first step to making delicious eggless fried rice is cooking rice on a stove or in a rice cooker. Before we even jump in, let me start this off by saying that day-old rice ALWAYS works best for fried rice. However, here are the additional steps to make short-grain Japanese rice on a stove:

Rinse rice before cooking

This removes the outer layer of starch from the rice and will help prevent any rice from clumping together.
Do this until the water is completely clear!

Then, soak rice before cooking

Soaking white rice before cooking helps to reduce the cooking time
It will also bring out more of the sweetness of the rice
Do not soak for more than 10-15 minutes and, if you are short on time, it's totally fine to skip this step

Cook rice until the water is completely absorbed

Bring the rice and water to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook covered until the water has completely absorbed
While some bags say to cook for 20 minutes, my rice usually cooks in as little as 10 minutes because of the washing and soaking process, so check the rice at the 10-minute mark.
Also, make sure to cook your rice with the lid on to trap in the steam.

Use the right rice-to-water ratio

I cook my rice using 1 cup of short grain rice to 1 cup+ 2 tablespoon of water
Please note- long grain or brown rice requires a different ratio so please follow package instructions if using another variety of rice

Always cook fried rice with cold rice

Steps to cook this recipe:

First, cook the white rice

Follow the steps above to cook the rice to perfection. If you are making the rice the day of, make sure to wait until it is cold before adding it to the fried rice. Just to reiterate it once more, day-old cold rice works best in this recipe!

Next, prep the veggies & make the sauce

Before cooking this recipe, make sure to chop and prep every ingredient. Fried rice really only takes around 8 minutes from start to finish, so you need everything prepped before starting.

This means adding the vegan butter to the wok, chopping & dicing the veggies, and mixing together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sugar for the vegan fried rice sauce.

Cook everything in a Wok!

First, add the vegan butter and turn on the heat. Once it has melted, add in the onions and sauté for about 2 minutes. Then, add in the carrots, edamame, & peas and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes.

After that, pour in the sauce and the cold cooked rice. Mix everything together and break apart any rice clumps that may form. The rice only needs to cook for about 2 more minutes before you can remove it from the heat and serve.

Remember, everything is getting cooked at a super high heat so that's what makes this process so fast!

What is Nori Furikake Seasoning?

One of the ingredients I use to season this fried rice is furikake seasoning. I buy mine at Trader Joe's, but essentially it is a mix of black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, salt, and Nori- which is dried black seaweed! If you have ever eaten sushi, you will definitely recognize nori as the thin black seaweed layer in sushi rolls.

I like adding furikake seasoning to this recipe because it gives it an extra kick, although, it is TOTALLY optional. I really love the taste the black seaweed gives to this dish as it gives it a more earthy, seawater flavor.

Plus, it actually makes this fried rice taste exactly like a copycat recipe for Trader Joe’s popular Japanese Fried Rice with Edamame and Seaweed!

PS- Some Furikake brands have bonito flakes added in (which come from fish), so avoid this if you are trying to keep the recipe vegetarian/vegan.

I truly can't wait for you to try this easy & delicious Vegan Fried Rice! This plant-based recipe has tons of protein thanks to the added peas and edamame and it is truly SO flavorful while being incredibly simple to make. Enjoy!

-TSG

Looking for more easy vegan weeknight dinner ideas? Check out these recipes!

The Best Vegan Fried Rice

An easy 10-ingredient vegan fried rice with edamame & furikake seasoning. This fried rice is SO easy, SO delicious, and a weeknight dinner staple.

4.83 from 67 votes

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Course: Vegetarian Lunch + Dinner

Cuisine: Japanese

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 large bowls

Author: Megan Horowitch

Ingredients
US Customary - Metric

▢ 3 cups cooked white rice
▢ 2 tablespoon vegan butter
▢ ¼ cup soy sauce
▢ ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
▢ ½ tablespoon sugar
▢ 1 cup chopped onion about ½ onion
▢ ½ cup frozen or fresh peas
▢ ½ cup frozen or fresh carrots finely chopped
▢ ½ cup frozen or fresh shelled edamame
▢ 2 tablespoon furikake seasoning optional, as topping
▢ 2 tablespoon green onions optional, as topping

Instructions

First, cook the rice according to package instructions. You will need 3 cups of cooked white rice total. I prefer short grain/sushi rice for this recipe and have tips and tricks in the blog post on how to cook rice, but any rice works. If using short grain/sushi rice it is 1 ½ cups of uncooked rice & 2 cups water needed for this amount of cooked rice. If using a different rice, follow package instructions. The rice can also be made the day before and is actually better if cold and refrigerated!
Once the rice is has been cooked, prep the rest of the ingredients. First, chop all the vegetables including the carrots and onions and set aside the peas and edamame. Then, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sugar to form a thin sauce.
Next, add the vegan butter to a wok and turn on the heat. Once the butter has melted and the wok is hot, add in the onion and cook for 2 minutes on high heat until translucent. Then, add in the rest of the vegetables (edamame, peas, carrots), and cook another 2 minutes.
Next, add in the stir fry sauce and cooked white rice and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes . Make sure to stir to evenly mix in the sauce and break up any rice clumps that may form.
Remove the fried rice from the heat and serve immediately. Top with furikake seasoning or sliced green onions for extra flavor. Enjoy!

Notes

Fried rice can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warm throughout.
If you do not have time to make the rice a day ahead of time, lay the warm cooked rice on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and add it to the fridge or freezer. This will help to cool the rice down quickly before adding it to the dish.

Nutrition

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