Bacon and Egg Fried Rice
This bacon and egg fried rice is infused with a medley of flavors and punctuated by crisp, salty bacon. No takeout necessary when you can make this at home!
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Where I grew up on Long Island, scrambled eggs were common in fried rice from the local Chinese restaurants. But something happened during my journey to adulthood: They added the eggs more sparingly, and the scallions disappeared completely.
I often found the same thing during my subsequent years living in New York City. The fried rice had few—or no—scrambled eggs, and no scallions. It was like an episode of The Twilight Zone. The most boring, completely pointless episode of The Twilight Zone, but still.
Nowadays, however, there are no excuses for skimpy fried rice because I can make it at home and add chunks of scrambled egg, all the scallions I want, and crispy, salty bacon bits (which I prefer to the more common pork fried rice).
And the best part is I could eat this bacon and egg fried rice–or even some bok choy fried rice–while watching some of my favorite episodes of The Twilight Zone.
It’s a Good Life.
Why You’ll Love This Bacon and Egg Fried Rice
- You get to recreate one of your favorite takeouts at home: It’s satisfying to take something you would normally eat out and give it a whirl in your own kitchen.
- It’s incredibly flavorful: By cooking the bacon first, everything else cooks in bacon grease, amping up the flavor twofold.
- It’s quick to prepare: Because you make the rice the day before and need only a few ingredients, you can cook up this recipe in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bacon: You can use turkey bacon, if you’d like.
- Yellow Onion: You can also use a Vidalia or white onion.
- Scallions: We’ll be using the white and green parts.
- Eggs: Large eggs are best.
- Neutral Oil: Any neutral-flavored oil will work like vegetable or canola.
- Cooked White Rice: Any white rice is good, but I recommend jasmine.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: Use coconut aminos for a gluten-free version.
- Sesame Oil: Use untoasted, since we’ll be using toasted sesame seeds.
- Toasted Sesame Seeds: You can buy them or make your own.
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Bacon and Egg Fried Rice
- Cook the bacon: Cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and drain most of the grease from the pan.
- Add onions: Cook the onions and the white parts of the scallions in the same skillet until soft.
- Add eggs: Add the eggs to the onions and cook. Remove everything to a plate when done.
- Add oil and rice: Heat the oil in the skillet and add rice in a thin layer. Brown the rice, then add the soy sauce. Return the egg mixture to the skillet. Add the sesame oil and half of the green scallions and combine. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Finish: Add the cooked bacon, toasted sesame seeds, and remaining scallions to the rice.
Pro Tips
Prepare the rice beforehand: Cook it the day before, drain it when it’s still a bit firm (al dente), and let it cool for a bit before storing it in the fridge overnight. This will help dry it out and prevent it from becoming mushy when you make the fried rice the next day.
Cook the rice like you would pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, pour in the measured rice, and stir it occasionally as it cooks. Once the rice is almost done but still has some firmness, drain it in a colander. I find it easier to cook it this way instead of simmering until the rice absorbs the water. I think it also helps the rice stay firmer.
Fluff up the leftover rice before reheating it: If the rice sticks together when it’s cold, fluff it up with a fork before adding it to the pan so it’s easier to incorporate with the other ingredients.
Suggestions for Variations and Substitutions
- For a leaner option, swap the pork bacon with turkey bacon.
- Omit the bacon for a vegetarian version of this rice.
- For more color, texture, and nutrition, add other veggies like peas and carrots.
- Use any white rice you like, including long-grain white. You can also use brown rice.
Recipe FAQs
Day-old rice holds up better than freshly cooked rice. Fresh rice can become mushy, especially when the oil and soy sauce are added. I recommend 1- to 2-day-old rice for best results.
No, this version of fried rice is not Chinese. If anything, it’s an American spin on a popular Chinese takeout rice dish.
Yes, the rice in fried rice does fry when you allow the underside of it to brown in the oil. However, you can quickly toss the rice in the oil and heat it through without waiting for it to technically brown. Soy sauce helps the rice develop its traditional brown color.
Storage
Refrigerator
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days.
Freezer
I don’t recommend freezing this rice. Defrosting and reheating it from the freezer could turn it mushy.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
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Bacon and Egg Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 5 strips bacon raw, standard thickness, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 4 scallions sliced (separate the white and green parts)
- 4 eggs large, whisked, with a pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil (Note 1)
- 4 cups white rice day-old cooked (Note 2)
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce (Note 3)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted (Note 4)
Instructions
- Heat a wok or skillet over medium heat, and cook the bacon until it's nice and crispy. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon from the pan to a paper towel to absorb the excess grease. Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the skillet with a spoon and discard. 5 strips raw bacon (standard thickness), cut into 1-inch pieces
- Add the onion and scallions (white parts only) to the skillet and cook them in the remaining bacon grease until they're soft and translucent. ½ yellow onion, diced; 4 scallions, sliced (white parts)
- Add the eggs, turning down the heat so they cook gently. When they're just about done, transfer them with the onions and scallions to a plate. (It's fine to cook the eggs, onions, and scallions together.)4 large eggs, whisked, with a pinch of salt
- Crank up the heat again and add the canola oil to the pan. When it’s heated through, add the pre-cooked rice and spread it out as thinly as possible to heat through and brown the underside slightly. 2 teaspoons neutral oil, 4 cups day-old cooked white rice
- Add the soy sauce and toss it quickly with the rice to evenly coat it. ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- Return the egg, onion, and scallion mixture to the skillet. Add the sesame oil and half the green scallions; stir everything together and finish cooking the eggs, about 1 minute.2 teaspoons sesame oil, half the scallions (green parts)
- Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon. Garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and remaining green scallions.1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, half the scallions (green parts)
