Really Good Fried Rice - Cooks Illustrated

Published March 1, 2001.

For fried rice that is light and flavorful rather than sodden and greasy, cook the ingredients in batches and forget about your fear of frying.

The Problem

Fried rice is the perfect solution for leftover rice, but it often arrives in the bowl as a soggy mess of greasy rice doused in so much flavor-disguising soy sauce that you can hardly tell the mushrooms from the chicken.

The Goal

We wanted a dish that made us eager for some leftover rice-a quick supper dish with firm, separate rice grains and light, clean flavors.

The Solution

Start with cold, dry rice—leftover rice is best. Instead of gallons of soy sauce, use flavorful oyster sauce that yields well-seasoned but not soggy rice. Batch-cook the vegetables and meat and fry in a mere 3 tablespoons of oil. Finish with tender vegetables like sprouts and scallions and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.

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