This easy vegan fried rice comes together quickly, and the whole family will love it. It's full of flavor with simple ingredients.
When I was a kid, who am I kidding? Until I was 18 years old, I was an extremely picky eater.
I ate the same exact thing with no variation when we ate out.
So, I was just as picky when it came to Asian-style food; my goto was always Fried Rice only.
Now I see all the glorious food I was missing out on.
I still love a bowl of good fried rice, but now I make my own restaurant-style vegan fried rice, which is SO tasty!
Not only is it tasty, but it's easy to make.
The key to good fried rice is to start with cold leftover rice.
I typically make my rice the day before and stick it in the fridge until I am ready to start making it.
You could also do this the morning of, and it will have enough time to get nice and chilly.
You can play with the vegetable combinations.
I always like peas, carrots, and onions in my fried rice.
I like this dish with tasty scrambled tofu.
The tofu is easy to make but can be time-consuming because good tofu takes time.
If you are into mock meat, this tastes GREAT with the addition of a Gardein "chicken" tenders chopped up.
My husband had to work late, so I sent him a big bowl of this for dinner, and I got a text from him exclaiming this meal was amazing with the addition of the tenders.
This won 5 stars all around in this household.
Easy Vegan Fried Rice Recipe Q&A
Can I make this fried rice gluten-free?
Yes, you can use gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos.
Do I have to use tofu?
No, the tofu acts as vegan eggs; you can also use a vegan egg substitute like Just Egg.
What's the best type of rice for this fried rice recipe?
You can use brown rice or white rice. I prefer my fried rice with white rice.
I use long grain white rice or jasmine rice; they don't get as sticky as some other rice but feel free to use basmati rice or whatever your favorite is.
What's the best oil to use for fried rice?
I prefer using more neutral-tasting oil, like vegetable oil or canola oil.
But you can use olive oil if you prefer or melted coconut oil that's refined, so it doesn't taste like coconut.
Some people like to use vegan butter to add some additional flavor.
Can vegans eat fried rice?
Typically at most Asian restaurants, fried rice comes with egg and usually some kind of meat, making it not vegan.
You also have to ask if it's made with oyster sauce or fish sauce.
In most restaurants, you can order fried rice modified to be vegan; you just have to ask.
What do you need to make this delicious restaurant-style vegan fried rice?
Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.
- oil
- extra firm tofu
- garlic powder
- pepper
- white cold rice *preferably a day old
- toasted sesame oil
- peas and carrots
- green onions
- garlic
- low sodium soy sauce or regular soy sauce
How do you make this delicious vegan fried rice?
If you don't have cold pre-cooked rice, cook your rice according to the package directions. Try not to make the rice mushy.
Take a large pan or wok and heat 1 TB of neutral oil; crumble your tofu and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon pepper to your hot pan.
Let this cook, stirring when needed, on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until it starts to get a little golden brown in spots.
Remove from skillet and set aside.
Take 1 TB of sesame oil and cook the peas, carrots, green onions, and garlic for a few minutes.
Add the cold cooked rice and remaining oil, use a spatula to break up the rice evenly, then add the tofu and soy sauce.
Cook for another 10 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
How do you serve this easy vegan dinner?
You can serve this as is or add some cooked vegan chicken strips to take it to another level of deliciousness.
This can be served as a main dish or a side dish.
You can garnish it with sesame seeds and green onions if you want to get fancy.
If you want to add some spice, you can add some chili garlic sauce.
You can also add extra veggies if you like a specific vegetable in your rice dish. I enjoy adding frozen corn even though it's not traditionally in fried rice, and some people enjoy adding bell peppers.
How do you store fried rice?
It's best to let the fried rice come to room temperature, then place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Can you freeze fried rice?
You can place the leftovers in a freezer-safe sealed container for up to 6 months.
Let it defrost in the fridge and then reheat on a skillet.
Want some other easy vegan meals?
Easy Vegan Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 TB oil
- 14 oz tofu drained and squeezed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups rice cold *preferably a day old
- 2 TB sesame oil
- ¾ cup peas and carrots
- 3 green onions chopped small
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 TB soy sauce
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Take a large skillet and heat 1 TB of neutral oil, crumble your tofu and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon garlic powder and pepper. Let this cook, stirring when needed, on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until it starts to get a little golden brown in spots. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Take 1 TB of sesame oil and cook the peas, carrots, green onions, and garlic for a few minutes.
- Add the cold cooked rice and remaining oil, use a spatula to break up the rice evenly, then add the tofu and soy sauce. Cook for another 10 minutes stirring frequently.
- You can serve this as is or add some cooked vegan chicken strips to take it to another level of deliciousness.
Notes
Nutrition
If you loved this recipe then give it a 5 star rating and leave a comment! I love to chat with you all. Please feel free to share on social media and tag #courtneyshomestead. I would love to see you over on Instagram or Facebook.
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