When you have this easy 30-minute weeknight dinner recipe on hand for your own tasty and easy shrimp fried rice, takeout just might become a thing of your past!
How about a quick, easy, and colourful weeknight dinner recipe to brighten up a dreary winter’s day? Shrimp Fried Rice could just as easily become chicken fried rice, or it could contain broccoli and mushrooms instead of peas & carrot or it could be a veggie side rice side dish… or, well: You can mix it up with whatever protein + veggies seem good to you, or whatever you have on hand on a given weeknight.
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 12 of frozen peeled, deveined medium shrimp
- 1 tbsp olive or canola oil
- Black pepper, to taste
For the veggies and rice
- 2 tablespoons of canola or other high smoke point oil, divided
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 of a medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced small
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 4 cups cold cooked rice
- 2 eggs
Instructions to prepare Shrimp Fried Rice
- Firstly thaw shrimp by putting them in a colander in the sink and running cold water over them for a few minutes, tossing shrimp and moving the colander around so that all the shrimp get exposed to the water. Drain well.
- Then heat olive oil in a large wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. put shrimp to pan, season with black pepper, and cook about three minutes until bright pink and opaque, stirring frequently.
- Now remove the cooked shrimp to a separate bowl, then drain and wipe out the pan.
- So, turn the heat back to medium-high and add 1 Tbsp canola oil to the pan. Once shimmering, add the carrot, onion, and sesame oil and cook for about four minutes until nicely browned.
- After that mix in garlic, peas, and crushed red pepper and continue cooking for about 30 seconds, then stir in the rice and spread it out in the pan, breaking up clumps.
- Let the rice cook undisturbed for two minutes, then stir in the soy sauce, spread out again, and let cook undisturbed for another two minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat eggs in a small bowl. Push rice to the edges of the pan to create an open well in the centre, then add 1 Tbsp canola oil to the centre of the pan.
- Pour the beaten eggs into the centre of the pan and cook for about two minutes until scrambled, occasionally pushing the egg to the middle and breaking it up. Then mix them and chop the cooked scrambled eggs into the rice.
- Now stir the cooked shrimp back into your fried rice, then taste to see if you need additional soy sauce.
And also, you can follow the following steps to prepare easy shrimp fried rice.
Thaw shrimp by putting them in a colander in the sink and running cold water over them for a few minutes, tossing shrimp and moving the colander around so that all the shrimp get exposed to the water. Drain well.
Heat olive oil in a large wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Put shrimp to pan, season with black pepper, and cook about three minutes until bright pink and opaque, stirring frequently. Remove the cooked shrimp to another bowl, then drain and wipe out the pan.
Turn the heat back to medium-high and add 1 Tbsp canola oil to the pan. Once shimmering, add the onion, carrot and sesame oil and cook for about four minutes until nicely browned. Stir in garlic, peas, and crushed red pepper and continue cooking for about 30 seconds, then stir in the rice and spread it out in the pan, breaking up clumps. Now let the rice cook undisturbed for two minutes, then stir in the soy sauce, spread out again, and let cook undisturbed for another two minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs in a small bowl. Push rice to the edges of the pan to create an open well in the centre, then add 1 Tbsp canola oil to the centre of the pan. Pour the beaten eggs into the centre of the pan and cook for about two minutes until scrambled, occasionally pushing the egg to the middle and breaking it up. Now mix and chop the cooked scrambled eggs into the rice.
Mix the cooked shrimp back into your fried rice, then taste to see if you need additional soy sauce.
You have to chop the shrimp before adding back into the rice if desired I just left mine whole for a prettier presentation. You can also optionally top with Sriracha and/or chopped green onions for an additional kick.
When you try this easy 30-minute weeknight dinner recipe for your own tasty shrimp fried rice, takeout just might become a thing of your past! This easy fried rice makes for a simple all-in-one crowd-pleasing dinner, or you can pair it with a simple egg drop soup and/or fruit to make for a heartier meal.
