This Ham Fried Rice will rival your favorite take out, both with taste and with ease to make! With only a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of prep you can be on your way to a restaurant quality dinner, made at home! It’s made with fluffy jasmine rice, salty bites of ham, mixed veggies, and scrambled egg tossed in sesame oil and soy sauce and fried to perfection. Throw this recipe together in just 15 minutes for the perfect weeknight meal.
Ham Fried Rice – The EASY Way!
Some dishes you order at your favorite restaurant seem super hard and impossible to recreate at home. If fried rice seems like one of them, we are going to break down just how incredibly easy it is to make at home.
This simple recipe is about to be your new favorite dinner to make on busy weeknights…or any night.
It’s made with the most basic ingredients and comes together in just 15 minutes, but it doesn’t sacrifice any flavor. Easy and delicious? Count me in!
This is a mouthwatering and filling dinner that the whole family will love.
Looking for more variations on classic fried rice? Check out my Easy Steak Fried Rice or my 15 Minute Chicken Fried Rice!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Quick and easy. Just 9 pantry staple ingredients and 15 minutes needed to whip this healthy and tasty meal up.
- One-pot meal. This homemade ham fried rice recipe is a complete meal made all in one pot. Easy prep and easy cleanup!
- Great for leftovers. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover ham, leftover rice, or both!
Recipe Notes
This fried rice with ham recipe is as simple as promised! Just 15 minutes for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Butter
- Onion and Garlic
- Ham – I recommend dicing the ham pretty small. I do 1/4″ cubes so that it incorporates nicely with the rest of the ingredients. You can use ham that is leftover from Christmas, Easter or another holiday, or grab some at the deli. I like thick sliced, but this recipe is so forgiving you can even use thinly sliced deli meat if it is what you have on hand.
- Rice – Use a long grain white rice, such as Jasmine rice, for the best texture. For the best results, cook the rice a day ahead of time or use leftovers. The slightly dryer rice creates a better fried rice texture. If all you have is freshly cooked rice, that will work too.
- Mixed Vegetables – I use frozen mixed vegetables to keep this dish extra simple and easy. Feel free to use fresh veggies and play around with whatever vegetable combination you prefer. It’s very customizable!
- Eggs
- Sesame Oil
- Soy Sauce
- Optional Garnishes – chopped green onions, yum yum sauce, japanese spicy mayo
Recipe Tips
We are going to talk through how to make fried rice at home so that it tastes just like the restaurant. There are a few key tips that make all the difference!
- Prep everything first! This recipe is so fast that if you are taking time to chop, or dig through the freezer to find the veggies, you miss how fast, easy and flavorful the recipe is. I always like to have everything chopped and measured before I start to have the best end result.
- Use a LARGE pan. Whether you use a wok or a skillet won’t make much difference (I usually use a skillet) BUT what will make a big difference is using a large pan. A bigger pan gives you more surface area to crisp up that rice, ham and the veggies all while adding tons of flavor.
- Don’t go Stir Crazy. I know when you are standing over the stove, it is so tempting to just keep stirring, however, I like to let it cooked untouched once the rice, veggies and sauce are added to the pan (step 3 in recipe card) This allows the rice to get that “fried” texture and develop a bit of caramelization that adds so much flavor to the dish.
- Flavor to taste– This recipe is detailed as my family likes it, but if you prefer more or less soy flavor, more or less salt, etc, feel free to add more or less seasoning to make it just what you want. And for the restaurant style fried rice flavor, make sure to use the sesame oil!
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Use leftovers – This recipe is perfect when you have leftover ham, leftover rice, or both!
- Cook the rice in advance – If you don’t have leftover rice, you can prep it the day before and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Not only does this save time later, but it also makes for a crispier fried rice texture.
- Chop the ham ahead of time – Dice the ham up 1-2 days in advance and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to cook up your fried rice, it’s ready to go!
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice – Want to sweeten your salty fried rice up a little bit? Add in canned or fresh chopped pineapple. Be sure to chop it up small enough that it’s uniform with the rest of the ingredients. If you don’t want pineapple chunks, try adding a splash of pineapple juice to brighten the flavors up just a touch.
- Healthy Ham Fried Cauliflower Rice – Looking for a lower carb option? Simply swap the jasmine rice out for cauliflower rice. You can find pre-made cauliflower rice or make your own by grating a head of cauliflower in your food processor.
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this ham and egg fried rice recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Prepare the ham fried rice completely as directed.
- Let the rice cool.
- Package it in a freezer bag or other freezer friendly container.
- Freeze.
- Once ready to make, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat and cook rice with 1 tbsp of water for about 5-10 minutes stirring every 1-2 minutes, until tender and heated throughout. Time will vary based on how hot the pan is and how thawed the rice is.
What to Serve with Ham Fried Rice
Since this dish has the classic flavors of Asian food, it will pair well with many of your favorite Asian-inspired side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Spicy Sriracha Asian Coleslaw – Spice things up a little bit with this creamy, tangy coleslaw recipe.
- Asian Cucumber Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing – Tie in all those salty, nutty flavors with this french and crunchy side salad. Just 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes in the fridge!
- Egg Rolls – Egg rolls are a classic Chinese food pairing. Feel free to make your own or use your favorite store-bought version.
- Garlic Green Beans– This quick and easy side is a go to and so so fast to make.
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
TOP IT OFF!
Add one or more of these toppings to your Ham Fried Rice:
- Spicy Asian Mayo – my favorite!
- Homemade Yum Yum Sauce – my husband’s favorite
- Teriyaki Sauce – my kid’s favorite!
- Chopped cabbage – I like to top mine with this for texture and to add more veggies!
- Toasted sesame seeds
Leftover Ham Fried Rice
If you have leftovers after making fried rice with ham, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
More One Pan Rice Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my one pan meals here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Teriyaki Beef & Rice
- Greek Chicken and Cauliflower
- Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Skillet
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies with Cajun Butter Sauce
Easy Ham Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1.5 cups diced ham
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 12 ounces mixed vegetables, frozen
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
Garnish (optional)
- Chopped green onions
- Yum yum sauce
- Japanese Spicy Mayo
Instructions
- Chop the onion and press the garlic.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add butter and onion and garlic to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
- Add the rice, veggies, ham, and sesame oil to the skillet and stir to combine. Let cook 3-5 minutes, then push to one side and add the egg, scrambling and cooking until done.
- Stir the egg into the mixture, add the soy sauce, and cook 1-2 more minutes, then remove from heat.
- Garnish with green onions and drizzle with yum yum sauce if desired. Serve warm, and ENJOY!
Recipe Notes
- Ham – I like thick sliced, but this recipe is so forgiving you can even use thinly sliced deli meat if it is what you have on hand.
- Mixed Vegetables – I use frozen, but feel free to use fresh veggies and play around with whatever vegetable combination you prefer. It’s very customizable!
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
- Prepare the ham fried rice completely as directed.
- Let the rice cool.
- Package it in a freezer bag or other freezer friendly container.
- Freeze.
- Once ready to make, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat and cook rice with 1 tbsp of water for about 5-10 minutes stirring every 1-2 minutes, until tender and heated throughout. Time will vary based on how hot the pan is and how thawed the rice is.
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