Easy Thai Vegetarian Fried Rice Recipe (With Eggs)

Love Thai fried rice recipes? Enjoy this Easy Thai Vegetarian Fried Rice Recipe (with eggs) using minimal ingredients but has delightful flavors! It's fast and easy, ready to serve in 20 minutes. 

For more delicious Thai fried rice recipes, try this delicious Thai basil fried rice recipe using fresh Thai basil leaves. (You can use regular sweet basil if you can't find fresh Thai basil leaves). Make this a vegetarian Thai basil fried rice by omitting the protein.

Don't forget to pair your fried rice with this perfect sauce-Prik Nam Pla recipe.

Check out these recipes, Thai curry fried rice using green curry paste and Authentic Thai shrimp fried rice. Both are delicious. Both are tasty and perfect for weeknight dinners. Learn more about the different types of Thai rice and how to use them in this blog post here.

Jump to:

• What is Thai fried rice?
• Why you'll love this Thai vegetarian Fried rice
• The main Ingredients for this easy fried rice
• The sauce 
• How to Make Thai Vegetarian Fried Rice
• Garnishing options
• Helpful kitchen notes and tips
• Quick Cheat for rice needed for fried rice
• Helpful kitchen tools for this recipe
• Variations
• Substitutes
• Storage
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Easy Thai Vegetarian Fried Rice Recipe (With Eggs)
• The sauce 
• Related Recipes
• Pairing

What is Thai fried rice?

Thai fried rice, or Khao Pad, is known for its velvety umami flavors from Thai sauces and seasoning stir-fried together to make a delicious dish. The mild-tasting rice is perfect as a side dish to help buffer and soak up the spicy heat from other Thai dishes.  

Thai fried rice can be served as a main dish or as a side dish with other Thai dishes, as seen in a family-style setting. This is the one dish that you will almost always find in Thai restaurants in Thailand to serve as a side dish. 

Why you'll love this Thai vegetarian Fried rice

• It's an easy recipe and quick to put together for a busy weeknight dinner.
• This simple Thai fried rice is a great food to bring to a BBQ or have at dinner parties. 
• Thai vegetarian fried rice is not spicy! Always a bonus for non-spicy food lovers!
• It's adaptable. You can add protein and more vegetables to fit your diet needs. 
• Fried rice dishes are a great way to use up leftover rice, which is the best rice to use for stir-frying.

The main Ingredients for this easy fried rice

• Cooked white rice. For best results, Thai Jasmine rice is preferred for this Thai white rice. Use day-old rice for all fried rice recipes. See notes below for more tips.
• Eggs. Adds a meaty protein flavor to the rice.
• Garlic. Use only fresh garlic for fried rice dishes to intensify flavors.
• Green onions. Adds a sweet aromatic flavor to the fried rice.
• Shallot. Substitute red or regular onions.
• Cilantro. Use as a garnish, or add a few pieces at the end of your stir fry for an extra touch of flavor.
• Red pepper. Use red bell pepper to add vibrant color to your stir fry. Use Thai chili peppers for added heat if you like your food spicy. 
• Oil. Use neutral oil like vegetable, avocado, coconut, or canola oil.

The sauce 

Most of these sauces can be found at your local Asian stores. 

• Fish sauce. Adds a delicious umami flavor to the fried rice.
• Seasoning sauce. I used the Golden Mountain seasoning sauce. 
• Fresh lime juice. Rice vinegar is a perfect substitute.
• Sugar. It helps round out the salty flavors from the bottled sauces. 
• Ground white pepper. This sets Thai stir fries and fried rice apart in authentic flavors. The white pepper adds extra fragrance and a peppery taste. Black pepper doesn't have the same flavor profile but will work as a substitute. 

How to Make Thai Vegetarian Fried Rice

Step 1. In a small bowl, make the sauce by adding the sauce ingredients together. (Oyster sauce, fish sauce, seasoning sauce, lime juice, sugar, and white pepper.) You should have a sweet, salty sauce for the fried rice. 

Step 2. Add oil to a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add garlic, shallot, and fry for a few seconds until fragrant or light golden brown. (30-45 seconds).

Step 3. Add the cold rice to the wok. Spread the grains as thinly as possible in the wok or pan to ensure the rice gets evenly cooked. Stir, and cook for a few minutes until you hear some popping sound of the rice grains.

Step 4. Add the sauce, green onions, cilantro, and pepper to the pan. Stir well and cook for 1-2 more minutes.

Step 5. Add the eggs, scrambled for about 2-3 minutes. Leave the pieces large for an extra meaty flavor in your bites.

Step 6. Taste the fried rice and season it with more fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and ground white pepper. Serve right away with your favorite garnish, and enjoy! 

Garnishing options

Garnish your fried rice with lime wedges, fish sauce, chopped cilantro or green onions, Thai chili flakes, ground white pepper, and some sugar. These garnishes allow each person to customize the flavors of the fried rice according to their taste buds!

Helpful kitchen notes and tips

• Use old rice, meaning rice cooked 1-3 days before for fried rice dishes. The old rice has less moisture and doesn't stick together as mushy rice when used for fried rice. 
• Leftover rice is best for fried rice recipes. This means cooked rice from a day or two before. Day-old rice has less moisture, so it's less likely to get mushy in the pan when cooked. 
• Jasmine rice is best used for Thai fried rice recipes. Though not ideal, brown rice or short-grain rice will work too. 
• Sauces. In Thai cooking, fish sauce is used more often than soy sauce. In Chinese cooking, in stir fries and fried rice recipes, soy sauce is more common in recipes. If you don't have fish sauce, use soy sauce. You'll get a different flavor from the Chinese version, but it will still taste good. Use Thai brands of soy sauces if possible.

Quick Cheat for rice needed for fried rice

Here is a quick tip if you don't have old rice or forget to make rice the night before.

Tip one, use less water in the rice cooker or pot when making rice.

Tip two, with fresh rice, scoop some out from your rice cooker and spread the grains out on a thin layer on a large platter or a baking pan. Leave the rice at room temperature for at least one hour. You can do this while prepping the ingredients and or setting the table.  

Helpful kitchen tools for this recipe

• Carbon steel wok
• Spatula set 
• Large skillet
• Large skillet (A kitchen splurge item!)

Variations

• For vegetarian options, omit the eggs and fish sauce. Use tofu and soy sauce instead. 
• Add more vegetables to your next time making this dish using these vegetables. Bell peppers, onions, carrots, pea pods, green peas, baby corn, green beans, bean sprouts, and broccoli. 
• Protein for this simple fried rice is tofu, shrimp, and crab meat. Fish is not recommended. If using heavier protein like chicken, pork, or beef, slice the pieces small and thin for a quick cooking time. 
• Add some sesame seeds or crunchy cashews to garnish for more nutty flavors. 

Substitutes

• Golden Mountain is the Thai brand I used for the seasoning sauce, but Maggie seasoning sauce is the other brand you can use. It's just as good. Use soy sauce instead if you can't find seasoning sauce. 
• Use vegetarian oyster sauce instead of regular soy sauce to make it a vegan recipe.
• Use liquid aminos instead of soy sauce if you can't have fish or soy sauce. 

Storage

• This fried rice dish is great for refrigerator or freezer leftovers! Keep in an airtight container for 3 days in the fridge and 2 months in the freezer. 

Frequently Asked Questions

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Pairing

These are my favorite drinks to serve with Thai fried rice