Try Thai yellow fried rice with easy yellow curry powder! It's tasty, easy to make, and can be customized to your favorite protein and veggies. A quick and satisfying meal you can enjoy in 20 minutes!
Use this homemade yellow curry powder for even better flavors added to this curry chicken. Recipes using yellow curry powder are Thai crab curry stir fry, Thai pineapple fried rice, and authentic satay chicken.
Read this post and learn how to make the perfect jasmine rice and how to cook rice for fried rice recipes.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Easy fried rice
- What is Thai Yellow Fried Rice?
- Yellow Fried Rice Ingredients
- How to Make Yellow Fried Rice
- Helpful Kitchen Notes and Tips
- Yellow Curry vs Yellow Curry Paste
- How to Serve curry fried rice
- Helpful Kitchen Tools for This Recipe
- Variations
- Substitutes
- Storing Leftovers
- More Thai fried rice recipes
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Recipes You'll Love
- Yellow Fried Rice Recipe (with Easy Curry Powder)
- Related Recipes
Why You'll Love This Easy fried rice
- This delicious curry fried rice has an explosion of flavors! Yellow curry powder, sauce, oyster sauce, and lime juice make it a delicious mix of savory, tangy, and umami tastes.
- The seared chicken, fluffy jasmine rice, and crispy green onions create a delightful combination.
- Best of all, it's a quick and easy recipe to make.
What is Thai Yellow Fried Rice?
Thai yellow fried rice is a fragrant and flavorful dish that captures the essence of Thai cuisine. It combines the aromatic allure of yellow curry powder with the umami richness of Thai umami sauces.
This delightful concoction is then stir-fried with chicken, eggs, and vibrant green onions, creating a harmonious blend of textures and tastes.
Thai yellow fried rice is a unique dish from southern Thailand, boasting a delightful blend of Indian and Malaysian influences. It gets its distinct taste from incorporating aromatic spices in yellow curry powder.
Yellow Fried Rice Ingredients
Prepare your taste buds for a symphony of flavors with these carefully curated ingredients.
- Yellow curry powder. I used my homemade curry powder. If using store-bought, look for Japanese curry powder if possible.
- Fish sauce. Use Thai fish sauce if possible. Read more about different types of Thai sauces here.
- Oyster sauce. Add a wonderful umami flavor profile to the recipe.
- Light or thin soy sauce. Regular soy sauce (Non-Thai) or other Western brands will work.
- Sugar. White or brown sugar will work.
- Ground white pepper. Black pepper is fine for use.
- Lime juice. Add a hint of tanginess to balance out all the spices and sauces in the recipe.
- Oil. Use neutral oil.
- Garlic (4 cloves, chopped small).
- Sweet or yellow onion, sliced long and thin.
- Chicken breast or thigh. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces for this recipe. Ground meat works, too, for a fun twist!
- Eggs. Add an extra meaty texture to the fried rice.
- Cooked jasmine rice. Use day-old rice or drier rice. Fresh rice has a lot of moisture, but it can work. Check the helpful kitchen tips section for quick notes on the rice. Read more about different types of Thai rice here.
- Green onion, sliced into 2-inch pieces
How to Make Yellow Fried Rice
Making Thai yellow fried rice takes just a few simple steps using yellow curry powder, Thai sauces, eggs, and chicken.
Step 1: Mix fish sauce, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, ground white pepper, and lime juice in a small bowl.
You'll have a beautiful golden brown sauce ready for use soon!
Step 2: Lightly whisk the eggs and set them aside.
Step 3: In the same wok or a large pan, sauté garlic and onion for 10-15 seconds. Add the sliced onion and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
Step 4: Add half the oil to a hot wok on medium-high heat, add chicken, and sear until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. A large wok or skillet is best for this rice dish.
Step 5: Push the onion-garlic mixture to the side of the pan, add the rest of the oil, then the whisked eggs and scramble until soft. about 1-2 minutes.
Step 6: Mix the cooked jasmine rice to the wok. Let it sit without stirring for about 2 minutes until you hear the grains of rice start popping.
Step 7: Add the color! Add the curry powder and stir very well.
Step 8. Add the sauce mixture, green onions, and cilantro, and cook for an extra minute. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Give it one final stir, and voila!
Serve with sliced cucumbers or tomatoes.
Helpful Kitchen Notes and Tips
- Use leftover rice or rice cooked the day before for a good fried rice recipe. There's less moisture from old rice, creating a fluffy rather than mushy fried rice.
- You can use freshly cooked rice if you don't have leftover or day-old rice. To avoid being too moist, cook the rice with slightly less water (about ¼ cup less). Once cooked, remove the portion you need for the recipe and spread the warm rice on a baking sheet or large platter to let the excess moisture evaporate. This method will produce less sticky rice, perfect for making delicious fried rice.
- Add more yellow curry powder if you love the flavors of extra spices in your fried rice.
- Feel free to customize the protein—shrimp, tofu, or beef all work wonderfully.
Yellow Curry vs Yellow Curry Paste
While both yellow curry and yellow curry paste contribute to the vibrant hue of the dish, they differ in form and composition. Yellow curry typically refers to a blend of ground spices, including turmeric, coriander, cumin, and fenugreek.
On the other hand, yellow curry paste is a concentrated mixture of these spices, along with additional ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime.
How to Serve curry fried rice
Thai yellow fried rice stands splendidly on its own. May Thai fried rice dishes are typically served with sliced cucumbers or tomatoes for a refreshing crunch.
A wedge of lime to enhance the citrus notes.
For an aromatic finish, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, a lime wedge, or cilantro. It is also excellent as a side dish alongside a meat dish.
Helpful Kitchen Tools for This Recipe
To make your culinary journey smoother, consider having these tools at your disposal:
- Wok or a large frying pan or a large skillet for efficient stir-frying. A shallow pan works great for making fried rice dishes.
- A nonstick skillet works well for easy cleanup.
Variations
Get creative with these variations to suit your taste preferences.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken and add your favorite vegetables instead. My favorite vegetables are baby corn, green peas, carrots, green beans, peapods, and bell peppers.
- It's an excellent recipe to use your leftover vegetables from your fridge.
- Swap chicken for shrimp or a seafood mix for a seafood lover's dream.
Substitutes
- Substitute chicken with firm tofu and add the vegetable medley for a delightful vegetarian version.
- Sliced red bell pepper instead of hot peppers are a good substitute for a less spicy version.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat in a hot wok or microwave for a quick and flavorful meal.
More Thai fried rice recipes
- Green curry fried rice, fried rice with curry flavor using green paste.
- Pineapple fried fried, traditional fried rice with large pineapple chunks
- Thai basil fried rice is a savory dish with chicken and fragrant Thai basil.
- Vegetarian fried rice is a light meal with fresh vegetables.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fried rice gains its vibrant yellow color primarily from adding turmeric powder, commonly found in curry powder. This spice imparts a rich hue, adding depth and earthiness to the dish.
Yes, you can technically add curry paste to fried. However, it may make the dish too moist and alter the flavors, as the paste contains different ingredients.
Add turmeric-infused ingredients such as yellow curry powder to make fried rice yellow. This adds color and infuses the dish with warm and aromatic flavors.
Whisked eggs are a key component in making yellow-fried rice. In the cooking process, they are scrambled, creating golden threads throughout the dish and adding a luxurious texture.
Brown jasmine rice, basmati, or regular white rice will work fine, too, if you prefer those. It's up to your personal preferences.
More Recipes You'll Love
- Homemade aromatic curry powder
- Thai yellow curry, an easy curry with chicken in coconut milk
- Homemade yellow curry paste.
- Homemade Thai Red curry paste.
- Yellow curry with pork belly
- Vegetarian yellow curry with tofu
- Pad prik King with shrimp and green beans
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PrintYellow Fried Rice Recipe (with Easy Curry Powder)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Low Lactose
Description
Try Thai yellow fried rice with easy yellow curry powder! It's tasty, easy to make, and can be customized to your favorite protein and veggies. A quick and satisfying meal you can enjoy in 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoons oyster sauce
- ½ tablespoons light or thin soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½-1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 ½ tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic (4 cloves, chopped small)
- ½ cup white or sweet onion sliced long and thin
- 8 oz chicken breast or thigh
- 2 eggs
- 2 ½ cups cooked jasmine rice
- 2 stalks green onion, sliced 2-inch pieces
Instructions
- Mix fish sauce, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, ground white pepper, and lime juice in a small bowl.
- Lightly whisk the eggs and set them aside.
- In the same wok or a large pan, sauté garlic and onion for 10-15 seconds. Add the sliced onion and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add half the oil to a hot wok on medium-high heat, add chicken, and sear until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. A large wok or skillet is best for this rice dish.
- Push the onion-garlic mixture to the side of the pan, add the rest of the oil, then the whisked eggs and scramble until soft. About 1-2 minutes.
- Mix the cooked jasmine rice to the wok. Let it sit without stirring for about 2 minutes until you hear the grains of rice start popping.
- Add the color! Add the curry powder and stir very well.
- Add the sauce mixture, green onions, and cilantro, and cook for an extra minute. Adjust seasoning if needed. Give it one final stir, and voila!
Notes
- Use leftover rice or rice cooked the day before for a good fried rice recipe. There's less moisture from old rice, creating a fluffy rather than mushy fried rice.
- You can use freshly cooked rice if you don't have leftover or day-old rice. To avoid being too moist, cook the rice with slightly less water (about ¼ cup less). Once cooked, remove the portion you need for the recipe and spread the warm rice on a baking sheet or large platter to let the excess moisture evaporate. This method will produce less sticky rice, perfect for making delicious fried rice.
- Add more yellow curry powder if you love the flavors of extra spices in your fried rice.
- Feel free to customize the protein—shrimp, tofu, or beef all work wonderfully.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Fried rice
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
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