Din Tai Fung Fried Rice – At Home in 20 Minutes! (VIDEO)
Jan 25, 2023, Updated Apr 01, 2024
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Whenever I go to Din Tai Fung, I ALWAYS have to order their Fried Rice! I love how different it is from your typical Asian fried rice– it’s signature light color is because it isn’t made with soy sauce! It’s fluffy, perfectly seasoned, and is topped with the juiciest shrimp – and the best part is Din Tai Fung Fried Rice comes together in 20 minutes!
Watch the Din Tai Fung Fried Rice Recipe Video Below!
Table of Contents
- Watch the Din Tai Fung Fried Rice Recipe Video Below!
- About Din Tai Fung and Din Tai Fung “Copycat” Recipes
- Ingredients for making Din Tai Fung Fried Rice at Home
- Cooking Din Tai Fung Fried Rice: Recipe Instructions
- How to Plate Just like Din Tai Fung!
- Expert Tips For Din Tai Fung Fried Rice
- What can I serve with Din Tai Fung Fried Rice?
- Cooking With a Wok (Alternatives)
- Din Tai Fung Fried Rice Recipe
About Din Tai Fung and Din Tai Fung “Copycat” Recipes
For those who may not be aware, Din Tai Fung is a popular Taiwanese restaurant chain from Taiwan. They’ve opened up multiple locations in the United States and are only continuing to grow. They’re famous for their signature Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) but honestly, their entire menu is solid. My only criticism is that I find their dishes to be on the pricier side – so I totally understand why I get so many requests for making Din Tai Fung dishes at home!
In the last two years, I’ve been asked to share recipes for basically the entire Din Tai Fung menu – I’ll be continuing to update this list but for now, check out my recipes for:
- how to make the famous Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad – you’ll be shocked when you realize how easy it is
- Din Tai Fung Green Beans, which are green beans fried in shallow oil and loaded with garlic – basically everyone’s favorite vegetable side dish
Ingredients for making Din Tai Fung Fried Rice at Home
The best part about making Din Tai Fung Fried Rice is not only how easy it is, but the fact that you are able to build so much flavor with not that many ingredients (basically a home cook’s dream)!
Protein and Rice
- Shrimp: Because one of the signatures of this dish is the large whole shrimp on top of the rice, I used U10-15 shrimp here. However, any size will work (and won’t compromise the taste)! Just make sure your shrimp is raw.
- While it won’t be exactly like Din Tai Fung’s Fried Rice, you can use a different protein if you prefer.
- White Rice:
- While Din Tai Fung uses Nishiki medium grain rice, I prefer long grain white rice for this recipe because it has a lower moisture content than medium or short grain rice. When cooking on a home stove, you want a rice with a lower moisture content which means that it will be easier to get a fluffy (not mushy) fried rice with separated grains. Jasmine rice is the ideal rice for this dish.
- Fresh rice will not work, as it will be too moist and your fried rice will be soggy. You have two options:
- You can use leftover old rice (rice that was cooked previously and refrigerated for at least one day).
- You can cook rice in preparation for this dish and lay it out on a baking sheet uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight. This will help dry out the rice.
- Eggs
Aromatics and Seasonings
- Scallions or Green Onions
- Kosher Salt
- White Pepper:
- White Pepper is one of my favorite pantry staples; it’s used in a lot of Chinese cooking, so once you recognize the flavor, it’s hard to miss. It has an earthier flavor than black pepper and more heat. If you enjoy cooking Asian food at home, I highly recommend buying some for your pantry.
- If you don’t have white pepper, you can substitute with black pepper.
- Baking Soda
- Sugar
- Chicken Bouillon Powder: Din Tai Fung Fried Rice is a much lighter color due to not using soy sauce as a seasoning ingredient. Chicken Bouillon Powder helps bring the flavor while keeping the lighter color in the overall dish.
- If you’re looking for a more traditional fried rice that uses soy sauce, try my Chicken Fried Rice or Shrimp Fried Rice! If you want a vegetarian option, try my Egg Fried Rice.
- MSG: As you know, I like to use MSG in moderation as a flavor enhancer. This is always optional.
- Neutral Oil:
- My go-to neutral oil is Avocado Oil but you can also use Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil.
- Do not use olive oil or sesame oil!
Don’t skip the Chicken Bouillon powder! It is a key ingredient to creating delicious, restaurant quality fried rice. I like this Premium Bouillon powder below.
Cooking Din Tai Fung Fried Rice: Recipe Instructions
1. Cook Your Shrimp
The first step in this recipe is to marinate your raw shrimp. We will be using a very simple marinade consisting of kosher salt, white pepper, baking soda, and neutral oil. The baking soda will help firm up the shrimp and keep them crisp.
After marinating the shrimp, cook them in a pan over medium high heat with 1 tbsp of neutral oil for 2-3 minutes or until just cooked through. You don’t want too much color on them if you’re going for that signature Din Tai Fung Fried Rice look!
2. Sauté Scallion Whites and Cook Eggs
After the shrimp have been cook and are removed, heat another 3 tbsp of oil in the pan. Sauté the scallion whites for a few seconds until fragrant. Add 4 large eggs and use your ladle or spatula to break them up and scramble. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until the eggs are about 70-80% cooked through and still slightly soft.
3. Add the White Rice
Add the day old white rice and mix thoroughly – you want the egg and scallion incorporated with the rice. Continue cooking over high heat until the rice is relatively dry and you are able to see the rice grains separating in the pan. NOTE: This can take anywhere from 3-4 minutes depending on the heat of your stove.
Add the seasonings and give it another good mix.
5. Add back Shrimp and Scallion Greens
Once the fried rice is nicely seasoned and dry (always taste and season according to your preference), add back your cooked shrimp and scallion greens. Give it another good mix to incorporate and your Din Tai Fung Fried Rice is done!
Serve immediately with and enjoy!
How to Plate Just like Din Tai Fung!
If you want to plate your Din Tai Fung Fried Rice just like the restaurant, set aside your cooked shrimp and DO NOT add it back into your cooked fried rice. Instead:
- Take a medium sized bowl and place your cooked shrimp on the bottom of the bowl.
- On top of the shrimp (on the bottom of the bowl), pack in your fried rice.
- Make sure your fried rice is packed in tightly – this will help the rice take on the shape of the bowl. You are essentially using the bowl as a mold.
- Once you are confident your fried rice has been packed in, take a flat plate and place it upside down, on top of the bowl (like a lid).
- Flip your plate and bowl on to a flat surface. The plate should now be on the bottom.
- Remove the bowl gently – you may need to shimmy it around to help the rice ‘release’ from the bowl. Voila – you should now have a similar presentation to how Din Tai Fung plates their Fried Rice!
PRO TIPS
Expert Tips For Din Tai Fung Fried Rice
Success is in the Prep!
This recipe for Din Tai Fung Fried Rice comes together extremely quickly once you start cooking – therefore, my KEY tip would be to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go BEFORE you start cooking. This will prevent you from having to stop in the middle to prep ingredients for the next step, which can lead to overcooking or even burned food. I like to have everything separated and in individual bowls on the counter next to my wok or pan, so it is all easily accessible during cooking.
Use a Long Grain Rice like Jasmine
Long grain rice has a lower moisture content compared to medium or short grain rice. A long grain rice will give you a better chance at successfully making a restaurant quality fried rice on your home stove.
What can I serve with Din Tai Fung Fried Rice?
I would serve this Din Tai Fung Fried Rice similarly to the restaurant by making my Grandma’s Pork and Shrimp Wontons, drizzling my homemade Sichuan Chili Oil on top, and eating it with a side of Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad and Din Tai Fung Green Beans!
Cooking With a Wok (Alternatives)
By now, you know that I LOVE cooking with my carbon steel wok! It is my #1 most recommended kitchen tool, as I believe it is perfect for high-heat cooking and results in restaurant quality Chinese food!
If it is your first time cooking with a wok, make sure to read my “How To Season a Wok” post. There is a video included that shows exactly how to season your brand new wok and how to maintain it so it lasts for years.
If you cannot or do not want to use a wok, you can use a large pan, cast iron, or even a dutch oven.
My KEY TIP would be to avoid crowding your pan – crowding can lead to your Din Tai Fung Fried Rice not cooking thoroughly and becoming mushy. If you think your dish will be crowded, use a larger pan, cast iron, or dutch oven, OR cook in batches.
If you tried this Din Tai Fung Fried Rice or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Din Tai Fung Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups white rice, day old dried out in fridge uncovered; uncooked measurement, recommend long grain rice
- 4 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated
- 4 eggs, large
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp msg, optional
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 4 tbsp neutral oil, avocado or canola
Shrimp Marinade
- 1/2 lb shrimp, I used large U10-15
- 1 tsp neutral oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Clean and devein shrimp and marinate with kosher salt, white pepper, baking soda, and neutral oil for 15 minutes.
- In a wok or pan over high heat, add 1 tbsp of neutral oil and cook the shrimp for 2 minutes or until just cooked through and remove.
- In the same pan over medium high heat, heat 3 tbsp of neutral oil and fry scallion whites for 15 seconds.
- Immediately add 4 large eggs and scramble, combining with the scallion whites. Cook for 45 seconds or until the eggs are about 75% cooked through (soft and slightly runny).
- Turn the heat to high and add the day old white rice. Mix to incorporate the eggs, scallion and rice and continue cooking until the rice is dry and separated, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add salt, sugar, white pepper, msg, and chicken bouillon powder, then mix thoroughly into the rice until incorporated. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- Add back the cooked shrimp and scallion greens, toss and cook for another minute and enjoy!
Notes
How to Plate Just like Din Tai Fung!
If you want to plate your Din Tai Fung Fried Rice just like the restaurant, set aside your cooked shrimp and DO NOT add it back into your cooked fried rice. Instead:-
- Take a medium sized bowl and place your cooked shrimp on the bottom of the bowl.
-
- On top of the shrimp (on the bottom of the bowl), pack in your fried rice.
-
- Make sure your fried rice is packed in tightly – this will help the rice take on the shape of the bowl. You are essentially using the bowl as a mold.
-
- Once you are confident your fried rice has been packed in, take a flat plate and place it upside down, on top of the bowl (like a lid).
-
- Flip your plate and bowl on to a flat surface. The plate should now be on the bottom.
-
- Remove the bowl gently – you may need to shimmy it around to help the rice ‘release’ from the bowl. Voila – you should now have a similar presentation to how Din Tai Fung plates their Fried Rice!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My favorite! So easy to make and satisfies all my cravings! Identical and even better than din tai fungโs fried rice! So delicious. Thank you CJ. Absolute rockstar for these amazing recipes.
I didnโt know how easy it was to create din tai fungs fried rice but it was soo easy with this recipe! Now if I make the chili sauce too and add on top.. yum!
i love din tai fung fried rice!! its top tier! this recipe was so good!!!!
Hi! Pleasure to meet you!
Din Tai Fung became our family favorite spot after our 1st visit. Everything is so delicious, but the price tag doesnโt allow us to enjoy it as often. One evening I was stumped about what to make for dinner, then saw this recipe on your feed and jumped at the chance to make it. Your recipe was spot on and our rice turned out so good. Definitely a keeper. Thank you for your easy to follow instructions and for demonstrating how fun and easy cooking can be. Noriega619@gmail.com
Super delicious – Iโm allergic to shrimp so I replaced with peas. Delicious with sriracha!
Absolutely love this rice. I accidentally added too much pepper but it was still amazing.
I’m so glad it turned out great! Even with the extra pepper ๐
Just made this for lunch along with the Din Tai Fung Cucumbers!!! I just so happened to have everything on hand and it was perfect!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Vanessa!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I also made beef and broccoli last night and it was so good. I’ll be cooking more of your recipes and post my thoughts. Thanks again!
Thanks, Mel! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I love how you list the ingredients. Every recipe Iโve tried has turned out great, and Iโm not even a really good cook so thatโs saying something.
Thank you and keep up the good work!
Thank you so much, Lisa! I appreciate your support and glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
Amazing recipe! This came out perfect when I made it last night for my family. This will be on the weekly rotation!