Garlic Fried Rice

5 from 6 votes
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Garlic Fried Rice is a wonderful side dish you can make in just a few minutes with very few ingredients. You can add protein to this dish for a main course! The fried rice is bursting with aromatic, garlicky flavor and so delicious! Garlic Fried Rice is also known as the Filipino dish Sinangag, and it’s beloved by all cultures and can be found in Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and even Hawaii!

On top of that, this garlic fried rice recipe comes together in about 20 minutes, so it’s perfect for a weeknight meal!

A close up photo of garlic fried rice topped with scallions in a bowl.

Watch the Garlic Fried Rice Fried Rice Recipe Video Below!

Ingredients for Garlic Fried Rice

Making Garlic Fried Rice is extremely easy and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, but it brings a ton of flavor! Here is what you’ll need:

  • White Rice (see the type of rice I recommend above)
  • Fresh Garlic
  • Kosher Salt
  • White Pepper
  • Sugar
  • MSG (optional)
  • Light soy sauce (I opt for low sodium)
  • Neutral Oil
Ingredients for garlic fried rice in separate bowls on a table.

What type of rice should I use for fried rice?

For fried rice cooked on a home stove, I always recommend using long grain white rice that has been dried out uncovered in the fridge for this recipe, due to the lower moisture content of the rice compared to short grain rice. Using leftover rice is ideal for this recipe. On home stoves, this will result in fried rice that isn’t mushy! I recommend long grain varieties of rice such as Jasmine rice or Basmati rice.

How to make Garlic Fried Rice WITHOUT burning the garlic

Straining the chopped garlic out of the cooking oil and adding it back at the end when mixing the garlic fried rice ensures the garlic won’t burn. Burned garlic with give a bitter, unpleasant taste, so you want to fry the garlic until just golden brown and reserve it until the end.

INGREDIENTS TIPS

USE DAY OLD LONG GRAIN WHITE RICE
I’ve made fried rice many times (some amazing, some very mushy), but drying out the rice uncovered in the fridge for a least a day will help reduce the moisture content in the rice. Using long grain rice helps even more, as long grain rice has less moisture content than short grain rice.

MSG
As always, this is optional 🙂

NEUTRAL OIL
My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. I find that the flavor profile does not usually go with the dish.

GARLIC

Fresh garlic is ESSENTIAL! 15-20 cloves garlic is just a guideline, but feel free to use more if you like for that extra garlic flavor!

Cooking Garlic Fried Rice: Recipe Instructions

This Garlic Fried Rice is incredibly easy to make and comes together in about 20 minutes! It doesn’t require a lot of ingredients and I love how simple but delicious the end result is.

Garlic fried rice plated in a bowl.

1. Fry the Garlic

The first step in this recipe is to chop and fry your garlic. Once your cloves are minced, heat 3 tablespoons of neutral oil over medium high heat in a large nonstick wok or pan, then fry your garlic for about 1 minute until they are golden brown and remove. Our goal is to infuse the oil with the fresh garlic flavor and reserve those crispy pieces for the final dish.

KEY TIP: The garlic will continue to cook and crisp up once taken out of the pan, to be sure to remove it as soon as it starts to turn golden.

Chopped garlic frying in oil in a wok.

2. Sauté Scallions

After the garlic is removed, sauté the scallions for a few seconds in the garlic infused oil until fragrant for 15-30 seconds.

Scallions frying in a wok.

3. Add the White Rice

Immediately add the leftover day old white rice and mix thoroughly until the scallion is mixed in 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. This can take anywhere from 3-4 minutes depending on the heat of your stove. Stir fry until the grains are separated and relatively dry.

White rice added to garlic and scallions in a wok.

4. Season with the dry and liquid seasonings

At this point, season the garlic fried rice with kosher salt, white pepper, sugar, msg, and light soy sauce. Mix to combine.

5. Add back the Fried Garlic

Once the fried rice is nicely seasoned and dry (always taste and season according to your preference), add back your fried garlic. Give it another good mix to incorporate and your Garlic Fried Rice is done! The garlic aroma should be fragrant throughout the rice thanks to that garlic infused oil and smell so delicious!

I love garnishing my Garlic Fried Rice with additional fried garlic chips and freshly chopped scallions! Serve immediately with and enjoy!

Fried garlic on top of fried rice in a wok.

PRO TIPS FOR THE BEST GARLIC FRIED RICE!

SUCCESS IS IN THE PREP!
For a recipe that comes together extremely quickly, the key to pulling this recipe off successfully is having your ingredients prepped and in bowls right next to your wok or pan! Have your rice, shrimp, seasonings, and aromatics ready and easily accessible during the cooking process.

ADD PROTEIN TO YOUR LIKING!
This recipe is super customizable! You can add shrimp, chicken, or steak for a heartier main course!

Close up of garlic fried rice in a bowl.

If you liked this Garlic Fried Rice recipe, check out some of the most popular Chinese Take-Out recipes on the blog!

If you make this recipe, please tag me on social media! I love seeing all your recreations on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok! Tag me and hashtag them #cjeatsrecipes

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5 from 6 votes

Garlic Fried Rice (20 Minutes!)

Servings: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
garlic fried rice plated in a bowl
This Garlic Fried Rice is SUPER fragrant with all of the fresh garlic and scallions. It's perfect as a side or with protein for a main course!

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups long grain white rice (uncooked measurement), cooked and dried out uncovered in fridge for at least overnight
  • 15 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/4 tsp MSG, optional
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil

Garnish

  • fried garlic
  • scallions

Instructions 

  • In a large pan or wok, heat neutral oil over medium high heat and add chopped garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic has turned golden brown and remove, leaving the garlic-infused oil in the pan.
  • Add scallions and sauté for 15-30 seconds until fragrant.
  • Turn the heat to high, then add the day old long grain white rice and mix thoroughly until the grains are separated and relatively dry (about 3-4 minutes depending on the heat of your stove).
  • Season with kosher salt, white pepper, sugar, msg, and light soy sauce. Mix to combine.
  • Add back the reserved fried garlic and mix. Garnish with additional chopped scallions and fried garlic and enjoy!

Notes

How to prevent garlic from burning: Straining the chopped garlic out of the cooking oil and adding it back at the end when mixing the garlic fried rice ensures the garlic won’t burn. Burned garlic with give a bitter, unpleasant taste, so you want to fry the garlic until just golden brown and reserve it until the end. The garlic will continue to cook and crisp up once taken out of the pan, to be sure to remove it as soon as it starts to turn golden.

Nutrition

Calories: 26kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 836mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 61IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Hawaiian
Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!

About CJ

I’m a third generation Chinese-American home cook who has always loved cooking & eating! Welcome to my food blog, where you can find trusted, tested, easy & approachable recipes for the everyday home cook that taste delicious! I am so glad you're here!

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