Mushroom Fried Rice in 20 Minutes! (VIDEO)

Ingredients for Mushroom Fried Rice

I love how simple the ingredient list is for Mushroom Fried Rice – it really lets the mushrooms shine!

• White Rice
  • I prefer long grain white rice for Mushroom Fried Rice due to the lower moisture content but you can substitute with another white rice, if needed.
  • Do not use freshly steamed rice! The rice should be at least one day old to avoid having too much moisture. Too much moisture in the rice will make your fried rice soggy and mushy – and we don’t want that!
  • If I know I am planning on making fried rice soon, I will make my rice and lay it flat on a baking sheet in the refrigerator to dry it out as much as possible.
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Scallions
• Mushrooms
  • You can use any mushrooms you like or have access to for this Mushroom Fried Rice– I recommend using at least two different types to add flavor and variety. (But if you only have one type, that is OK too.)
  • Make sure to cut your mushrooms into similar shaped sizes so they cook relatively evenly.
  • In the video and photos below, I used 16 oz of a combination of Oyster mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms, and Baby Bella mushrooms.
• Peas: These are optional but I like the additional color and texture the peas add to Mushroom Fried Rice.
• White Onion
• Kosher Salt
• White Pepper: I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier flavor than black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry but if you can’t find it, you can always substitute with black pepper.
• Sugar
• MSG (optional): I like to use MSG in my cooking but this is always optional.
• Light soy sauce: I used low sodium so I could control the salt level, since I’ll also be using salt to draw out moisture from the mushrooms.
• Neutral Oil: I use avocado oil as my go-to neutral oil. You can also use canola or vegetable oil. DO NOT use sesame oil or olive oil!

What Types of Mushrooms Can I Use?

I would recommend using at least 2 different types of mushrooms for Mushroom Fried Rice to have a mix of flavors and textures. (In the video and photos, I used 16 oz of a combination of Oyster mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms, and Baby Bella mushrooms. Here’s a list of some of the mushroom types you can include:

• Oyster
• Shiitake
• Baby bella
• White button
• Crimini
• Portabella
• Enoki

Make sure to cut your mushrooms into similar shaped sizes so they cook relatively evenly.

1. Fry the Aromatics

The first step in this recipe is to chop and fry your aromatics. Once your garlic, ginger, onion and scallions are chopped, heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil in a large pan or wok over medium high heat, then fry your aromatics for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.

2. Add Mushrooms and Peas

After the aromatics are sautéed, turn the heat to high and add the chopped mushrooms and season with salt. The salt will help further draw out the moisture from the mushrooms that contain a lot of water. Mix and cook this through for about 2 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden brown.

Once the mushrooms are golden brown and have reduced in size, add the peas and cook for another 1 minute to cook through.

3. Add the White Rice

Immediately add the day old white rice and mix thoroughly, separating the grains of 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. Add the dry seasonings and light soy sauce and give it another good mix. Add the scallion greens and mix through – your Mushroom Fried Rice is done!