Let’s make ham fried rice with those ham leftovers! This recipe comes together really easily, utilizing a few leftovers and shortcuts and is the perfect weeknight dinner with protein, produce, energy (carbs), and flavor! This easy main dish is my favorite way to use up holiday leftovers and quickly turned into a family favorite.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
What You’ll Love About Ham Fried Rice
- Easy and simple meal
- Flavorful and satisfying
- Made with simple ingredients
- Ready in 20 minutes
- Delicious way to use leftover ingredients
Ingredients
- Eggs – Use high-quality eggs for best flavor.
- Soy sauce – Use high-quality soy sauce for best flavor or low sodium soy sauce if you desire. You can also use coconut aminos or tamari for a gluten-free option.
- Rice wine vinegar – This is a stir fry staple, so I think it’s worth having, but you could also use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar if that’s what you have.
- Sesame oil – Use high-quality toasted sesame oil for best flavor.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves for best flavor or use frozen garlic cubes as a smart kitchen shortcut. I don’t like jarred garlic, but if you do, you can also use that!
- Ginger – Use fresh ginger for best flavor or use frozen ginger cubes as a smart kitchen shortcut.
- Green onions – Look for fresh green onions. We’ll use both the green and white portions.
- Carrots – I prefer the flavor of whole carrots, but baby carrots can be an easy shortcut.
- Pea pods – Look for sugar snap peas or snow peas.
- Ham – Leftover apricot glazed ham is perfect in this recipe for ham fried rice, but you can also use a thick-cut deli ham or ham steak.
- Oil – Use a vegetable oil like canola oil or avocado oil.
- Rice – It’s best to use leftover rice that has been cooked and chilled.
How to Make Easy Fried Rice
This is an overview on how to make fried rice with ham in just a few simple steps, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
FAQs
What kind of rice is best for fried rice?
The only rice that doesn’t work well for fried rice is a sticky rice like sushi. Jasmine rice, long-grain, or basmati will all work well, you can make it with brown rice, but white rice makes the best fried rice IMHO.
Why do you cool the rice before making fried rice?
It’s important that you let the rice properly chill before making fried rice as it needs to be cold to fry up when you add it to the fried rice. If it’s not cold, it will get mushy and sticky.
What makes fried rice better?
If you want to add even more flavor to your homemade fried rice, try adding a small amount of oyster sauce and fish sauce, or use MSG to add savory, umami flavor to the rice mixture. A little bit goes a long way!
Can I use other vegetables?
Yes! Fried rice is a great way to use up extra veggies and day-old rice. You could use other vegetables (virtually anything goes!), but bean sprouts, green beans, bok choy, broccoli and peppers are especially delicious.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover ham fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
How to reheat
Reheat fried rice in a hot skillet or large wok for best results. You can also microwave, just until heated through.
Can you freeze leftover ham fried rice?
Yes, you can freeze fried rice! Simply store in an airtight container for 1-2 months. Reheat in a hot skillet, right from frozen.
How to Feed Ham Fried Rice to the Whole Family
I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in.
I would recommend serving a small portion of the ham fried rice in a pinch bowl (taster bowl) if it’s a new or learning-to-like it food. Serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and/or bread and butter. You could also leave some rice plain.
More Easy Stir Fry Recipes
If you like this ham fried rice, you might also like some of these other easy stir fry recipes:
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Easy Ham Fried Rice Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
Description
Let’s make ham fried rice with leftover ham for a quick + easy weeknight dinner that’s full of flavor, protein, produce, and energy (carbs).
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 4 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1” knob ginger (or 1 tsp)
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 8 oz. pea pods
- 1 cup leftover cooked ham (chopped)
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 4 cups cooked and chilled rice
- optional toppings: sriracha, chile garlic sauce, soy sauce, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prep ingredients:
In a small bowl, whisk eggs with 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.
Mince garlic and ginger.
Thinly slice green onions, discarding roots.
Thinly slice veggies.
Slice ham into small pieces. - Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil over medium heat in a non-stick pan. When hot, pour in eggs and gently swirl pan to spread eggs in an even layer Let cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute. Gently roll the egg over onto itself, starting at the top of the pan, and rolling down on itself. The eggs will continue to cook, so don’t worry if they aren’t fully cooked. Slice and set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in large pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add green onion, ginger, and garlic to pan. Saute for 30 seconds-1 minute then add in vegetables and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until crisp-tender.
- Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil to pan. Add rice, ham, and eggs and toss to coat. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until everything is hot.
- Serve with green onions, sriracha, and extra soy sauce if desired.
Notes
- Leftover apricot glazed ham is perfect in this recipe, but you can also use thick-cut deli ham.
- Use a large nonstick skillet or wok for this dish.
- I prefer to cook the eggs separately so that they don’t get lost in the rice, but if you prefer to cook the eggs right in the mixture, add in whisked eggs after you add in the rice and ham.
Keywords: ham fried rice, easy ham fried rice, ham fried rice recipe, how to make ham fried rice
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[…] a whole list of ideas for ham leftovers below, but be sure to try my ham and cheese sliders, ham fried rice, and mini frittatas […]