Jeff Misenti
February 6, 2026
Difficulty Level: easy
15 min Prep
15 min Cook
30 min Total
4 Servings
If you want a rice dish that pops with color, packs heat, and delivers fantastic flavors, this Yangzhou fried rice recipe is worth trying. It’s a classic Chinese-style dish with shrimp, chicken, ham, veggies, and egg.
Using day-old jasmine rice isn’t just a quirk; it’s a requirement. Once it’s tossed into a hot wok, it cooks up fluffy instead of soft. This adds a great texture to the dish.
The real beauty of this dish is that it’s super quick to put together at the end of a busy day. It’s also easy to customize with whatever proteins you have in your fridge. Don’t want chicken, ham, or shrimp, throw in broccoli and other veggies.
Check out the ingredients and cooking steps below.
Yangzhou Fried Rice Ingredients
- 2 cups of cooked jasmine rice (preferably a day old)
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup of cooked shrimp
- 1/2 cup of diced cooked chicken
- 1/2 cup of diced cooked ham
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup of frozen peas, thawed
- 1/3 cup of diced carrots
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Yangzhou Fried Rice Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Keep everything within reach, once the pan is hot, there’s no pause button.
- Pour in the beaten eggs. Scramble until just set, then transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Toss in shrimp, pre-cooked chicken and ham, stir-fry about 2 minutes to warm through.
- Add the carrots and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until they start to soften but still have a little bite.
- Add the rice and break up clumps with a spatula.
- Spread it out, then stir to help it fry, rather than steam.
- Return the eggs, then add peas and green onions. Stir-fry for a further 2 minutes.
- Pour in soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir until the rice is evenly coated and lightly colored.
- Drizzle sesame oil over the top and give it a final toss.
- Taste, then season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve warm, with extra green onions on top if you like.
Nutrition
Calories: 350cal
Carbohydrate: 45g
Protein: 15g
Fat: 12g
Cholesterol: – -mg
Sodium: – -mg