Chinese Fried Rice with Oyster Mushrooms and Sesame Recipe
This fried rice with oyster mushrooms is a vegetarian take on the popular Chinese takeout classic – quick, filling, and packed with umami flavor. Once pan-fried, oyster mushrooms taste a bit like tender meat, so even meat lovers won’t complain. A perfect way to use up yesterday’s leftover rice.
A simple, budget-friendly fried rice that turns leftover rice into a fragrant, satisfying meal. Oyster mushrooms bring a meaty texture and deep umami flavor, while toasted sesame and sesame oil add a distinct, nutty aroma reminiscent of Chinese takeout.
Why this version works
- Using day-old, dried-out rice gives you fluffy grains that don’t stick together.
- Deeply browning the oyster mushrooms builds a rich umami flavor without any meat.
- Frying the ingredients in layers prevents them from releasing too much water and turning mushy.
- Adding sesame oil and sesame seeds at the end boosts the aroma without excess fat.
Chef's tips
Use well-chilled, day-old rice – freshly cooked rice is too moist and tends to clump and steam instead of frying. If you only have freshly cooked rice, spread it on a tray and let it cool completely, then chill it in the fridge. Fry over fairly high heat and don’t overcrowd the pan so the mushrooms and rice can brown slightly instead of just softening.
How to serve
Serve as a standalone main dish or pair with a light Asian-style soup. A side of pickled vegetables or kimchi also works great, adding acidity and crunch. For extra protein, top with a fried egg or add cubes of marinated tofu.
Watch out for
- Don’t use warm rice – it will clump into one mass and won’t fry properly.
- Fry the oyster mushrooms in a single layer; if you overcrowd the pan, they’ll steam in their own juices.
- Don’t cover the pan, or the steam will condense and make the rice and mushrooms soggy.
- Add soy sauce gradually, because different brands vary in saltiness.
Substitutions
- You can replace oyster mushrooms with button mushrooms or shiitake, making sure to brown them well.
- You can swap jasmine rice for basmati or another long-grain variety, as long as it stays fluffy.
- Replace part of the soy sauce with tamari if you avoid gluten.
- Skip the eggs and add more oyster mushrooms to make a vegan version.
Ingredients
- cooked jasmine or basmati rice preferably from the previous day, well chilled - 400 g
- oyster mushrooms or other mushrooms, e.g. button mushrooms - 200 g
- eggs - 2 piece
- carrot small, cut into small cubes - 1 piece
- frozen green peas - 80 g
- onion chopped - 3 tablespoons
- soy sauce - 3 tablespoons
- oil e.g. rapeseed oil - 3 tablespoons
- sesame oil for aroma, can be omitted - 1 teaspoon
- garlic - 2 cloves
- sesame seeds toasted in a dry pan - 1 tablespoon
- salt to taste, carefully, as soy sauce is salty
- black pepper freshly ground - 0.25 teaspoons
Preparation
- If you don’t have rice cooked the day before, cook it according to the package instructions, spread it out on a plate so it can steam off and cool. The drier it is, the better it will fry.
- Clean the oyster mushrooms and cut them into thin strips lengthwise across the caps. Peel the carrot and cut it into small cubes, finely chop the garlic, and slice the spring onion or chives into thin rounds. Take the peas out of the freezer so they can thaw slightly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Crack in the eggs and stir quickly with a spatula until you get small pieces of scrambled egg. Once the egg mass is fully set and there are no wet spots left, transfer it to a plate.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same pan and heat well until it just starts to shimmer. Add the oyster mushrooms in a single layer and fry for 4–5 minutes, until they release their liquid, it evaporates, and the edges of the mushrooms are well browned and lightly crisp.
- Add the carrot, peas, and garlic. Fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the carrot softens but still has a slight crunch, the peas turn a vivid green, and the garlic smells fragrant but stays pale, not browned.
- Add the cooked, cold rice, breaking up any clumps with a spatula until the grains separate. Fry for 3–4 minutes over high heat, stirring often and letting it dry out slightly, until every grain is hot, matte, and no longer sticks together in lumps.
- Return the fried egg to the pan, pour in the soy sauce, and add the pepper and sesame oil. Fry for about 1 minute, stirring vigorously from the bottom, until the rice is evenly coated in a golden-brown color and starts to steam lightly.
- Turn off the heat, add the chopped spring onion or chives and half of the sesame seeds, and briefly toss to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkling the top with the remaining sesame seeds – the seeds should be lightly golden and smell pleasantly nutty.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This is one of those recipes I make whenever there’s leftover rice in the fridge. It’s flexible – you can swap in whatever vegetables you have on hand – but the combination of oyster mushrooms and sesame always makes it taste like a proper comfort-food treat.
