This kitchen sink fried rice recipe calls for a little of this and a little of that – allowing you to use up leftovers and bulk up fried rice to make it meal-worthy.

Fried rice is one of my favorite affordable meals. Not only is it crowd-pleasing, it can be prepared in so many different ways, incorporating all sorts of different flavors and ingredients.

This particular recipe – kitchen sink fried rice – was a recent recipe experiment that turned out to be something I’ll be adding to my meal rotation.

I started out with leftover rice, then added a variety of vegetables and other ingredients. The end result was a unique and very hearty dish that totally satisfied.

This Fried Rice Has A Little Of Everything

I did an “end-of-the-week” fridge and freezer scan and found 1/2 bag of frozen broccoli, some frozen bell pepper fajita vegetables, and ring bologna to add to my fried rice.

…But It’s Completely Customizable Based On What You Have On Hand

However, there are SO MANY options for what to put in your fried rice. This recipe will be most affordable when you use up leftovers, half bags of frozen veggies, and other ingredients like:

• Meat: Cooked chicken, bacon, pulled pork, leftover ham, andouille sausage, ring bologna, steak
• Seafood: Cooked shrimp, imitation crab, real crab
• Vegetables: Broccoli, bell peppers, onions, peas, carrots, mushrooms, edamame, corn, baby carrots, bean sprouts, celery, water chestnuts, cabbage
• Other: Scrambled egg, cashews, kimchi, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, green onion (for topping)

You’ve Got Sauce Options

This whole recipe is customizable – including the sauce.

I always like to add a sweeter sauce to fried rice, right at the end of the cooking process, because it caramelizes and adds a bit of extra crunch to the dish. 

I used Korean BBQ sauce (gochujang) but you could use sweet chili sauce, orange sauce, or teriyaki sauce, all which have some sugar content. You can also use a few dashes of soy sauce or coconut aminos for an unsweetened option.

The Key To Making Delicious Fried Rice

• Use cold rice: If you use freshly cooked rice, your fried rice will turn out to be mushy. Leftover rice that is cold or frozen is ideal for making fried rice that turns out crispy with the grains in-tact.
• Add sauce right at the end: As noted above, adding a sweetened sauce right at the end of cooking the fried rice will add flavor and a bit of caramelized crunch.
• Cook over high/medium-high heat: I like to use coconut oil to make fried rice. This allows you to cook over high or medium-high heat. You may need additional oil once you add the cooked rice, which will help make the rice super crispy.

If you like fried rice, I’ve got more recipes for you: 

Ring Bologna And Sweet Corn Fried Rice

Korean BBQ Fried Rice

Bacon Fried Rice Recipe