Fried Rice With Blistered Green Beans and Basil Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated Mar. 06, 2019
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Blistered green beans give this fried rice a smoky flavor. J. Kenji López-Alt

Why It Works

  • Starting with freshly cooked or well-chilled rice guarantees it won't clump up as you stir-fry it.
  • Frying in batches compensates for the low heat output of Western stovetops.
  • Blistering the green beans adds smoky flavor.
  • Keeping the seasoning very light allows the flavor of the rice and aromatics to come through.

Bulk up carb-heavy fried rice with a good dose of green beans in this easy recipe. The beans get blistered in the wok until smoky and charred, while fresh basil adds a ton of flavor and color to the finished dish.

Recipe Facts

3.5

(4)

Active: 15 mins
Total: 15 mins
Serves: 2 to 3 servings

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil, divided

  • 2 cups cooked white or jasmine rice (12 ounces; 350g) (see notes)

  • 1/2 pound (225g) green beans, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced (1 ounce; 30g)

  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons; 5g)

  • 1 to 3 Thai bird chiles (adjust according to taste), thinly sliced, plus more for serving

  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) Asian fish sauce, plus more for serving

  • 1 large egg

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 ounce (30g) roughly torn Thai or sweet Italian basil leaves

  • Freshly ground white pepper

  • Sugar, to taste

  • 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges, for serving

  • 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced, for serving

Directions

  1. If using day-old rice, transfer to a medium bowl and break rice up with your hands into individual grains before proceeding. Heat 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large wok over high heat until smoking. Add half of rice and cook, stirring and tossing, until rice is pale brown, toasted, and has a lightly chewy texture, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with another 1/2 tablespoon oil and remaining rice.

  2. Add 1/2 tablespoon oil to now-empty wok and heat over high heat until smoking. Add green beans and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until deeply blistered and charred. Add scallions, garlic, and chilies and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until aromatic, about 30 seconds.

  3. Return rice to wok. Add soy sauce and fish sauce and toss to combine.

  4. Push rice to the side of wok and add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil. Break egg into oil and season with a little salt. Use a spatula to scramble egg, breaking it up into small bits. Toss egg and rice together.

  5. Stir in basil leaves. Season to taste with salt, white pepper, and sugar, and serve immediately with lime, cucumber, and extra fish sauce and sliced chilies if desired.

Special equipment

Wok

Notes

For best results, use Chinese-style medium-grain rice, jasmine rice, or sushi rice. Rice should either be cooked fresh, spread on a tray, and allowed to cool for 5 minutes, or, alternatively, transferred to a loosely covered container and refrigerated for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
314 Calories
11g Fat
48g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 314
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 15%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 62mg 21%
Sodium 493mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 48g 17%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 27mg 135%
Calcium 108mg 8%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 359mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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