This authentic BBQ pork fried rice is made with leftover rice, char siu, and a few other simple ingredients. It takes just five minutes to cook making it a dish to enjoy for dinner on busy weeknights.
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What is Char Siu Fried Rice?
Char siu pork fried rice is a must when you order Chinese take-out in America. It’s made with char siu pork also known as Chinese bbq pork. The savory and sweetness of the pork go perfectly with the saltiness of the rice. I am using the same ingredients and recipe that my parents used at their Chinese-American restaurant to make this pork fried rice recipe authentic so you can make it at home.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a wok and a large fire at home so the rice is missing some wok-hei (flavor from the wok). To combat this, I cooked the rice in high heat in a cast-iron to get some smoky flavor.
The char siu rice is so simple and easy to put together. Having leftover rice is the key to good fried rice, so make sure you make extra rice the night before 😉 If you have more leftover white rice, you can make this Chinese Congee with Pork and Century Egg too!
If you’re looking for ways to make fried rice try my Golden Fried Rice or this Korean-style Galbi Fried Rice.
Why You Will Love BBQ Pork Fried Rice with Char Siu
- Classic Chinese Take-Out. But you can make it at home using simple ingredients and this authentic pork fried rice recipe.
- A Delicious One-Pot Meal. Everything cooks up in one pot in about five minutes meaning there’s less to clean up after dinner.
- Leftovers Are Great. Don’t worry about wasting leftovers because char siu fried rice heats up easily the next day.
Ingredients
Here’s a look at the main ingredients to make this pork fried rice recipe. The full list of ingredients to make this Chinese BBQ pork recipe is in the recipe card.
- Avocado oil: I am using avocado oil but you can use another high-temperature cooking oil. These have a high smoke point which works best as the key to stir fry is cooking at a high heat.
- Rice: Use day-old rice for the best results. It’s dryer than freshly cooked rice so you will get a better fried rice texture using leftover rice. I recommend jasmine rice for an authentic taste and texture.
- Eggs: Beaten with a pinch of salt and cooked. A classic ingredient in authentic Chinese fried rice.
- BBQ pork: I am using leftover char siu that I made a few days ago using the recipe from my family’s cookbook which you can buy and make homemade char siu too! You can also buy char siu already made at your nearest Chinese grocery store (like 99 Ranch).
- Green onion: Use the white part at the bottom for cooking with the fried rice and save the chopped green tops for garnish.
- Carrots and peas: Using frozen peas and carrots thawed out is the easiest prep. Thaw them out ahead of time or you can let them sit in water to speed up their thawing time.
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce adds a golden brown color and savoriness to the rice.
- MSG: This gives this the restaurant quality taste and just a pinch provides so much flavor! You can buy this at most Asian markets like 99 Ranch or Hmart. If you prefer to cook without it you can add some additional salt or add extra chicken bouillon.
- Chicken bouillon: An optional ingredient but it makes a more flavorful fried rice.
How to Make BBQ Pork Fried Rice
Step 1: Prep all your ingredients. This includes beating your eggs with a pinch of salt, dicing everything up, and assembling all your ingredients in one place.
Step 2: Heat up your wok or pan on high heat. Once you see smoke coming from the pan, add two tablespoons of oil and then cook the beaten eggs.
Step 3: Add the BBQ pork to the pan and continue to stir so the food doesn’t get burned.
Step 4: After cooking the pork for one minute, add your white rice. Break up any chunks of rice and continue to stir often to avoid burning the ingredients since you are cooking at high heat.
Step 5: Add the carrots, peas, and a half teaspoon of salt as well as the MSG and chicken bouillon if you’re using them to the pan.
Step 6: Finish with soy sauce for color and mix together. Garnish with the sliced green onions if you wish.
Expert Tips
- Gather Up All Your Ingredients. Stir frying is a quick method of cooking so to make things easier and not run the risk of stopping and starting, have everything measured out or arranged close to your cooking station.
- Use a Wok. Cooking in a wok creates flavor while also cooking the ingredients quickly. If you don’t have one (like me!) your next best option is a large cast iron skillet.
- Make Sure Your Wok (or Pan) is Hot. Be you add the oil and start cooking you want to heat your pan. Once you start to see it smoke slightly it’s ready to go.
- Add Toppings: In addition to the diced green onions feel free to serve up your pork fried rice with some Sriracha, chili oil, or hot sauce.
Recipe FAQs
While this is the most authentic BBQ pork fried recipe, if you don’t have char siu at home or you don’t eat pork, you can substitute it with your favorite protein. I recommend using chicken or shrimp instead of BBQ pork. Cut the chicken or shrimp into smaller pieces and marinate it with some salt, white pepper, sugar, and chicken bouillon. Fry the protein in some oil and set aside when cooked. Follow the fried rice instructions and add the protein when it says char siu 😉
Your best option for making this vegetarian is to simply leave out the char siu when preparing it. You may want to increase the peas and carrots to make it a bit more substantial.
Start things off with a simple bowl of egg drop soup with tofu or this easy hot and sour soup. You might also enjoy a simple side of stir-fried green beans or this Chinese Cabbage. Enjoy the rice while hot for the best taste!
More Chinese Rice Recipes
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
BBQ Pork Fried Rice with Char Siu
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or any high temp cooking oil
- 2 cups rice day old refrigerated rice recommended
- 2 eggs, beaten add a pinch of salt
- ¼ cup bbq pork (or your favorite protein)* diced
- 1 green onion white part for fried rice and green part for garnish
- ¼ cup carrots and peas
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce for color
- pinch of MSG optional
- pinch of chicken bouillon optional
Instructions
- Beat your eggs with a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Prepare ingredients before making fried rice because the rice takes less than 5 minutes to cook. Dice up your char siu (bbq pork) and set aside. Slice half of the green onions (white part only) and set aside. Set aside ¼ cup peas and carrots.
- Heat up your wok or pan on high heat. Once you see smoke coming from the pan, add 2 tablespoons oil.
- Add your beaten eggs and separate quickly. Then, add char siu (bbq pork).
- After the one minute mark, add your white rice. Start breaking up the chunks of rice. Continue to stir often to avoid burning the ingredients since you are cooking at high heat.
- Then, add carrots, peas, ½ teaspoon salt, MSG (optional), and chicken bouillon (optional). Mix together often.
- Once the rice is heated up and hot, finish with soy sauce for color! Mix together and add sliced green onions if you wish. The fried rice should take no longer than 5 minutes to cook. Hope you enjoy!
Notes
- Gather Up All Your Ingredients. Stir frying is a quick method of cooking so to make things easier and not run the risk of stopping and starting, have everything measured out or arranged close to your cooking station.
- Use a Wok. Cooking in a wok creates flavor while also cooking the ingredients quickly. If you don’t have one (like me!) your next best option is a large cast iron skillet.
- Make Sure Your Wok (or Pan) is Hot. Be you add the oil and start cooking you want to heat your pan. Once you start to see it smoke slightly it’s ready to go.
- Add Toppings: In addition to the diced green onions feel free to serve up your pork fried rice with some Sriracha, chili oil, or hot sauce.
Cole says
I made this and it was amazing!!! I used cubed salted pork tossed in char sui sauce.
Cook With Dana says
So smart! Thanks Cole for trying the recipe ◡̈