This is a ground pork fried rice built around pantry staples — soy sauce, sesame oil, eggs, and cold leftover rice. It comes together in 30 minutes and uses ingredients most people already have. The honest reason to make it: it turns yesterday’s rice and a packet of ground pork into a genuinely satisfying meal with very little effort.
Smart swaps
- Rice wine: Dry sherry or a small splash of apple cider vinegar works fine. Skip it entirely if you don’t have it — the dish holds up.
- Toasted sesame oil: This is different from plain sesame oil. Toasted has a darker color and stronger nutty flavor. If you only have plain, use it sparingly or substitute a neutral oil and accept a milder result.
- Frozen vegetables: Any thawed frozen mix works. Peas, corn, and diced carrots are the easiest because they release very little water. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish.
- Ground pork: Ground chicken works as a direct swap. Cook it to 165°F (74°C) internal temperature — no pink.
The technique that matters
Cold, day-old rice is the single most important factor here. Freshly cooked rice holds too much moisture and will clump and steam instead of fry, leaving you with a gummy result. Spread your rice on a sheet pan and refrigerate it uncovered overnight if you can. The other thing worth doing right: cook the ground pork over medium heat and break it into small, even crumbles as it cooks. Ground pork needs to reach 160°F (71°C) — no pink remaining. Larger unbroken chunks will cook unevenly and crowd the pan, which drops the temperature and causes the meat to steam rather than brown. Both of these steps directly affect the final texture of the whole dish.
If something goes sideways
- Rice is clumping together: The rice was too fresh or too wet. Spread it out in the pan, turn up the heat slightly, and stop stirring for 60 seconds at a time to let it dry out and separate.
- Everything tastes flat: Add soy sauce in small increments — a teaspoon at a time — and toss well before adding more. Oversalting is hard to fix, so go slow.
- The pan is too crowded: If you scaled the recipe up, the rice will steam instead of fry. Work in two batches or use the largest pan you have.
- Eggs turned rubbery: They were overcooked before being added to the rice. Pull scrambled eggs off the heat while they still look slightly underdone — residual heat finishes them.
- Too much liquid pooling in the pan: High-water vegetables like zucchini weren’t cooked down enough first. Push everything to the sides and let the liquid evaporate over medium-high heat before continuing.
Keeping and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a teaspoon of water per serving to a non-stick pan over medium heat, add the rice, and stir until hot throughout — this takes about 3 to 4 minutes and keeps the texture better than a microwave. If you use the microwave, cover loosely and heat in 60-second bursts, stirring between each. This dish does not freeze well; the rice turns mushy on thawing.
Flavourful Pork Fried Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked white rice - day-old and chilled, about 540g
10 oz ground pork - minced pork, about 285g
½ small yellow onion - chopped- 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables - such as peas, carrots, corn, and green beans, thawed, about 340g
¼ cup soy sauce - 60ml- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil - 30ml
3 cloves garlic - minced, about 1 tablespoon- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine - 10ml, or dry sherry
3 large eggs - lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter - 28g- 1 can nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- In a small non-stick skillet (8-inch / 20cm) over medium heat, scramble the eggs until just set — they should still be slightly soft as they’ll cook more later. Break into bite-sized pieces and set aside.3 large eggs
- Heat a large non-stick skillet or wok (12-inch / 30cm) over medium-high heat and coat with nonstick spray. If using high-moisture vegetables like zucchini, cook them first for 3–4 minutes until the water evaporates and they begin to colour. Transfer to the plate with the eggs.3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, 1 can nonstick cooking spray
- In the same large skillet over medium heat, add the chopped onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the ground pork, breaking it into small crumbles with your spatula. Cook until no pink remains and the pork reaches an internal temperature of 160°F / 71°C, about 5–6 minutes.1/2 small yellow onion, 10 oz ground pork, 1 can nonstick cooking spray
- Add the cold leftover rice and minced garlic to the pan. Dot the butter around the pan and work it into the rice with your spatula until fully melted and incorporated.3 cups cooked white rice, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons butter
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Drizzle the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil evenly over the rice. Turn the mixture with your spatula to distribute evenly and keep the grains loose.1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- Add the cooked vegetables and scrambled eggs back to the pan. Toss to combine and heat through for 2–3 minutes.3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, 3 large eggs
- Just before serving, sprinkle the Shaoxing rice wine over the top and fluff with your spatula. Serve immediately with additional soy sauce on the side.2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine
Notes
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I use freshly cooked rice instead of leftover rice?
You can, but the result will be noticeably stickier and clumpier. If you have no choice, spread the hot rice on a sheet pan or large plate and refrigerate it uncovered for at least 1 hour before cooking — this removes enough surface moisture to make a real difference.
How do I know the ground pork is fully cooked?
Ground pork is safe to eat at 160°F (71°C) internal temperature — there should be no pink remaining anywhere in the meat. Break it into small pieces as it cooks so it heats evenly and you’re not guessing about the center of a large chunk.
Can I make this with just one pan?
Yes. Cook the eggs first, remove them, cook the vegetables and remove them, then cook the pork and rice together before adding everything back at the end. It takes a little longer but works well and leaves you with one pan to wash.
The recipe makes 2 servings — can I double it?
You can double the ingredients, but don’t try to cook it all in one pan at once. A crowded pan traps steam and the rice won’t fry properly. Cook in two separate batches and combine at the end, or use the largest pan or wok you own.
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- Savory Pork Noodle Stir-Fry
- Japanese Pork Lettuce Cups
- Authentic Szechuan Dan Dan
- Horopito Pork Stir Fry
