An easy recipe for gluten-free fried rice. Satisfy your Chinese takeout cravings and reduce the guesswork of ordering out with this delicious, homemade, Gluten-Free Fried Rice recipe! 

Gluten-Free Fried Rice

Gluten-Free Fried Rice is the perfect, easy dinner! This versatile recipe for Gluten-Free Fried Rice is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and easily adaptable to vegan and flexitarian diets. You don’t have to order from your local Chinese restaurant to enjoy this dish! It’s very simple to make at home. Making homemade Vegetable Fried Rice is a quick and easy way to enjoy this classic takeout dish with ingredients that suit your tastes and meet your dietary restrictions! 

This Gluten-Free Fried Rice recipe is an Americanized version of traditional Chinese fried rice. This dish is traditionally made in a wok using pre-cooked rice, fried in neutral oil, and combined with various vegetables, meats, scrambled eggs, and seasoned with Chinese sauces (like soy sauce and sesame oil). This dish is excellent with both fresh, seasonal produce and frozen vegetables. So, mix it up each time you make it! You can also add a variety of proteins, sauces, flavorings, and toppings. is also the best way to use up leftover rice!

You can see just how easy this Gluten-Free Fried Rice is to make in the detailed recipe step-by-step photos.

Ingredients in Easy Gluten-Free Fried Rice

• Cooked, Cooled Rice: This filling, naturally gluten-free starch, is the base of the dish. Using leftover rice that is slightly dry to the touch is best for this recipe. 
• Eggs: Adds savory flavor, protein, and texture contrast. 
• Fresh or Frozen Vegetables: You can add almost any vegetable to this recipe. Savor the best seasonal produce or use it as an opportunity to clean out your fridge & freezer. 
• Ginger and Garlic: Adds flavor and some hotness to the dish.
• Cooking oil: Fries the rice, vegetables, and eggs. Choose a neutral cooking oil, like vegetable, peanut, or avocado, that will not burn at high temperatures.
• Gluten-Free Soy Sauce: Adds savory flavor and salinity. Make sure to check the labels. Not all soy sauces are gluten-free or vegan. 
• Sesame Oil: Adds richness and complex flavor to the dish. 

How to Make Gluten-Free Fried Rice

• Prepare the vegetables beforehand, so they’re ready to go when needed. Dice the carrot and bell pepper, slice the green onions (separate the green and white ends), and measure the frozen peas.
• Lightly whisk the eggs in a small bowl (photo 1). Heat a large skillet over medium. Add 2 Tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the eggs and scramble until cooked (photo 2). Transfer the eggs to a clean bowl or plate.
• There should be a good amount of oil left in the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the diced carrots and stir and cook for about two minutes. Next, add the bell pepper and the firm, white ends of the green onions. Cook and stir for one minute more (photo 3). Finally, add the frozen peas and stir and cook until heated through (photo 4). Transfer the vegetables to a clean bowl or plate.
• Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of cooking oil to the skillet and swirl to coat the surface. Add the garlic, ginger, and cooked and cooled rice to the skillet (photo 5). Stir and cook for about 2 minutes or until the rice is heated through.
• Pour the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil over the rice. Stir the rice and sauce together until evenly combined. Turn the heat off.
• Add the eggs and vegetables back to the skillet with the rice and stir to combine (photo 6). Allow the residual heat from the hot rice to cook the vegetables. Top with the remaining green ends of the sliced green onions. Taste and adjust the soy sauce or sesame oil to your liking.

Tips For Making The Best Gluten-Free Fried Rice

• This dish comes together very quickly. That’s why you should prep all the vegetables before you begin cooking the dish.
• When it comes to adding extra vegetables and other ingredients to the dish, less is more. There should be a higher ratio of rice than vegetables. Also, avoid adding too much sauce will result in a wet, soggy dish.
• Traditionally, Woks are used to make fried rice dishes because they have a larger surface area than western frying pans and can accommodate more ingredients without overcrowding the pan. If you have a wok, definitely use it to make this recipe! If not, use your largest frying pan or a deep-sided cast iron skillet.
• One of the easiest mistakes with this Gluten-Free Fried Rice recipe is not cooking it quickly or at a high-enough temperature. Avoid poor results by heating the oil thoroughly with each addition before adding the next ingredient.
• Also, choose a neutral cooking oil (like vegetable, peanut, or avocado) that will not burn at high temperatures.
• Another easy mistake with this Gluten-Free Fried Rice recipe is overcrowding the pan. It’s also easy to avoid! Cook the dish in batches (about 1 cup at a time), transferring each cooked ingredient to a separate bowl with a slotted spoon before adding more to the skillet. After the final batch, add everything back to the skillet to mix together and reheat.
• Using leftover rice is recommended for this recipe because rice tends to dry out once refrigerated, so it gets nice and crispy easily when cooked again. Since fresh rice contains more surface moisture, it is harder to fry. Make sure the rice is as dry as possible before cooking. 

The Best Rice for Gluten-Free Fried Rice

You can use just about any cooked, cooled rice to make this Gluten-Free Fried Rice. However, some types of rice will work much better than others. The best rice for fried rice is medium-grain white or brown rice. You can also use long-grain rice like Basmati or even fragrant Jasmine rice. While short-grain sushi rice is often used in Japanese-style fried rice dishes, I wouldn’t recommend it for this homemade version. Since this type of rice tends to be very “sticky” and is meant to clump together when cooked, achieving successful results with this recipe will be much more difficult. (but not impossible!)

Fresh Rice v. Leftover Rice for Gluten-Free Fried Rice

Fresh rice tends to clump up or become gummy in stir-fried dishes like this Gluten-Free Fried Rice because it contains too much moisture. That’s why using leftover rice that’s slightly dried out is best. The grains should feel dry to the touch but not stale. If you need to use freshly-cooked rice with this recipe, make sure to dry it out as much as possible before making this dish. Also, fry the rice in smaller batches (about 1 cup at a time), and take care to break up any clumps of rice with your fingers when adding it to the pan. 

How to Dry Out Fresh Rice for Gluten-Free Fried Rice

• Before cooking the rice, make sure to rinse it under cold water until the stream of water runs clear and is no longer cloudy. Rinsing rice reduces the excess starch on the outside of the rice so it won’t clump together or get mushy.
• Once cooked, transfer the rice from the pot or rice cooker to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Fluff the rice and spread it out into a thin layer without compressing it too much.
• Let the rice cool, uncovered, for as long as possible. Letting it cool at room temperature in a dry room with good airflow will help it dry out faster. It can also be stored in the refrigerator overnight.

How to Dry Out Leftover Rice for Gluten-Free Fried Rice

• Preheat your oven to 350℉.
• On a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread out the cooked rice in a thin layer. Break up any clumps with your fingers.
• Once the oven is preheated, put the baking sheet of rice in the oven, and then turn off the heat (to avoid overcooking).
• Toast the pre-cooked rice in the oven’s residual heat for 5-7 minutes until it feels dry to the touch but not hard. 

Ingredients Substitutions For Gluten-Free Fried Rice

Check the labels to ensure you use a gluten-free soy sauce brand. Not all brands of soy sauce are gluten-free or vegan. I like to use La Choy. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is a great soy sauce alternative that is also gluten-free and vegan.

For Vegans: To make this dish vegan, simply omit the eggs or use a vegan egg substitute like Just Egg. Crumbled firm tofu (well-drained, seasoned, and sauteed for about 5 minutes) also has an egg-like texture and can be used in this recipe. Check the labels if you are making this vegan. Not all brands of soy sauce are vegan.

What to Add to Gluten-Free Fried Rice

One of the best parts about making homemade Gluten-Free Fried Rice is its versatility. You can add so many different vegetables, proteins, sauces, flavorings, and toppings to mix things up! Try these additions and substitutions in your homemade Gluten-Free Fried Rice:

• Vegetables: Add mushrooms, broccoli, snap peas, baby corn, edamame peas, peppers, or red chiles. Serve with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice for an extra burst of freshness and flavor.
  • You can simplify the dish more with a frozen vegetable mix.
• Proteins: Before cooking the vegetables, fry up some bacon strips, cubed tofu, shrimp, sliced sausages, or chunks of chicken or beef. Add the cooked proteins back to the dish at the very end. If the proteins are already pre-cooked, add them to the pan when you cook the rice to ensure they are thoroughly reheated to a safe temperature.
• Sauces: Add depth of flavor or spice with fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, sambal oelek, gochujang, or chili crisp. 
• Toppings: Gluten-Free Fried Onions, crispy wasabi peas, chopped nuts (like peanuts or cashews), crushed nori, and white or black sesame seeds would all be great toppings for our Gluten-Free Fried Rice. 

How Long Does it Take to Make Gluten-Free Fried Rice?

This Gluten-Free Fried Rice is the ultimate quick & easy dinner recipe! It all comes together from start to finish in just under 30 minutes. The total cook time might be slightly longer to make the dish with a smaller skillet and cook the dish in batches. However, taking a few more minutes to complete this extra step is well worth the delicious results!

Storing and Reheating Leftover Gluten-Free Fried Rice

Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days. Reheat the leftovers in the microwave, adding 1 tablespoon of water per cup of leftover fried rice. (This very small amount of water will evaporate and steam the rice slightly without making the rice too wet.) Be careful not to overcook in the microwave, or the rice can become extremely crunchy and difficult to eat. However, adding some water to the bottom of the bowl will help keep this from happening.

Gluten-Free Fried Rice

Gluten-Free Fried Rice is a quick and easy dinner inspired by traditional Chinese fried rice. Making homemade Gluten-Free Fried Rice removes all the guesswork from ordering takeout, giving you total control over each element of the dish. This versatile, easy dinner recipe can be made with various vegetables, proteins, sauces, and toppings. Our version of Vegetable Fried Rice is also naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan! (But like Mama always says, “Check the labels!”)

More Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes To Try!

• Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
• Easy Beef Stew {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}
• Gluten-Free Orange Chicken {Dairy-Free} 

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