From the roundup: 24 High Protein Dinner Recipes Easy Enough for Busy Weeknights
This honey garlic shrimp fried rice is the dinner I make when I have leftover rice in the fridge and exactly zero energy left. The whole thing cooks in one skillet in about 15 minutes of actual stove time, which sounds fast until you realize how fast it actually moves once the pan is hot. Have everything measured and sitting next to the stove before you turn on the burner. There is no stopping to chop once you start.
The sauce is just soy sauce and honey whisked together, but the garlic cooked in a screaming-hot pan is what makes it taste like something you ordered. Shrimp go in first, come back out, and get added at the very end so they do not turn rubbery while everything else finishes. I learned that the hard way the first time I made this and left them in the whole time.
Cold, day-old rice is not optional here. Warm rice from the same day turns the pan into a sticky mess. I usually cook a big batch of rice the night before specifically for this, or I use whatever is left from earlier in the week. Either way works as long as it has been in the fridge overnight.
Why you will love this
- It uses up leftover rice that would otherwise sit in the fridge until you throw it out.
- Shrimp and eggs together make this a real protein dinner, not just a side dish with some add-ins.
- One skillet, no complicated sauce, and you are plating in under 30 minutes start to finish.
- The honey-soy balance is mild enough that even my pickier kids eat it without negotiating.
- Leftovers reheat well in a hot skillet the next day, which makes it worth making the full batch.
Tips for success
- Cold rice is the whole game: rice that went into the fridge last night fries dry and separate. Rice cooked an hour ago will clump and steam instead of fry, and you will end up with mush.
- Get the pan genuinely hot before anything goes in, about 2 full minutes over high heat. If the shrimp do not sizzle the second they hit the oil, the pan is not ready and the shrimp will steam instead of sear.
- Cook the shrimp in a single layer and do not touch them for a full minute. Crowding the pan or stirring too early is what makes shrimp rubbery and gray instead of pink with a little color on the outside.
- Pull the eggs off the heat while they still look slightly underdone. They finish cooking when you stir them into the hot rice, and overcooked scrambled eggs in fried rice turn dry and chalky fast.
If your fried rice turns out greasy
- Too much oil is usually the problem. Two tablespoons of vegetable oil total is enough for this batch size. The sesame oil at the end is for flavor only, not cooking.
- Wet rice is the other culprit. If your rice was not fully dried out from an overnight rest, it releases moisture into the pan and the whole thing gets soggy and oily at the same time.
- If it looks greasy mid-cook, push everything to the side and tilt the pan slightly to let excess oil pool, then spoon it off before adding the sauce.
Substitutions
Chicken breast cut into small pieces or firm tofu works in place of shrimp. Just make sure whatever you use is cooked through before you pull it out and set it aside. Tamari swaps in for soy sauce if you are cooking gluten-free, and it does not change the flavor noticeably. Frozen corn or diced carrots can replace the peas, or skip the vegetable entirely if that is what you have.
If you are out of honey, a small pinch of brown sugar stirred into the soy sauce does the same job of cutting the saltiness. The red pepper flakes are easy to leave out for kids who do not tolerate heat. My younger two never notice it is missing.
Make-ahead and storage
The only real make-ahead step is cooking the rice the day before and leaving it in the fridge uncovered for a few hours, or overnight. Uncovered helps it dry out faster, which is exactly what you want. Everything else in this recipe comes together too quickly to prep far in advance, though you can whisk the honey and soy sauce together and mince the garlic earlier in the day.
Leftover fried rice keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a hot skillet with a small splash of soy sauce or water, stirring for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through. The microwave works if you are in a rush, but the rice goes soft. Freezing is not worth it here because the shrimp and eggs both get rubbery after thawing and reheating.
Honey Garlic Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and honey. Set it right next to the stove because things move fast once you start cooking.
- Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat until it is very hot, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for about 1 minute per side until they are pink and just curled. Do not crowd the pan or they will steam instead of sear. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same hot pan. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until it is fragrant but not burned. Add the cold day-old rice and press it flat against the pan. Let it sit without stirring for 1 minute so the bottom gets a little toasty, then stir and press again. Keep doing this for about 3 to 4 minutes total until the rice grains are hot and starting to separate.
- Push the rice to one side of the pan to clear a space. Pour the beaten eggs into the empty space and scramble them gently with your spatula, breaking the curds into small pieces. When the eggs are just set but still look a little soft, about 45 seconds, stir them through the rice to combine.
- Add the frozen peas and pour the honey soy sauce mixture over everything. Stir to coat all the rice evenly. Add the black pepper and red pepper flakes if using. Cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, stirring, until the peas are heated through and the sauce has coated everything.
- Return the cooked shrimp to the pan and toss everything together for about 30 seconds just to warm the shrimp back through. Drizzle the sesame oil over the top, give one final stir, and serve immediately topped with sliced green onions.
Notes
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