I recently discovered you could make fried rice in a cast iron skillet. I guess I always assumed it would stick too much, but it doesn’t—as long as you use a well seasoned pan and oil!
Fried rice is an excellent way to stretch meat and use what you have on hand. If you can’t have soy, and therefore have avoided cooking fried rice, try coconut aminos:
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As for the veggies, a frozen bag of mixed vegetables makes this dish even easier. We prefer to stock dehydrated mixed vegetables for fried rice and soups.
Tips for Making Fried Rice in a Cast Iron Skillet
For cast iron, you’ll want to use at least 2 Tbs of oil to start. Keep extra oil on hand so you can add it quickly as needed.
If your rice or veggies aren’t browning or softening as much as you like, add more oil.
As with any fried rice dish, prep and chop all of your ingredients beforehand. Once you get cooking, it goes fast!
Also, it’s important to use cold (or leftover) rice. If I don’t have leftover rice on hand, I will make a pot of rice that morning and store in the fridge to chill for supper.
Cast iron is a worthwhile investment. Take care of it, and it will last a lifetime—and then some. For fried rice, you’ll want an oversized skillet like this one:
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If you prefer video, there is a video tutorial at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!
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Easy Cast Iron Fried Rice
This pork fried rice cooks up beautifully in a cast iron skillet. It's a wonderful way to stretch meat and load up on vegetables.
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork (or meat of choice)
- 2+ tablespoons coconut oil (or oil of choice)
- 3–4 cups of cooked white rice, chilled
- 2 eggs
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2–3 cups mixed vegetables
- 3 tablespoons fried rice seasoning mix
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Brown your meat. Set aside
- In a hot cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil.
- Add chopped onion and garlic, and cook until golden brown. Push it to the side of the skillet.
- Add 2 eggs (scrambled) and constantly stir. When fully cooked, mix in with the onion and garlic.
- Add your mixed vegetables. Add your seasoning blend, and stir well. Add more oil if needed.
- Add your ground meat, mix well, and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Add your pre-cooked and chilled rice.
- Add your coconut aminos sauce (a soy sauce substitute), and cook 3-5 minutes.
- According to taste, add more seasoning mix or sauce if you like. Enjoy!
Notes
To Make the Fried Rice Seasoning Mix
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- (optional) 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Use 1-2 tablespoons per batch of fried rice.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Additional Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
