Garlicky Shrimp Fried Rice
Well, that’s a wrap! It’s the end of the year…and I gotta say, I’m relieved! I’m excited for what’s to come! With the hustle and bustle of the Holiday Season, I’m tired and I’m looking to keep things chill and easy while we close out the year. This Garlicky Shrimp Fried Rice was absolutely incredible and it was really easy to make! It didn’t take long at all, and it was a one pot recipe! PERFECT! This was super unique too with the tomatoes and that garlicky flavor in there! It felt like an elevated version of the classic dish many of us love! And my favorite thing about making Asian food at home is that there’s usually a ton of leftover ingredients for the next time you want to make it!
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When was fried rice first created? What’s the story on it?
Fried rice originated in China so, so long ago – around 600 AD! People were tossing rice in a wok before paper money was even created! Isn’t that wild? It was created as a way to revamp cooked rice and use up leftover meat and vegetables, all while being practical for most people to make!
Basically, fried rice is like China’s version of “clean out the fridge” or “everything but the kitchen sink.” And while fried rice is typically made with day old rice, I didn’t make mine that way! It just goes to show how versatile this dish can be! Use whatever proteins you want, make it vegetarian, switch up the type of rice – there’s so much you can do here!
Did you know?
There are about 2,000 different species of shrimp! That’s a lot! While most shrimp like to spend their time grazing dead plant and animal matter from the ocean floor, they’re not technically bottom feeders! The term “bottom feeder” is actually sort of judgy and not very nice to say about any sea creature, as it doesn’t make them gross – it’s just what they were placed here to do! They’re like the cleanup crew of the ocean, which plays a crucial role in keeping the ecosystem in tip top shape! Many shrimp choose to live near the top of the ocean though, or in the middle, some spend their days in beautiful coral reefs!
These are very complex little creatures! They go through multiple stages of their little shrimp life before becoming adults. They can be found in the ocean, in rivers, lakes, and streams – adapting to many different conditions and habitats! Like honestly, how cool are shrimp!?
Regardless of what shrimp do for leisure, survival, and where they choose to live – they’re popular because they’re extremely good for you, super versatile, and easy to obtain! They’re usually a little pricier because from ocean to grocery store, it’s a ton of work! Shrimp need special crews to catch them, the crews need special boats, they require careful handling, with in depth cleaning and processing. Then they need to be rapidly shipped or frozen to reduce the risk of spoiling!
What ingredients do I need to make this Garlicky Shrimp Fried Rice?
Shrimp
Basmati Rice
Eggs
Garlic
Tomato
Peas
Soy Sauce
Chicken Broth
Sesame Oil
Olive Oil
Butter
Ground Ginger
Salt
Black Pepper
For serving:
Sesame Seeds
Green Onion
What equipment do I need?
How do I make it?
To get started on this dish first, mince up your garlic, halve the grape tomatoes, and thinly slice the green onion.
Rinse the basmati rice and set aside until ready to use. Next, you’ll want to carefully peel the shrimp and pinch their tails off. Move to a plate and pat them very dry on both sides.
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add shrimp to the pan in a single layer and allow them to cook for a minute without disturbing them. Season with some of the salt and pepper, flip, and cook another minute or so, until shrimp are pink!
Push the shrimp to the edge of the pan, then add garlic and cook until fragrant. Pour the rice into the pan and stir it around for a minute or so, to toast.
Toss all of the ingredients together, then sprinkle in the ginger, dump the broth and soy sauce in, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until rice is tender.
Scatter peas and tomatoes over the rice, cover and cook a few minutes more to warm the peas and soften the tomatoes slightly.
Next, push everything to the side again, drizzle some sesame oil in the empty space and crack the eggs. Gently scramble for a few minutes, then carefully fold into the rice.
Add the butter, the rest of the seasonings and sesame oil, then stir to combine.
Turn heat to medium-high and let cook undisturbed for a minute. Flip and cook another minute. This gives us that sort of crispy, fried rice vibe we all love!
Remove from heat and serve hot with green onion and sesame seeds for garnish! Enjoy!
Tips:
- Adding in that butter and sesame oil at the end really brings some richness and depth to the rice! It also helps to achieve that “fried” feel!
- Because this is all made up in one pot and we have the broth and other liquids in there, it helps to keep the shrimp from overcooking. So, don’t worry! They’ll stay TOTALLY juicy. You can always remove them to a plate while the rice is cooking if you want to, but the rice will likely be missing out on that shrimpy flavor and the shrimp will miss out on all those other flavors brewing in the pot, if removed.
- I loved having the tomatoes in this! It’s totally unique and keeps things moist and juicy – but feel free to skip them if you like.
- You don’t have to use shrimp for this recipe if you don’t want to! Swap the shrimp for chicken or make it vegetarian and use a veggie broth instead!
- If you decide to go the “day old rice” method, the cook time will dramatically decrease here. Use your discretion with this because you don’t want to be overcooking anything!
Looking for more tasty shrimp recipes? Check these out!
Craving some more Asian inspired food? I’ve got plenty more!
Garlicky Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients
- ½ lb Shrimp raw, deveined
- 5 Garlic Cloves minced
- 3 Eggs
- 1 ¾ cups Chicken Broth
- 1 cup Basmati Rice rinsed
- 1 cup Grape Tomato halved
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 2 tsp Sesame Oil divided
- ¾ tsp Black Pepper divided
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ tsp Salt divided
For serving:
- Sesame Seeds
- Green Onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- To get started on this dish, first you'll want to carefully peel the shrimp and pinch their tails off. Move to a plate and pat them very dry on both sides.
- In a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add shrimp to the pan in a single layer and allow them to cook for a minute without disturbing them.
- Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, flip, and cook another minute or so, until shrimp are pink!
- Push the shrimp to the edge of the pan, then add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Pour the rinsed and drained rice into the pan and stir it around for 1-2 minutes, to toast.
- Toss everything together, then sprinkle in the ginger, dump the broth and soy sauce in, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until rice is tender, 12-14 minutes.
- Scatter peas and tomatoes over the rice, cover and cook 2 minutes more to warm the peas and soften the tomatoes slightly.
- Next, push everything to the side again, drizzle 1 tsp sesame oil in the empty space and crack the eggs. Gently scramble for about 2 minutes, then carefully fold into the rice.
- Add butter, the rest of the seasonings and sesame oil, stir to combine.
- Turn heat to medium-high and let cook undisturbed for a minute. Flip and cook another minute. This gives us that sort of crispy, fried rice vibe we all love!
- Remove from heat and serve hot with green onion and sesame seeds for garnish! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
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I love rice dishes, it is such a versatile thing to cook with. Trying this one later.
Yay! I hope you enjoy!