Egg fried rice (Gyeran Bokkeumbap, 계란볶음밥) is a simple stir fried dish mainly using egg and rice.

As many of you know, rice is a Korean staple food. Most Koreans would eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So it’s not uncommon to see people making some quick fried rice from early morning for breakfast.

I named this recipe “Breakfast Egg Fried Rice” because it is simple enough that you can even make it on a busy morning.

Is Breakfast Egg Fried Rice Only for Breakfast?

It definitely isn’t!

You can certainly make it for brunch, lunch or dinner, or whatever occasions might call you.

But if I were to make it for other times of the day, I would add more protein and vegetables to substantiate the volume of fried rice and for more complex flavor and texture. See below for the variation tips.

Egg Fried Rice Variations

Essentially, you can add whatever suits your style. However, below seems to be the most popular choices for many Koreans.

Protein – shrimps / prawns, bacon, surimi (imitation crab), SPAM
Vegetables – carrots, zucchini, onion, frozen peas, bell peppers / capsicums, green onions

The Sauce

The most common seasoning for fried rice is salt and soy sauce.

Some people use oyster sauce too, which is great for adding depth of flavor. But for me, I like something that’s simple and quick, particularly for breakfast. So I mainly use soy sauce.

But if you want to see some oyster sauce in action, check my Easy Fried Rice with Bacon recipe.

Best Rice For Fried Rice

The best rice for fried rice would be slightly drier rice, which happens to be a day old. It also makes sense to use day-old rice from a time saving perspective in the busy morning.

That being said, I often make fried rice with freshly cooked rice (in my rice cooker) too.

I just cook it with slightly less water to make the rice drier. Once this rice is stirred and cooled down for 10 – 20 mins, it should be good to go for stir-frying.

Time Saving Tips

As I mentioned briefly above, have some cooked rice ready in your fridge or freezer. If it’s from the freezer, thaw it either overnight in the fridge or microwave it until moderately defrosted.

If adding, you can also prepare vegetables beforehand too. Dice and store them in an air tight container(s).

How to Store

Food safety can be quite tricky with rice. (Do some google searches if you want to go down those rabbit holes. 😉 )

Any unused portion of fried rice can be stored in the fridge for a few days. Make sure the container is air tight and you transfer the rice into the fridge soon after making it.

You can reheat it in the microwave or over the stove.

If using a microwave, make sure to give it a good stir during reheating to ensure the heat is evenly spread across the rice. Serve immediately when piping hot.

Ingredients for Egg Fried Rice (Serves 1 to 2)

2 eggs
some cooking oil, I used rice bran oil
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, regular (add slightly more if adding other vegetables or proteins)
1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
1 – 2 Tbsp green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
fine sea salt, to taste (optional)

*1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 cup = 250 ml

How to Make Egg Fried Rice

1. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl.

2. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Once heated, add some cooking oil. Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the beaten eggs. When the egg starts cooking, break the egg into smaller pieces using a fork or chopsticks.

3. Add the rice when the egg is partly (70 – 80%) cooked and stir the rice evenly. Add the soy sauce and gently mix with the rest of ingredients. (Optional) Add some sesame oil, sesame seeds and green onions then gently toss to coat.

4. Serve.