Char Siu Fried Rice (Chinese Pork Fried Rice)

Name: Char Siu Fried Rice (Chinese Pork Fried Rice)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Cooking Oil; 250 g Cooked Rice ((1.5 Cups)); 150 g Char Siu Meat (Diced Into Small Pieces) ((0.33 Pounds)); 1 Egg; 2 Garlic Cloves (Diced); 0.5 inch Ginger (Diced); 2 Spring Onions ((Green Onion)); 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce; 2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce; 1 tsp Sesame Oil; ¼ tsp Salt; ½ tsp White Pepper

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Chinese Pork Fried Rice With Char Siu

Homemade char siu fried rice – so easy and so tasty! It’s a delicious combination of Chinese BBQ pork, fluffy white rice and vegetables all brought together with a savoury and aromatic fried rice sauce.

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5 from 1 vote

Whenever I have leftover char siu, I always make this delicious Chinese pork fried rice! The sweet and savoury char siu flavour with the umami fried rice sauce will leave you wanting more.

Not only is it incredibly simple and quick to make, but it’s also bursting with flavour and ready to eat in just 20 minutes. If you’re looking for a meal to impress, then this is it!

The taste is absolutely amazing, and this recipe is a great way to use up leftover pork. The next time you’re craving Chinese food, put the takeaway menu down!! Instead, make this 20-minute char siu fried rice from scratch.

What Is Char Siu Fried Rice?

Char siu fried rice (also known as pork fried rice) is a popular Chinese takeaway dish made with leftover char siu (Chinese bbq pork), rice, vegetables and savoury seasonings.

I’m always making Chinese takeaway recipes, with this fried rice being one of my latest additions. Recently, I’ve posted this tasty char siu sauce, this char siu pork recipe and this amazingly good char siu noodles recipe too!

Restaurant Style Char Siu Fried Rice

Char siu is typically made with pork shoulder and is marinated in a char siu sauce containing flavours like soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger and garlic to create a tasty and complex flavour.

The red in the char siu is made traditionally with fermented bean curd, but most Chinese takeaway shops use red food colouring for a vibrant and eye-catching red hue around the meat.

Watch How To Make It

Chinese Pork Fried Rice Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed for this recipe:

Cooked Rice: Use rice cooked at least a day in advance. Like takeaway shops, I like to use fragrant jasmine rice. Pre-cooked packet rice is great to use if you don’t have time to make the rice in advance.
Char Siu: For a traditional pork fried rice you can use char siu meat, but any pre-cooked diced pork is fine to use as an alternative. Use my char siu recipe to make your own from scratch!
Egg: An egg is scrambled in the wok, if you don’t like egg in your fried rice then you can leave it out.
Garlic & Ginger: Use fresh ginger and garlic diced into small pieces. As an alternative, you can use ginger and garlic paste.
Spring Onion (Green Onion): Used within the stir fry and to garnish the dish too.
Fried Rice Sauce: The sauce is made from a mixture of oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and white pepper.

The Best Rice For Fried Rice

When making fried rice I prefer using long-grain rice as it has a lower starch content compared to short-grain rice like sushi rice. A lower starch content makes the rice less sticky and therefore perfect for fried rice dishes.

Types of long grain rice you can use are jasmine rice, basmati rice and also brown rice too if you prefer that.

How To Make Char Siu Fried Rice

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make char siu fried rice. Full recipe instructions are on the recipe card:

Step One:

Make the fried rice sauce by mixing together oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and white pepper in a small bowl.

Step Two:

Heat a wok or frying pan on a medium to high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Fry the char siu for 1 to 2 minutes.

Step Three:

ginger, garlic and spring onions added to char siu

Add diced ginger, garlic and spring onions into the wok (keep a few spring onions for garnishing) and stir for 30 seconds.

Step Four:

Push the ingredients to one side of the wok and pour the whisked egg at the opposite side. Leave the egg to set for a few seconds before stirring it into small pieces.

Step Five:

Add cooked rice to the wok and stir for 2 minutes or until warmed through and evenly distributed. Then add the remaining spring onions.

Pour the fried rice sauce into the wok and mix until evenly distributed and enjoy!

What Can I Use Instead Of Char Siu?

If you don’t have char siu, don’t worry, you can still make this pork fried rice just with an alternative piece of meat. You can use other cuts of pork, roasted pork or a different meat entirely.

Diced chicken, beef, seafood or prawns like in the king prawn fried rice recipe are all tasty alternatives. Below are some of my other fried rice recipes for your inspiration:

Singapore Fried Rice
Keema Fried Rice

My Top Tips

When adding the whisked egg into the wok, push all the ingredients in the wok to the side. Pour in the whisked egg and leave it for 20 to 30 seconds to set, then scramble the egg and mix it into the other ingredients. This way the egg coats the rice evenly.

When making fried rice, I like to use a wok and cook over a medium to high heat to ensure that the rice gets that delicious smoky wok flavour.

Make sure to stir-fry the ingredients quickly and continuously to evenly distribute the heat and flavours.

When making the rice, make sure you wash it thoroughly to remove excess starch and prevent the rice from being sticky. Before frying the rice, break up any clumps formed before stir-frying it.

Experiment by adding extra ingredients like onions, mushrooms, carrots and peas to add even more textures and flavours.

How To Store

This dish is best eaten straight away, but you can keep it for later. Once the rice has cooled down, keep it in an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to a day.

What To Serve With Pork Fried Rice

You can eat this fried rice as a main dish on its own or serve it as a side accompanying these delicious Chinese takeaway recipes below:

Crispy Chilli Chicken
Honey Chilli Beef
Sweet And Sour Pork Balls , Chicken Balls or Prawn Balls
Sweet And Sour Prawns
Sesame Prawn Toast

FAQs

Why is the pork in pork fried rice pink?

The pink colour of the pork meat is due to marinating and basting the pork in a char siu sauce which includes fermented bean curd or red food colouring. This is what gives the pork that distinctive red, pink colour.

What is the difference between pork and char siu?

Pork is a broad and general term used for meat arrived for pigs, whilst char siu is a specific Chinese cooking method for marinating and cooking meat. Char siu pork has a sweet and savoury flavour and a red hue.

What gives Chinese fried rice its flavour?

Chinese fried rice gets its flavour from a combination of key ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil and oyster sauce. Adding too much of these sauces will overpower the dish, so it’s important to get the ratio of ingredients right.