My Mom’s 3-Ingredient Golden Rice Is Gorgeous and Delicious

My mom always “accidentally” makes too much rice so she can turn it into golden fried rice the next day. The rice gets its signature golden hue from lots of eggs. My mom’s secret? She separates the eggs and coats the grains of rice with the yolks before folding in the whites to create soft, fluffy curds.

To keep things simple and savory, she adds bacon and skips the usual soy sauce. As fried rice purists, we avoid it at all costs because it dulls the yellow color and adds unwanted moisture, making the rice soft and mushy.

Bacon does all the heavy lifting: It adds aroma and saltiness, and the rendered fat helps crisp up the rice beautifully. A dash of white pepper and a sprinkle of scallions add to the flavor, but they are optional.

What Type of Rice To Use

For golden fried rice, day-old rice works great. If you have rice that’s several days old, even better. I like to jokingly refer to my leftover rice as “dry-aged.” By letting it rest in the fridge, the rice slowly dries out, forming a thin, dry surface that gives fried rice its bite. That dryness also helps the rice to maintain its structure as heat and moisture are added during cooking.

For my golden fried rice, I prefer Thai jasmine rice. Its long, slender grains offer more surface area than short-grain rice, and its milky white color is the perfect canvas to absorb and showcase that rich, golden egg yolk hue. Jasmine rice also has a subtly sweet, fragrant aroma that enhances all the toppings’ flavors beautifully.

No leftover rice? No problem. Here’s a quick shortcut: spread freshly cooked rice on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes (or refrigerate for one to two hours). This rapid cooling helps to dry out the rice in a short time. While this shortcut works in a pinch, leftover rice still reigns supreme.

Tips for Making Golden Fried Rice

• More fried rice flavor: For extra flavor, add a dash of toasted sesame oil—a little goes a long way.
• No bacon? Use char siu or Chinese sausage (lap cheong). Both add a touch of sweetness to balance the savory flavors.
• Make it your own: Common add-ins include corn, carrots, and green peas. Sometimes we toss in fridge leftovers—basically anything on the brink of not-so-freshness. It’s easy to add components to this dish and adds an element of mystery—kind of like fried rice roulette!