20 Minute Thai Basil Fried Rice

Thai Basil Fried Rice is a quick and easy 20-ish minute meal! Cooked in a sweet and salty sauce with a little heat and a lot of basil.

Thai Basil Fried Rice is a weeknight hero. No way around it.

A big steamy pot is ready in just about 20 minutes with flavors to wake up your week. The rice is both crispy and fluffy and perfectly coated with a taste bud zinging sauce that is both sweet and salty. As written, the recipe has just enough spice to make it 1 star, but you can adjust as needed. The basil rounds out our rice with necessary freshness!

Reasons to love this recipe!

• All the comfort of fried rice with a slight flavor twist – basil!
• A quick one pot 20-ish minute meal!
• Is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.

Ingredients and Substitutions:

• Avocado oil – or another neutral oil like grapeseed. Peanut oil adds flavor, but it’s delicious!
• Vegan butter – or regular butter.
• Onion – yellow, white, or red. Or sub ½ cup chopped green onions or one leek, cut into half moons.
• Carrot
• Red bell pepper – or yellow or orange.
• Green bell pepper
• Garlic
• Rice – rice for fried rice needs to be cooked and then cooled to work properly. If you use just cooked rice, it will get sticky and clump together, never getting crispy. To make this meal in 30 minutes, use pre-cooked rice in packets. It works great! Use white or brown rice – whatever you like!
• Coconut aminos – adds sweetness and umami.
• Liquid aminos – or soy sauce, tamari, etc.
• Rice vinegar – use unseasoned.
• Sugar – helps balance the flavors. You can also use maple syrup or agave.
• Sriracha – for mild spice. Use more if you like it spicy! You can also use Sambal Olek, but know it’s spicier than sriracha so adjust accordingly.
• Basil – use Thai basil if you can find it, if not Italian basil works! You can also throw in a handful of mint. Mmmmm…

How to make Thai Basil Fried Rice:

Cook and cool the rice: Make sure your rice is cooked and cooled prior to starting this recipe. Cook medium grain white or brown rice, jasmine is nice, according to the package directions. Spread the rice out on a sheet pan and place in the fridge until cool and dry. Or for a quicker version, use the precooked rice packets from the store!

Sauté the vegetables: Heat the oil in a large skillet, add in the vegetable and sauté until tender.

Crisp the rice: Add the rice to the veggies, stir, spread into an even layer and let it cook, undisturbed, until the bottom layer of rice is crisp. Flip the rice with a spatula and repeat on the other side.

Whisk the sauce: Whisk together the sauce ingredients while the rice is cooking.

Combine: Add the sauce to the rice along with the basil. Stir until well combined. Serve topped with more basil.

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Leftovers?

Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in a skillet with a bit more oil or in the microwave.

Tips for crispy fried rice!

When it comes to homemade fried rice, most at-home recipes don’t produce “fried” rice which has a pleasant crispy texture. The crispy bits of rice mix with softer rice for the perfect bite. With a few tips, you’ll be making crisped fried rice at home!

First, make sure your rice is cold and dry before adding it to the pan. It’s best to use day-old rice, but you can also use store-bought rice packets.

Second, use a cast iron skillet not a nonstick pan. Cast iron skillets hold their heat better and more evenly crisp the rice.

Next, leave the rice undisturbed. Once you add the rice to the skillet, stir it to incorporate the veggies, the spread it out into an even layer. Resist the urge to stir. Once the bottom is golden, flip it with a metal spatula. Repeat on the second side.

Last, use more oil as needed. There’s no way around it, oil creates crispy rice. If the rice looks dry, add more oil.

More rice recipes to make ASAP!

• Potato Fried Rice
• Vegan Sushi
• Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls
• Creamy Vegan Wild Rice Soup
• Craveable Vegan Bibimbap

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