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What to Eat with Fried Rice?: 6 Side Dish Ideas

Maria Foster
Last Updated on
by Maria Foster

Fried rice is a wonderful staple you can serve with many recipes, including soups, stews, dumplings, and more. Here are some of our favorite recipes you can prepare with fried rice for delicious and filling meals.

What to Eat With Fried Rice
What to Eat With Fried Rice?

6 Dishes to Serve With Fried Rice

  • Fried Egg
  • Dumplings
  • Sweet and Sour Pork
  • Roasted Vegetables
  • Lemon Chicken
  • Egg Drop Soup

1. Fried Egg

Fried Egg
Fried Egg

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Tip: Crack the egg into a bowl instead of a skillet to avoid oil splatters and potential egg shells.

Flavor-packed and steamy fried rice pairs incredibly well with fried eggs.

Heat a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Tilt the pan gently to ensure the oil coats the whole surface. Crack your egg into a bowl to avoid oil splatters (and remove the egg shells that might make their way into the bowl).

Drop the egg into the skillet and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. You can make one to two at a time, depending on the size of your skillet.

Season with flaky salt and pepper, and serve while it’s hot. You can also serve with a side of Sriracha sauce, sesame seeds, or ketchup.

2. Dumplings

Dumplings
Dumplings

Preparation Time: 2 hours

Tip: Can be made vegan and gluten-free

Filling and versatile, dumplings are nourishing for the body and the soul. They contain savory fillings like meat, vegetables, and tofu and can be cooked in various ways: boiled, steamed, pan-fried, or deep-fried. And yes, they are all delicious.

Combine two cups of flour with one cup of water to form your dough (you can use gluten-free flour). The dough for the dumpling does not need to rest in the refrigerator, so you can immediately start preparing your dumplings.

If you don’t want the hassle of making your dumpling dough, you can buy a premade dumpling wrapper and start filling them immediately.

Cut the dough into small pieces and flatten them with a rolling pin to get thin discs. Dust the surface with some flour to prevent the dough from sticking.

Bring your ingredients for the filling together in a large pot. You can combine minced meat, tofu, and the vegetables of your choice. Knead your ingredients together until you have a perfect blend.

Take a piece of the flattened dough and add a spoonful of the filling in the middle. Pinch the two sides to give your dumpling its iconic shape.

You can wet the sides of your dough to ensure your dumpling stays closed while cooking. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add your dumplings. They will be cooked in 3-4 minutes.

You can cook your dumplings right away or put them in the freezer for later. They will be good to eat for two to three months.

3. Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and Sour Pork
Sweet and Sour Pork

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Tip: Marinate pork overnight to make it more tender

It’s crispy, chewy, and full of flavor, not to mention that it tastes fantastic next to fried rice. Of course, we’re talking about sweet and sour pork!

There are two crucial steps to making the best sweet and sour pork. The first is choosing the right part of the meat, and the second is making a delicious marinade.

Pork shoulder works best for sweet and sour pork, but pork ribs and belly are also good cuts for this recipe because they’re soft. It’s best to avoid pork chops because they’re leaner and won’t give you the chewy texture that makes the dish so satisfying.

For the marinade, combine cornflour (or cornstarch), soy sauce, freshly chopped garlic, ginger, and onion in a bowl and add baking soda to tenderize the meat. Rub the meat in the mixture and put it in a container. Pour the rest of the marinade on the meat and cover. Leave it in the fridge overnight.

Once the meat is marinated and ready to be fried, you can get started on the sauce. The sweet part of the sweet and sour pork comes from ketchup and sugar.

For the sour part, add Worcestershire, oyster, and soy sauce. Top it all off with a mixture of water and cornflour to thicken it, and you are ready to put everything together.

Toss the marinated pork pieces in cornflour and fry them in a pan at 350°F (180°C). It takes about 3 minutes for them to turn golden. Once they’re all fried, put them on a rack to rest.

When you’re done, pick up a skillet and drizzle some oil to coat it thoroughly. Pour the sauce into the pan and let it simmer over high heat for about 2 minutes until it thickens.

When you add the pork, toss it around for no more than 15 seconds so it doesn’t get soggy. Plate and serve while it’s hot.

Alternatively, you can air-fry the pork for fewer calories. It will still be crispy!

4. Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Vegetables
Roasted Vegetables

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Tip: Vegan and gluten-free

The best part about roasting vegetables is the satisfaction of using them in your fridge. Asparagus that has seen better days? Brussel sprouts that you never got around to eating? Cauliflower that looks sad? Roast away!

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). After washing your vegetables, toss them in a bowl with olive oil and minced garlic.

Season them with salt and pepper to taste, and feel free to add chili, paprika, and onion powder if you like it. Spread the veggies on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle some cheese on top for some added flavor.

You can sprinkle cashews, pecans, or peanuts on your vegetables. Adding bacon bits or nutritional yeast will make your dish even more filling.

5. Lemon Chicken

Lemon Chicken
Lemon Chicken

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Tip: Use chicken thighs for a juicier dish

Lemon chicken has an irresistibly sweet-sour taste that compliments the savoriness of fried rice. This dish is so simple and tasty that you might easily find yourself cooking it every other night.

Opt for darker meats like the thighs to make the most memorable lemon chicken. Darker meats complement the acidity of the lemon, and their high fat content makes this sauce even more delicious.

First, prepare a marinade for the chicken. Crack two eggs in a bowl and add garlic, black pepper, and salt. Add dried rosemary, sage, and basil flakes for extra flavor. Let the chicken thighs marinate in this mixture for at least 20 minutes.

While that sits, get started on your lemon sauce. Lemon sauce is super flavorful, yet super simple to prepare: Squeeze two lemons on a buttered skillet. Add some chicken broth and pepper and let it simmer.

Coat your marinated chicken with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and pan-fry it on medium to high heat. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken and serve while it’s hot.

6. Egg Drop Soup

Egg Drop Soup
Egg Drop Soup

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Tip: Replace chicken broth with vegetable stock for a vegetarian soup

What better way to wash down your fried rice than with hot, comforting egg drop soup? It comes together so fast and with just a few ingredients.

Start by mixing a tablespoon of cornstarch and two cups of chicken broth to make a slurry. Make sure to mix until the cornstarch dissolves completely.

In a large pot, combine a spoonful of chopped ginger, green onions, and mushrooms of your choice with a dash of soy sauce. Bring to a boil and slowly stir in the slurry you just made. The soup will start to thicken gradually.

In a separate bowl, crack two eggs and whisk. When the soup starts to boil, slowly add your eggs. Your eggs will start cooking, looking like small pieces of ribbon. Top it off with more green onions and eat it while it’s hot.

You can make a vegetarian dish if you opt for vegetable stock instead of chicken.

Conclusion

You can cook fried rice plain or with vegetables like peas, onions, and carrots, and add an egg and a dash of soy sauce for an extra silky rice dish. It’s a piece of cake to prepare, yet it’s a versatile dish that you can pair with many different recipes and cuisines.

You can serve it with meat or vegetable dishes or simply fry an egg for a filling meal that takes minutes to put together. If you have some time, you can prepare some dumplings from scratch.

Most recipes you can pair fried rice with are vegan-friendly, so you can alter the recipe according to your dietary restrictions. Bon appetit!

About Maria Foster
Maria Foster
Maria Foster is a mother of 3 and she and her husband of 23 years share their home with 2 faithful dogs. Besides being CEO of the household and active in her community, Maria is the lead contributor to Food Champs and loves to try new food ideas and kitchen accessories to make easier and more delicious meals.
Maria Foster
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