Basil Fried Rice

Basil fried rice is a Thai-inspired favorite that brings loads of flavor to a simple fried rice recipe, comes together in minutes and makes an easy side dish or base to add your favorite protein to.

Why You’ll Love Basil Fried Rice

Fried rice is one of the easiest and quickest meals to make when you need a throw-it-together-fast kind of dinner. Basil fried rice is a personal favorite because of its fresh, herby flavor and peppery notes that combine with the umami sauce.

• It’s the perfect use for leftover rice. In fact, it’s best with cooked and cooled rice so feel free to batch cook some rice over the weekend, throw it in the fridge and make this fried rice recipe during the week for an easy meal.
• Makes great use of random vegetables in the fridge. As with any fried rice recipe, you can customize this to many different vegetables for flexibility.
• Combine it with any protein for a full meal. Basil fried rice goes well with shrimp, tofu, chicken and even just egg to add some protein and make this a more well-rounded meal rather than a side dish.

If you like fried rice dishes like this, make sure to check out this tofu fried rice recipe and pineapple fried rice too.

My Pro Tip

Time-Saving Tip

Microwave rice can be a great time-saving option if you don’t have leftover white rice on hand. Pop some in the microwave to cook then spread it out onto a baking sheet in an even layer and cool in the refrigerator for as long as possible before making the basil fried rice.

You can also make fried rice from frozen rice.

The Ingredients

Fried rice is incredibly customizable so feel free to use what you have on hand for vegetables. The main components are the rice, basil and sauce. Beyond those, you can play around how you like.

• Rice — Jasmine rice is my preferred choice (but basmati will also work) for making fried rice and it’s best when cooked and cooled. This process dries the rice out and keeps the grains separated rather than clumped together. It also allows the rice to crisp up in the pan while it cooks instead of a mushy final dish.
• Basil — Thai basil (purple stems) is the most traditional for this recipe, but if you can’t find it, sweet Italian basil or any other basil variety will work just fine. Fresh is a must, this recipe doesn’t have the same flavor if you use dried basil.
• Vegetables — Onion, garlic, red bell pepper and a small red Thai chili pepper (if desired) make up the vegetable component of this fried rice dish.
• Sauce — The umami sauce that coats the rice is made up of soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. You can use gluten-free and/or vegetarian options for any of the sauces as desired.
• Lime — A squeeze of fresh lime brightens up the dish and awakens all the savory flavors of the fried rice. Don’t serve this dish without it!

For a complete list of recipe ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card below.

My Pro Tip

Ingredient Tip

Basil stays fresh the best by keeping it at room temperature. Store it like a bouquet of flowers by trimming the ends and placing it upright in a glass filled with water on the counter and cover it loosely with a plastic bag. If you refrigerate basil, the leaves will quickly turn black.

*Did you know? You can eat basil stems too! Finely chop them and sauté with vegetables in any recipe.

Step by Step Directions

Fried rice is a simple dish no matter how you make it, but here’s a quick run-through of making basil fried rice so you can see for yourself.