Beef Fried Rice
By Sho @ Hungry for Thai
on
Jan 30th 2025 
Meat lovers, this one’s for you! Imagine a plate of beef fried rice—fragrant, flavorful, and packed with umami—paired with a juicy, medium-rare steak that’s melt-in-your-mouth tender. And to top it all off? Crispy, golden fried garlic that adds the perfect crunch.
Table of Contents
It's a great way to use up leftover rice and can be easily customized with your favorite toppings and garnishes. Enjoy this quick and tasty meal any time!
The rendered beef fat infuses the rice with a rich aroma, while fried garlic add depth to the flavor. This easy meal comes together in no time and is sure to satisfy your cravings for a hearty, aromatic dish.
What you'll need
- Beef: Tender and flavorful meat that adds protein and rich taste to the dish.
- Cooked Rice (preferably day-old rice): Cold rice is ideal for fried rice as it prevents clumping and ensures a better texture when fried.
- Garlic: Provides a strong, aromatic flavor when sautéed.
- Black Pepper: Adds a mild heat and enhances the overall flavor profile.
- Cooking Oil: Used to fry and sauté the ingredients, ensuring they cook evenly.
- Spring Onion: Offers a mild onion flavor and adds a fresh green color to the dish.
- Shallots: Adds a sweet, mild onion flavor and aromatic depth.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors of all the ingredients.
- Sliced Cucumber and Lime Wedges for Garnish (Optional): Adds a refreshing and citrusy contrast as a garnish.
Why You’ll Love This Beef Fried Rice Recipe 🩷
🔥 Rich & Flavorful – Cooking with beef fat adds an incredible depth of umami that makes this fried rice extra delicious.
🍚 Perfect for Leftovers – Got leftover rice? This is the best way to turn it into a mouthwatering meal.
⏱️ Quick & Easy – A restaurant-quality dish made in under 20 minutes, perfect for busy days.
🥩 Uses Every Bit of Flavor – Instead of wasting beef fat, this recipe transforms it into liquid gold for cooking.
🥢 Better than Takeout – No need for takeout when you can make this rich, savory fried rice at home with simple ingredients.
🥚 Customizable – Add your favorite proteins, veggies, or spice levels to make it your own!
How to Cook Thai Beef Fried Rice
- Prep Ingredients – Slice half the garlic and finely chop the rest. Thinly slice shallots, chop spring onions, and cut beef fat into small pieces. Season beef with salt and pepper.
- Fry Garlic – Cook sliced garlic until golden and crispy, then set aside.
- Cook Beef – Remove excess oil, grill beef to your preferred doneness, rest for 5 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Render Beef Fat – Fry chopped beef fat until crispy, then remove if desired, leaving the oil.
- Sauté Aromatics – Cook chopped garlic and shallots in the beef fat until fragrant.
- Fry Rice – Add cooked rice, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
- Combine & Serve – Stir in grilled beef and spring onions. Serve topped with crispy garlic and more spring onions.
What to serve with Beef Fried Rice
Beef Fat Fried Rice is best enjoyed with a squeeze of lime, which enhances the flavors and adds a delightful aroma. Here's how to elevate the dish:Sliced Cucumber: Adds a refreshing and cooling element to the meal, balancing the richness of the beef fat.
1. Lime Wedges: A squeeze of lime juice brightens the flavors and adds a zesty touch, making the dish more vibrant.
2. Sliced Cucumber or Easy-Pickled Cucumber Salad: Adds a refreshing and cooling element to the meal, balancing the richness of the beef fat.
3. Chopped Cilantro: Adds a fresh, herbal note, complementing the savory flavors and adding a pop of color.
FAQs
🍚 Can I use freshly cooked rice for this?
Day-old rice is the way to go! It’s drier and less sticky, which makes for the perfect fried rice texture. But hey, if you only have fresh rice, no worries—just spread it out on a tray and pop it in the fridge for a couple of hours. That’ll help dry it out and keep it from turning mushy.
🥩 What’s the best cut of beef to use?
Ribeye and sirloin are my top picks! They’re tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Just season with a little salt and pepper before cooking, and you’re good to go.
🤔 Do I have to use beef fat?
If you want that deep, rich, meaty flavor—yes! Beef fat makes a huge difference. But if you don’t have any on hand, you can swap it out for regular cooking oil.
Beef Fried Rice is a quick and flavorful dish perfect for any time of day.
Leave me a comment below if you try this recipe out! 😉🔽
Beef Fried Rice
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
15 minutes
Serves
2
Ingredients
Steps
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Prepare the Ingredients:
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Divide the garlic into two parts. Slice one half thinly and finely chop the other half.
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Slice the shallots thinly.
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Chop the spring onions for garnishing.
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Cut the beef fat away from the meat and chop into small pieces.
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Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the beef pieces to taste.
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Cooking Beef Fried Rice:
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Heat a pan and fry the sliced garlic until golden and crispy. Remove and set aside.
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If you are using the same pan, remove most of the oil from the pan, leaving just enough to coat the bottom. Grill the beef the way you like; I personally prefer medium-rare. Then, let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting it into bite-sized pieces.
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Add the chopped beef fat to the pan and fry it until crispy and fragrant. If you don't like it, you can remove it from the pan, as we only need the oil.
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If there is too much oil, you can remove some, then sauté the chopped garlic and sliced shallots until fragrant.
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Add the cooked rice to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, mixing well.
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Cut the grilled beef into bite-sized pieces, then add the cooked beef pieces and chopped spring onions, stirring until everything is well combined.
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Serve the beef fried rice topped with the crispy fried garlic prepared earlier and chopped spring onion
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Nutritional info
% of daily valueCalorie Breakdown
Protein
303 cal
Fat
1315 cal
Carbs
549 cal
Tips
If you prefer well-done beef, it's best to cut the meat into smaller pieces. This way, when you sear the meat, it will cook more quickly and evenly compared to larger, thicker cuts.
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