Basil and Tomato Fried Rice
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 4eggs
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil
- 1yellow onion, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
- 4garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 to 2bird’s-eye chiles (or other hot chiles), deseeded and finely chopped
- 2pounds firm, ripe large or cherry tomatoes (see Tip), cut into ¾-inch wedges if using large tomatoes
- 5 to 6cups cooked leftover rice, preferably jasmine
- 2tablespoons soy sauce
- 1½cups tightly packed basil leaves
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1029 calories; 105 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 65 grams monounsaturated fat; 29 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 1782 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a bowl, whisk the eggs with ½ teaspoon salt.
- Step 2
Heat a large wok or 12-inch well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil, then pour in the beaten egg. Cook for 15 to 30 seconds, allowing the bottom to set slightly, before stirring and turning until just set. Break up the egg slightly, then remove from the wok and set aside.
- Step 3
Heat the wok over high. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, along with the onions, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until slightly softened. Add the garlic and bird’s-eye chiles and stir for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Next, add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing every now and then, until the tomatoes are softened. (Reduce heat to medium-high if it starts getting too smoky or the garlic begins to scorch.)
- Step 4
Add the rice, soy sauce and half the basil, and season with 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt, to taste. Reduce heat to medium-high and stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes, allowing the rice to soak up the tomato juices. As the liquid cooks off, the rice will char (though less so if using a nonstick pan) and develop some smoky flavors.
- Step 5
Add the egg and remaining basil and toss for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and check seasonings, adding some black pepper and more salt if needed. Serve immediately.
Tip
- If using cherry tomatoes, cut up 5 or 6 of them to add moisture during cooking. The rest can be added whole, as they will burst during the latter part of cooking.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
KDA
This was a great way to use this week’s struggle harvest after a long, extremely hot, dry summer. I used a mixture of cherry and large, cut-up tomatoes, and added a diced Japanese eggplant that would’ve gone to waste as a singleton. I let my frozen leftover rice thaw on the counter and then made the recipe as written. It was delicious!
debdog
The seeds of a chile are not the hot part. It's the pithy veins that have the heat. They are rather difficult to cut out of a dried chile, but very visible in a green one. Come on down to Santa Fe NM to experience it.
Granddaughter of immigrants
Made this with brown basmati rice (all I had). Adaptations: more tomatoes (I was making a single serving; no point saving half a tomato). No Thai bird chiles or onion so I used 4 shishito peppers, dried red pepper, and scallion. Added corn (needed to use it up), I blistered the corn and shishito peppers, added scallion & garlic, then everything else in the order written. Drizzled a little sesame oil (because my Chinese ex & his family always finished that way). Delish!
Carol
Trickle the egg into the hot mixture towards the end the way you do with Asian stir fry. Easier and yummy. Use dried hot pepper flakes instead of a fresh pepper.I used olive oil as usual. Obviously you can cook up the rice fresh. This is good and VERY filling.
Granddaughter of immigrants
If you have freshly-cooked rice, spread it out on a baking tray or a large plate to let it dry out a bit.
Tobias
So good! Loved the tomato juice soaked rice. Be warned, though: your wok or skillet might not be big enough to handle all the ingredients. I thought I had a fairly large wok, but I ended up having to stir-fry the rice separately (I put the tomatoes & onions, leaving the tomato juice in the wok, into a separate bowl), then combining everything. This recipe makes quite a lot, arguably more like 6 servings, so halving the recipe might be a good call, especially with a smaller wok.
Rachel
The newsletter referred to frozen rice. How do you cook with frozen rice? Thaw first? Or?
Karen Smith
I also added Japanese eggplant and upped the soy sauce. Delicious! Great use of our garden harvest. Summertime comfort food
Quinn
Long-time cook, first-time poster. This was pretty tasty! But the amount of rice it calls for is deranged to me and my normal-sized wok, lol. I only fit about a cup and a half in there, but I also steamed some broccoli at the start, which took up quite a bit of space (while adding some nice texture). And because I don't live on a basil farm (a CUP AND A HALF fresh leaves?? I can't take out a loan for this recipe, I'm sorry), I substituted with two large tablespoons of dried. Very good overall!
Judy
Thaw the rice for best results.
Kristin
I recommend using half the salt listed. Add more at the end if you prefer.
my notes
Came out soggy in non-stick pan.
FLS
Made this as written, minus the hot peppers as I didn't have any. Delicious and a great way to use up all the tomatoes and basil from our garden.
nice and flexible
Cooked this with what I had as per usual. I used canned diced tomatoes instead of cherry and I cooked the onions and egg together first and then set aside because I misread the instructions. I didn’t have the peppers, but everything turned out pretty good. Easy, cheap, and adaptable meal.
A
The flavors were good, but quite uniform and unexciting. The texture was boring. Best served as a side dish to something more substantive, definitely not as a main course.
CLHK
Made this tonight with what I had. It was ready in roughly half an hour, including prep. No egg (preference). Ground chicken for protein…cooked at beginning, then reserved and added at end. Japanese eggplant, sautéed with onion. After I added tomatoes, I put veggies in 400 oven to let them roast while I “fried” the rice, to allow it to char correctly, then added veggies to allow rice to reabsorb juices from them. Amazing!
AmyB
Did not have enough rice to use the full amount in the recipe. Followed it, but used more soy. and only 1/2 a large onion.
JKS
This recipe was incredibly easy to make and makes a lot. I wasn’t a huge fan of the flavor profile of the finished product. The combination of Italian flavors with the soy sauce was a bit off putting for me.
soup lyons
added 3/4 lb. ground chicken to start, doubled the garlic, used ghee instead of oil throughout, and added a good dash of Chinese black vinegar at the end with the soy sauce. found cherry-size "mini san marzanos" at the store that were very meaty and tasty. we loved this dish, very flavorful and bright. the black vinegar complemented the tomatoes/basil almost giving it a dark, caprese-like vibe. def remove the veg from the pan (contrary to recipe) before adding rice so you can get it crisp.
JS
For those lamenting the volume of rice; you need to use day old rice and if you stick 4 cups, it will absorb the juices from the tomatoes and caramelize enough to impart that smokiness.
Lee
Bland i used 2 cups of rice it 5 or 6 culs would be a waste
Paul
For those complaining about the salt - one possibility might be if you used Japanese soy sauce (for example, Kikkoman brand) instead of Chinese soy sauce. Japanese soy sauce is much saltier. I cooked as written using Chinese light soy sauce and found the dish to be well seasoned. Just a guess, since I see so many notes about the salt but really there's not much relative to volume of other ingredients.
Lisa
Very bland, despite the garlic, basil, and hot peppers
LJMQ
Not impressed. I halved recipe as only two of us but found it rather bland. Added General Tso's sauce to make it actually taste of something. Used fresh local farm tomatoes and basil so I do t think it was my ingredients
Samten
Turned out soggy. Rice was only a day old — from the refrigerator. Also, maybe the pan wasn’t hot enough to cook off the liquid. Flavors were OK. Probably won’t make this again.
Denise
I used a homemade pesto in place of the basil leaves in this and it was delicious.
Jim o
This was fantastic, so flavorful and so simple to pull together
Mary Alice
Loved this! Used Thai Basil because we grow it. My husband is not a fan of “scrambled eggs” in fried rice. Some time back I found a recipe for Golden Rice where the beaten eggs are mixed into the leftover rice. Now I do that all the time! It gives you the taste and protein without whatever bothers him.
Cooking Button
4 servings is accurate if you've all just come fresh from competing at the Olympics... The two of us made only of quarter of this and have half left after a healthy dinner. But it WILL get ate. Delicious. We upped the recipe a bit with a red curry paste and served with a few slices of Thai based glazed thighs. Follow me on my next review of someone else's recipe for more hot tips.
Rita
Lovely. Not useful as a main course with out a protein though. Great if your garden overflows with tomatoes & Basil
Christina Robison
Eggs are protein.
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