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Egg Fried Rice

Leftover or fresh rice stir-fried with eggs, frozen vegetables, and soy sauce. Ready in 20 minutes.

Total Cost $5.13
Per Serving $1.28
Prep 5 min
Cook 20 min
Servings 4
  • vegetarian
  • rice
  • eggs
  • one-pan
  • fast
  • low-cost

Ingredients

  • 300 g dry long-grain white rice (or 750 g cooked day-old rice) $0.75
  • 6 large eggs, lightly beaten $1.98
  • 250 g frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots, green beans) $0.65
  • 3 green onions, sliced $1.00
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced $0.24
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce $0.23
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil $0.13
  • 1 tsp sesame oil (optional but recommended) $0.10
  • to taste white or black pepper $0.05
  • Recipe total$5.13

Instructions

  1. If cooking rice fresh, prepare it and spread it on a baking sheet or plate to cool. Slightly dry rice fries better than freshly cooked rice. Day-old refrigerated rice is ideal.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until very hot.
  3. Add the frozen vegetables. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes until heated through. Push to the sides of the pan.
  4. Add the remaining oil to the centre. Add the rice and press it flat. Cook without stirring for 1–2 minutes to lightly crisp the bottom.
  5. Stir everything together. Cook 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
  6. Push the rice to the sides again. Add the garlic to the centre and cook 30 seconds.
  7. Pour the beaten eggs into the centre. Scramble them, then fold into the rice before they are fully set.
  8. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss everything together over high heat for 1–2 minutes.
  9. Remove from heat. Add the green onions and pepper. Stir once more and serve.

Nutrition per Serving

Estimated values per serving.

489 Calories
16g Protein
67g Carbs
15g Fat
4g Fiber
350mg Sodium
~12% DV Iron~15% DV Vitamin C

Gluten-Free

This recipe can be made gluten-free with substitutions.

  • Replace soy sauce (3 tbsp) with tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) in the same quantity (Tamari is slightly more expensive but widely available — a small bottle costs about $3–$4)

Rice and eggs are naturally gluten-free. Soy sauce is the only ingredient that typically contains wheat. Tamari is a direct swap.

Budget Notes

  • This is one of the cheapest complete meals on this site. Total cost can be reduced further with smaller egg quantities.
  • Day-old refrigerated rice gives better results than freshly cooked rice — the drier texture fries rather than steams.
  • Add any leftover cooked meat, extra eggs, or whatever vegetables need using up.
  • Frozen mixed vegetables are cheaper per kilogram than individual frozen vegetables.