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This Vegan Fried Rice is great for when you need a quick and easy meal that satisfies a craving for takeout. We make this all the time when we have leftover rice, and we’re always shocked at how delicious and truly restaurant-quality it tastes.
Not only is it savory and delicious, but you get carbs, protein, and plenty of veggies in one dish. Scrambled tofu replaces the scrambled egg and it works perfectly. All it takes is a few minutes of prep time and a single pan, and you’ll be digging into your fried rice in no time!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Vegan Fried Rice
For the fried rice:
- Oil or vegan butter. Don’t skimp on the fat if you want this to taste restaurant-quality — it’s called “fried” rice for a reason! I like to use either peanut oil or vegan butter.
- Rice. Cold, leftover rice works best; the grains firm up and won’t clump together in the pan. Long-grain varieties work great because they tend to be less sticky. Jasmine rice is my go-to for frying.
- Garlic & green onions. Add as much garlic as you like! Optionally, you can also add in a teaspoon or two of minced ginger.
- Frozen peas and carrots. I use frozen veg for ease, but feel free to use fresh chopped carrots. You can also add other fresh vegetables; just stir-fry them with the aromatics first.
- Soy sauce. A must to pack in the umami. (You can sub in tamari or coconut aminos for soy sauce if you need it gluten-free.)
- Chili sauce. Optional, for the spice lovers! I love to add a heaping tablespoon of sambal chili sauce when frying.
For the scrambled tofu:
- Tofu. To replace the scrambled egg you find in a classic fried rice. It’s a great budget-friendly, high-protein substitute. (You can also use a vegan egg substitute like Just Egg.)
- Oil or butter. For frying.
- Turmeric. Mostly for aesthetic purposes, so feel free to omit if needed. It’ll turn your tofu yellow so it resembles scrambled eggs. It also has some anti-inflammatory properties but we’re not using much of it in this dish.
- Salt and pepper. You can also use black salt (kala namak) on the tofu to make it taste a bit more eggy. If using, sprinkle it on at the end, as it loses some of its aromatic qualities when cooked.
How to Make Vegan Fried Rice
Prep Work
- If you have leftover rice in the fridge, you’re totally good to go. If you don’t, you’ll need to cook a fresh batch of rice and rapidly cool it off. The best way to do this is to spread your cooked rice on a baking tray as soon as it’s done cooking and pop it in the freezer until it’s cold (but not frozen).
- Press tofu using your preferred method. You technically don’t have to press it, you’ll just have to cook it longer to get the excess moisture out of it.
- Chop your garlic and slice your green onions. When you slice your scallions, separate the green tops from the white bottoms (you’ll see why in a second).
Make the Scrambled Tofu
- Heat oil in a nonstick skillet (or wok, if you have one!) over medium-high heat.
- Crumble in pressed tofu, season with salt, pepper, and turmeric, and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes. You’re just looking for a little bit of browning and some of the water still left in the tofu to steam off.
- Set aside cooked scrambled tofu on a plate.
Make the Vegan Fried Rice
- Using the same pan, heat vegan butter or oil over medium-high heat. (Don’t turn your heat down. We’re going to keep it at this heat the entire time to ensure everything gets nice and crispy!)
- Add in your minced garlic and the white part of your green onions. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Toss in your cold, leftover rice. You can either crumble it into the pan to break it up, or dump the whole thing in and break it up in the pan with your spatula.
- Stir-fry the rice for 3-5 minutes, until it starts taking on some light golden-brown color.
- Add in the frozen veggies along with the green parts of the scallion and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes, until the frozen veggies are warmed through.
- Add in your soy sauce and chili sauce (if using) and stir to distribute.
- Toss in your scrambled tofu and stir to incorporate. Cook until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Long-grain (or medium-long grain) varieties are ideal for fried rice, as the grains tend to be firmer and less sticky. Jasmine rice is my go-to for fried rice. Basmati rice also fries up beautifully thanks to its fluffy texture, but it does have a distinctive flavor.
When rice is chilled, the grains firm up and dry out slightly. This makes it easier to break apart the individual grains so they stay separate while stir-frying. If you try to fry freshly-steamed, hot rice, it tends to clump together, resulting in a gummy or sticky fried rice.
While cold, day-old rice is ideal, you can make a fresh batch and cool for a shorter time if needed. Simply cook the rice per usual and spread it out on a baking tray or large plate in an even layer. Pop it in the freezer until it’s nice and cold. (This usually only takes 20-30 minutes.) Or, cover it and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. You’ll know it’s ready when the rice has firmed up enough to easily separate the grains by hand.
You can reduce the oil to about 1 tablespoon, or use a cooking spray, if you are using a good nonstick skillet. However, it won’t taste restaurant-quality because the butter/oil is what makes fried rice “fried”! For that takeout-style flavor, you need enough oil to coat the grains of rice to keep them separated and fluffy.
Add any veggies you like! Broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, and mushrooms are a few classic options If you’re using fresh vegetables, you’re just going to want to stir fry them with the aromatics before incorporating the rice.
Use a gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos instead of regular soy sauce.
More Quick & Easy Vegan Recipes
Vegan Fried Rice
Video
Equipment
- nonstick skillet
Ingredients
Scrambled Tofu
- 6-8 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu about 1/2 block, drained and patted dry
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or vegan butter
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to preference
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional, for color)
Fried Rice
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons sambal chili paste more or less to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 4 scallions thinly sliced white and green parts separated
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced (about 1 heaping tablespoon)
- 3 cups cold leftover rice see notes for details
- 1 cup frozen mixed peas and carrots
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
Make the Tofu Scramble
- Pan-fry the tofu: Heat vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, crumble in the half block of tofu. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and (optional) turmeric. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside on a plate.
Prep
- This recipe moves fast once you start, so I recommend making sure all your ingredients are prepped and easy to access! I like to break up the cold rice with my hands ahead of time, so all the grains are nice and separate when they hit the pan.
Make the Fried Rice
- Stir-fry the aromatics: In the same pan as the tofu, heat vegetable oil or vegan butter over medium-high heat. Add in the sliced white parts of the scallions, along with chili paste (if using), and black pepper. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the scallions start to look translucent. Then add in the minced garlic and stir fry for another minute. Reduce heat slightly if the garlic starts to brown.
- Add in the vegetables: Add in the frozen peas and carrots and stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes to warm through.
- Add in the rice: Add in the cold leftover rice. Stir-fry the rice for 4-6 minutes. It should start to take on some golden-brown color.
- Season: Add in the soy sauce and stir to distribute.
- Add in the tofu scramble: Fold in the scrambled tofu and the green parts of the scallions and stir-fry for an additional 2-3 minutes to heat everything through.
- Adjust seasoning: Taste and season with additional black pepper, salt, soy sauce, or chili paste to preference. Enjoy!
Notes
- Best variety of rice: Long-grain varieties of rice are ideal; they’re firmer and less sticky. Jasmine rice is my go-to. Basmati also works if you don’t mind its distinctive flavor in fried rice. Cold rice that is 1-2 days old will work best for frying.
- If you don’t have leftover rice: You can make a fresh batch of rice earlier in the day, spread it out on a baking sheet or large plate, cover it, and pop it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to chill, or into the freezer for 20-30 minutes. It should be cold and firm enough that you can separate the grains with your hands.
- Less oil: You can reduce the oil/butter to 1 tablespoon if needed, but it won’t have the same restaurant quality.
- Best oil: Peanut oil is my go-to for stir fries. It has a neutral yet buttery flavor and a high smoke point.
- Vegan butter: My favorites are the ones from Trader Joe’s, Country Crock, Violife, or Miyoko’s.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos instead of regular soy sauce.
- Fresh vegetables: If you want to use fresh carrots, just stir-fry them at the beginning with the white parts of the scallions. Same goes for any other fresh veggies you may wish to add, such as sliced mushrooms, broccoli florets, zucchini, etc. Make sure everything is chopped small so it has a chance to cook and mix in with the rice nicely.
Made this and love it! Made a few substitutions. Didn’t have chili sauce or sriracha so swapped for gochugang. Added sesame oil at the end. garlic, onion powder, nooch and liquid aminos to the tofu. Was yummy! Highly recommend ! Thanks Sarah for the easy to follow recipe! The tips on the rice were a game changer btw!
You wrote 1/2 a block of tofu (14 oz)
Does that mean 14 oz or 7 oz of tofu?
(Sorry, if this eems a dumb question, but I’m in Japan, and tofu is often sold in 150 gm boxes here….)
I am terribly sensitive to soy ? So please if you would send me recipes w/o that particular ingredient ? Thank you so much
I know this is an old comment, but I just stumbled upon this recipe and wanted to try and help you.
For Umami (the closest fit to soy sauce), you could try coconut aminos or mushroom aminos. Now, Tamari is a type of soy sauce and the best alternative if you can tolerate it, Tamari is often better tolerated by those with soy allergies because it’s made with wheat and has less soy protein. However, always check the label carefully as cross-contamination can occur. Even small amounts can trigger a reaction in sensitive individuals. For saltiness and colour (with less Umami), Liquid aminos (non-soy) would be your best choice, but make sure to check the label carefully to ensure they are soy-free. Some brands offer alternatives made from coconut or other sources.
Unfortunately, there’s not a good alternative to tofu, mushrooms, chickpeas would be the closest, but they’re not the best for protein; beans, lentils would be the best, although you could try tempeh, but use cautiously, while tempeh is made from soybeans, some people with soy allergies can tolerate it better than tofu due to the fermentation process. However, proceed with extreme caution and always check with a doctor or allergist before trying it. It also has a much stronger flavour than tofu.
There’s not going to be one best solution for tofu in a recipe, you could try making “chickpea tofu” search online for recipes, but for the soy sauce you have a few options, you could also try to mimic soy sauce using rice vinegar, and a pinch of sugar and salt, but this would require some experimenting to find the right balance, I also did a quick google search and found one that might work for you, if you search “There’s No Salt in This Soy-Free Gluten-Free Soy Sauce”, it will give you a “soy” sauce recipe you could try.
I just finished serving this to my family and my seven year old asked “where’s this from?” He literally thought it was takeout! I’ve made several fried rice recipes, and this is by far the best. Not the healthiest, but definitely the tastiest.