Got some leftover ham and rice? Then you can start preparing this Easy Ham Fried Rice right away. Serve it as a side dish or a meal on its own --- either way, it's so quick to prepare! Delicious!
While commonly known as a side dish, I usually don't make anything else when preparing this fried rice for myself.
It's a complete meal for me. 🙂
But for those times that I have to serve some other dish with it, it's typically something fried or grilled -- that's an excellent pairing.
So let me know how you prefer to serve it at your home!
IF YOU WANT MORE ASIAN-INSPIRED DISHES, THEN YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!
Ingredients
- Ham - it is up to you whether to use leftover, smoked or not, as long as it's cooked ham.
- Carrot - peeled and diced.
- Spring onions - use only the white and light green part.
- Sesame oil - we all have our favorite brands, I know. Just use what you have.
- Cooked rice - I strongly suggest you use rice that's at least a day old. Then you separate the grains using your hands before adding them to the fried rice ham.
- Green peas - fresh or frozen, any of these two is excellent.
- Vegetable oil - sunflower, canola, or any neutral (no-taste) oil, NOT olive oil.
- Garlic - minced.
- Salt and pepper - for seasoning.
- Soy sauce - I use dark Chinese soy sauce for this ham fried rice recipe.
If you are using the light one or Japanese soy sauce, the color of your fried rice with ham would not be as intense, and you need to make sure you check the seasoning after adding the vegetables back into the pan.
Preparation
Start by heating vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat.
Add carrots and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add green peas (photo 1).
Mix until the peas are soft and cooked, then transfer the vegetables to a plate and set aside.
Using the same pan, heat one teaspoon of sesame oil and add garlic once the oil is ready (photo 2).
Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant and slightly darker, then add the rice and season with salt and pepper (photo 3).
Mix for a couple of minutes, then add another teaspoon of sesame oil; continue mixing.
Add soy sauce and mix to combine evenly (photo 4).
Add ham and mix for about three to four minutes (photo 5).
Add the cooked vegetables back into the pan (photo 6).
Mix to combine everything, taste and adjust the seasoning.
Take the pan off the heat.
Serve leftover ham and rice with some chopped spring onions as garnish.
Helpful tips
- If you are using frozen peas, use them directly from the freezer.
There is no need to thaw them.
- Make sure you have separated the cooked rice before adding it into the pan.
- Depending on the type of soy sauce you are using, go easy on adding salt until you get to the very end, where you can adjust the seasoning.
FAQ
Absolutely.
Cold, leftover cooked rice is the best type that you can use for making fried rice. They are firmer and easier to separate without turning into mush.
The refrigerator is your best friend when it comes to prepping your cooked rice for the next day's fried rice.
So, you better prepare extra rice today and give this easy ham fried rice recipe a try tomorrow. Let me know how it goes in the comment section!
Happy cooking!
Easy Ham Fried Rice Recipe
Equipment
- Wok
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Garlic press
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 3 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 cup green peas, heaping
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 to 5 & 1/2 cups cooked rice, (equivalent to 1 cup uncooked rice)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 & 1/2 cups ham, cooked, diced
- salt and pepper, to season
- 3 tbsp spring onions, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Using a wok or a large pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is ready, add carrots and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add green peas and cook until they are soft.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan, transfer them to a plate, and set them aside.
- Using the same pan, heat one teaspoon of sesame oil over medium-high heat
- Add garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant and slightly darker in color.
- Add the cooked rice and season with salt and pepper.
- Mix for a couple of minutes, then add another teaspoon of sesame oil.
- Continue mixing to combine, then add soy sauce.
- Mix to combine the soy sauce evenly in the rice.
- Add leftover ham and mix for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the vegetables that were set aside earlier and mix to combine everything.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, then take the pan off the heat.
- Serve this easy ham fried rice with spring onions as garnish.
Notes
- Cook's Tip #1: If you are using frozen peas, use them directly from the freezer; no need to wait for them to thaw.
- Cook's Tip #2: Make sure you have separated the cooked rice before adding it into the pan.
- Cook's Tip #3: If you are using a different type of soy sauce, go easy on adding salt until you get to the very end, where you can adjust the seasoning of your ham fried rice.
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