Easy Prawn Fried Rice in 22 Minutes

Plump prawns, sweet peas and fluffy day-old rice tossed in a hot wok with soy and a hint of sesame. It comes together in about 20 minutes and tastes far better than a takeaway. Perfect for using up leftover rice.

Prawn fried rice is the ultimate fast midweek dinner, and the secret is cold, day-old rice that fries up light and separate rather than clumping. Get everything chopped and to hand before you start, because once the wok is hot it moves quickly. Use raw or cooked prawns, whatever your supermarket has, and dinner is on the table in around twenty minutes.

Ingredients

• 600 g cold cooked long-grain or basmati rice — ideally cooked the day before and chilled
• 250 g raw king prawns — peeled and deveined; defrosted if frozen
• 3 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
• 2 large eggs — lightly beaten
• 4 spring onions — sliced, white and green kept separate
• 2 cloves garlic — finely chopped
• 150 g frozen peas — straight from the freezer
• 1 carrot — finely diced
• 2.5 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 0.5 tsp caster sugar
• 1 pinch white pepper

Method

1. Break up the cold rice with your fingers so there are no clumps and set aside. Pat the prawns dry with kitchen paper. Have all your prepped ingredients within reach, as the cooking is fast.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Pour in the beaten eggs, let them set for a few seconds, then scramble into soft curds. Tip onto a plate and set aside.
3. Add another tablespoon of oil and the prawns to the hot wok. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until they turn pink and are cooked through with no grey or translucent flesh remaining. Remove to the plate with the eggs.
4. Pour in the last tablespoon of oil, then add the carrot, garlic and the white parts of the spring onions. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and the carrot is just tender.
5. Add the rice and frozen peas. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, pressing the rice against the hot wok and tossing, until the grains are separate and piping hot throughout.
6. Drizzle in the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and white pepper, and toss to coat every grain evenly.
7. Return the eggs and prawns to the wok, add the green spring onion tops, and toss for a final minute until everything is combined and piping hot. Taste, add a splash more soy if needed, and serve straight away.

Serve it with

• A drizzle of sriracha or chilli oil for heat
• Prawn crackers on the side
• Quick stir-fried pak choi in garlic
• A wedge of lime to squeeze over
• Chinese-style pickled cucumber

Why this works

Cold, dried-out rice has less surface moisture, so it fries into light, separate grains instead of turning to mush. Cooking the eggs and prawns separately keeps each one tender and prevents overcrowding the wok.

Common swaps

• Use cooked prawns instead of raw; just add them at the end to warm through so they don't turn rubbery
• Swap peas and carrot for sweetcorn, edamame or diced red pepper
• Use tamari in place of soy sauce for a gluten-free version
• Add cooked shredded chicken or diced ham alongside the prawns for a special fried rice

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using warm, freshly cooked rice, which steams and clumps rather than frying crisp; always use cold rice
• Overcrowding the wok so ingredients steam instead of fry; cook in a large pan over high heat
• Adding too much soy sauce, which makes the rice soggy and overly salty; season gradually and taste
• Overcooking the prawns until tough; they need only 2 to 3 minutes to turn pink and cook through

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Because it contains reheated rice and prawns, do not keep it longer or reheat more than once.

Reheating: Reheat in a hot wok or frying pan with a splash of oil until piping hot throughout, stirring often. Only reheat once.

Allergen notes: contains Crustaceans, Egg, Gluten, Soya, Sesame. Always check individual product labels.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.