This Steak Fried Rice Recipe is a one-pan dinner made with day-old jasmine rice, seared sirloin strips, scrambled eggs, peas and carrots, green onions, and a quick soy and oyster sauce.

The rice gets toasty and a little crisp at the edges, and the steak stays juicy because it cooks separately first.

It’s a weeknight fix when you’ve got leftover rice in the fridge, and it reheats well for packed lunches. I also make it alongside this pineapple fried rice when we have people over, and if you want more ideas, this list of easy fried rice recipes has plenty.

If you like making fried rice at home, these are good ones to try next:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Cold, cooked rice from the day before is the secret to steak fried rice that isn’t mushy (fresh rice is too wet and clumps). Sirloin or flank steak both work, as long as you slice it thin against the grain.

Ingredients

1 lb sirloin or flank steak, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon soy sauce, for the steak
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons vegetable or avocado oil, divided
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
4 cups cooked jasmine rice, chilled overnight
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
4 green onions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated

Directions

Slice the steak into thin strips about 1/4 inch thick, cutting against the grain.
Firming the steak in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes first makes thin slicing much easier.
Toss the strips with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and the cornstarch, and let them sit while you prep everything else.
That light cornstarch coating helps the steak brown fast and keeps it tender (it’s the same trick takeout places use).
Break up the cold rice with your hands so there aren’t any big clumps.
Get every ingredient chopped and measured before you turn on the heat.
Fried rice moves quickly once you start, and there’s no time to mince garlic mid-cook.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat until it shimmers.
Add the steak in a single layer and leave it alone for 1 minute to sear.
Stir and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until browned on the outside but still a touch pink inside.
Move the steak to a plate, since it’ll finish cooking when it goes back in at the end.
If you’re doubling the recipe, sear the steak in two batches so it browns instead of turning gray.
Lower the heat to medium and add a little more oil if the pan looks dry.
Pour in the beaten eggs and scramble gently until just set but still soft, about 1 minute.
Slide them onto the plate with the steak.
Slightly underdone is what you want here, because they get another minute in the pan later and you don’t want rubbery eggs.
Turn the heat back to high and add the remaining oil.
Cook the onion and the white parts of the green onions for 2 minutes until they start to soften.
Stir in the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then add the peas and carrots and cook for another 2 minutes.
The frozen veggies don’t need to thaw first (they’ll heat through right in the pan).
Add the cold rice and spread it out across the whole pan.
Let it sit undisturbed for about 1 minute so the bottom gets toasty, then stir and repeat two or three times.
This is where fried rice gets its flavor, so don’t rush it.
Your rice should be hot all the way through and lightly crisp in spots after about 4 to 5 minutes.
Drizzle the soy sauce and oyster sauce around the edges of the pan rather than straight onto the rice.
The hot metal caramelizes the sauce slightly before it hits the rice.
Toss well, then return the steak and eggs and cook for 1 more minute until everything is hot.
Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil, pepper, and green onion tops.
Serve hot in bowls and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Day-old rice is a must. Chilled rice has dried out enough to fry instead of steam. In a pinch, spread fresh rice on a sheet pan and refrigerate it uncovered for an hour.
Slice against the grain. Look for the lines running through the steak and cut across them. It’s the difference between tender bites and chewy ones.
Use the biggest pan you have. A crowded skillet steams everything. If your pan is smaller than 12 inches, cook the rice in two batches.
High heat matters, but so does timing. Home stoves don’t get as hot as restaurant woks, honestly. Letting the rice sit untouched between stirs makes up for a lot of that.
Go easy on the soy sauce. It’s tempting to keep adding more for color. Taste first, because the oyster sauce is salty too and it’s easy to overdo.
Sesame oil goes in last. Toasted sesame oil burns at high heat and turns bitter. Stir it in once the pan is off the flame.
Pick jasmine or medium-grain rice. Jasmine gives you separate, fluffy grains with a light fragrance. Long-grain white rice works too, but sticky sushi rice clumps and won’t fry the same way.
Leftover steak works great. Got grilled steak from last night? Slice it thin and add it with the sauce at the end, just long enough to warm through.
Meal prep friendly. Steak fried rice holds up well in lunch containers. Divide it into portions as soon as it cools a bit, then refrigerate.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving Serve it hot, straight from the wok, in shallow bowls. A drizzle of sriracha or chili crisp and a few extra green onions on top go a long way. Add a simple cucumber salad or steamed broccoli on the side if you want something fresh.

Storing Let leftovers cool, then store them in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Fried rice also freezes well for up to 2 months in freezer bags laid flat. Reheat in a hot skillet with a splash of water, or microwave covered with a damp paper towel.

Customizing Swap the steak for chicken thighs, shrimp, or leftover pork. Brown rice and cauliflower rice both work if you want a lighter bowl, though cauliflower rice cooks in half the time. Add corn, edamame, or diced bell pepper with the peas and carrots for more veggies.