What is the best practice to making good fried rice without sticking to the pan?

What is the best practice to making good fried rice without sticking to the pan? - Appetizing Asian dish with rice

I just made fried rice earlier in a stainless steel frying pan to test the extent as to how much it will stick. I coated the pan with oil and initially placed garlic, then once the garlic was brown and aromatic, I added the rice. The rice sticked to the entire base of the pan and I already knew it was disaster then. Then adding an egg will compound this sticky mess and start to burn as they stick to the base of the pan and will taste like overcooked egg if left for long so I had to transfer the rice to a non-stick pan and just finish off.

I believe it is essential for the stainless steel pan to maintain some level of oil at all times else there will be nothing between the food and the pan which makes it stick. So what I think happened is that there was either not enough oil and/or the heat of the pan wasn't hot enough as well. It may be also possible that the rice absorbed the oil from the pan making the rest of the rice stick. But will that mean that each grain of rice should be coated will oil like in chinese/asian style fried rice? Typically each grain is shiny and the entire dish is very greasy. Another thing to consider is that the rice we used even if it was leftover from the refrigerator, it does feel a bit more starchy and less firm than those used in restaurant fried rice that I have eaten where there is a bite to it. The rice I used has great texture for eating as plain steamed rice, but probably not the best for fried rice. I do think it has a factor in why the rice sticked to the pan, but I am not sure.

Another factor is choosing the right pan. We almost always use non-stick pan (teflon I believe) since we often use minimal amounts of oil and don't prefer using lots of oil as it is not as healthy. Also, it was obviously easy and didn't end in disaster. When I think about it, I don't know of any other way I can make fried rice without a non-stick kind of pan. Traditionally chinese/asian restaurants will use a wok (I believe a carbon steel wok) that requires a seasoning to build over time to make in non-stick. But I would say, most households won't have this kind of pan to begin as well as the firepower to use them with so that means the pans of choice are often either non-stick (teflon/ceramic) pans, cast iron, or stainless steel. Cast iron is similar to carbon steel where a coating is needed to create that non-stick coating while teflon pans cannot use high temperature (which is often a must for good fried rice). I heard ceramic non-stick pans are not as non-stick compared to teflon but can withstand higher heat but I have never tried these. I doubt plenty of american households can maintain cast irons properly and the fact that it is was not built for stir frying due to its weight and shape, it is not ideal. Most likely the pans of choice of american households would then be either non-stick teflon wok/non-stick frying pans or stainless steel most of the time. So there is a huge dilemma and a trade off for every pan you use and there is a certain level of technique needed to be used to properly make proper fried rice.

What I want to know is what I did wrong why my fried rice became a total mess in my stainless steel pan. As well as the best way to create high quality fried rice at home that taste as good or close to the amazing chinese/asian restaurant fried rice.



Best Answer

Three parts:

  1. Use a carbon steel wok, cast iron pan, or non-stick pan (in that order of preference)
  2. Use cooked rice that is dry with separated grains
  3. Don't use a lot of sauce

You will not be able to make good fried rice without sticking in a stainless steel pan.

Fun watch, which talks a lot about the requirements for fried rice: Alex French Guy's series on making perfect fried rice. This video talks about what to use if you don't have a good wok, and the series in general covers a lot of what you need to know about fried rice.




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What is the best practice to making good fried rice without sticking to the pan? - From above of plastic container with fried chicken and rice with sauce near sauce and sliced vegetables
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Quick Answer about "What is the best practice to making good fried rice without sticking to the pan?"

  • Use cold, leftover cooked rice. ...
  • Use medium to long grain rice, not short grain sweet/sushi rice or glutinous rice. ...
  • A blazing hot wok (a wok is ideal but a large pan, skillet, or Dutch oven will do) and an adequate amount of oil will ensure your ingredients don't stick to the surface.


  • Is it better to fry rice in butter or oil?

    Fried Rice Ingredients You want your rice to be a little bit dried out when you start so the end result isn't soggy. Butter \u2013 Any oil will work, but butter gives the best flavor.

    How do I make perfect fried rice?

    Method:
  • Wash and spice the chicken pieces. ...
  • Chop the carrot, cabbage, green pepper and green beans.
  • Parboil the rice, then cook in the chicken stock (add 2 extra cups of water). ...
  • Put a clean frying pan on fire. ...
  • Add the cabbage, green pepper, white pepper, curry, seasoning and salt to taste (try to keep it a bit spicy).


  • Why is my fried rice sticking together?

    Freshly cooked rice spread out on a plate will steam a great deal as its surface moisture evaporates. That's the important part. It's the surface moisture that is going to cause your rice to rapidly suppress the temperature of the wok. It's the surface moisture that's going to cause your rice to stick together.

    How long should rice sit before making fried rice?

    Place the rice, uncovered, in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (overnight is best though) before using for fried rice.



    Can You Make GENUINE FRIED RICE Without a Wok? (Series Finale ft. Chinese Cooking Demystified)




    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Nadim Shaikh, Yan Krukov, Ryutaro Tsukata, RODNAE Productions