Turn your leftover rice into something totally new and absolutely scrumptious — make this chili crisp fried rice! It's full of spicy, umami flavor, with tender veggies and a touch of crunch. This easy vegan dinner comes together in about 25 minutes!
Chili crisp is having a moment, and I have no complaints! In fact, you might say it's my new favorite condiment. Have you had this stuff? I think of it as chili oil's milder, more flavorful, crunchier cousin. You've got the basic components: chili flakes in oil. But chili crisp is more about flavor than heat. With lots of crispy chili flakes and sometimes other goodies like peanuts, it has some bonus crunch to it as well. I love putting it in... basically everything. Chili crisp fried rice was just a matter of time.
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Like most fried rice recipes, this one is super, super simple. It starts with some stir-fried veggies and aromatics. You'll be using leftover cooked rice, which browns and crisps up beautifully when fried, then adding the best part — a savory sauce with chili crisp as the star ingredient. It's a flavor-bomb of a meal that comes together in record time with minimal effort. We're talking weeknight-worthy and restaurant-quality, in one meal!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Chili crisp. Look for this in the international section of your grocery store, or order it online. I've included a link in the recipe card.
- Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos can also be used.
- Brown sugar. Use organic, since conventional brown sugar may be processed using animal bone char.
- Toasted sesame oil. This is a flavoring oil, and not a cooking oil. Look for it in the international section at the store.
- Vegetable oil. Feel free to use any neutral high-heat oil you like to cook with, such as peanut, canola, or corn oil.
- Shiitake mushrooms.
- Baby bok choy.
- Scallions.
- Ginger.
- Garlic.
- Cooked rice. Leftover rice is perfect! In fact, rice that's a few days old works best because it's a bit dried up and crisps better than freshly cooked.
- Frozen edamame.
- Peanuts. Roasted and salted, please.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Make the sauce. Start by mixing your chili crisp, soy sauce, brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil together in a small bowl.
Step 2: Cook the mushrooms. Heat some oil in a large wok, then add sliced shiitake caps. Cook them for a few minutes, flipping once or twice, until they brown. Transfer them to a plate.
Step 3: Cook the baby bok choy. Turn up the heat, add some more oil, and add your baby bok choy. Stir-fry it for a few minutes until it wilts.
Step 4: Cook the aromatics. Add just the white parts of your scallions, along with grated ginger and minced garlic. Sauté everything briefly.
Step 5: Fry the rice. Add your rice to the wok, then return the mushrooms and add the sauce. Stir-fry everything for a few minutes until the sauce dries and the rice gets crispy.
Step 6: Add the edamame. Add your thawed, shelled edamame to the wok, and cook everything a bit longer, just to heat it up.
Step 7: Serve. Your chili crisp fried rice is done! Pile it onto plates, top each one with the greens from your scallions and some chopped peanuts, then dig in.
Variations
- Veggie swaps. Replace the baby bok choy with regular bok choy, broccoli, snap peas, peppers, or your favorite stir-fry veggies. Keep in mind that firmer veggies will take longer to cook and softer ones will cook faster.
- Make it extra spicy. Add a minced chili pepper with the garlic and ginger, or season your fried rice with some hot sauce, like sriracha.
- Add protein. Add some pan-fried tofu, seitan, or tempeh.
- Ditch the rice. I'm not kidding! Use my cauliflower fried rice or curry quinoa fried rice recipes for guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! Make sure your chili crisp brand is gluten-free (several brands are), and substitute gluten-free tamari for soy sauce.
You absolutely can, although it may not get as crispy as with leftover rice.
Yes! Use a large skillet, and increase the heat slightly compared to what the recipe instructs.
It's spicy, but not as spicy as you'd think! Chili crisp has a mild to medium heat level, so with ¼ cup of it in the recipe, you'll get some kick, but not as much fire as with something like chili oil.
Leftover chili crisp fried rice will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Chili Crisp Fried Rice
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chili crisp
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced
- 1 large baby bok choy (or 2 small) broken into individual leaves
- 2 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups cooked rice, chilled (preferably 1-2 days old)
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- ½ cup roasted and salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Stir the chili crisp, soy sauce, brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil together in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large wok. Once the oil is hot, add the mushrooms, arranging them in an even layer. Cook the mushrooms for about 8 minutes, flipping once or twice, until browned and tender. Remove them from the wok and transfer them to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok and turn up the heat to medium-high. Add the baby bok choy, and stir fry it for about 2 minutes, until it wilts.
- Push the baby bok choy to the side, then add the white parts of your scallions, along with the ginger and garlic. Sauté the mixture for about 30 seconds, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Add the rice to the wok, return the mushrooms to the wok, then pour the chili crisp mixture over the rice. Stir-fry everything for 3 to 5 minutes, until the rice starts to dry out and crisp up in spots.
- Stir in the edamame, then continue cooking the mixture for about 1 minute, just to heat up the edamame.
- Remove the wok from heat. Divide the fried rice onto plates and top each portion with the green parts of your scallions and peanuts. Serve.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on ingredients, brands, portion sizes, and preparation methods.
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