Oven-Baked Fried Rice: A Simple and Delicious Alternative
- Up and Down Story
- Jul 11
- 3 min read
In our hectic lives, it’s not always easy to cook a wholesome meal from scratch. Fried rice, for many, might seem like something you’d only order from a restaurant or enjoy as a treat. But what if you could make it at home with minimal effort?
This oven-baked fried rice lets you skip the constant stirring and sautéing. Just toss all your ingredients together, pop them in the oven, and let the magic happen while you take a break. By the time you’re done with your coffee, you’ll have a flavorful, healthy dish ready to serve. It’s a fun and easy way to enjoy a beloved dish without all the hassle.
Why Oven Cooking Is So Practical
1. Perfect for bulk cooking and meal prep
One big advantage of using the oven is that it’s perfect for preparing large quantities of food. While air fryers are great, they’re usually limited in capacity. Ovens, on the other hand, are ideal for feeding big families or for meal prepping in bulk.
2. Nutrient Preservation
Studies have shown that oven-roasting often results in better flavor and more evenly cooked food. For instance, when baking vegetables, you can retain up to 70% of their nutrients—much more than with stir-frying or deep-frying.
3. Time-Saving
Once you’ve prepped your ingredients, all you need to do is pop them in the oven and set the timer. It’s just as convenient as using an air fryer—hands-off and hassle-free!
Ingredients
[serves 3]
- 4 cups rice (cold rice gives a better texture)
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, zucchini, etc.)
- 1 1/2 cups protein (shrimp, beef, tofu, etc.)
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- Sesame oil
- Avocado oil
- Salt and pepper
- Green onions, sesame seeds
📍 For a firmer fried rice texture, it's best to use less watery ingredients to prevent the rice from becoming mushy.
📍 Shrimp is a protein that cooks quickly, making it the most suitable protein for this oven-fried rice. For meats like beef, it's safer to cut them into very small pieces to ensure they cook fully and evenly in the oven.
Instructions for Making Oven-Baked Fried Rice
Preheat the oven to 420°F (215°C).
Chop the vegetables into small cubes.
📍 For ingredients with a strong flavor, like onions and hard vegetables like carrots, it's best to chop them finely.
📍 You can cut the shrimp into larger pieces, but be sure to chop the meat into smaller pieces to avoid undercooking. (The vegetables I used are onion, frozen peas, bell pepper, carrot, and zucchini.)
Spread avocado oil on the baking sheet. This step prevents the ingredients from sticking to the pan.
Place the cold rice and all the ingredients on the baking sheet.
📍 I used avocado oil at first and later topped the rice with sesame oil to maintain the nutty flavor while benefiting from the higher smoke point of avocado oil.
📍 Oyster sauce has a strong flavor and saltiness, so a small amount is sufficient to add taste.
Mix the ingredients by hand, ensuring the seasonings are evenly distributed, and flatten the mixture out.
Make a well in the center of the rice and crack in the two eggs.
Cook in the oven at 420°F (215°C) using the roast function for 20 minutes.
Once done, cut the cooked eggs with a knife, mix everything, and taste. Adjust the seasoning with salt if needed, then finish with sesame seeds and green onions.
👩🏻🍳 This no-stir-fried fried rice recipe can also be made using an air fryer. However, for cooking larger quantities at once, the oven is indeed a powerful cooking tool.
👩🏻🍳 Preparing a generous amount for meal prep is also a great idea. Even with just my husband and me at home, I always cook in bulk. The extra portions are stored in the fridge.
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