Bacon and Asparagus Fried Rice
Published Apr 18, 2024
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Welcome to the place where we ditch the take-out menu because we can make the most dreamy spring-inspired fried rice in less time than it takes to order it. Bacon and Asparagus Fried Rice is crunchy, savory, and topped with a fried egg – tons of flavor in every bite.
Fried rice is a comfort food dinner. There’s something so satisfying about a bowl of perfectly cooked and seasoned rice – every grain coated in savory sauce. But even better if it’s packed full of flavorful veggies (asparagus coins! Sweet peas!) and crispy bacon. This is a spring-themed and below you’ll find my top pick of shortcuts too.
By the way, I’m no stranger to fried rice recipes, and can point you in the direction of Honey Garlic Chicken Fried Rice, Thai Fried Rice, Ginger Fried Rice, and Cauliflower Fried Rice if something else feels like a better fit for dinner tonight. But if I’m being honest, this is my top pick du jour. Let’s make it.
Fried Rice Shortcuts
These are my most recent fried rice shortcuts, and I may never go back to making it without them.
- Pre-cooked / Frozen Rice – If you have leftover rice to make your fried rice, that is the thing to use, but often when I’m in the mood for this dish, I don’t have day-old rice sitting around ready to go. Enter pre-cooked freezer section rice. Frozen rice is par-cooked so that it’s nearly done when you buy it, although it will often recommend that you microwave it for 3 minutes to serve. When you’re using it for fried rice, just microwave it for about a minute to loosen it up enough that it can be easily added to the pan. It will finish cooking along with the other ingredients and will be perfectly done by the time the fried rice is ready to serve!
- Coconut Aminos – This isn’t an ingredient that I kept in my pantry, until I discovered how versatile it is when used in stir-fry recipes like fried rice! Coconut aminos has a naturally sweet and savory balance. It actually reminds me a bit of the sweet soy sauces that are used in many Thai recipes. And it makes a delicious, complex sauce without the need to add a bunch of other ingredients.
Fried Rice Sauce
Thanks to the use of coconut aminos which adds dimension, the perfect sauce for fried rice just needs the addition of tart and savory which we get from rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil. It’s an incredibly simple sauce that comes together fast. Here’s what you need to make it:
- 3 tablespoons of coconut aminos (I use Bragg’s)
- 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
This will season about 3 cups of cooked rice. I love to squeeze lime juice over the finished dish, but that’s totally optional!
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Fried vs. Scrambled Egg to Top Bacon Fried Rice
The ultimate question when it comes to fried rice is do you scramble an egg in or do you add a fried egg on top? Where do you stand on this debate? Over the years, I’ve gone back and forth, but I lean slightly towards the fried egg camp. When you slice into a fried egg, the yolk drips down and adds extra flavor to the rice – almost like an extra sauce. I just can’t resist it! And if I’m cooking with a wok, nothing beats a wok-fried egg with crispy edges.
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Bacon and Asparagus Fried Rice
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Large Skillet or Wok
Ingredients
- 10 ounces asparagus
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos (I use Bragg’s)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 6 strips bacon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
- 3 cups cooked rice (see note)
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 large eggs
- Chopped green onions, lime wedges, and / or hot sauce or chili crisp for serving
Instructions
- Trim the woody ends off the asparagus stalks and discard them. Dice the remaining asparagus into small coins.
- Make the sauce by whisking together the coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil.
- If you’re going to cook your bacon in a wok or if it won’t easily fit in your pan, chop it into bite-sized pieces before cooking it. In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Once cooked, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and cool.
- Drain off all but a thin layer of bacon grease from the pan. Add the asparagus to the pan with ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook until it turns bright green and is tender, 2 to 4 minutes depending on how thick the stalks are. Stir in the peas.
- Add the cooked rice to the skillet, stirring to combine with the asparagus and peas. Pour the sauce over the rice and give it a stir to combine. Let it cook, without stirring it, for about 2 minutes just to let some of the rice kernels crisp up on the bottom of the hot skillet.
- Stir a few more times to combine everything and then transfer the fried rice to serving plates or bowls.
- Wipe out your skillet or wok and return it to medium heat (or use a nonstick pan if you prefer) and add the cooking oil. When it begins to shimmer, crack the eggs into the oil and let them cook until the whites are nearly set. In the last minute, cover the eggs with a lid to let them finish cooking all the way through.
- Crumble bacon over the rice and add a fried egg to each bowl. Season the eggs with some salt and top the bowls with green onions, a squeeze of lime juice, and / or hot sauce or chili crisp. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
