Shrimp Fried Rice – A fast and delicious weeknight meal – easily on the table in under 30 minutes. Fresh ginger adds a punch of flavor you don’t get from your local take-away. Frozen peas are a quick, handy green vegetable addition but you can substitute with whatever vegetables you have in the fridge.

Shrimp fried rice, Shrimp Fried Rice with Poached Eggs, SpicyFig
Shrimp Fried Rice with Poached Eggs

Shrimp Fried Rice with Poached Eggs…..

It’s Fast February here at Spicy Fig which means I am opening the can on some of my fastest, easiest recipes. In other words, these are the dishes I make my family when I’m too busy cooking for clients! Friends always comment on how lucky my girls are and how well they must eat. But the truth is that when you spend your whole day, week or month cooking for a living there is often little fuel left in the tank for family meals.

One disadvantage (or advantage) to living up in the hills in the south of France is that, except for pizza, we don’t really have take-away. For health purposes, that is fantastic. But for busy moms in a pinch it makes life more difficult. You have to plan ahead.

That’s why I’m posting this recipe for Shrimp Fried Rice with Poached Eggs today. My last post was Spicy Peanut Chicken with Cucumber Salad which is served with rice.

So……..

  • Monday – You make the Spicy Peanut Chicken with Cucumber Salad but make an extra 2 cups of rice
  • Tuesday – You make Shrimp Fried Rice with Poached Eggs using the left over rice
  • Wednesday – the leftover fried rice becomes a side dish to your next meal. Maybe Teriyaki Salmon?(recipe to come)

If fried rice is not part of your fast weeknight meal repertoire it should be. It’s just so versatile! You can make vegetable fried rice, vegan fried rice, chicken fried rice with leftover roast chicken, etc…The key is, when it is a meal on it’s own, to fill it with goodness – veggies, protein, eggs, peanuts, etc… Today we are using it to make an easy shrimp dinner.

I like my fried rice topped with a runny poached egg but this is just icing on an already moist cake. It’s not necessary. If you want to skip the extra step then just stick to scrambled. Personally, I love to include both but I’m a bit mad on eggs.

Shrimp fried rice, Shrimp Fried Rice with Poached Eggs, SpicyFig
Perfect weeknight meal, on the table in under 30 minutes. This easy dinner will save busy moms and please the whole family!
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Shrimp fried rice, Shrimp Fried Rice with Poached Eggs, SpicyFig

An easy shrimp dinner, fried rice is an ideal weeknight meal that is as versatile as it is simple. 

  • Author: Jessica Verity
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 15 min
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
  • Category: Rice
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Asian
Scale

Ingredients

  • 5 cups cooked rice (1 3/4 cups uncooked basmati rice)
  • a glug of vegetable oil
  • 4 slices of bacon, chopped or 100g of lardons
  • 1 lb (450g) shelled and deveined prawns (You can add more if you prefer)
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 medium-large onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger
  • 4 eggs, whisked (you can omit the poached eggs or increase the poached gags and do less scrambled – or just load up on eggs!)
  • 2 eggs for poaching
  • 2 large scallions (spring onions), green and white part thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas, defrosted
  • 2–3 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot but not smoking.
  2. Add the bacon and sauté 2 minutes.
  3. While the bacon is cooking drizzle the 2 teaspoons soy sauce and sesame oil over the prawns in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add the onion to the bacon and saute until beginning to soften and the bacon is crisp, about 4-5 minutes.
  5. Add the garlic and ginger and saute, stirring constantly, for one minute, until fragrant.
  6. When the garlic and ginger are fragrant add the shrimp and quickly fry, tossing and stirring, making sure not to let the garlic burn. Cook the shrimp until opaque, about 2 minutes on each side.
  7. Push the shrimp, onion, garlic mixture to one side of the pan and slightly off the heat. Add a tiny bit more oil to the clear half of the pan now and when hot add the whisked eggs.  Scramble until cooked but not dry. Stir in to the shrimp mixture.
  8. If you are adding poached eggs heat a small saucepan of water to a simmer over medium high heat and add a tiny splash of vinegar to the water.
  9. Add the cooked rice to the large frying pan and fry the rice until it is no longer dry and cold and it is well blended with the shrimp and vegetables.
  10. Add the scallions (spring onions) and peas to the rice and toss to combine.
  11. Drizzle in the soy sauce and toss to combine all.
  12. While plating up the rice, gently crack your eggs into the simmering water and poach them for about 3 minutes, until the yolks are firm to the touch but still soft and runny.
  13. Top each bowl of rice with half of a poached egg (or whole if you are like me) and enjoy!

Notes

If you forget to defrost your peas don’t worry! Throw them in the pan right before you add the rice. They will defrost as you fry the rice.

Keywords: Fried rice, shrimp fried rice, shrimp, prawn fried rice, poached eggs,