Crab Fried Rice

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Thai

Prep Time: 8

Cook Time: 8

Total Time: 16

Servings: servings

Calories: 211kcal

Author: Quynh Nguyen

A quick and flavorful crab fried rice made with day-old rice, garlic, eggs, and sweet lump crab. This is a simple, one-pan meal that comes together fast and lets the crab shine without heavy seasoning.

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Ingredients

3 cups cooked and cooled white rice, preferably day-old
1 cup lump crab meat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or avocado, olive, or peanut oil)
3 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup shredded carrots (or any quick-cooking vegetable)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ tablespoon soy sauce or fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
Optional for garnish: Thai basil, extra green onions, lime wedges

Instructions

Prep. Make sure the rice is fully cooled and broken up. Have all ingredients ready before you start, since this cooks quickly.
Cook the aromatics. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the white parts of the green onions and the garlic. Cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
Add vegetables. Stir in the carrots and cook for another 1–2 minutes until just tender.
Scramble the eggs. Push everything to one side of the pan. Pour in the eggs and scramble gently until just set, then mix them into the vegetables.
Fry the rice. Add the rice, soy sauce or fish sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir to coat evenly, then spread the rice out and let it sit undisturbed for 1–2 minutes to build some texture.
Add the crab. Gently fold in the crab meat. Let the rice sit again briefly, then stir once more. Avoid overmixing so the crab stays chunky.
Serve. Garnish with the green parts of the onions, Thai basil, and a squeeze of lime if using. Serve hot.

Notes

Use cold, day-old rice for the best texture. Fresh rice tends to clump.
Fold in the crab gently at the end so it stays intact.
Let the rice sit briefly before stirring to help it crisp instead of steaming.
Taste at the end and adjust seasoning lightly. Crab can vary in saltiness.
Skip the Thai basil if you do not have it. The fried rice is still great without it.

Nutrition