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This is my easy and flavor-packed Thai fried rice recipe that you can make in one pot in 30 minutes! It’s fluffy, aromatic rice infused with garlic and tossed with fresh basil, toasted peanuts, and dried Thai chili.
Asian cooking always warms from the inside out. If you love this easy Thai side dish, you might also like this Thai chicken soup. I also have Chinese-style steak fried rice and this Indian vegetable biryani rice that you can try!
I always order Thai basil fried rice whenever we eat at our local Thai restaurant, and I crave it right up until we go again. I love the freshness of the herbs and garlic, the bite of the bird’s eye chilies and ginger, and the toasted peanut crunch, all wrapped in a bowl of fluffy, savory fried rice. So, when I set out to make it at home, I knew I wanted all those delicious Asian-style flavors in a slightly lighter dish. Can I just say: Success! This Thai “fried” rice is fast, easy, and adaptable. And the house smelled AMAZING while it simmered on the stove!
Things to Love About This Thai Fried Rice Recipe
- A lighter take on fried rice. Rather than frying cooked rice in oil with the rest of the ingredients, I took the liberty of simmering the rice in water with garlic, onions, chilies, and plenty of kosher salt. It might not be the traditional way to cook fried rice, but I couldn’t believe how well it worked.
- One pot. You sauté, simmer, and finish this Thai basil fried rice recipe all in a single skillet. Knowing that there’s one pot to clean afterward somehow makes this spicy rice taste that much better. I said what I said!
- Bold Thai flavors. My simmering method infused the rice with plenty of spicy, garlicky flavor, no frying needed. Once I stir in lemon juice, toasted peanuts, and fresh basil, it’s like I’m right back in my favorite Thai restaurant.
- Adaptable. There are so many ways that you can change up this recipe with your choice of protein, like chicken or shrimp, and it’s easy to adjust the spiciness to your liking. There are also countless ways to serve this Thai fried rice. I share some of my favorite meal ideas later on.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I’ve included some notes on what you’ll need to pack this easy Thai fried rice full of flavor. Scroll down to the recipe card after the post for the full, printable recipe details.
- Oil – Choose a mild-flavored cooking oil, like sunflower or vegetable oil.
- Onion – Yellow onion, diced.
- Garlic – You can use freshly minced garlic, or substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Ginger – I use ground ginger, or you can substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger for every ¼ teaspoon of ground.
- Chilies – I love to use dried Thai chilies, also called bird’s eye chilies, when I can find them. They’re small, tapered peppers that are red or green. Otherwise, serrano or jalapeño peppers are good substitutes. If you can’t find dried chilies, you can dry them out yourself, or toast the chilies in the oven before chopping them up.
- Rice – I recommend uncooked long-grain white rice, like Jasmine or basmati.
- Lemon – Freshly juiced.
- Peanuts – You can buy toasted peanuts from the store or toast them yourself in the oven, similar to how you’d roast spiced nuts. I recommend using unsalted, unseasoned peanuts.
- Fresh Basil and Cilantro – These two fresh herbs round out the Thai flavors in this basil fried rice. If you can find Thai basil where you are, even better! Slice the basil into thin ribbons and chop up the cilantro before you start.
How to Make Thai Fried Rice
This homemade Thai basil fried rice doesn’t need any fancy equipment, just a deep, lidded pot or pan for simmering everything together. Let’s get started:
- Sauté the aromatics. Start by sautéeing onions with oil and a pinch of salt in a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. After a couple of minutes, stir in the garlic and ginger. Let that toast a minute so it becomes fragrant.
- Add the chilies and water. Now, add in the chopped chilies and pour in 2 ½ cups of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring the pot to a boil.
- Cook the rice. Stir in the rice. Once the pot is boiling again, lower the heat and let the rice simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Afterward, let the rice rest off the heat for 10 minutes (leave the lid on).
- Finish and serve. Fluff the rice and stir in the lemon juice to brighten things up. Lastly, sprinkle over the crushed peanuts, basil ribbons, and cilantro, and dig in.
Make It With Leftover Rice
If you’d like to make this recipe as a more traditional fried rice, it’s the perfect excuse to stretch leftover Jasmine rice into a new meal. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger as directed. Add the chilies, and instead of adding water to the pan, simply add your cooked rice along with extra oil. Let that sizzle and cook through, then finish it off with the lemon juice and garnishes. Voila! Quick and easy.
Tips and Variations
- Use long-grain rice. I don’t recommend instant rice or quick-cooking rice for this recipe. The longer the rice simmers, the more flavor it absorbs!
- More flavor. In place of water, simmer the rice in low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock for even more flavor. You can also add a dash of soy sauce or fish sauce to the water to amp up the umami.
- Pineapple fried rice. If you love a sweet-savory combo, make Thai pineapple fried rice! Stir fresh or canned diced pineapple in with the lemon juice right at the end, and let it warm through. If you use canned, be sure to drain the pineapple first.
- More protein. Jazz up this fried rice with protein like tofu, shrimp, pork, or beef. I recommend pre-cooking the protein and tossing it with the cooked rice at the end. I think a Thai version of shrimp fried rice would be delicious!
- Add chicken. Toss cooked cubed chicken with the finished rice for Thai chicken fried rice.
What to Serve With Thai Style Fried Rice
We’re big fans of Thai food, so I’ll take any chance I get to go all out with a Thai-inspired dinner! Thai fried rice is the perfect side to favorites like chicken satay with peanut sauce, or I’ll serve it with creamy coconut shrimp or massaman curry. For a lighter meal, I love these spicy sriracha pineapple pork lettuce wraps. And for dessert, nothing tames the chilies better than a homemade frosted lemonade or a scoop of no-churn mango ice cream!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Allow the fried rice to cool and refrigerate it airtight within 2 hours of cooking. Leftovers last in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Reheat. Warm this Thai fried rice in the microwave until it’s piping hot. You can also use a skillet on the stovetop. I’ll often sprinkle in a little water to keep the rice from drying out while it reheats.
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Thai Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil or vegetable oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 pinch Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 Thai chili, dried and chopped, OR toasted and chopped
- 2 ½ cups water
- Morton Coarse Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 1 cup Jasmine Rice
- 1 whole lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup chopped toasted unsalted peanuts
- 4 basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Sauté. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or pot with a fitted lid. Add onions and season with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook for 2 minutes, or until translucent. Stir in garlic and ground ginger; cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add chili and water. Stir in chopped chili and add water. Season with salt and pepper and bring the pan to a boil.
- Cook the rice. Add the rice, stir once, and bring to a boil again. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer; continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes with the lid still on.
- Finish and serve. Remove the lid and stir in lemon juice. Garnish with prepared peanuts, basil, and cilantro. Serve!
Notes
- Adapted from Morton Salt.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
It’s been forever since I made Thai at home and we’ve GOTTA try this on the side!!