20-Minute Bacon Fried Rice
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Because bacon makes everything better, especially fried rice. This one’s salty, garlicky and a little sticky, with golden-edged fried eggs that steal the show. And that final layer of Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil? It’s crunchy, smoky and turns a humble rice bowl into a total showstopper.
What is Bacon Fried Rice?
Classic fried rice, but turned up a notch. Smoky bacon infuses every grain with flavour while the rendered fat gives that irresistible toasty edge. It’s comfort food that doesn’t apologise for being a little extra.
Why Day-Old Rice Matters
If you’ve ever wondered why your fried rice turns out soft or clumpy, the secret is all in the rice. Day-old rice is slightly dried out. The grains have had time to firm up and lose excess moisture, which means they’ll fry up beautifully chewy, separate and golden.
Freshly cooked rice, on the other hand, is still full of steam. That trapped moisture makes it sticky and mushy when it hits the wok.
If you’re making fried rice on a whim (and don’t have leftover rice), here’s the trick: spread your freshly cooked rice out on a tray in a thin layer and pop it into the fridge or freezer until it’s cool to the touch. In just 10–15 minutes, it’ll be dry enough to behave like day-old rice, perfect for frying.
The Secret to Great Fried Rice
A good, well-seasoned wok is your secret weapon here. That slick, naturally non-stick surface holds the heat you need for true wok hei: the smoky, caramelised flavour that makes fried rice taste restaurant-level. The trick isn’t complicated: crank up the heat, keep the rice moving and let your wok do the work.
What You Need
bacon
jasmine rice
garlic
frozen peas
spring onions
vegetable oil
eggs
soy sauce
oyster sauce
sugar
sesame oil
Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil
Steps
Whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and sesame oil in
a small bowl
. This is your flavour base. Keep it handy because once the
wok’s
hot, everything moves fast.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in
a large wok
or
frying pan
over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 4-5 minutes until crisp and golden. Don’t rush it. That rendered bacon fat is your built-in flavour booster.
Push the bacon to one side and add the garlic to the hot fat. Stir-fry for 10 seconds until fragrant. You want aroma, not colour.
Turn the heat right up to high and add the cold rice. Break up any clumps and toss it through the bacon and garlic. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until hot and lightly toasted. This is where that beautiful wok hei starts to develop.
Pour in the stir-fry sauce and toss well so every grain is coated and glossy. You’ll smell the caramelisation almost instantly.
Add the peas and spring onions. Stir-fry 1 minute more until the peas are bright and everything’s heated through. Remove from the heat.
In a separate
small frying pan
, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Crack in both eggs and fry until the edges are lacy and golden crisp. Gently flip each egg and cook for a few seconds more to create an
over-easy
egg. The yolks should still be runny.
Divide the fried rice evenly between two bowls.
In each
serving bowl
, start by spooning a generous amount of
Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil
into the bottom. Gently place one fried egg yolk-side down on top of the chilli oil. Spoon half the bacon fried rice over the top, being careful not to press down too firmly so the yolk stays intact.
Place a plate over the bowl and carefully invert to unmould. When you lift the bowl, you’ll reveal a glossy, moulded rice dome with the crispy egg and chilli oil dripping down the sides. Repeat for the second serving.
A Quick Note on Fried Rice Across Asia
From Thai khao pad to Chinese yangzhou fried rice, this dish is Asia’s ultimate comfort food: quick, flexible and full of personality. This version is my cheeky weeknight riff: bacon swagger, crispy egg crown, chilli oil mic-drop.
20-Minute Bacon Fried Rice
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PREP TIME
5 minutes
COOK TIME
15 minutes
SERVES
2
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Ingredients
Fried Rice
4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
3 cups
cold cooked jasmine rice
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil, extra (for frying the eggs)
Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil
, to serve
Stir-fry Sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
Storage Tips
Refrigerate fried rice (without eggs) for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot wok for best texture and fry eggs fresh to serve.
Instructions
1
Make the Stir-Fry Sauce
Whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and sesame oil in
a small bowl
. This is your flavour base. Keep it handy because once the
wok’s
hot, everything moves fast.
2
Cook the Bacon
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in
a large wok
or
frying pan
over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 4-5 minutes until crisp and golden. Don’t rush it. That rendered bacon fat is your built-in flavour booster.
3
Add the Garlic
Push the bacon to one side and add the garlic to the hot fat. Stir-fry for 10 seconds until fragrant. You want aroma, not colour.
4
Add the Rice
Turn the heat right up to high and add the cold rice. Break up any clumps and toss it through the bacon and garlic. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until hot and lightly toasted. This is where that beautiful wok hei starts to develop.
5
Add the Sauce
Pour in the stir-fry sauce and toss well so every grain is coated and glossy. You’ll smell the caramelisation almost instantly.
6
Finish the Rice
Add the peas and spring onions. Stir-fry 1 minute more until the peas are bright and everything’s heated through. Remove from the heat.
7
Fry the Eggs
In a separate
small frying pan
, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Crack in both eggs and fry until the edges are lacy and golden crisp. Gently flip each egg and cook for a few seconds more to create an
over-easy
egg. The yolks should still be runny.
8
Assemble the Bowls
Divide the fried rice evenly between two bowls.
In each
serving bowl
, start by spooning a generous amount of
Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil
into the bottom. Gently place one fried egg yolk-side down on top of the chilli oil. Spoon half the bacon fried rice over the top, being careful not to press down too firmly so the yolk stays intact.
Place a plate over the bowl and carefully invert to unmould. When you lift the bowl, you’ll reveal a glossy, moulded rice dome with the crispy egg and chilli oil dripping down the sides. Repeat for the second serving.
