This Air Fried Fried Rice is the easiest way to get crispy, takeout-style fried rice at home. No wok, skillet, or babysitting involved. This easy method transforms cooked or leftover rice into a delicious side or fast weeknight meal.
Recipe at a glance (TL;DR)
- Prep time: 5 min
- Cook time: 20 min, 400
- Main Ingredients: Leftover or frozen rice
- Servings: 6
- Why it qualifies as lazy: No cutting or cooked prep involved. Toss-and-go
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Why you'll love this air fryer rice recipe
- No stovetop - This is made with just one bowl and an air fryer. Use a parchment paper liner, and your clean-up is minimal.
- The best way to use leftover rice - Turn boring, plain leftover rice into a crispy side or even a full meal
- "Fried" without the grease - you control how much oil to add. Traditional fried rice can have as much as two tablespoons of oil per cup of rice.
- Customizable - use your favorite veggies, add a protein, or adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes
📝Ingredient shopping list
These are the ingredients you will need to make great air-fried rice. Full quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
Frozen
- Vegetables ~ any smaller cut vegetables such as peas, carrots, and corn, etc
- Onion ~ chopped. You can also use fresh
Pantry Items
- Rice ~ cooked. Can be leftover, frozen, or microwaveable. Brown rice and white rice both work.
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
Garnish (optional)
- Green onion ~ sliced
- Sesame seeds
Step-by-step instructions
Add rice and vegetables to a bowl
Add in seasonings and stir to fully combine. If you are using frozen rice, break up any clumps that may have formed
Air fry at 400℉ for 10 minutes
Stir rice, then continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
Variation and add-ins
This dish is perfect just the way it is. But here are some customization options:
- Add a protein ~ Cooked chicken, shrimp, diced smoked turkey, ground beef, or tofu. A scrambled egg is also a great source of protein to add
- Switch up the veggies ~ Use any frozen veggies you have on hand or love. Small broccoli florets, snap peas, mushrooms, and cauliflower pieces are all delicious. Smaller pieces cook more evenly.
- Experiment with different rice ~ Basmati, jasmine, and wild rice are
- Boost the flavor ~ Add in some sriracha, chili crisp, hoisin sauce, or ground ginger
Did You know....
You can make rice in bulk in your slow cooker. It is economical and perfect for freezing in meal-sized portions for recipes like this!
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Note
Each air fryer is a little different. The first time you make this dish, watch your fried rice towards the end of cooking to ensure it doesn't burn.
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Please let me know in the comment section below!
What to serve with this air fryer fried rice
How to store and reheat
- Refrigerate leftover air-fried rice in an airtight container or bag.
- Reheat in the air fryer at 400°F for 3-5 minutes. Alternatively, you can reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Be careful not to over-microwave, or the dish will become rubbery.
- I like to add a little more soy sauce and sesame oil when reheating for extra flavor.
Expert tips for crispy air fryer rice
- Be sure to use leftover rice for this recipe. Freshly cooked rice will be mushier. Cold, leftover rice, frozen rice, or microwavable rice will give you the most traditional fried rice texture.
- Break up any rice clumps when adding in veggies and seasonings. This will help with even cooking
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer. Rice needs to be spread out a bit to allow for hot air to circulate evenly.
- Stir halfway through cooking. This important step allows for more even cooking and crisper grains of rice.
- Adjust the flavor before serving. Taste test after cooking to make sure the flavor is just how you want it.
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Tools I love
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Fried Rice
(Click on the stars to leave a rating)
Print Pin Rate SaveAll nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 - 2.5 cups cooked rice frozen rice, microwavable rice, or leftover rice
- 2 cups frozen vegetables any smaller cut pieces
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoon onion powder
- optional: sliced green onion, sesame seeds garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir together all ingredients
- Place half of the mixture into an air fryer basket or on aparchment liner
- Air fry at 400℉ for 10 minutes, stir, then continue to air fry for another 10 minutes (20 minutes total)
- Remove the air-fried rice and cook the second half in the same manner.
Final Step
If you love this recipe, please let everyone know by giving it a star rating and leaving a comment. This will help my business to grow and allow me to keep on testing and sharing free recipes with you.😊
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Notes
- This recipe can be halved by equally halving each ingredient.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, you can try cooking it all at once and stopping to stir more often. You will need to increase the overall cook time using this method, and will have less crispy pieces.
- I love this dish with brown rice, but it works with any type of rice.
- This dish is great for leftover rice.
Nutrition
All nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
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