This garlic butter fried rice is the dinner I make when the fridge looks empty and I'm too tired to think. Day-old jasmine rice, a pan of golden garlic butter, whatever leftover chicken is hanging around — and every single grain comes out glossy and coated. It's one pan, seven ingredients, and it's on the table in 15 minutes.
This is my husband Ogi's favourite meal, full stop. Any time there's leftover rice in the fridge, he asks for this one!
I've made this more times than I can count, usually on the nights when cooking feels like the last thing I want to do. It started as a fridge-clean-out situation — leftover rotisserie chicken, half a head of garlic, rice from two nights before. Now my husband asks for it by name. The crispy fried egg on top is not optional in this house!
I tested this a few times to get the butter-to-rice ratio right, and here's what I landed on: 3 tablespoons of butter for 2 cups of rice. I tried it with two and the rice went dry and separate instead of glossy. That extra tablespoon is the whole difference between "fine fried rice" and the kind you eat standing at the counter.
If you love a fast one-pan dinner like this, you'll also want my Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta, my One-Pan Honey Garlic Chicken, and my 15-Minute Chili Oil Noodles.
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Instructions
- Step 1: Sauté the minced garlic in butter & add in the chicken!
- Step 2: Next, add in the day old rice with the soy sauce & all our seasonings!
- Step 3: Fry an egg!
- Step 4: Top the garlic butter fried rice with the egg & enjoy!
Easy Garlic Butter Fried Rice (15-Minute Recipe)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep everything first: Fried rice moves fast, so have your garlic minced, your chicken shredded, and your rice broken up and ready before the pan gets hot. Once the butter goes in, you won't have time to chop.
- Bloom the garlic in butter: Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 45 seconds to a minute, stirring constantly, until it's golden and smells incredible. Watch it closely here — garlic goes from golden to burnt and bitter in about ten seconds. (WATCH VIDEO BELOW)
- Warm the chicken: Add the shredded chicken and toss for about 2 minutes, until it's warmed through and coated in the garlic butter. You want it picking up all that flavor before the rice goes in.
- Add the rice and break it up: Add the 2 cups of cold jasmine rice, breaking up any clumps with the back of your spoon or spatula. Toss to coat, then let it sit undisturbed for 30 seconds at a time between tosses — that little bit of contact time is what gives you those slightly crispy edges.
- Season and gloss: Drizzle in the 1 tablespoon of soy sauce around the edge of the pan (not straight onto the rice) and toss until every grain is coated and glossy. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of white pepper, then taste and adjust. (WATCH VIDEO BELOW)
- Fry the egg: In a separate small pan, heat your oil over medium-high until it shimmers. Crack in the egg and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites are set with lacy crispy edges and the yolk is still runny. Don't flip it.
- Plate and break the yolk: Pile the rice into a bowl, slide the fried egg on top, and finish with sliced green onions, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of chili oil. Break the yolk right before you eat so it runs through the rice. (WATCH VIDEO BELOW)
Notes
Storage
- Fridge: Store the rice in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Cool it to room temperature within an hour before refrigerating, and store the fried egg separately (or better, fry a fresh one when you reheat).
- Reheat — stovetop (best): Melt a small knob of butter in a pan over medium heat, add the rice, and toss for 3 to 4 minutes. If it looks dry, add half a teaspoon of butter and a tiny splash of water — the steam loosens the grains and the butter brings back the gloss.
- Reheat — microwave: Cover with a damp paper towel and heat in 45-second bursts, stirring between each, until hot throughout.
- Freezer: Freeze the rice and chicken in a flat, sealed bag for up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen in a hot buttered pan. Never freeze the fried
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Substitutions
- Butter: Vegan butter or ghee — ghee gives you an even nuttier flavor and a higher smoke point.
- Dairy-free: Swap the butter for a good vegan butter block, not margarine spread. Coconut oil works too but adds a slight sweetness.
- Jasmine rice: Basmati, long-grain white, or leftover takeout rice all work. Short-grain sticks together more, so break it up well.
- Leftover chicken: Shrimp, leftover steak, crumbled tofu, or crispy bacon. Shrimp only needs 2 minutes in the pan.
- Vegetarian: Skip the chicken entirely and add sautéed mushrooms — they give you that same savory depth.
- Soy sauce: Tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free. Coconut aminos are a little sweeter, so go easy on any extra salt.
- White pepper: Black pepper in a pinch, but the flavor will be sharper and less "takeout."
- Fried egg: A soft-scrambled egg folded through the rice, or a jammy soft-boiled egg halved on top.
- Green onions: Fresh chives or thinly sliced shallot.
- Chili oil: Sriracha, sambal oelek, or a few drops of sesame oil if you don't want heat.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use fresh rice instead of day-old rice? Day-old rice works much better, but fresh rice can work if you dry it out first. Spread the cooked rice in a thin layer on a baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes, then use it cold. This drives off the surface moisture that makes fried rice go mushy.
Why isn't my garlic butter fried rice glossy? You most likely used too little butter or too much rice for the pan. Use a full 3 tablespoons of butter per 2 cups of rice, and cook in a pan large enough that the rice sits in a single loose layer — if it's piled up, it steams instead of frying.
Can I make garlic butter fried rice without chicken? Yes, this recipe is excellent without any protein at all. Leave the chicken out and go straight from the garlic butter to the rice, or add sautéed mushrooms, shrimp, tofu, or leftover steak instead.
How do I keep the garlic from burning? Cook the garlic over medium heat for no more than 60 seconds, stirring constantly, and add the chicken the moment it turns golden. Burnt garlic tastes bitter and there's no fixing it — if it goes dark brown, start over. It's only four cloves!
Can I make this ahead of time for meal prep? Yes, the rice portion meal preps beautifully for up to 3 days in the fridge. Make the rice and chicken ahead, portion it into containers, and fry a fresh egg when you eat it — the egg is the one part that doesn't hold.
Is this the same as Thai fried rice (khao pad)? No, this is a simplified garlic butter version rather than a traditional khao pad. Classic Thai fried rice uses oil, fish sauce, and often tomato and onion, while this leans on butter and garlic for a richer, more Western-leaning flavor with the same jasmine rice base.
What's the best rice-to-butter ratio for fried rice? Use 3 tablespoons of butter for every 2 cups of cooked rice. That ratio coats every grain without leaving the pan greasy, and it's the amount I settled on after testing this several times.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 15 minutes — from cold rice to plated dinner, start to finish.
- One pan, seven ingredients. Everything you need is probably already in your kitchen right now.
- The best way to use up leftover chicken. Rotisserie, grilled, roasted — it all works.
- Every grain comes out glossy, not dry or clumpy. That's the garlic butter doing the work.
- Beginner-proof. If you can melt butter and toss rice around a pan, you can make this.
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Pairing
These are my favorite desserts to serve with this recipe:
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