Bacon & Garlic Egg Fried Rice – 30-Minute One-Pan Dinner

Bacon and garlic egg fried rice is a leftover-rice dish built on three flavors: rendered bacon fat, toasted garlic, and eggs cooked until just set. The technique matters more than the ingredient list. Cold rice and a hot pan give you separate grains instead of paste.

I weigh the rice cooked and cold, 600 grams, because warm rice steams in the pan. The bacon renders first so its fat becomes the cooking medium. Garlic goes in late so it toasts without burning.

Total time is 30 minutes if your rice is already chilled. Cook a fresh batch the night before and spread it on a tray so it cools fast. Weigh, watch, repeat.

About the Ingredients

600 g (about 4 cups) cooked cold long-grain rice

Day-old jasmine or basmati works best; if you only have fresh rice, spread it on a tray and freeze for 20 minutes. Do not use freshly cooked warm rice.

180 g (about 6 slices) thick-cut bacon, cut into 2 cm pieces

Thick-cut bacon renders more fat and stays chewy; substitute pancetta for a less smoky, more pork-forward result.

4 large eggs (about 200 g), beaten

Beat until no streaks of white remain; a splash of 5 g (1 tsp) water makes them fluffier in the pan.

6 garlic cloves (about 18 g), finely minced

Mince fine so it toasts in seconds; jarred garlic is wetter and burns faster, so use fresh here.

70 g (about 1/2 cup) frozen peas, thawed

Thaw and pat dry so they do not drop the pan temperature; substitute diced cooked carrot if peas are out.

4 scallions (about 60 g), whites and greens separated, sliced

Whites go in early for sweetness, greens at the end for freshness; substitute 30 g minced onion for the whites.

30 ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce

Use light soy sauce for salt without color; dark soy sauce will stain the rice, so add only 5 ml if you want deeper color.

10 ml (2 tsp) toasted sesame oil

Add off the heat, as heat kills its aroma; substitute a few drops of chili oil for a spicier finish.

2 g (1/2 tsp) fine salt, plus more to taste

Taste after the soy sauce goes in, since bacon saltiness varies by brand.

1 g (1/4 tsp) ground white pepper

White pepper blends into the rice without dark specks; black pepper works but shows.

15 g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter

Stir in at the end for gloss; substitute 10 ml neutral oil if you want a leaner finish.

Tips & Tricks

Cold rice is non-negotiable

Warm rice releases starch and turns gluey, so chill cooked rice at least 4 hours before frying.

Render before you scramble

Cook bacon until the fat runs clear, then remove it and fry the eggs in that fat for flavor in every bite.

Garlic last, not first

Add garlic after the rice so it toasts in 30 seconds rather than burning in the first minute.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Chill and break the rice

Break 600 g cold cooked rice into separate grains with your hands. Cold, dry grains fry instead of steam (moisture is the enemy of a crisp grain). The rice is ready when no clumps remain.

2. Render the bacon

Heat a 30 cm wok or wide skillet over medium heat to 175°C (350°F) and add 180 g bacon. Cook 6 to 7 minutes until the fat runs clear and the pieces are golden brown at the edges (the fat should shimmer, not smoke).

3. Remove and reserve bacon

Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon and leave 30 ml (2 tbsp) fat in the pan. Set the bacon aside on paper (it crisps as it cools).

4. Scramble the eggs

Raise heat to 200°C (400°F), pour in 4 beaten eggs, and stir 45 to 60 seconds until just set and no longer wet (loose curds mean underdone). Slide them out and reserve with the bacon.

5. Toast the aromatics

Add 18 g minced garlic and the scallion whites to the pan and stir 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant and pale gold (browned garlic turns bitter). Do not walk away.

6. Fry the rice

Add the rice and toss 4 to 5 minutes at 200°C (400°F) until grains are hot and lightly toasted (you should hear a steady sizzle, not a hiss).

7. Season and combine

Pour 30 ml soy sauce around the pan edge, add 2 g salt and 1 g white pepper, then return the bacon and eggs with 70 g peas. Toss 60 seconds until evenly coated (the rice should look glossy, not wet).

8. Finish off the heat

Remove from heat, stir in 15 g butter, 10 ml sesame oil, and scallion greens. Rest 1 minute, taste for salt, and serve. Weigh, watch, repeat.

Delicious Variations

Kimchi version

Stir 100 g chopped kimchi in with the rice and cut the soy sauce to 15 ml for a tangy, spicy pan.

Shrimp and egg

Swap the bacon for 200 g peeled shrimp seared 90 seconds per side, and add 15 ml oyster sauce.

Vegetarian

Replace bacon with 150 g diced firm tofu fried in 30 ml oil until golden, and add 5 g smoked paprika for depth.

How to Store Bacon & Garlic Egg Fried Rice

Frequently Asked Questions

Cook a batch of rice tonight, chill it, and fry this tomorrow in half an hour. Weigh your rice cold, watch the garlic, and repeat until the pan sizzles on cue.

Bacon & Garlic Egg Fried Rice

Bacon & garlic egg fried rice turns day-old rice into a savory one-pan dinner with crisp bacon, toasted garlic, and fluffy eggs in 30 minutes.

★★★★½ 4.8 (214 ratings)

15 minPrep time15 minCook time4Servings512 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 600 g (about 4 cups) cooked cold long-grain rice
• 180 g (about 6 slices) thick-cut bacon, cut into 2 cm pieces
• 4 large eggs (about 200 g), beaten
• 6 garlic cloves (about 18 g), finely minced
• 70 g (about 1/2 cup) frozen peas, thawed
• 4 scallions (about 60 g), whites and greens separated, sliced
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce
• 10 ml (2 tsp) toasted sesame oil
• 2 g (1/2 tsp) fine salt, plus more to taste
• 1 g (1/4 tsp) ground white pepper
• 15 g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter

📋 Instructions

1. 1Chill and break the rice — Break 600 g cold cooked rice into separate grains with your hands. Cold, dry grains fry instead of steam (moisture is the enemy of a crisp grain). The rice is ready when no clumps remain.
2. 2Render the bacon — Heat a 30 cm wok or wide skillet over medium heat to 175°C (350°F) and add 180 g bacon. Cook 6 to 7 minutes until the fat runs clear and the pieces are golden brown at the edges (the fat should shimmer, not smoke).
3. 3Remove and reserve bacon — Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon and leave 30 ml (2 tbsp) fat in the pan. Set the bacon aside on paper (it crisps as it cools).
4. 4Scramble the eggs — Raise heat to 200°C (400°F), pour in 4 beaten eggs, and stir 45 to 60 seconds until just set and no longer wet (loose curds mean underdone). Slide them out and reserve with the bacon.
5. 5Toast the aromatics — Add 18 g minced garlic and the scallion whites to the pan and stir 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant and pale gold (browned garlic turns bitter). Do not walk away.
6. 6Fry the rice — Add the rice and toss 4 to 5 minutes at 200°C (400°F) until grains are hot and lightly toasted (you should hear a steady sizzle, not a hiss).
7. 7Season and combine — Pour 30 ml soy sauce around the pan edge, add 2 g salt and 1 g white pepper, then return the bacon and eggs with 70 g peas. Toss 60 seconds until evenly coated (the rice should look glossy, not wet).
8. 8Finish off the heat — Remove from heat, stir in 15 g butter, 10 ml sesame oil, and scallion greens. Rest 1 minute, taste for salt, and serve. Weigh, watch, repeat.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: The single biggest upgrade is dry, cold rice; everything else is flexible. If your bacon is very salty, skip the added salt entirely and taste after the soy sauce.

Servings: 4

Cuisine: Chinese-American

Course: Main Course

Nutrition (per serving): 512 kcal · 18g protein · 56g carbs · 23g fat

Written by Tomasz Wiśniewski

Tomasz writes precise, method-first recipes for breads, ferments, and slow braises, drawing on Polish and Central European home cooking. He cares about weights, temperatures, and timing, and explains the reason behind each step so cooks can repeat results. His angle is turning fussy techniques into clear, checkable instructions.