Yang Chow Fried Rice Recipe

This is the Yang Chow Fried Rice I make at home when I want one dish to cover the whole meal. Barbecued pork, shrimp, egg, and green peas all go into the same pan, and it comes out close to the platter you order at a Chinese restaurant. I usually make it in the morning using the rice left over from the previous night’s dinner, and I am always glad when there is enough left in the pot. If you want the plain version first, our fried rice recipe uses the same method with a much shorter ingredient list.

I make this with things I usually already have at home: cold rice, eggs, green peas, green onions, ginger, and garlic. The barbecued pork and the shrimp are the two I go out and buy. I use the same method for pork chao fan and every other fried rice I make. Cook the shrimp first, then return it to the pan near the end.

The nice thing about making this at home is that you decide how loaded it gets. Add more shrimp if you want it heavier on seafood, or more barbecued pork if that is what you like. I like mine with enough shrimp that there is a piece in every spoonful.

What is Yang Chow Fried Rice?

Yang Chow Fried Rice is a Chinese fried rice made with a combination of proteins, usually barbecued pork and shrimp, together with egg, green peas, and green onions. Egg fried rice, pork fried rice, and shrimp fried rice are each named for one ingredient, while this one is named for a place. Our egg fried rice shows the difference clearly, since it works with eggs alone and no second protein.

The place is Yangzhou, a city in Jiangsu province where the Grand Canal meets the Yangtze River. Yi Bingshou, who served as prefect there during the Qing dynasty, is the official most often credited with the version that includes shrimp and diced meat. Depending on the restaurant, you may see it written as Yangzhou, Yang Chow, or Yeung Chow. Some menus also call a similar version house fried rice or special fried rice.

In the Philippines it sits on nearly every Chinese restaurant menu, usually ordered by the platter for the middle of the table. One order feeds a group, and the meat and seafood are already in it. A batch made in your own wok costs far less than the restaurant price and lets you decide how much shrimp goes in.

Ingredients

• Cooked white rice – Refrigerate it overnight, uncovered if you have room. Long grain holds up better than short grain here because the grains stay separate instead of clumping together.
• Barbecued pork – Ask for a piece with some fat on it rather than the leanest cut on the tray. Chop it small enough that a spoonful of rice carries two or three pieces.
• Shrimp – Small to medium sizes work best. If yours are large, cut each one into two or three pieces so the shrimp spreads through the whole batch instead of showing up in every fourth bite.
• Eggs – Beat them before you start. Once the wok is hot there is no time to stop and whisk.
• Green peas – Frozen peas go in straight from the bag. Thawing them first only makes them watery.
• Green onions – Chop the white and green parts together and keep them for the last minute of cooking.
• Soy sauce – A tablespoon and a half for six cups of rice. Using more can make the rice too dark and salty, since there is salt in the recipe already.
• Salt and granulated sugar – Two teaspoons of salt and one of sugar. The sugar does not make the rice sweet. It balances the saltiness of the soy sauce.
• Ginger and garlic – A teaspoon each, minced fine. They go in first and season the oil.
• Cooking oil – Three tablespoons. Any neutral oil is fine.

Barbecued pork, or char siu, is the ingredient that makes this taste like the restaurant version. It is pork shoulder marinated in a sweet and savory mixture of soy sauce, hoisin, and sugar, then roasted until the edges caramelize. Chinese delis and Asian grocery stores sell it by the pound at the roast meat counter, hanging beside the roast duck. Half a pound is enough for this batch. If there is no Chinese deli near you, leftover roast pork from any other meal will stand in.

Equipment

• Wok – The sloped sides let you toss six cups of rice without spilling it over the edge. A wide, deep skillet works if you do not have one.
• Wide wooden or metal spatula – A flat edge scoops under the rice and lifts it, instead of pushing the grains around the way a round spoon does.

The aromatics and shrimp go in first, then the egg and rice, and the pork and peas come last.

1. Heat the cooking oil in a wok or wide pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the ginger and garlic for 30 seconds.
2. Add the shrimp. Stir-fry for about 1 minute or until the shrimp starts to turn pink. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.

1. Pour the beaten eggs into the same pan. Let them set slightly before breaking them into small pieces with your cooking spoon.
2. Add the cold rice. Break apart any clumps, and toss the rice with the egg until everything is evenly combined.
3. Pour in the soy sauce. Add the sugar and salt.
4. Continue stir-frying until the seasonings are distributed evenly and the rice is heated through.

The egg is what gives the grains their yellow color, so break it small and mix it in early. Small pieces coat the grains, while large curds just sit on top. For more tips on handling the rice, see our guide on how to make fried rice.

1. Add the barbecued pork. Stir-fry for 3 minutes.
2. Return the shrimp to the pan and add the green peas. Continue cooking for 2 minutes while tossing everything together.
3. Add the green onions. Stir-fry for 1 minute, and then turn off the heat.
4. Transfer the Yang Chow Fried Rice to a serving plate and serve warm.

Keep the heat up through these last few minutes. The pork and peas both go in cold, and high heat prevents them from cooling the rice.

What to Serve with Yang Chow Fried Rice

• Sweet and Sour Pork – My favorite thing to eat with fried rice. The tangy sauce cuts through the richness of the barbecued pork.
• Anything fried – Fried chicken, fried fish, or crispy pork all sit well beside a plate of this. Fried rice with a fried ulam is the pairing I go back to most.
• Chinese-style soup – A clear soup works well on the side because the rice already contains pork, shrimp, and egg.
• Chili garlic oil – A spoonful on the side of the plate for anyone who wants heat, so you can keep the rice itself mild.
• Calamansi wedges – A squeeze over the top sharpens the whole plate, especially if your barbecued pork was on the sweet side.

Storage

Yang Chow Fried Rice reheats well because the grains are already coated in oil and egg. Cool it down quickly rather than leaving the pan on the counter, since cooked rice should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours.

• Refrigerator: Store in a shallow airtight container for up to 3 days. A shallow container cools the rice faster than a deep one.
• Freezer: Freeze flat in resealable bags for up to 1 month. The shrimp firms up after freezing, so leave it out of the portions you plan to freeze if you can.
• Reheating: Reheat in a hot pan with a teaspoon of oil and toss until steaming, which loosens the grains again. The microwave works when you are in a hurry, though it softens the grains.

• Barbecued pork – Leftover roast pork, diced ham, Chinese sausage, or lechon kawali all work. Chinese sausage is the closest match because it carries the same sweetness.
• Shrimp – Crab meat or scallops both hold up. If you would rather skip the pork and build the whole thing around seafood, our shrimp fried rice is set up for that.
• Green peas – Diced carrots, corn, or a frozen mixed vegetable blend are all fine. Keep the pieces small so they fold into the rice.
• Soy sauce – Low sodium soy sauce lets you use the same tablespoon and a half with less salt. Reduce the salt to a teaspoon if you use regular soy sauce and prefer a milder plate.
• White rice – Day-old jasmine rice works well because the grains separate easily. Brown rice works too, though it needs an extra minute in the pan and will not toast the same way.

More Fried Rice Recipes

• Sinangag – The Filipino garlic fried rice that goes under every silog breakfast
• Chicken Fried Rice – Chicken marinated in oyster sauce and soy sauce, with frozen mixed vegetables to keep the prep short
• Aligue Fried Rice – Crab fat stirred through the rice for a much richer plate
• Kielbasa Fried Rice – Browned sausage slices, egg, and green peas, cooked in butter instead of oil
• Java Rice – Warm rice mixed with annatto and turmeric for that orange color, no stir-frying needed
• Vegetable Fried Rice – The meatless version, made with vegetables instead of pork, chicken, or shrimp

The video shows how loose the grains should look while the rice is moving in the pan, and how finely I break up the egg before adding the rice. Serve it warm, straight from the wok. Share and enjoy!