Garlic Fried Rice

Garlic Fried Rice is day old rice cooked in garlic oil with salt. My version of Garlic Fried Rice uses medium grain rice, lots of toasted garlic, chopped chives, and a little sesame oil at the end. It is savory and garlicky, with grains that stay separate and a light toast on the bottom. I cook this often because it saves me on busy mornings and it also works for dinner when I need a quick side dish. It is not exactly the same as the sinangag I grew up eating with tapa, tocino, or longanisa, but it still has that good garlic flavor and goes well with hibachi, teriyaki chicken, Korean barbecue, or a simple fried egg.

I make this almost every week. I love to have it with teriyaki dishes such as chicken teriyaki and salmon teriyaki. It also pairs well with with fried fish. The idea is the same as sinangag. The only changes are the rice, the chives, and the small drizzle of sesame oil at the end. Three small things, but they are why I keep coming back to this version.

Grandma always had toasted garlic ready because breakfast had to move fast in the morning. I picked up that habit from her. I still keep a small jar of toasted garlic in the fridge. When the garlic is ready ahead of time, the rice comes together in minutes.

The recipe is simple, but the garlic needs attention. Cook it slow, use cold rice, and do not crowd the pan. Get those right and it comes out good every time.

What is Garlic Fried Rice

It is just day old rice fried in garlic oil with a bit of salt. You will find different versions across Asia. In the Philippines we call it sinangag, and it is the rice that goes under a silog plate. Japanese hibachi restaurants serve their own garlic rice. Hawaiian plate lunches have one too.

My version is the one I cook when I want the rice to also work with hibachi, teriyaki, or Korean barbecue. The traditional Filipino version sticks to just garlic, oil, and salt over jasmine rice. This one uses medium grain rice, chives, and a finish of toasted sesame oil.

Why This Garlic Fried Rice Recipe Works

A few small things make this rice come out right at home.

• Medium grain rice. Medium grain has more chew than jasmine. It also soaks up the garlic oil better.
• Chives at the end. Adds color and a little onion flavor. Goes in off the heat so they keep their bite.
• A little toasted sesame oil. Drizzle it in after the heat is off. Too much will take over the rice.
• Day old rice. Fresh rice turns soft in the pan. Cold leftover rice fries better.
• Low heat on the garlic. Garlic burns fast. Warm oil, slow cook, golden brown.
• Half the garlic on top. Half goes into the rice, half on top. You get crisp garlic in every bite.

Ingredients

• Steamed medium grain rice – Day old medium grain rice works best. Jasmine is fine if that is what you have at home.
• Garlic – Fresh, minced. I use a lot because it is the main flavor.
• Salt – Mixed into the rice before frying.
• Cooking oil – Canola, vegetable, or peanut. Anything neutral with a high smoke point.
• Chives – Chopped fresh. Added at the end.
• Sesame oil – Optional but I always use it. The toasted (dark) kind. A small drizzle is enough.

This is simpler than it looks. Take it step by step.

1. Place the day old medium grain rice in a large bowl. Break apart any clumps with a fork or your hands.
2. Sprinkle the salt over the rice and mix gently until it is spread evenly across the grains.

Salting the rice first helps spread the seasoning evenly.

1. Heat a wide pan over medium heat and pour in the cooking oil.
2. Once the oil is warm, add the minced garlic and lower the heat.
3. Cook the garlic gently, stirring often, until the pieces turn light brown and crisp at the edges.
4. Scoop out about half of the toasted garlic with a slotted spoon and set it aside for topping.

Watch the garlic closely. Once it gets too dark, the rice will taste bitter.

1. Add half of the salted rice to the pan with the remaining garlic and oil. Stir fry for about a minute, breaking up any clumps.
2. Add the rest of the rice and toss everything together until the grains are coated in garlic oil.
3. Spread the rice in the pan and let it sit for 30 to 45 seconds so some grains toast at the bottom.
4. Stir once more, then keep cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, tossing now and then, until the rice is hot and lightly toasted.

Adding the rice in two batches keeps it from clumping. I do the same when I make other kinds of fried rice at home.

1. Turn the heat off. Drizzle the sesame oil over the rice if you are using it, and toss once or twice.
2. Move the rice to a serving plate or bowl.
3. Top with the reserved toasted garlic and the chopped chives. Serve hot with your favorite main dish.

What to Serve with Garlic Fried Rice

• Hibachi steak or shrimp – What I plate this with most often.
• Korean barbecue – Bulgogi or galbi. Strong flavors, simple rice underneath.
• Fried egg – Sunny side up or over easy. The runny yolk coats the rice.
• Beef pares – tender beef simmered in a sweet and savory sauce, usually served with garlic rice and hot beef broth.

Storage

Leftover Garlic Fried Rice reheats well. I store it in the fridge and warm it up in a pan with a little oil.

• Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The rice gets firmer in the fridge, but it softens again when reheated.
• Freezer: Pack the rice flat in a freezer bag, press out the air, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
• Reheating: A hot pan with a splash of oil works better than the microwave. Toss until heated through. If you have leftover stew or adobo sauce, mix it in to turn the rice into something closer to adobo rice.

More Filipino Fried Rice Recipes

• Tuyo Fried Rice – Garlic rice with flakes of fried salted fish.
• Danggit Fried Rice – Crispy dried rabbit fish stirred into garlic rice.
• Tinapa Fried Rice – Smoked fish flakes folded into the rice.
• Tocino Fried Rice – Sweet cured pork fried into the rice. A whole tosilog plate in one pan.
• Longanisa Fried Rice – Filipino sausage and garlic rice cooked together.

• Medium grain rice –Jasmine is fine too if that is what you have.
• Day old rice – No leftover rice? Cook fresh rice with about 10 percent less water than usual. Spread it on a sheet pan and chill it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Cooking oil – Canola, vegetable, peanut, or rice bran oil all work.
• Chives – Chopped green onions (green tops only) are the closest swap. Garlic chives also work.
• Sesame oil – Skip it if you do not have any. Do not swap with light sesame oil.
• Salt – A teaspoon of light soy sauce can replace some of the salt, especially with hibachi or teriyaki.
• Fresh garlic – Pre minced jarred garlic will work in a pinch. Fresh tastes cleaner.

Garlic Fried Rice is one of those dishes I never get tired of. Some mornings it is breakfast with tapa and egg. Other nights it is a side for grilled meat. Cook it at home and see how it works with what you already make.