Curry Fried Rice Recipe: Flavorful Spiced Fried Rice

You’ll love this easy, vegan curry fried rice—a quick, healthy dinner ready in about 30 minutes and even better the next day.

Fried rice is classic comfort food and easily adapted to endless variations. This Thai-inspired red curry version is perfectly seasoned, packed with vegetables and makes a filling, high-protein plant-based meal that’s full of flavor.

Recipe Features

• Vegan, gluten-free, can be nut-free.
• Under 300 calories per serving with about 10 g of plant-based protein.
• Ready in less than 30 minutes.
• Easy to customize with whatever vegetables or extra protein you have on hand.
• Stores well, so it’s a great option for meal prep.

Ingredients

See the recipe card below for full measurements and step-by-step instructions. Key components include:

• Red curry paste: any brand you prefer; yellow curry paste also works.
• Peanut butter: use natural, unsweetened peanut butter; almond butter is a suitable substitute.
• Rice wine vinegar: seasoned or unseasoned.
• Soy sauce: low-sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari.
• Sesame oil: adds the best flavor; substitute another oil or use water/broth for oil-free cooking.
• Rice: long-grain white rice (basmati or jasmine) works well; day-old, chilled rice is preferred.
• Edamame: shelled, frozen edamame is convenient.

Step-by-Step

Before you start: Cook and cool the rice in advance—ideally the day before. Chilled, slightly dried rice fries better and yields a better texture.

Step 1: Heat 1 tsp sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, carrot, scallion and garlic and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes until tender-crisp. Remove the vegetables and set aside.

Step 2: While the vegetables cook, whisk together the sauce: red curry paste, peanut butter, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce until smooth.

Step 3: Add the remaining 1 tsp sesame oil to the pan, then add the chilled rice and edamame. Spread into an even layer and let cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes to brown the bottom. Stir, scrape up browned bits, then repeat to get a little crispness.

Step 4: Return the cooked vegetables to the pan and pour in the sauce. Mix everything to coat the rice and vegetables. Spread the mixture and allow to cook 1–2 minutes, stir and repeat once or twice until you reach the desired browning and flavor.

Serve hot, topped with thinly sliced scallions and chopped peanuts or cashews. Add Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce if you like heat.

Tips & Notes

• Adding protein: Add baked tofu, tofu scramble, crumbled or cubed tempeh, or chickpeas when you add the veggies and sauce. Use chickpeas instead of edamame for a soy-free option.
• Extra vegetables: Peas, corn, bell pepper, mushrooms or zucchini all work well—add about 1/2 cup peas or corn if desired.
• Serving size: The recipe yields 4 modest servings (~282 calories each). For larger portions, increase rice up to 5 cups cooked or serve fewer people.
• Soy-free option: Swap edamame for chickpeas and use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.

Storing

• Let cool completely before storing.
• Fridge: Keep in a sealed container up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Freeze in a sealed container for up to 4 months; thaw in the fridge before reheating.
• Reheating: Reheat in a skillet or microwave until heated through.

5 from 2 votes

Curry Fried Rice

By: Deryn Macey

This delicious curry fried rice is easy to make in under 30 minutes for a healthy and satisfying weeknight meal.

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 30 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp red curry paste (35 g)
• 2 tbsp peanut butter (30 g) or alternative
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (15 mL)
• 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari (45 mL)
• 2 tsp sesame oil, divided (10 mL)
• 2 cups small broccoli florets, heaping (175 g)
• 1 cup diced carrot (150 g)
• 1.5 cups roughly chopped green onion/scallion (75 g)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (10 g)
• 3 cups cooked and chilled white rice (390 g)
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame (170 g)
• Thinly sliced scallions, for serving (optional)
• Chopped peanuts or cashews, for serving (optional)

Instructions

• If you don’t have rice prepared, cook it according to package instructions and place in a container, uncovered, in the fridge until completely cool and somewhat dried out. If making it the day before, cover and store it in the fridge overnight.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tsp sesame oil.
• Add broccoli, green onion, garlic and carrot and cook 4–5 minutes, stirring often. Remove the veggies and set aside.
• In a bowl, whisk together red curry paste, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and peanut butter until smooth.
• Add the remaining 1 tsp sesame oil to the pan with the rice and edamame. Spread into an even layer and cook 2–3 minutes until the rice browns slightly. Stir and repeat to develop a bit of crispness.
• Add the vegetables back to the pan with the prepared sauce and mix to combine.
• Spread the mixture and cook 1–2 minutes more, stirring once or twice until warmed through and slightly browned. Serve topped with sliced scallions and chopped peanuts or cashews, if desired.

Notes

Leftovers store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or cooled and frozen for up to 4 months. Thaw if needed and reheat in a skillet or microwave.

Substitutions: almond butter for peanut-free; sunflower seed butter or Wowbutter for nut-free; chickpeas and coconut aminos for a soy-free version; gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free.

For oil-free cooking, use water or vegetable broth in place of sesame oil, though sesame oil adds the best flavor.

To increase portions, the rice can be increased to up to 5 cups cooked.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of recipe,
Calories: 282 kcal,
Carbohydrates: 50 g,
Protein: 10 g,
Fat: 8 g,
Sodium: 237 mg,
Fiber: 4 g