Forget Takeout: This Is The Best Healthy Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
An easy shrimp fried rice recipe is a must-have for every family! Expand your children’s palates with our best healthy shrimp fried rice recipe!
I’m always looking to increase the variety of foods that my kids eat.
From time to time I throw a new type of food their way for dinner, just to shake things up (watching their reactions when they try new foods is one of the perks of being a mom, LOL).
Kind of like that time I made my Vietnamese-inspired Noodle Bowl with homemade Sweet & Sour Sauce.
The looks at first with comical, and they gave some immediate negative reactions. but after a few bites, the boys decided they loved it (point for Mom!).
Recently I decided it was time to add a little more seafood to their diets. The boys currently will eat fish sticks, crusted Tilapia, and Cod.
Since seafood is so healthy (and a great protein alternative to meat), I wanted to add a new type of seafood to their diet.
They LOVE fried rice whenever we eat Chinese food. I thought that giving them fried rice with shrimp in it would be easier than raw tuna!
I also debated (briefly) going with salmon, but knowing how “fishy” salmon can taste to some people…let’s just say I’m happy I went the shrimp route!
And the kids liked it! They ate the entire bowl/serving which is more than I can say about some dishes I have tried with them!
Is Shrimp Fried Rice Healthy?
This version is healthier than you will find in Chinese restaurants…and it tastes WAY better! Oh yeah, and it’s cheaper which is good for your stress levels (and makes the homemade version even healthier)!
Love Quick & Healthy Dinners? Check Out:
Sloppy Joes
Greek Chicken gyros
Easy Crock Pot Lasagna
Healthier Beef Stroganoff
Slow Cooker 3 Bean Chili
What Kind of Rice Do You Use For Shrimp Fried Rice?
I recommend using a medium-grain white or Jasmine variety. These varieties have a great balance in texture, yielding a terrific dish.
Fried rice is usually a dish that you make to repurpose the leftover cooked rice from the day before. You want to avoid freshly cooked because it is still moist and steamy, which may yield a dish with a mushy texture.
However, if you forget to cook rice the day before, here is a little trick you can use.
Spread a layer of freshly cooked rice onto large baking sheets and let it air out for an hour or two. The grains will dry out during this process, giving you the texture you want.
How Do You Make The Best Healthy Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe?
If you have been here for any length of time, you know that I only share recipes that are easy to make! And preferably take 30 minutes or less. Seriously, as moms, there’s no time to make gourmet meals!
Our best healthy shrimp fried rice recipe is a super easy one-skillet recipe that you’ll wish you had tried sooner.
Now the best part about this recipe (as if there weren’t enough other great things about it) is that it is completely customizable to your taste (woohoo!).
You can swap out the shrimp for your favorite protein – chicken, pork, or even tofu to keep it completely vegetarian.
As for the veggies, I like using a classic mix of onions, corn, peas, green beans, and carrots but if you have more veggies just lingering in your fridge – feel free to add those in as well.
Other ideas for veggies: add green beans, edamame, bean sprouts, mushrooms or whatever else floats your boat.
How long Does This Healthy Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe Last In The Fridge?
As long as your protein was fresh when you cooked it, you should be able to store your leftovers in the fridge for up to 7 days, in an airtight container.
Tips For Cooking The Best Healthy Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
- Use day-old leftover rice
- Cook the shrimp separately: Shrimp release moisture when you pan fry them. If you cook the shrimp with the vegetables, not only will your shrimp be way overcooked, but you’ll end up with a little water at the bottom of your wok or pan.
- Cook the eggs separately: cook all eggs separately then add them to the dish to keep the recipe simple.
- Substitutes for rice: Quinoa, millet, and farro are great alternatives.
- Feel free to enjoy it cold the next day. 😘
Tools & Ingredients Needed To Make Shrimp Fried Rice
- Wok: This wok has a lot going for it: superior nonstick interior make it easy to cook and clean, aluminum construction for fast, even heat distribution, and it’s dishwasher and oven safe
- Soy Sauce: This is my favorite gluten-free, reduced sodium soy sauce.
- Sesame Oil: I typically use this brand of sesame oil because it has a great nutty flavor.
If you love Chinese food and want to enjoy it from the comfort of your home, skip ordering takeout and make the best healthy shrimp fried rice recipe yourself! You’ll thank me 🙂
- 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce I use a gluten-free, reduced sodium version
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp Ginger Powder
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb medium shrimp peeled, de-veined, and tails off
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup Frozen Corn*
- 1/2 cup Frozen Peas*
- 1/2 cup Frozen Green Beans*
- 4 cups Cooked Rice See notes about rice
- 3 Green Onions sliced, optional
- Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp is pink and just starts to curl. remove shrimp from the pan and set aside.
- Add garlic and onion to the pan. Cook until the onions are translucent (3-4 minutes).
- Add carrots, corn, peas, and green beans. Cook until tender (3-4 minutes).
- Add rice, soy sauce mixture, and green onions (if using). Stirring to combine and heat through.
- Add shrimp.
- Serve immediately. Save any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
- If you prefer, instead of using frozen veggies from separate bags, buy a bag of mixed frozen veggies that has the veggies in it that you want and use 2 CUPS of that mixture in this recipe.
- For the rice, I recommend using a medium-grain or Jasmine variety - make sure to use leftover, day-old rice (or cook rice and spread it out on baking sheets for 1-2 hours to dry out).