I love a good surf and turf. So, after I made this steak fried rice recipe, naturally the wheels started turning about what I could next with leftover rice. Bingo: shrimp fried rice! It’s a simple, fun way to make fried rice at home. Plus, we get to add some BBQ smoky flavor to this Chinese takeout classic. 

A pile of shrimp fried rice with peas and carrots, eggs, scallion whites and garlic on an open fire skillet on the grill

You can make this easy recipe on your blackstone, large cast iron skillet, or an open fire skillet like what I use here. A key tip is to watch the fire and heat so the rice doesn’t burn. Also, make sure you use day-old cooked white rice. It’ll make the fried rice crispier and just so freakin’ delicious.

A bite of shrimp fried rice on a fork with the platter of rice in the background

Why You’ll Love Shrimp Fried Rice

​Juicy shrimp are a great go-to protein for fast, easy meals. They’re also incredibly versatile, pairing with a variety of flavors from Mediterranean to Latin American and Asian. Using my Cowboy Butter Rub, chili oil and honey to season our shrimp in this fried rice recipe is a great way to blend my favorite backyard barbecue flavors with Chinese cooking. Add in classic fried rice vegetables, fluffy scrambled eggs and delicious garnishes and you’ve got yourself a meal you’ll put on repeat. 

Looking for more rice and noodle dishes? Check out my recipes for Umami Ribeyes with Steakhouse Fried Rice, Surf and Turf Hibachi, Birria Ramen and Surf and Turf Ramen.

Bring the Flavor Home

Shrimp Fried Rice Ingredients

  • Shrimp: Grab some medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined. We’ll season them with my Cowboy Butter Rub, chili oil and honey for some spicy sweetness.
  • Fried Rice: To make our rice base, we’ll use cooked white rice, scrambled eggs, frozen peas and carrots, soy sauce, the whites of chopped scallions, minced garlic and sesame oil.
  • Garnish: Sesame seeds, the greens of our green onions and dollops of yum yum sauce complete this meal! If you want to make your own yum yum sauce, check out the tip below.
Seasoning raw shrimp in a bowl with Cowboy Butter Rub, chili oil and honey

Homemade Yum Yum Sauce

I included this tip for making homemade yum yum sauce in my steak fried rice recipe. It’s such a level up that I had to put it here too. You can buy yum yum sauce at most grocery stories, but making it at home is incredibly easy. It’s just mayonnaise, ketchup, garlic powder, paprika, rice vinegar and mirin.

To make your yum yum sauce, mix together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Stir all the ingredients until you have a smooth sauce, and then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to five days. Drizzle on everything that you want to give a boost of flavor!

If you want a slightly different flavor but something that still goes great with shrimp, you can try the bang bang sauce from this fried shrimp recipe. 

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How to Make Shrimp Fried Rice

First up, preheat a large skillet over a medium-high heat fire (about 350 degrees Fahrenheit). While that skillet is heating up, mix your 1 pound shrimp in a bowl with 2 tablespoons Cowboy Butter Rub, 1 tablespoon chili oil, 1 tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoons canola oil.

Grilling seasoned shrimp with tongs on an open fire skillet on the grill

Next, add your shrimp to the hot pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until they are opaque white and no longer translucent. Remove from the skillet and put to the side.

When the shrimp are done, add some oil to the skillet and add 2-3 scrambled eggs. Stir and cook the beaten eggs until nice and fluffy, then pull off and keep warm. 

Mixing frozen peas and carrots and scrambled eggs into fried rice on an open fire skillet

Add more oil, then add 2 tablespoons minced garlic and 2 tablespoons white scallion parts to brown for 3-4 minutes. Add in 3 cups cooked white rice and stir until well incorporated. Then, add in 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and your cooked eggs. Stir until well incorporated.

Pouring shrimp from a plate onto cooked fried rice in a skillet and adding sesame seeds, scallion greens as garnishes

To finish, add your cooked shrimp to the top of the fried rice.

Garnish with the green part of the scallions, sesame seeds and yum yum sauce. Serve and enjoy!

What to Serve with Shrimp Fried Rice

You’ve got a complete meal with this homemade fried rice, but you can make it a feast with some fun apps and sides. Shrimp rolls, egg rolls and crab rangoon would be awesome for a fried rice party! 

Pouring yum yum sauce out of a bottle onto shrimp fried rice, then showing finished product with sauce on a plate

Leftovers and Reheating

If you have leftover shrimp, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, warm it up over the grill at medium heat. Don’t cook for too long, since you don’t want the shrimp to overcook and get rubbery. Feel free to add some butter, seasonings, and some broth or beer for moisture while it heats up again.

Store any leftover rice in a separate airtight container for up to three days, then warm rice in a skillet on the stove or grill at medium heat as well.

For More Shrimp

FAQs

Why use day-old rice? 

The reason that cooked, cold rice works better for fried rice is that a lot of the moisture has dried out. With so much moisture still present in fresh rice, the fried rice turns out sticky, clumpy and gummy. It takes some planning ahead, but I promise you it’s worth it!

How should I handle leftover white rice?

Always cool off rice quickly and store it in an airtight container in the fridge within two hours of cooking. Never leave rice at room temperature for extended periods — starchy rice granules attract bacteria! And remember, only reheat rice once.

Can I make this shrimp fried rice with brown rice? 

Definitely! Brown rice isn’t as sticky as white rice. So, the texture might be a little different, but you can still go for it.

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A pile of shrimp fried rice with peas and carrots, eggs, scallion whites and garlic on an open fire skillet on the grill

Shrimp Fried Rice

This shrimp fried rice is a simple, fun way to make fried rice at home and add some BBQ smoky flavor to a takeout classic. 
Author:Derek Wolf
No ratings yet
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients 

Shrimp:

Fried Rice:

  • 3 cups Cooked White Rice day old
  • 2-3 Fresh Eggs scambled
  • ½ cup Frozen Peas and Carrots
  • 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Chopped Scallions White Part
  • 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 tsp Sesame Oil
  • Neutral Oil as needed

Garnish:

  • Sesame Seeds
  • Yum Yum Sauce
  • Chopped Scallions Green Part

Instructions 

  • Preheat a large skillet over a medium high heat fire (about 350F).
  • Mix your shrimp in a bowl with Cowboy Butter rub, chili oil, honey and 2 tbsp canola oil.
  • Add your shrimp to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until they are opaque white and no longer translucent.
  • Add some oil to the skillet and add your cracked eggs. Stir and cook until nice and fluffy, then pull off and keep warm.
  • Add more oil then add minced garlic and white part of scallions to brown for 3-4 minutes. Add white rice and stir until well incorporated. Add peas, carrots, soy sauce, sesame oil and cooked eggs. Stir until well incorporated.
  • Add your shrimp to the top of the fried rice. Garnish with the green part of the scallions, sesame seeds and yum yum sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Homemade Yum Yum Sauce
I included this tip for making homemade yum yum sauce in my steak fried rice recipe. It’s such a level up that I had to put it here too. You can buy yum yum sauce at most grocery stories, but making it at home is incredibly easy. It’s just mayonnaise, ketchup, garlic powder, paprika, rice vinegar and mirin.
To make your yum yum sauce, mix together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Stir all the ingredients until you have a smooth sauce, and then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to five days. Drizzle on everything that you want to give a boost of flavor!
If you want a slightly different flavor but something that still goes great with shrimp, you can try the bang bang sauce from this fried shrimp recipe. 

Nutrition

Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 264mg | Sodium: 939mg | Potassium: 554mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1937IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 5mg

Derek Wolf

Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!

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