Name: Authentic Chinese Ham and Egg Fried Rice Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 3 ½ cups of cold cooked medium grain or short grain rice. (see important instructions below for rinsing rice before cooking); 4-5 ounces honey or maple ham, cut into ¼-inch dice (see if your grocer can cut you a 1/4 inch slice); ½ cup frozen peas, defrosted; 2 large eggs, beaten; Peanut oil for stir-frying (3-4 tablespoons); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 6 scallions, sliced crosswise (1 cup)

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This authentic Chinese ham and egg fried rice is completely different from the takeout fried rice you’re used to. There’s no soy sauce, no heavy seasoning—just a handful of simple ingredients cooked the traditional way. The result is light, savory, and incredibly flavorful fried rice where the taste and texture of each ingredient shines through.

Chinese ham and egg fried rice in a bowl.

Adapted from The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking by Barbara Tropp, this recipe proves that the best fried rice doesn’t need a long ingredient list—just the right technique.

I always thought of fried rice as that brown, hard-grained, oily, super salty stuff you get at most Chinese restaurants. I discovered this ham and egg fried rice recipe in a Chinese cookbook and was stunned by the deliciousness - something wonderful and entirely different from any fried rice I'd ever tried.

Unlike takeout fried rice, which relies on soy sauce and heavy seasoning, this traditional Chinese version is all about clean flavors and proper technique.

Authentic Chinese Fried Rice (No Soy Sauce!)

This traditional Chinese fried rice relies on clean flavors and simple ingredients rather than sauces. It’s a completely different—and arguably better—approach to fried rice.

Why This Fried Rice Is So Good

Incredible flavor—no soy sauce needed – Without heavy seasoning, the fresh ingredients infuse the rice with the savory richness of sweet ham, tender peas, soft scrambled eggs, and bright scallions. Just wonderful.
Perfect texture – Rinsing the rice removes excess starch so the grains cook up light, separate, and slightly chewy—never greasy or clumped
Fragrant peanut oil – Adds a subtle nutty depth that brings everything together and makes the dish especially delicious
A simple but perfect combination – Each ingredient plays its role, creating a balance of savory, sweet, and fresh in every bite
Authentic technique – High heat and quick stir-frying bring out the best flavor and texture in every ingredient

Rinsing the rice before cooking removes excess starch, giving the grains a light, chewy texture and a clean, delicate flavor. That allows the subtle richness of the peanut oil and the other ingredients to really shine.

The beauty of this dish is its simplicity. Sweet ham, tender peas, soft scrambled eggs, and fresh scallions are folded into the rice, creating a perfect balance of flavor, texture, and color in every bite.

How To Make Authentic Chinese Fried Rice

Rinse and drain the rice several times. This is a key step in this recipe. It gives the rice a great taste and texture.

Cook the rice according to package directions and cool completely. The rice can be prepared the day before. In fact this dish is best made with chilled cooked rice. Once the rice is cooked, this dish comes together in 15 minutes or less.

Set out all of the ingredients in small bowls near your frying pan or wok for easy access when stir frying.

Slice the scallions and cube the ham.

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Start by scrambling the eggs in a little peanut oil. Set them aside.

Next stir fry the rice, tossing and separating the grains.

Add the ham, peas and salt and finally add the cooked eggs and scallions. Toss for 20 seconds or so until everything is hot and your dish is ready to go.

Done!

This authentic Chinese ham and egg fried rice recipe has only 5 ingredients, plus oil to stir-fry and salt to season, and no soy sauce. You haven't tasted great fried rice until you've tried this recipe. It's the absolute best!

I adapted this recipe from a wonderful cookbook called The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking by Barbara Tropp. The book is filled with tempting Chinese recipes, some extremely complicated with exotic ingredients.

I was attracted to this one because of its simplicity and quite frankly because I was surprised and a little skeptical that fried rice with no soy sauce could be good. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. It is so good!

More favorite rice dishes to try:

What to serve with Chinese Fried Rice

Chinese fried rice is the perfect side dish—savory, satisfying, and incredibly versatile. Serve it with Chinese Orange Chicken, Beef and Broccoli or Honey Soy Chicken, or pair it with a simple stir-fry or roasted chicken for an easy, delicious meal.

It’s also substantial enough to stand on its own. A generous bowl makes a satisfying main dish. This recipe serves 4–6 as a side or 2–3 as a main.

If you try this Chinese Ham and Egg Fried Rice Recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Recipe

Authentic Chinese Ham and Egg Fried Rice Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

Author: Lisa Goldfinger
Total Time: 20 mins
Yield: 4 Side Dish Servings 1x

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Description

This authentic Chinese ham and egg fried rice is made with just five ingredients—plus oil and salt—and no soy sauce. The result is light, savory, and deeply flavorful, with each ingredient shining through. Once you try it, you’ll never look at fried rice the same way.

Adapted from The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking by Barbara Tropp

Ingredients

Units Scale

3 ½ cups of cold cooked medium grain or short grain rice. (see important instructions below for rinsing rice before cooking)
4-5 ounces honey or maple ham, cut into ¼-inch dice (see if your grocer can cut you a ¼ inch slice)
½ cup frozen peas, defrosted
2 large eggs, beaten
Peanut oil for stir-frying (3-4 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 scallions, sliced crosswise (1 cup)

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Instructions

Rinse, cook and cool the rice: For optimum texture and taste, it's very important to rinse the rice in several changes of cold water before cooking. To rinse, put raw rice into a fine mesh colander and immerse it in a large bowl of water. Swish rice around to release excess starches. Lift colander. Pour out water. Repeat until water is mostly clear. Cook the rice according to package directions. Cool it before using. (see notes)
Cook The eggs: Heat wok, cast iron skillet or heavy frying pan over high heat until hot. Add 1 ½ tablespoons peanut oil and tilt pan to coat it. Pour in beaten eggs. Let them cook for a few seconds, then gently push them to one side of the pan, tilting the pan to get uncooked egg to slide onto the pan and set. Cook just until the eggs are soft-cooked. Transfer them to a dish and set aside.
Stir-fry the Rice: Add 2 additional tablespoons of oil to the skillet. When hot, add the cold rice and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, stirring to coat and separate the grains. When the rice is hot, add the salt, ham and peas and cook, tossing, for about 30 second. Add the eggs back to the skillet and, using your spatula, break them apart a bit. Add scallions and toss everything for another 15 -20 second until the eggs are hot. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

To Prep The Rice: The rice in this recipe works best if it's cold, so great if you can cook it the day before. If you need to make this dish in a hurry, spread the hot rice out on a baking tray and set the tray in the fridge for a half hour or until the rice is cool.
Nutrition Information: We do our best to provide accurate nutrition values using an online nutrition calculator however our nutrition information should only be used as an approximation.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Category: Side dish or main course
Method: Stir-fry
Cuisine: Chinese

Authentic Chinese Ham and Egg Fried Rice