Leftover Steak Fried Rice Recipe

Believe it or not, there is an easy way to make fried rice, and we want you all to know about it. There's pretty much never a bad day to serve fried rice, and if we're totally honest, we crave it on the regular. This recipe combines the wonderful flavors of fried rice, the crunch of a few veggies, and the added protein of steak that's leftover, so it doesn't go to waste. If you made some steak the night before and have leftovers, now you know just what to do with it!

RDN and chef at Cancer Nutrition in a Bowl Cindy Chou came up with this quick and delicious recipe that totally hits the spot if you're in the mood for fried rice. "I love how this dish is a great way to use up leftovers, and it's an easy way to get a delicious and complete meal on the table in under 30 minutes," Chou raves. This would be great on its own or paired with a full-course Asian meal. The possibilities are truly endless. Keep reading to find out how to whip up this tasty fried rice.

The first thing you need to do is make up a list of ingredients you'll need to make the fried rice. For starters, get some leftover steak and a small shallot. While you're in the produce section, you can also grab garlic, celery, and scallions. Moving on, you will need an egg, and if you cook a lot, you probably already have one at home.

Don't forget to grab some of the necessary items used in all fried rice recipes, such as soy sauce (low sodium), sesame oil, and sugar. You will also need to get ground white pepper and canola oil. Last but certainly not least is leftover or chilled cooked white rice, medium grain — and Chou notes that you can also substitute with Jasmine rice.

Now that you have all of your ingredients in front of you, it's time to get started. Put the leftover steak, shallot, garlic, celery, scallion, and eggs into individual bowls after you measure them out. That way, when you need to use them, they will be ready to go.

If you want to make subs, you certainly can. "Celery adds a really nice crunch and taste to fried rice, so I personally think it's a must-have," Chou says. "Other vegetables you can add or substitute with include frozen diced carrots, frozen sweet corn, riced cauliflower, thinly sliced sugar snap peas, and any other vegetable you like that has a slight crunch."

The sauce is one of the most important parts of this recipe, because it adds so much flavor. Grab a small bowl, and add the low sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and ground white pepper into a small bowl. Set the sauce mixture next to your stove, so it's ready to go when you need it.

In the meantime, take out a 12-inch cast-iron pan or a 14-inch wok, and put it over medium-high heat until it starts to smoke. Once it smokes, add 1 teaspoon of canola oil to the middle of the pan. If you are using a wok, add the oil to the perimeter instead.

Now it's time for the egg, because what fried rice is complete without egg? Remember that you should have beaten it ahead of time. "I like to use chopsticks to beat the egg, but a fork or whisk would work equally well, too," Chou says. Scramble it in the pan for 30 seconds, remove it from the heat, and set it aside in its original container.

Next, add another teaspoon of the canola oil to the pan, and then throw in the minced shallot. Stir fry the shallot until it turns translucent, which shouldn't take more than a minute or so. Then, add the garlic and celery, and cook for another 30 seconds. See? Wasn't it a lot easier with everything already measured out?

Now, it's time for the star ingredient — the rice. Add the last teaspoon of canola oil followed by the cold rice. Use a spatula to break up any large clumps. Stir fry the mixture until the rice gets warm, and you can also flatten it with a spatula. (It should take roughly three minutes.)

Once the rice is mixed well with the other veggies, add the leftover steak, and stir for one minute. Then, add the sauce mixture, and stir fry until all the grains are evenly coated with sauce. "You can also substitute the leftover steak with already cooked and diced shrimp, boneless chicken, or another protein of your choice," Chou notes.

The last thing you need to do is add the eggs back to the pan, and then break them up into smaller pieces. Top the rice with sliced scallions, and stir for another 20 seconds. Then, turn off the heat, and serve. "It works well on its own, or you can serve it with your choice of vegetables or soup," Chou says. "A simple stir fried bok choy, yu choy, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, or zucchini with garlic and salt pairs well with fried rice."

Leftovers? "Since this recipe uses leftover steak, any extras may be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to one day (if the steak was only stored for one day prior to using)," Chou says. "For anyone [who] may be immunocompromised, I wouldn't recommend keeping leftovers for this dish."