Have you ever found yourself with leftover salmon and wondered what the heck to do with it? Well I have! And although I'm a huge fan of leftovers, leftover fish is not at the top of my list. This Salmon Fried Rice totally changed that for me. It is the perfect way to repurpose leftover salmon and give it new, delicious life. I originally made this to use up leftovers of my Gochujang Salmon Bites. Now I just make the bites so that I can make the fried rice! It is that good. Give this Salmon Fried Rice recipe a try and see why my family can't get enough.
Fried Rice - my comfort food
One of my all-time favorite comfort foods is fried rice. Not just any fried rice though, my dad's fried rice. Boy do I miss it and him. Luckily, I helped him make it so many times that I can now make a pretty great version myself. It is now one of my son's favorite meals which makes my sentimental old heart really happy.
Like most of my dad's recipes it was always a little different, but it followed the same "rules." He always used cold, leftover rice - please do not try to make this with freshly cooked rice - and any kind of leftover meat that was kicking around in the fridge, but most often pork. Always eggs. A variety of veggies depending on what he had, but usually a little shredded cabbage and carrot, always onion and garlic, and a few frozen peas tossed in at the end. One of his funniest rules I never understood until I was older was the resting period. He would always turn the heat off, put a lid on the pan, and let the rice "rest" for about 10 minutes before we were allowed to dig in. This was torture to me because I just wanted to eat! But now I do the same thing and, in turn, torture my children.
Make it extra fancy with some green onion curls
Simply take spring onions and make very thin slices, lengthwise and place in a dish with ice water. After about 10 minutes you will have pretty little swirls!
I hope you'll give this Salmon Fried Rice recipe a try!
Feel free to make it super easy by grabbing some prepared salmon at your favorite grocery store. But I highly encourage you to try the inspiration behind this recipe: Gochujang Salmon Bites with Spicy Kimchi Mayo
Salmon Fried Rice
This Salmon Fried Rice is the best way to use up leftover salmon! In fact, I created this recipe for just that reason. Packed with all of the familiar fried rice flavors but made a little fancy with salmon and topped with spicy kimchi mayo.
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold, cooked rice *see notes for basic rice recipe
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup cooked salmon
- ½ cup kimchi, chopped
- ½ cup chopped yellow or white onion
- 1 carrot, finely shredded or diced
- 4 spring onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine or rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil such as avocado
Instructions
- Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, wine or vinegar, and white pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium high heat with one tablespoon oil. When oil is shimmering add beaten eggs. Cook until just set and remove to a bowl.
- Add another tablespoon of oil and add onion and carrot, cook, stirring often, for about 1 minute before adding garlic and ginger. Cook for about 1 more minute, stirring frequently. Do not let garlic and ginger burn.
- Next, add rice, breaking up with your hands as you add it or with your spoon/spatula in the pan. I always use my hands to really break it up as I'm adding it. Stir to combine rice with vegetables and cook for about 3-4 minutes to heat rice and coat it in the oil.
- Add chopped kimchi and spring onions and stir to combine. Add reserved, cooked eggs and break up with your spoon/spatula into small bite-sized pieces. Add cooked salmon, breaking into bite sized pieces if necessary.
- Finally, add sauce mixture and stir well to coat all of the rice. Cook for another minute, stirring often, to allow rice to absorb the sauce.
- Turn heat off and cover, allowing to rest like this for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve in bowls with spring onion curls (see instructions in post), sesame seeds, and spicy kimchi mayo.
Notes
Spicy Kimchi Mayo recipe can be found in my Gochujang Salmon Bites recipe
Basic rice recipe: combine 2 cups rice, I prefer jasmine, with 2 cups water. Bring to boil and immediately reduce to lowest heat. Cover tightly and cook for 20 minutes. Remove lid and allow to cool to room temp before transferring to refrigerator overnight. It's even better if you leave it uncovered in the refrigerator to really let it dry out for the best fried rice.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: dinner, main dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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