This combination of salty, pan-fried spam, fluffy rice, eggs, and veggies will have you hooked. With how delicious and easy-to-make spam fried rice is, be prepared for it to be a regular in your dinner rotation!
If you haven’t cooked with Spam before, now’s the time to try! Its salty, savory flavor is so delicious. Another great recipe to try is this one for Spam musubi, a classic Hawaiian snack!
Spam Fried Rice Recipe
If you’re not a spam lover, I know what you’re thinking. Spam fried rice? Don’t knock it ‘till you try it! For a long time I didn’t want to cook with Spam, but then I tried spam fried rice and musubi and everything changed. Its tender texture and salty flavor is actually the best.
Especially in fried rice! The Spam gets cut up into small cubes and then is pan-fried until it gets a nice golden sear. From there, it’s all of your usual fried rice suspects- a tasty mix of veggies, scrambled eggs, and fluffy white rice. All cooked together to flavorful perfection! Spam fried rice is a popular dish in Asian and Hawaiian cooking, and for good reason. I know you’ll be a believer too once you try it.
Ingredient List
This is everything you’ll need to whip up this tasty dish! I also have ideas for more mix-ins and sauces below if you want to customize it.
- Canned Spam: The good news is, you can use any kind you want! I have been loving the hickory smoke and bacon flavored Spam lately. Use the lite spam if you want to cut down on sodium in this dish.
- Sesame Oil: Any cooking oil will work here, but I love the extra nutty flavor this adds to the Spam fried rice.
- White Onion: Diced to add bits of sharp, savory flavor to each bite.
- Frozen Peas and Carrots: Thawed so the mixture doesn’t steam and get mushy. You can swap this out for any veggie mix you want.
- Eggs: These get scrambled and then added to the fried rice for a protein boost.
- Cooked Rice: White rice works best here.
- Soy Sauce: Adds the best flavor to the Spam fried rice. Use low-sodium soy sauce if you don’t want the dish to be too salty.
- Green Onions: Chopped for garnish.
How to Make Spam Fried Rice
Get that skillet nice and hot, because it’s time to make a batch of flavorful, delicious Spam fried rice! It’s great served on its own or with things like teriyaki chicken or garlic shrimp.
- Cook Spam: Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Pour sesame oil in the bottom. Add the diced spam and cook to the desired doneness. We like the spam to be golden brown on the outside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the onion, peas, and carrots. Cook and stir until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
- Scramble Eggs: Slide the spam and veggies to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the spam and vegetable mixture.
- Add Rice: Add the rice to the wok. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined.
- Mix in Sauce, Serve: Pour in the soy sauce and mix into the fried rice. Garnish with chopped green onions if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste then enjoy!
Tips, Tricks, and Variations
Okay, I’m going to let you in on a few secrets to make some seriously delicious fried rice. Try a few of these variations next time you make a batch!
- Add More Flavor: Soy sauce is a good place to start for seasoning your Spam fried rice with, but if you want to kick things up a notch, add oyster sauce, eel sauce, or hoisin to taste!
- Throw in Some Fresh Garlic: To add even more savory flavor to the dish, I like to cook my Spam with minced garlic. I use the squeezable kind for easy prep, but fresh is great too! It gives the whole dish a roasted garlic flavor that is SO good.
- More Veggies: Add broccoli, baby corn, bamboo shoots, edamame, you name it!
- Drizzle on Some Sauces: One of my new favorite things to add to a bowl of fried rice is a drizzle of sauce. Yum yum sauce is my go-to, but sriracha mayo is delicious too if you’re wanting a little spice. Both add a tasty creaminess to the fried rice. I usually just add this to individual servings in case someone doesn’t want it on theirs.
Storing Leftovers
Spam fried rice is the king of leftovers! Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for about 4 days.
Reheat over the stove on medium heat or cook individual portions in the microwave. 1 minute intervals, stirring in between should do the trick!
More Tasty Fried Rice Recipes
Spam Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 6 ounces canned spam, diced
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ½ white onion, chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Pour sesame oil in the bottom. Add the diced spam and cook to the desired doneness. We like the spam to be golden brown on the outside.
- Add the onion, peas, and carrots. Cook and stir until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
- Slide the spam and veggies to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the spam and vegetable mixture.
- Add the rice to the wok. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined.
- Pour in the soy sauce and mix into the fried rice. Garnish with chopped green onions if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste then enjoy!