This healthy, tasty & high-protein egg & prawn fried rice could prove to be your new favorite meal once you give it a shot! This best ever prawn fried rice is not only tasty but also easy & quick when you have left over rice in your refrigerator!
Being a prawn lover since childhood, I could not let go of this favorite food of mine when I started my fitness journey and I believe you also need not have to!
Just being a little mindful is enough to enjoy this scrumptious seafood to its fullest!
That is why I bring to you this stunning prawn fried rice which is not only delicious but also a wholesome meal providing all the necessary macros and micros needed for your healthy body!
I always have had a love affair with prawns which is why you will find uncountable prawn/shrimp recipes in my blog!
Today I am adding one more from my repertoire to yours! I am sure you will love this prawn fried rice as much as we all did!
What is prawn fried rice?
Prawn fried rice is a Chinese inspired fried rice recipe where the primary protein element is added via prawns which are also called shrimps in some parts of the world. So you can also call it shrimp fried rice!
Are you still wondering if this prawn fried rice is really a healthy recipe or am I just bluffing? Let me decode it for ya! Shall I?
Firstly, prawns are loaded with proteins and can give a tough competition to your favorite chicken breast!
Secondly, prawns are not high-calorie food, so you don’t have to worry about overdoing your calorie budget!
Most of the sources I checked mentioned that 100 grams of prawns contains 20-25 grams of protein with only 100 to 120 calories in that same 100 grams.
The only thing that you might need to be a little mindful about while consuming prawns is that they contain higher levels of sodium compared to other varieties of white fish. {Source: BBC GoodFood}
All you need to do to enjoy this delicious prawn fried rice to its fullest is to maintain the right portion which means the right amount of carbs from rice, fiber from veggies and generous amounts of protein from prawns and eggs!
This prawn fried rice honestly is a wholesome lunch and also a great option to pack it for on-the-go meals! I have packed it many times for my office lunches and have thanked myself every time I did that!
Ingredients for prawn fried rice
Prawn: Of course, prawn is the star ingredient of this fried rice recipe as you can easily guess! You can see from the gorgeous pictures of our prawn fried rice that the prawns used here are not too tiny, neither jumbo.
Use medium sized prawns and remove their heads and the entire peel. This is not a recipe to use tail-on prawns! And do not forget to devein your prawns!
I also insist on using fresh prawns instead of frozen ones. I never liked the packaged frozen prawns and have always used fresh ones bought from farmers’ markets.
Fresh prawns are much juicier and tender with a wonderful melt-in-mouth texture whereas I find frozen prawns to be very chewy and tough.
Rice: To make restaurant style prawn fried rice at home, you need to be careful about your rice which can make or break your fried rice!
Without fail, you have to use left-over refrigerated rice for making any fried rice at home if you want that fluffy texture which you get in your takeaway fried rice.
Cold rice has minimal moisture and hence can soak up the flavors nicely while being stir fried at high heat without turning mushy & soft retaining their crunch.
You can use any variety of rice in this prawn fried rice recipe – short grain or long grain. This recipe is very forgiving and turns out fantastic irrespective of your choice of rice!
Egg: This powerhouse of protein is a cool touch to your already delicious & wholesome meal! Couple of eggs scrambled and sprinkled over the prawn fried rice enhances the protein content of this already high protein prawn fried rice meal!
Veggies: When the protein is sorted in this high-protein meal, you would need to balance it with the right portion of fiber to make this prawn fried rice a wholesome choice!
To maintain that appropriate balance, I added fresh carrots cut into small cubes and fresh green peas.
The color combination of bright orange with bright green also creates a harmonious palate for you and makes you hungry as soon as you take a loot at it!
Garlic: This aromatic is a must for any stir fry recipe. Garlic enhances the flavor of prawns incredibly which is why I use it generously in any of my prawn recipes.
Spring onion: No fried rice is complete without the fresh flavors of spring onions! I love this veggie so much that I keep looking for excuses to use it!
The white part of spring onion is stir fried at the very beginning along with garlic to impart all its flavor to your fried rice.
Bright greens of spring onion are finely chopped and sprinkled at the very end over the prawn fried rice to add the subtle flavor of onions as a final touch!
Oil: Use any kind of flavorless oil which has a high smoking point to make this stir fry. Few choices would be canola oil, sunflower oil or vegetable oil.
Light soy sauce: To season this prawn fried rice, my recommendation would be to use a few splashes of light soy sauce.
I don’t use dark soy sauce as it is too overpowering and also alters the color way too much, hiding all the brightness of greens, oranges and yellows!
Light soy adds the right amount of savoriness along with the depth of flavor that we expect from this Chinese condiment.
Salt & pepper: Add extra salt sparingly as you would have already used soy sauce.
Freshly crushed black pepper adds a beautiful touch to your prawn fried rice when sprinkled on top just before serving; try it!
How to make prawn fried rice?
Step 1: If you have got fresh prawns then peel and devein them; remove the heads. Wash them thoroughly and take them in a bowl. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt and give a quick shake.
Step 2: Heat about 1 teaspoon of oil in a wok and swirl the wok to coat the entire surface area with oil.
Step 3: When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the seasoned prawns to the wok arranging them in a single layer.
Step 4: Let the prawns cook without any disturbance for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, flip them over.
Step 5: Allow the other side to cook for another 2 minutes until the prawns turn opaque and bright orange. Take them out and set aside on a plate.
Step 6: Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Heat about half a teaspoon of oil in the same wok.
Step 7: Once oil is hot, pour the beaten eggs and swirl the pan to spread the eggs evenly making a thin layer.
Step 8: When the eggs are somewhat settled, start breaking them to smaller pieces using a stirring spatula. Cook the scrambled eggs for 2 more minutes and then take them out on a plate.
Step 9: Now add the remaining oil to the same wok. Once the oil is hot, add minced garlic and chopped spring onion whites.
Step 10: Stir fry the aromatics on medium heat for 2 minutes. Then add the finely chopped carrots and the fresh green peas.
Step 11: Season the veggies with ¼ teaspoon of salt and stir well. Now drizzle ¼ cup of water around the veggies and cover the wok with a lid. Let the veggies cook in the covered wok for 5 minutes.
Pro tip: Veggies will get cooked with the help of the trapped steam inside the covered wok. This way they will turn soft much faster and you won’t have to fry them for long thus retaining their nutrition.
Step 12: After about 5 minutes, remove the lid and check if the veggies have turned soft; also the water should be completely absorbed by now and oil should start to release.
Step 13: Now it’s time to add the left-over rice. Add the cold rice to the wok and using the stirring spatula spread them evenly over the surface of the wok.
Step 14: Leave the rice undisturbed on the wok for at least 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame. This will allow the rice grains to firm up and soak all the flavors of the aromatics.
Step 15: After about 4 minutes, start stirring the rice keeping the heat on medium. Drizzle the light soy sauce at this point and keep stirring to mix it in evenly.
Step 16: After about 2 minutes of stir frying the rice, do a taste test to check the seasoning and based on your preference add any extra salt if only needed.
Step 17: Once the rice is nicely fried along with the veggies, add the cooked prawns and scrambled eggs to the wok.
Step 18: Stir everything together to give a good mix distributing the prawns and eggs evenly.
Step 19: Sprinkle finely chopped spring onion greens and give a final mix. You super delicious and super healthy prawn fried rice is ready!
Step 20: Serve the prawn fried rice on a plate and drizzle freshly crushed black pepper over the rice. Garnish with a handful of spring onion greens and enjoy!
More healthy prawn recipes from Flavor Quotient
- Prawns/shrimp - 500 gms, fresh medium sized
- Egg - 3
- Rice - 2 cups, cooked and refrigerated overnight
- Carrot - 2, medium, finely chopped
- Green peas - ¼ cup
- Spring onion - 4 to 5 stalks, whites & greens separated and finely chopped
- Garlic - 10 to 12 cloves, minced
- Oil - 4 tbsp
- Light soy sauce - 2 tbsp
- Salt & pepper to taste
- If you have got fresh prawns then peel and devein them; remove the heads. Wash them thoroughly and take them in a bowl. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt and give a quick shake.
- Heat about 1 teaspoon of oil in a wok and swirl the wok to coat the entire surface area with oil.
- When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the seasoned prawns to the wok arranging them in a single layer.
- Let the prawns cook without any disturbance for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, flip them over.
- Allow the other side to cook for another 2 minutes until the prawns turn opaque and bright orange. Take them out and set aside on a plate.
- Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Heat about half a teaspoon of oil in the same wok.
- Once oil is hot, pour the beaten eggs and swirl the pan to spread the eggs evenly making a thin layer.
- When the eggs are somewhat settled, start breaking them to smaller pieces using a stirring spatula. Cook the scrambled eggs for 2 more minutes and then take them out on a plate.
- Now add the remaining oil to the same wok. Once the oil is hot, add minced garlic and chopped spring onion whites.
- Stir fry the aromatics on medium heat for 2 minutes. Then add the finely chopped carrots and the fresh green peas.
- Season the veggies with ¼ teaspoon of salt and stir well. Now drizzle ¼ cup of water around the veggies and cover the wok with a lid. Let the veggies cook in the covered wok for 5 minutes.
- After about 5 minutes, remove the lid and check if the veggies have turned soft; also the water should be completely absorbed by now and oil should start to release.
- Now it’s time to add the left-over rice. Add the cold rice to the wok and using the stirring spatula spread them evenly over the surface of the wok.
- Leave the rice undisturbed on the wok for at least 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame. This will allow the rice grains to firm up and soak all the flavors of the aromatics.
- After about 4 minutes, start stirring the rice, keeping the heat on medium. Drizzle the light soy sauce at this point and keep stirring to mix it in evenly.
- After about 2 minutes of stir frying the rice, do a taste test to check the seasoning and based on your preference add any extra salt if only needed.
- Once the rice is nicely fried along with the veggies, add the cooked prawns and scrambled eggs to the wok.
- Stir everything together to give a good mix, distributing the prawns and eggs evenly.
- Sprinkle finely chopped spring onion greens and give a final mix. You super delicious and super healthy prawn fried rice is ready!
- Serve the prawn fried rice on a plate and drizzle freshly crushed black pepper over the rice. Garnish with a handful of spring onion greens and enjoy!
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