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Overview

Yangzhou Fried Rice

Yangzhou Chao Fan, Yeung Chow Fried Rice

Yangzhou fried rice is the gold standard of Chinese fried rice, and its trick is restraint: day-old rice fried fast with egg, diced char siu, shrimp and peas, seasoned with just a little soy sauce and Shaoxing wine so the rice stays pale gold and every ingredient keeps its own flavour. There is no fish sauce, no kimchi and no sweet soy sauce here — that lightness is what sets it apart from Thai fried rice and from Indonesian nasi goreng. One serving is about 310 g.

Yangzhou fried rice comes from Yangzhou, a historic city in Jiangsu province and a centre of Huaiyang cuisine, one of China's great cooking traditions. The dish is said to have been created by Yi Bingshou, a magistrate of Yangzhou in the Qing dynasty, and it grew out of the older golden fried rice, with cooks adding shrimp, char siu, peas and egg to turn leftover rice into a balanced plate. Yangzhou's local quality bureau later published a standard recipe listing ingredients such as rice, egg, chicken, ham, scallops, lake shrimp, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and peas — a sign of how seriously the city takes its most famous rice.

Pairs well with: A small bowl of hot-and-sour soup and a cup of jasmine tea, with extra spring onions on the side.

Provenance

China flag China

Yangzhou Huaiyang Classic

East & South Asia

Time Dedication

30m

15m prep • 15m cook

Batch Yield

4 Servings

439 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 310 g

Technical Skill

Easy

Easy (One Wok)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Hearty Midday Main

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Occasions: Weeknight dinners, using up leftover rice, casual family meals, packed lunches Cost: Medium — about $3–4 per serving at home
Tags: Pork Seafood Egg Rice Savory Stir-fried
A plate of Yangzhou fried rice with golden egg, pink shrimp, diced char siu and green spring onions

Yangzhou Huaiyang Classic

Photo: Ceeseven, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Medium — about $3–4 per serving at home (USD)

Made the Yangzhou way: day-old rice fried in a hot wok with egg, char siu, shrimp and peas, seasoned lightly so the rice stays pale gold and every ingredient shows.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 30m
P

Prep Stage: Rice, Egg & Fillings

15 Mins • Dicing, Peeling & Measuring

Break up the cold rice so the grains are loose. Dice the char siu into small cubes, peel and devein the shrimp, slice the spring onions and beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Mix the soy sauce and Shaoxing wine in a small bowl and set everything beside the wok.

Maestro Tip: Cut the char siu and shrimp to the same small size — even pieces cook evenly and every spoonful gets a bit of everything.

  1. 1

    Scramble the Eggs

    2 Mins Medium-high heat, ~190°C (375°F)

    Heat a little oil in a large wok over medium-high heat, pour in the beaten eggs and stir gently until they are just set in soft, small curds. Lift them out before they dry out and set aside.

    Take the eggs out while they still look slightly wet — they finish cooking when they go back into the hot rice.

    Done when: Soft, just-set curds, still moist.

  2. 2

    Cook the Shrimp and Char Siu

    3 Mins High heat, ~200°C (400°F)

    Add a little more oil to the wok and fry the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes until just pink and opaque, then add the diced char siu and fry for 1 minute more. Lift both out and set aside with the eggs.

    Do not overcook the shrimp — they go rubbery fast, and they get a second heating with the rice.

    Done when: Shrimp pink and opaque, char siu warmed through.

  3. 3

    Fry the Rice

    4 Mins High heat, ~200°C (400°F)

    Add the remaining oil and the cold rice, pressing it into the hot wok, then toss and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, breaking up any clumps, until the grains are hot, separate and lightly toasted at the edges.

    Let the rice sit against the wok for a few seconds between tosses — that contact is what gives it the smoky, toasted flavour.

    Done when: Grains hot, separate and lightly toasted, no clumps.

  4. 4

    Season Lightly

    1 Min High heat, ~200°C (400°F)

    Sprinkle the soy sauce and Shaoxing wine around the edges of the wok so they sizzle before they hit the rice, then add the chicken stock and toss everything together. The rice should stay pale gold, not brown.

    Seasoning at the edges keeps the rice light — pouring sauce straight onto the rice makes it dark and soggy.

    Done when: Evenly seasoned, rice still pale gold.

  5. 5

    Combine and Finish

    2 Mins High heat, ~200°C (400°F)

    Return the eggs, shrimp and char siu to the wok with the frozen peas. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes until the peas are hot and everything is mixed through, then stir in the spring onions and take the wok off the heat.

    The peas cook in the heat of the rice — no need to cook them separately.

    Done when: Peas hot and bright green, egg, shrimp and char siu evenly mixed, spring onions still bright.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Spoon onto warm plates and serve at once, while the rice is still steaming and the shrimp are tender — Yangzhou fried rice is at its best in the first few minutes out of the wok.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

439

kcal / serving

Protein

25g

Complete AA

Carbs

49g

Complex

Fats

15g

Healthy

Per serving (4 servings · 1 serving ≈ 310 g)
Energy439 kcal
Protein25 g
Carbohydrates49 g
Fat15 g
Fibre1.9 g
Sugar3.5 g
Sodium593 mg
Per 100g
Energy142 kcal
Protein7.9 g
Carbohydrates15.7 g
Fat4.8 g
Fibre0.6 g
Sugar1.1 g
Sodium191 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: The eggs and shrimp supply B vitamins, selenium and iodine, the peas add vitamin K and fibre, and the spring onions add vitamin C.

Protein from Three Sources

One serving carries about 24.6 g of protein from the eggs, shrimp and char siu, which is what makes a plate of fried rice a proper dinner rather than a snack.

Peas and Spring Onions in Every Spoonful

Peas and spring onions bring fibre, vitamin K and vitamin C to a plate that is mostly rice, and their green colour is part of the dish's balance.

Lightly Seasoned, Balanced Plate

Rice for energy, egg, shrimp and pork for protein, peas for sweetness and colour — a complete meal with a gentle hand on the salt.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Soups

Hot-and-Sour Soup

A small bowl of hot-and-sour soup is the classic partner because its sharp, peppery warmth contrasts with the mild, golden fried rice.

Drinks

Jasmine Tea

Hot jasmine tea is the everyday drink with fried rice in China — its floral lightness cleans the palate between spoonfuls of the rich wok rice.

Vegetables

Stir-Fried Greens

A plate of garlic stir-fried greens adds a fresh, slightly bitter counterpoint to the sweet char siu and the rich egg.

Sides

Spring Rolls

A crisp spring roll on the side echoes the wok cooking with a different texture, and its crunch is the contrast the soft rice needs.

Full Menus

Steamed Dumplings & Fruit

Start with a few steamed dumplings and finish with sliced pear or orange — light at both ends, with the golden fried rice in the middle.

Complete menu

Serve Yangzhou fried rice with hot-and-sour soup and jasmine tea, then finish with sliced pear or orange.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Extra Soy Sauce at the Table

The dish is seasoned lightly on purpose, but one serving still carries about 593 mg sodium, so flooding the plate with more soy sauce turns a balanced rice into a salty one. This is general food information, not medical advice.

Undercooked Shrimp

Shrimp cook fast, but pieces that are still grey and translucent in the middle have not reached a safe temperature, so always check they are pink and opaque throughout. This is general food information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA satisfying dinner — about 439 kcal and 24.6 g protein per serving, best eaten hot out of the wok.
  • ChildrenMild, colourful and easy to eat; cut the shrimp into small pieces for young children and skip the wine if you prefer.
  • ElderlyEasy to chew when the shrimp and char siu are diced small, and the seasoning is light — one serving with soup is the comfortable choice.
  • Pregnant womenFine as an occasional dinner when the shrimp is cooked right through to pink and opaque and the eggs are fully set. Ask your clinician about portions.
  • Breastfeeding womenAn energy-rich, protein-rich dinner; the rice, egg and shrimp are filling, so one serving is usually enough.
  • AthletesGood fuel after training, with about 439 kcal and 48.6 g carbohydrate per serving — add extra egg rather than extra frying oil.
  • Weight gainEnergy-dense at about 439 kcal and easy to eat in a good amount, so it suits weight gain when eaten as a full plate.
  • Weight lossReasonable for a dinner at about 439 kcal; use a smaller mound of rice and a lighter hand with the oil to lighten it further.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesThe rice is the main carbohydrate, so keep the mound as stated and eat the shrimp and greens first to slow the rise. Ask your clinician about portions.
  • High blood pressureOne serving carries about 593 mg sodium, so do not add extra soy sauce or salty sides to the same meal. Ask your clinician about portions.
  • Kidney diseasePortions should stay modest, and the salt and protein content matter for some kidney diets. Ask your clinician about portions.
  • GoutShrimp and pork are the main purine sources here, so keep to one modest serving and drink water with the meal. Ask your clinician about portions.
  • Stomach issuesFried food can irritate a sensitive stomach; eat the rice and egg first and keep any chilli to a small amount. Ask your clinician about portions.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseThe egg yolks and oil add fat, so one modest serving with soup and stir-fried greens is a better balance than a second helping. Ask your clinician about portions.
  • Fatty liverThe dish is fried and energy-dense, so keep portions modest and avoid eating it late at night. Ask your clinician about portions.
  • Food allergiesContains egg, shellfish (shrimp) and soy (soy sauce, which also contains wheat). People with egg, shellfish, soy or wheat allergy should not eat it unless safe substitutes are used. Ask your clinician about safe alternatives.
  • Special therapeutic dietsNot suitable for gluten-free or low-sodium diets as written; tamari and a low-sodium stock would be needed. Ask your clinician about safe alternatives.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool the rice quickly and store it in a covered container; keep the spring onions separate.
In the fridge
Cooked Yangzhou fried rice keeps 2 days in the fridge at 4°C (40°F) or below.
In the freezer
The fried rice freezes for up to 1 month without the spring onions.
How to reheat
Reheat in a hot wok or pan at high heat until steaming hot throughout, to 74°C (165°F); add a splash of water if the rice has dried out.
Freezing recommended
Yes — the rice only, without the spring onions.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour smell in the rice, shrimp gone soft and grey, or peas turned dull and mushy.

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