Ham Fried Rice

This Ham Fried Rice is a quick & easy family dinner idea that's ready for the dinner table in just 20 minutes! It's made with leftover rice, ham, and a few other simple ingredients. It's one of my go-to quick weeknight meals. 

For more ways to use up leftover ham be sure and check out my Ham and Corn Chowder, Baked Ham & Cheese Sandwiches, and this Ham and Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole. 

Easy Quick Dinner Idea

I am always on the lookout for quick & easy dinner ideas that come together fast! There seems to always be leftover rice in my fridge and this ham fried rice is hands down, the best way to use up leftover rice and ham. 

It's ready for the dinner table in just 20 minutes! Learn how to make fried rice with ham plus all my helpful tips below. 

Ingredients Needed

• Sesame Oil - This is an oil that you can find in the Asian foods section of the store, near where the soy sauce is. It has so much flavor and really adds a lot to this fried rice, don't skip it!
• Oil - Use a neutral flavored oil like avocado oil, canola oil, or extra virgin olive oil (light tasting is best). 
• Diced Ham - Measure 1 cup of diced ham after it's been chopped. You can use leftover ham from this Brown Sugar Ham or buy some freshly sliced ham from the deli counter, or buy a package of pre-cooked diced ham at the store. 
• Finely Diced Onion - A yellow onion is the best to use because if it's mild flavor. You could also use a white onion or a Vidalia sweet onion. 
• Frozen Peas and Carrots
• Garlic Cloves - You can use minced or pressed fresh garlic cloves, chopped garlic from a jar, or garlic paste from a tube. Either of them work well. 
• Large Eggs
• Leftover White Rice - You must use leftover rice that is at least a day old. Straight from the fridge is preferred to avoid a sticky and mushy fried rice. 
• Soy Sauce
• Butter
• Green Onions

Step-by-Step Instructions For How To Make Fried Rice With Leftover Rice

Learn how to make ham fried rice at home, using leftover rice, with the easy-to-follow steps below. Be sure and read to the bottom of the page where there is a detailed recipe card with all my tips, a printable option, and a pin it button so you can save the recipe for later. 

I like to have all the ingredients measured out and ready to go, that way I am able to stir the fried rice to prevent it from burning, and not be measuring out other ingredients. 

• Prep : Make sure your onion and ham are chopped small before starting. 
• Heat Oil : Heat the oils inside a skillet pan, or wok, over high heat. 
• Ham + Veggies : Once hot, add the ham, frozen peas and carrots, and onion. Cook until the onion is softened and translucent. Stir it frequently to prevent anything from burning. 
• Scramble Eggs : Move the veggies to one side of the pan and add the eggs into the empty side. Scramble the eggs until cooked through. 
• Rice + Seasonings : Add the cooked old white rice, soy sauce, and butter. Stir to combine and let it cook for about 5 minutes. 
• Serve : Garnish each serving with some sliced green onions. Enjoy!

Ham Fried Rice FAQ's

• How Long Does Fried Rice Last In The Fridge?

  • Leftovers will last for up to 4 days, stored in an airtight container, in the fridge. 

• My Fried Rice Turned Out Pretty Wet & Mushy, What Happened?

  • If you're using freshly cooked rice (like you just made the rice before starting the ham fried rice) then your fried rice will come out sticky, wetter, and have a mushier/softer texture. 
  • I highly recommend only using at least day old leftover white rice in this recipe. You can use up leftover rice from a previous dinner OR prepare the white rice the day before and refrigerate it for at least 24 hours. 

• Can It Be Made Gluten-Free?

  • You can make fried rice gluten-free b simply substituting the soy sauce for tamari. 

• How To Keep The Scrambled Eggs From Mixing In With The Vegetables

  • The key is making sure you have all your vegetables on one side of the pan and slowly stirring your eggs to scramble them without letting the eggs touch the vegetable mixture beside them. 
  • It also helps to use a large enough skillet pan so there is plenty of room to push the veggies to the side and then use the space to scramble the eggs. 

Recipe Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe in your own kitchen ♥

• Don't Use Freshly Cooked Rice : For the best results when making fried rice, make sure you are using leftover rice that is at least 24 hours old (meaning it's been in the fridge for at least that long). Using fresh cooked rice will yield a soft, mushier texture fried rice that is just not nearly as good as when old rice is used. 
• Frozen Veggies : Frozen carrots and peas is the traditional vegetable to use in fried rice but feel free to use whatever you want. Stick with something smaller in size, similar to the peas and carrots, to ensure that it will cook properly in the time given in the recipe. You can also use all peas or all carrots, or substitute with some corn or other small frozen veggie. 

More Easy Dinner Recipes Your Family Will Love

• Chili Mac Recipe - Starts with a box of deluxe mac & cheese but you'd never even know it! My kids devour this. 
• White Sauce Penne Pasta - So creamy, cheesy, and always a dinner winner. 
• Chicken Pillows - Use up leftover chicken, or buy a rotisserie chicken, and make these soft & fluffy biscuits stuffed with creamy chicken. 
• BBQ Turkey Sloppy Joes - I seem to make these weekly for my family. Always a fave!
• Easy Chicken Curry - The quick way to make this classic dish. 
• Santa Fe Chicken Salad Wraps - Creamy chicken mixture with beans rolled up inside a tortilla along with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado.