![\"This](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/japanese-fried-rice-recipe.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNote: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my <\/em>privacy policy<\/em><\/a> for more info. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Note<\/strong>: I learned how to prepare Japanese garlic fried rice from a chef working in a Japanese restaurant and decided to use the Chinese wok and high-power stove to generate the wok aroma, a typical Chinese method. As a result, it is not exactly the way he does it with the teppan. Therefore, I do not claim this is authentic Japanese fried rice, but I improvise it based on his method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crispy garlic is the secret ingredient of the best Japanese garlic fried rice. You need to fry the garlic separately from the rice before mixing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the most crucial step of this recipe. The purpose is to fry the garlic, either chopped or thinly sliced, in shallow oil until crispy and golden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Saute the garlic over low heat is the key, as high heat will brown the garlic’s surface before the internal gets dry, resulting in the garlic that is brown but not crispy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When done correctly, the garlic is golden and crispy, and the oil infused with the garlic’s flavor and aroma will be used to fry the rice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may not need all the oil to fry the rice. The excess oil can be kept for other stir-fried dishes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Assuming you have cooked the rice in advance, you can now start to fry the rice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I use Japanese rice in this recipe. You can substitute it with long grain rice (Jasmine rice), but the mouthfeel differs slightly. Japanese short grain rice is chewier and springier, unique to Japanese fried rice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the familiar problems of making fried rice is it tends to stick to the wok. Here are my tips for cooking the rice to prevent it from sticking to the wok\/pan while frying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My next trick to make the rice less sticky is to wash it by changing the water at least five times or until the water runs clear before boiling the rice <\/p>\n\n\n\n This step effectively removes the surface starch that causes the rice to clump together or get gummy as it fries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You will get fried rice, and each grain is separated from the other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A well season wok is indispensable to produce the best quality fried rice. The rice will still stick to the wok while frying with high heat if it is not well seasoned and fails to generate wok-hei. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Please refer to the embedded video in this article, which shows that the wok is still glossy and shining after the rice is removed. Also, I removed the excess oil in the wok before frying. If it is well seasoned, you don’t need plenty of oil to fry rice. It behaves like a non-stick frying pan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A misconception to prevent the rice from sticking to the wok is to add water during stir-frying. It sounds logical but is counterintuitive because once the water dries up, it becomes more sticky as the rice becomes gummy. Besides, you can’t generate the wok aroma if the rice is wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Butter and olive oil are unsuitable in this recipe because I use high heat to fry the rice. The butter’s smoking point is 150\u00b0C\/300\u00b0F, way below the heat generated by the high-power gas stove. The surface temperature can reach up to 315\u00b0C\/600\u00b0F, so even constant quick tossing will not prevent the butter from breaking down. Therefore, oils with high smoking points, such as corn, peanut, and palm, should be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You need to fry the rice over lower heat to prevent the butter from turning into smoke. Doing so will give you the butter flavor (not the authentic Japanese), but you must forego the wok aroma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no need to use high heat at the beginning. Start frying the rice over low heat, then gradually increase over time. The rice sticks to the wok if you start with a high temperature. After a while, it gets dryer and coated with the oil. Now, gradually increase the heat, and turn to high heat at the final stage to create the wok aroma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You do not necessarily need a wok to fry the rice, although the result is superior. The Japanese chef is always stir-frying the rice on the teppan (the giant steel griddle at the teppanyaki counter), which works pretty much the same as the wok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What if you do not own a high-power stove like me? The high-power gas stove is popular in Asia. It only cost me RM70\/USD17.50. It can generate roaring heat and turn it down to simmer or slow cook. I have a small family, and that is the all-purpose stove in my kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the high-power gas stove may not be available if you are living outside of Asia. When visiting my son in New Zealand during the last Chinese New Year, I used his electric stove to fry rice with a large pan. The wok aroma wasn’t as strong as my trusted gas stove and cast iron wok, but the result should be gladly accepted if served at any restaurant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I use Japanese soy sauce, mirin, and sake apart from salt for the fried rice. You can add some ground pepper and sesame oil if you like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I prefer using the Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi) because the dark soy sauce makes the color of the fried rice less attractive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Note<\/strong>: Mirin and sake contain alcohol. Omit them from the recipe if you are non-alcoholic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you like this Japanese garlic fried rice recipe, you may also want to try the following related recipes.How to make Japanese fried rice <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Fried the garlic to perfection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In summary, here are the steps to fry the garlic:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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2 How to prepare Japanese garlic fried rice <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Here are the detailed steps to fry the rice.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Tips to prevent the rice from sticking during stir-frying <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Use old rice to fry<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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2. Wash the rice multiple times <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. Season the wok (an important step) <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4. Never add water to the fried rice <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"This](\"https:\/\/tasteasianfood.com\/mystaging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/japanese-fried-rice-recipe-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMore tips to prepare the best fried rice <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Do not use butter in this garlic fried rice recipe <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Does it always require high heat to fry rice? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. How to make Japanese garlic fried rice without the wok <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cook with an electric or induction stove<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Here is the method to fry rice with an electric stove. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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4. Use Japanese seasonings: Shoyu, mirin, and sake <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other related recipes <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Fried rice with Chinese sausage. Chinese sausage fried rice \u81d8\u8178\u7092\u98ef is an ideal dish for a quick meal. This dish is also a welcome respite from elaborate cuisine and binge eating during the Chinese New Year.
Gy\u014dza is a smaller dumpling encased with finely minced meat and cabbage. You may eat it fresh from the pan or dunk it into a sauce comprised of soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil for extra flavor.
Miso soup \u5473\u564c\u6c41 is a warm and comforting Japanese soup prepared with a soup stock (Dashi) and miso paste. It is the Japanese’s soul food, which serves together with rice.<\/p>\n\n\n