Today I’m making one of my favorite comfort dishes, Yangzhou fried rice with a Cantonese twist. I grew up cooking Cantonese food, so those flavors naturally show up in my wok every time. Instead of the traditional Yangzhou mix of ham and dried scallops, I use char siu and shrimp, which I’m most familiar with.

The result is a fusion-style fried rice that still keeps the classic Yangzhou technique, but with all the aroma, color, and cozy comfort of Cantonese cooking.

It’s simple, flavorful, and something anyone can easily recreate at home. 

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Main Ingredients for My Fried Rice

The key ingredients I used for this fried rice are Chinese barbecue pork (Char Siu) and shrimp, two classic staples in Cantonese-style fried rice. 

• I made the Char Siu myself this morning using an air fryer. You can follow this link to get the recipe. Otherwise, you can easily pick some up from your local market or any Chinese grocery store.
• Along with the Char Siu, I added shrimp, eggs, scallions, green beans, and carrots. All these ingredients give the fried rice a bright, colorful look that’s super appetizing. Each one brings its own flavor and texture, which adds a nice contrast to every bite. I cut everything into evenly sized pieces, about the size of the green beans, so everything cooks evenly during stir-frying. I use small shrimp for this Yangzhou Fried Rice recipe. If you use large shrimp, you can cut them into small pieces.

Note: Yangzhou Fried Rice originates from Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, and is a classic dish in Huaiyang cuisine. Traditional recipes usually feature Jin Hua ham, bamboo shoots, Chinese sausage, and dried scallops. My recipe is a fusion of both: it uses Cantonese ingredients like Char Siu and shrimp while following the traditional Yangzhou techniques to create golden, fragrant, and colourful fried rice.

High-Power Stove and Cast-Iron Wok for fried rice

Do you really need them for great fried rice?

Cast Iron Wok

A cast-iron wok and a high-power stove are often considered the “gold standard” for making amazing fried rice. A well-seasoned cast-iron wok becomes naturally nonstick, heats evenly, and works especially well when paired with a powerful stove that can generate intense heat.

For today’s cooking, I used my cast-iron wok. Let me share a handy tip with you: To make a cast-iron (or stainless-steel) wok nonstick, heat it until it’s very hot, add some oil, and wait for it to just begin smoking. Then pour out the excess, leaving only a thin layer. This helps prevent the rice from sticking and gives you that wonderful wok aroma.

High-power stove

Even though I usually cook with a high-power stove, I purposely used my regular home stove for this blog post. Reason? I know many of you don’t have a high-powered stove like those in the Chinese restaurants, so I wanted to show you can still get that restaurant-style flavor with a standard household stove. With the right technique, great fried rice is absolutely doable in any kitchen!

How to Prepare Yangzhou Fried Rice

1. Cook the Egg White and Yolk Separately

1. Start by cracking the eggs and separating the yolks from the whites. This step is important because the yolks will be used to coat the rice grains, giving the fried rice its beautiful golden color, while the whites are cooked separately to add another layer of color and texture.
2. Beat the yolks, then heat a little oil in the wok and give the yolks a very quick scramble. Keep them tender and fluffy by removing them immediately to prevent overcooking.
3. Next, stir-fry the egg whites and use the wok spatula to break them into small pieces. Now you have both the yellow and white components ready for the rice.

2. Cook the Other Ingredients and the Rice

1. After cooking the eggs, add a bit more oil to the wok and briefly stir-fry the shrimp until they turn opaque. Then add the barbecue pork, carrots, and beans, and stir-fry over medium heat for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Next, remove everything from the wok so you can fry the rice properly.
2. Leftover or day-old Jasmine rice is the best for frying. Chilling the rice in the refrigerator overnight (or at least for half a day) dries it out so the grains separate easily. Before cooking, use your hands (gloves if you prefer) to break up any clumps. This ensures even stir-frying and allows the yolk to coat every grain nicely.
3. Start by stir-frying the rice over low to medium heat for about a minute. Then pour in the soft scrambled egg and use the wok spatula to mix it thoroughly so every grain becomes golden and separated.

We also recorded a video to document the whole process while writing this blog. 🎥
You can find it in the article, right above the recipe card. 

3. Season the Rice and Bring Everything Together

1. After that, return the cooked barbecue pork, shrimp, carrots, green beans, and scallions to the wok. Turn the heat to high and continue stir-frying until everything becomes aromatic and you can smell the wok hei rising from the wok.
2. Now it’s time to season. Add just enough salt and 1–2 teaspoons of light soy sauce. Avoid adding too much soy sauce because we want to keep the fried rice bright and colorful. This recipe is meant to highlight the natural flavors of the ingredients.
3. Finally, return the egg whites and the scallions to the wok. Stir-fry everything together over high heat for another 20 seconds, tossing well.
4. And that’s it, my Cantonese-style Yangzhou Fried Rice, full of color, aroma, and flavor. Enjoy! 

Continue to Content

Yangzhou Fried Rice with Char Siu and Shrimp

Yield: 3 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Golden, aromatic, and colorful, this Cantonese-style Yangzhou Fried Rice recipe is perfect for home cooking any day of the week.

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Ingredients

• 500g cooked jasmine rice, chilled
• 4 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
• 100 g char siu, diced
• 100 g shrimp, peeled and diced
• ¼ cup green beans
• ¼ cup diced carrots
• 2 stalks scallions, cut into thin rings
• 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
• 2 tsp light soy sauce (optional; keep small to maintain light colour)
• 3 tbsp neutral oil

Instructions

1. Prepare eggs: Separate yolks and whites. Lightly scramble yolks until just cooked; set aside. Cook the whites separately and break them into small pieces.
2. Cook protein & veggies: Stir-fry shrimp until opaque. Add Char Siu, carrots, and peas; cook 30 sec–1 min. Remove from the wok.
3. Prep rice: Use chilled rice. Break up clumps so grains are separated.
4. Fry rice: Stir-fry rice over medium heat 1 min. Add the yolk mixture and mix to coat the grains evenly.
5. Combine ingredients: Return cooked shrimp, Char Siu, carrots, peas, and scallions to the wok. Stir-fry on high heat until aromatic.
6. Season: Add a pinch of salt and 1–2 tsp light soy sauce.
7. Finish: Return egg whites and remaining scallions. Toss together over high heat for 20 sec. Serve immediately.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 541Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 341mgSodium: 1499mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 29g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 6/12/2025

Tips for Making the Best Golden Fried Rice

Before you begin, let me share a few tips to help you prepare the perfect golden fried rice:

1. Cook one serving at a time on a small stove. If you’re using a home stove with lower heat, cook only one serving at a time. A small stove may not generate enough heat to create the wok aroma if there’s too much rice or too many ingredients at once.
2. Use the right wok. Make sure to use a well-seasoned cast-iron wok or a good-quality nonstick wok, so the ingredients don’t stick during stir-frying.
3. Scramble the egg briefly. If you want every grain of rice coated with egg yolk, scramble the egg very lightly so it’s still slightly runny. Add it to the rice and mix gently over low heat to give the yolk time to coat each grain.
4. Keep the fried rice vibrant. This dish is meant to be colourful, so avoid using dark soy sauce. It will darken the rice and reduce the bright, appealing colours.
5. Season lightly. The barbecue pork, shrimp, and eggs are already full of flavor. You only need a pinch of salt, a small amount of light soy sauce, and an optional dash of pepper.
6. Use high heat, but don’t overdo it.  High heat is important for stir-frying the rice and achieving wok aroma, but be careful not to cook it too long, or the rice will dry out.