This Spam fried rice is made with seared Spam, eggs, vegetables and rice, all cooked together with seasonings to make a quick and easy meal. A great way to have an economical and flavorful dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!
I am a big fan of Asian inspired cuisine. I regularly make savory sesame noodles, comforting egg drop soup, and this crowd pleasing Spam fried rice.
Spam: it’s what’s for dinner. Not every night in my house, but I’ve been known to pull out a can of this meat on occasion. This Spam fried rice is a great way to use up odds and ends of veggies and leftover rice, and it’s a big hit with my kids.
How do you make Spam fried rice?
Cut a block of Spam into bite sized pieces, then cook the meat in a skillet until it’s golden brown. Remove the Spam from the pan, then cook up some scrambled eggs and vegetables. Next, add everything back to the skillet along with cooked rice, toasted sesame oil and soy sauce. Stir fry until everything is coated in sauce, then add a sprinkling of sliced green onions and enjoy.
Tips for the perfect dish
- Long grain rice works best in this dish. You can use a regular long grain white rice or a fragrant variety such as jasmine or basmati rice.
- Frozen peas are great in this fried rice, you do not need to seek out fresh peas at the grocery store. I don’t recommend using canned peas, as they don’t have as nice of a color or texture as the frozen variety.
- This reicpe is the perfect way to re-purpose leftover rice, because cold rice makes the best fried rice. With chilled rice, the grains are all separated and firm, which will create a better texture than fresh cooked rice. Fried rice made with just-cooked rice will be softer and won’t have those crispy little bits.
- Leftover fried rice will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and can be frozen for two months.
IS FRIED RICE HEALTHY?
Spam fried rice is not the healthiest choice because it does contain some oil, and Spam is high in sodium. If you’re looking for ways to make your fried rice healthier, you can use half the amount of vegetable oil, substitute cooked brown rice for white rice, choose lite or low sodium Spam, and add an assortment of extra vegetables to the mix.
Spam fried rice flavor variations
This fried rice is great as-is, but you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Protein: Feel free to add other proteins or swap out the Spam for other options such as diced chicken, ground beef, pork tenderloin, tofu or bacon.
- Vegetables: I love adding more vegetables including mushrooms, bell peppers and bok choy. You can also give it a tropical twist by adding some diced pineapple.
- Flavorings: Kick up the flavor with a spoonful of Sriracha, Japanese furikake seasoning, toasted sesame seeds, lime juice or fresh chopped cilantro.
Once you see how delicious this recipe is, you’ll find yourself making it on a regular basis!
More Asian inspired recipes
Spam Fried Rice Video
Spam Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons vegetable oil divided use
- 12 ounce can Spam cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
- 2 carrots peeled, quartered and sliced
- 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 3 cups cooked long grain white rice
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
- Place the Spam pieces in a single layer in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until meat is browned.
- Remove the Spam from the pan. Place it on a plate then cover with foil to keep warm.
- Pour 1 teaspoon of oil into the pan, then add the onion and carrots. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until veggies are softened. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
- Add the garlic and ginger, then cook for 30 seconds.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan. Place them on the plate with the Spam and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Pour the remaining teaspoon of oil into the pan. Add the eggs and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up with a spatula, until the eggs are scrambled. Add a bit of salt and pepper to the eggs.
- Add the rice, Spam, cooked veggies and peas into the pan.
- Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil and mix until everything is thoroughly combined and warmed through, about 4-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle green onions over the top of the rice mixture, then serve and enjoy.
Sara says
Great recipe, perfect for a quick week day meal and kids loved it too!!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family
Irena says
Oh, spam! It’s one of those ingredients that people pretend not to use but secretly love. Works super well in fried rice, I must say. Thanks for the idea and the recipe.
sara says
I added some pineapple like you suggested and it was so good! Thanks for the recipe.
Keri Bevan says
What a great, easy meal . We loved this recipe. Thank you!