Pepperoni Fried Rice

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Perhaps one of the most popular leftover dishes is homemade Fried Rice. The base of a good fried rice dish is made using day-old / leftover steamed rice. The Rice is a lot less sticky when it’s a day old and lends itself exceptionally well to being pan fried. For our Pepperoni Fried Rice recipe, we’re doubling up on the use of leftovers. So, in addition to the leftover Rice, you can make this dish using leftover Pepperoni (or any other kind of cured meat such as Salami). So, make an amazing Pizza like this one, the day before, and save some Pepperoni for this awesome Fried Rice the next day!

This dish utilizes two of perhaps the most common leftover ingredients, Rice and Pepperoni

It just felt like a natural combination given the number of times I’ve looked through my refrigerator and seen either of, or both of these items in there after a meal. Possibly like many of you, we always make too much Rice. It’s deceiving just how much Rice you get out of just 1 cup! The stuff fluffs up so much and is so hearty to eat, so there’s always leftover Rice after an Asian-inspired cook up at our house

Pepperoni is another common leftover for us. We love making Pizzas, and Pepperoni is, of course, our go-to topping. I’m always of the opinion that I’m going to need way more Pepperoni than I eventually use. Hence, there’s always about half the Pepperoni left in the fridge

So naturally, the pairing of these two just seemed to make sense in some way. A classic Fried Rice felt like the best fit given how versatile it is. Fried Rice is the kind of homemade recipe where you can add almost any ingredient to it, and it’ll still come out pretty good

Well, not only does this Pepperoni Fried Rice taste good, but it also tastes great! Seriously! The sweet and salty flavor of the Pepperoni pairs so magically with the classic Fried Rice sauce combination of Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Fish Sauce, and a little Sugar. Pepperoni replaces what would typically be Lap Cheong, or Chinese Sausage, and does a more than suitable job in doing so!

How to make Pepperoni Fried Rice

This dish is a remarkably simple one to do and will only take about 20 minutes from start to finish. Begin by preparing your vegetables. For our recipe we’re using a classic combination of Carrots, Celery, Mushrooms, and Onion. It’s important in a Fried Rice to cut your vegetables at similar sizes. So, we recommend dicing them all quite fine. This will also ensure they cook quicker, as a Fried Rice is cooked quickly, over high heat in the pan or Wok

You then simply fry up those wonderful Vegetables for a few minutes in a super-hot pan until they are tender, then add Pepperoni (which we recommend chopping into pieces of similar size to your veggies), and the day-old cooked rice. Mix it all through then add your sauce, which is a classic Chinese combination of Soy Sauce, Fish Sauce, Chinese Vinegar, and a little Brown Sugar

Fry that all up for a few minutes and you’ve got yourself a load of beautiful Pepperoni Fried Rice to tuck into! We add some freshly chopped Scallions to the dish right before serving as a nice, crunchy garnish. This is optional, but it’s a good idea if you have the means. You can also add some Chili crisps if you want a bit more texture and spice to the dish

You can make Rice on the same day if required

If you don’t have any leftover rice you can still make this dish quite easily. The trick is to just cook the Rice early enough to allow it to cool and be refrigerated. Making it 2 hours or so before you start cooking the dish will be more than enough time for a great texture and flavor in your rice

Simply make the rice, season it and allow it to cool in the pot. Then, transfer it into the refrigerator covered with some cling film. Once it’s cooled it will form all the characteristics we need to make Fried Rice out of it. So, you’re set!

To make basic Steamed Rice is really easy, and you don’t need a rice cooker, or anything fancy like that. Just a pot with a lid on it. Add 1 cup of Jasmine Rice to a pot and crank the heat to high. After a few minutes, pour in 1 ½ cups of boiling water. Mix it up a bit to break up the rice, then drop the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes

After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, but keep the lid on for a further 10 minutes. The residual heat in the pot will continue to cook the Rice. After 10 minutes it’ll be done. Season with about ½ tsp. of Salt and fluff the Rice up with a spoon. That’s all there is to making perfect homemade Rice every time!

Pepperoni Fried Rice makes for fantastic leftovers for lunch

Given this dish takes just 20 minutes to make, it’s a perfect meal to enjoy for lunch using those wonderful leftovers. You can also whip the dish up the night before and refrigerate it. It’ll last a few days in the fridge, perfect to re-heat an individual portion for a hearty lunch

It’s packed full of vegetables too, so not only is it a hearty meal, but it’s also good for you. The ingredients are all super-cheap, so it won’t break the bank either

All in all, making Pepperoni Fried Rice ticks all the boxes for a great lunch using leftovers that may otherwise get thrown out! So, next time you’ve made too much rice, or got too ambitious with how much Pepperoni you’ll need for homemade Pizzas we recommend giving this dish a try!

Pepperoni Fried Rice Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup Pepperoni Slices (about 10 thick cut Pepperoni pieces)
• 1 cup of day old, cooked Rice
• 1 Carrot, diced
• 2 Celery stalks, diced
• ½ Onion, finely diced
• ½ cup Button Mushrooms, diced
• 4 Garlic Cloves, diced
• 2 tbsp. Scallions, finely chopped
• 5 tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Fish Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Chinese Vinegar
• ½ tsp. Sesame Oil
• ½ tsp. Brown Sugar
• Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Mix the Soy Sauce, Fish Sauce, Chinese Vinegar, Sesame Oil, and Brown Sugar together in a small bowl then set aside
2. Add the Oil to a large Wok or Frying Pan over high heat. Once hot, add the Mushrooms, Onions, Celery, and Carrot. Stir Fry for 3 – 4 minutes, then add the Pepperoni and cook for a further 2 minutes until the Pepperoni has darkened
3. Add the Garlic and cooked Rice. Mix through well to ensure the Rice has broken up and started to take on some of the juices from the Vegetables and Pepperoni
4. Pour in the sauce you prepared earlier and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat, then finish the dish with chopped Scallions and serve
   
   

Recipe Notes

• For a little extra spice, try adding some Chili Crisps as a topping along with the Chopped Scallions right before serving
• This dish will comfortably feed 4 people. You can halve the ingredients if you are cooking for 2 people, or simply make enough for more leftovers the next day
  
  

Our Pepperoni Fried Rice is a fun twist on the classic Chinese dish loved by millions. We encourage you all to give it a try, as it tastes amazing and is so easy to cook. It makes for an easy and affordable dinner for the family

For more hearty and easy to prepare dishes, why not try some of our other amazing recipes such as these:

• Chicken Yaki Udon Noodles
• Garlic Butter Shrimp with Paprika
• Chicken and Chorizo Rice
• Vegetarian Turkish Bread Pizza
  
  

Happy Cooking!