Easy Fried Rice that Gives New Life to Your Leftover Ham
Sneak Preview: Holiday ham leftovers are unrecognizable in this Easy Ham Fried Rice recipe. But don’t save it for the next holiday. It’s delicious any time of the year with any cooked meat.
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What do you do with the holiday leftovers? At our house, fried rice is all about cleaning out leftovers. This recipe is easy to put together but hard to quit eating.
All ingredients in this fried rice recipe are negotiable except for the rice. Variety and amounts can vary. Even the rice can be more or less, but I wouldn’t go with less than 2 cups.
Parting thoughts: I have lots of leftover ham with the holidays in the rearview mirror. I plan to make sliders using my recipe for Cheesy-Crusted Yeast Rolls. The larger slices of ham will make a great filling. I put the ham bone in the freezer. I’ll use it in a pot of beans. That leaves the little bits and pieces of veggies for this fried rice.
If you have leftover rice, you may be interested in this Easy Jasmine Rice Recipe with Southwestern Flavors or this recipe for The Freshest Broccoli-Cheese Rice.
More recipes for leftover ham:
Ham Salad Sandwich Spread with a Basil Twist
If you have questions or suggestions, email me privately for a quick answer: Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon!
Easy Ham Fried Rice
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Ingredients
- 3-4 ounces ham - chopped
- 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil - divided
- 2-4 tablespoons chopped onion
- 1 ½ cups fresh button mushrooms - thinly sliced
- ½ cup frozen peas and carrots - thawed
- 1 clove garlic - finely chopped
- 2 cups cooked rice - must be cool or cold–best when leftover
- 1 large egg - scrambled
- 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce - low sodium
- Fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ham and saute. Smallest pieces should begin to turn slightly crispy like bacon. Set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to hot skillet. Saute chopped onions till soft and but not brown. Set aside.
- Add mushrooms to skillet and saute until browned. Add peas and carrots and garlic and cook another minute. Set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons oil to skillet. When glistening, add cold rice. Break apart and stir quickly to coat each piece of rice with oil. Add egg and continue to mix quickly as egg cooks. Add bean sprouts and cook another minute.
- Add previously cooked meat and vegetables to rice mixture. Sprinkle scallions and soy sauce over mixture as you continue to stir and cook. Serve immediately.
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.