Easy Mushroom Fried Rice

Looking for a flavorful vegetarian meal that keeps you full? This Mushroom Fried Rice is easy, filling, and loaded with flavor and texture.

This classic Asian-inspired meatless dish takes under an hour (less than 30 minutes if you’re using leftover rice!) and has an earthy flavor and meaty texture from the mushrooms. Plus, the addition of teriyaki and soy sauce gives this meal a great balance of salty and sweet.

In this recipe you will learn how to fry rice with an egg using a simple one-pan technique, and how to infuse flavor by frying the mushrooms and onions in teriyaki sauce.

This dish is a great way to use up leftover rice, and is super versatile, making it the perfect clean-out-the-fridge-meal. Just throw any veggies you have in the fridge and want to use up in with the onions and mushrooms in step three of the recipe!

As an environmental scientist, I’m always looking for delicious meat alternatives to help me lower my ecological footprint, and the mushrooms in this Mushroom Fried Rice recipe is an incredible replacement for chicken or pork!

The “meaty” texture of the mushrooms lends itself to the teriyaki sauce and complements the fluffy & salty soy sauce fried rice with eggs beautifully.

Green tip: Industrial meat production has a huge impact on the environment, especially because of the amount of land it takes to sustain and its high amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing your meat consumption is one great way to reduce your ecological footprint.

Mushroom Fried Rice Ingredients

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Here’s everything you need:

• Rice. You can make it fresh or use leftover rice!
• Yellow onion.
• Mushrooms. I love to make this Mushroom Fried Rice with fresh shiitake, baby bella, or white button mushrooms. If you want to add extra umami flavor to your fried rice, throw in dried Porcini mushrooms in step three of the recipe while you are cooking down the mushrooms and onions.
• Olive oil.
• Teriyaki sauce.
• Soy sauce. Dark soy sauce will give you the most flavor in this mushroom fried rice recipe. You can use a low-sodium option, or substitute Tamari if you want to keep this dish soy-free.
• Eggs.
• Salt & pepper.

Optional Garnishes to Boost Flavor:

• Sesame oil. Sesame oil is a finishing oil. It loses a lot of its flavor when heated, so I like to drizzle it on top rather than fry the rice in it.
• Green onion. For freshness, crunch, and extra color and flavor.
• Sesame seeds. Subtle textural notes and a nutty flavor.
• Extra soy sauce. Depending on your taste, you may want to add a little extra soy sauce to your serving.

Mushroom Fried Rice Tips and Tricks

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Cook the Rice First or Use Leftover Rice

Add the rice and the water to a pot that has a fitted lid. Bring the rice and water to a rolling boil. Then, turn the heat all the way down to low and wait for it to drop from a boil to a simmer. Then, add the lid and cook for 12 minutes.

After 12 minutes, remove the pot from heat, but keep the lid on. Allow it to sit for an additional 10 minutes. Then, fluff it with a fork and set it aside to cool.

Alternatively, this dish is a great way to use up leftover rice. While I love making this mushroom dinner recipe with jasmine rice, you can whip up this dish with any kind of leftover rice.

This recipe is written for 1 cup of uncooked rice, which equates to about 3 cups of cooked rice. So, if you are making this recipe with leftover rice and you have less than 3 cups, make sure you adjust the other ingredients accordingly.

That being said, this recipe is easy and pretty foolproof, so even if the measurements are perfect, it’s pretty hard to mess it up.

How to Easily Dice Your Onion

Get your tissues ready, it’s time to dice those onions!

If you have an onion dicing technique you know and are comfortable with, go for it! However, if you’re looking for guidance on dicing your onions, I’m here for you.

Here’s a step-by-step on how I dice mine:

Step 1: Slice the onion into 4 parts around the bulb (as pictured below). Discard the bulb.

Step 2: Slice about 1/2 an inch off of the top and discard it.

Step 3: Peel back the outer layers and discard them.

Step 4: Lay the 4 pieces of onion flat on your cutting board and slice them into thin strips, separating the layers from one another.

Step 5: Finally, cut the slices into small pieces horizontally.

As for the mushrooms, clean them by rubbing them with a paper towel (consider these bamboo paper towels for a more sustainable option!) or by simply wiping any dirt off with your fingers.

Rinsing mushrooms can sometimes make them a little bit slimy. Then, just slice them into thin pieces. Depending on the size of the mushroom, they typically need to be sliced into 3-5 pieces.

Green tip: Mushrooms are not only delicious, but considered a sustainable food. They have a relatively small environmental footprint as they take little water and energy to grow and emit little CO2.

Get the Oil Hot in the Pan First

You can use a wok or large frying pan to make your fried rice.

Add the oil to the pan over medium heat and allow the oil to get hot before adding the mushrooms and onions. This usually takes 2-3 minutes over medium heat.

Sautee the Onions and Mushrooms in Teriyaki Sauce

Once the oil is hot, add the onions and mushrooms. Sautee over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes until the liquid is released from the mushrooms and evaporates.

During this time, the onions will soften and become translucent. Once all of the liquid is gone, add the teriyaki sauce to the onions and mushrooms and toss to coat.

Cook for another couple of minutes to marinade the onions and mushrooms in the teriyaki sauce. Continue to toss frequently so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Green tip: Organic farms rely on biodiversity to generate rich soil, avoiding the use of pesticides and fertilizers, which means no toxic runoff. Consider organic ingredients for this recipe if you can!

Add the Rice and Soy Sauce

Next add the rice and toss, to disperse the mushrooms and onions throughout the rice. Allow the rice to fry in the oil left over from frying the onions and mushrooms for a couple of minutes.

Then, add the soy sauce and toss to season all of the rice.

Make a Well in the Center of Your Rice

Use a wooden spoon to push the fried rice towards the outer rim of the pan, creating a well in the center. Keep pushing the rice until there is a large area in the center where the bottom of the pan is exposed.

There should still be some extra oil left, but if the pan seems too dry, add a dash of olive oil to the well.

Scramble the Egg in the Fried Rice

In a separate small bowl, crack the two eggs and use a fork to whisk, until the yolks and whites of the eggs are combined and smooth. Season the egg with salt and pepper.

Then, with the pan still over medium heat, pour the eggs into the well, so they can scramble directly on the hot pan.

Once the egg is in the well, let it sit for about 1 minute, before using a wooden spoon to push it around and scramble it. When the eggs are fully cooked and fluffy, use the spoon to crush the egg into smaller pieces.

Then, use the same wooden spoon to stir and distribute the eggs throughout the fried rice.

Serving Your Mushroom Fried Rice

I love to garnish this fried rice with a little bit of toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onion. Keep the salt, pepper, and soy sauce on hand in case you want a little more on your serving.

This Mushroom Fried Rice is delicious on its own, but also makes a great side dish.

I love serving this with these Teriyaki Brussels Sprouts or this Sticky Orange Tofu.

It’s also great with Teriyaki Salmon!

Should You Have Leftover Fried Rice

Leftovers of this Mushroom Fried Rice will last for about 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to a month.

The best way to reheat leftover fried rice is by throwing it back in a pan. Reheat it over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until hot all the way through. It can also be microwaved in a pinch.

Why You Should Make this Mushroom Fried Rice

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• It’s delicious. Tons of flavor and texture.
• It’s easy. Once the rice is cooked, you can whip everything up in just one pan.
• It’s versatile. Great use of leftover rice and can handle whatever extra veggies you throw at it, making this dish perfect for a clean-out-the-fridge meal.

If you’re loving this Mushroom Fried Rice and want more rice-based dishes, check out this Spicy Salmon Bowl and this Vegan Wild Rice Soup.