Fried rice with sausage and shrimp

Fried rice with shrimp and sausage has officially entered our favorite food list. This easy recipe is a two-thumbs-up kid-approved hearty stir-fry; perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner!

Prawns and Sausage Rice

Okay, let’s just admit it. I’m obsessed with fried rice. Since trying my friend Julie’s tips for perfect fried rice, I’ve been making different versions at least once a week.

In case you’re wondering, oh yeah, we still love the ham and veggie fried rice I shared a while back. All three of my kids have now made fried rice one of their favorite foods.

I love shrimp fried rice, as exemplified by this older classic shrimp fried rice recipe. I’ve tweaked it so much over the years that an update is overdue. (Especially now that I’ve learned how much better fried rice can be?!)

Sausage Fried Rice

Recently I’ve had kielbasa sausage in the fridge and shrimp in the freezer calling my name, so this became the latest twist on fried rice we’ve fallen in love with.

As soon as I tried it I knew I had to share it with you guys. Sausage or kielbasa with shrimp is always a great combination.

The first thing you need to know when preparing fried rice is that you need a large, deep-sided pan. Trying to use a shallow or smaller pan will only frustrate you and likely leave you with a mess on your hands.

The pan featured in these photos was a favorite for years, but unfortunately it is no longer made. However, I found a new one and already love it just as much, maybe more, because it’s just a beautiful pan. (If pans can be beautiful, this one is!)

Fried rice with eggs

The secret to great fried rice starts with boiling the eggs first. Similar to an omelette, lightly whisk the eggs and pour into the hot pan. Let the egg pancake cook for 2-3 minutes and then flip it.

Cook it about a minute longer. Slide the egg out of the pan onto a cutting board and let cool. Use a sharp knife (or my favorite, the pizza wheel) to slice it into 1/2 inch wide strips and then into small pieces.

Next, add the kielbasa medallions to the hot pan and cook until the edges are crisp. Transfer them to the plate with the eggs.

Finally cook the shrimp. Transfer it to the plate with the egg and sausage when it starts to turn pink.

Fried rice with leftover rice

Add your COLD leftover rice to the hot pan. The rice for this recipe needs to be completely chilled so it can be easily broken into individual grains without clumping or sticking.

I suggest preparing the rice for a day or two (even up to 4-5 days) before you plan to use it. The key to great fried rice is using rice that is as dry as possible so your fried rice doesn’t get soggy or soft.

Add the sesame oil and soy sauce and allow the rice to cook in these flavors for 5 minutes before returning the peas, eggs, sausage and shrimp to the pan. Stir until everything is fully combined. Serve warm.

Shrimp Sausage and Rice

Add these ingredients to the shopping list and let’s get cooking:

• cooked jasmine rice
• olive oil
• eggs
• low sodium soy sauce
• sesame oil
• Kielbasa sausage
• raw medium shrimp
• Peas
• green onions
• freshly ground black pepper
• kosher salt

Fried rice, like soups and casseroles, can be prepared in endless combinations. From pork to chicken, steak to ground beef, shrimp to cauliflower rice and veggies, there are fried rice recipes for meat lovers and vegetarians alike. (Just maybe not the same recipe for both.)

This Chicken Bacon Fried Rice was voted the best “unplanned and incredibly delicious” meal of 2020 by my family.

Vegetable fried rice is packed with a plethora of great flavors and textures, from crispy sweetcorn to tender-crisp broccoli, green beans, zucchini and more.

Pulled pork, steak and chicken come together in the pan fried rice every meat lover dreams of. My boys are crazy about this dinner.

There is so much to love about cauliflower fried rice. While you might think of cauliflower rice as something you eat instead of grain, this recipe proves that cauliflower rice is delicious and satisfying in its own right.

{originally posted 10/27/16 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/19/23}