Vietnamese Fried Rice (Cơm Chiên)
Cơm chiên Say it: kohm chee-EN
Cơm chiên is the Vietnamese answer to fried rice: day-old rice tossed in a scorching wok with slices of sweet, garlicky Chinese sausage, egg, carrot and peas. It appears everywhere — as a quick family dinner, a breakfast plate, a late-night street stall order — and it is usually the first thing a Vietnamese cook learns to make. The rice stays separate and lightly chewy, the sausage turns crisp at the edges, and a splash of fish sauce gives it that savory, faintly caramel depth.
Vietnamese Fried Rice (Cơm Chiên)
Cơm chiên
Pronounced kohm chee-EN
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, soy, fish, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the fried rice
Method
Spread the cold rice in a wide dish and break up any clumps with wet fingers; cold, dry grains are what keep the finished dish fluffy instead of sticky.
Have everything ready before the wok goes on: slice the sausage thinly on the diagonal, dice the carrot, mince the garlic, slice the spring onions with whites and greens kept apart, and beat the eggs with a pinch of the white pepper.
Heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the oil in a wok or wide skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Pour in the eggs and scramble for 30–45 seconds, until just set but still soft, then tip onto a plate.
Add another 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil, then the sausage. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, until the slices curl at the edges, turn glossy and crisp, and the fat runs pink into the pan.
Add the garlic, carrot and spring onion whites and stir-fry for 1 minute, until fragrant and the carrot is just tender but still bright orange; add the peas and toss for 30 seconds.
Add the last 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil and the rice. Press it flat, let it sit for 20 seconds, then toss and turn for 3–4 minutes, until every grain is hot and lightly coated.
Drizzle the fish sauce and soy sauce around the rim of the wok, sprinkle over the sugar and remaining white pepper, and toss hard for 1 minute, until the rice smells toasty and no liquid pools in the pan.
Return the eggs, breaking them into bite-sized pieces, add the spring onion greens and toss for 30 seconds. Taste, adjust with a few more drops of fish sauce, and serve straight away.
Regional variant: Yangzhou Fried Rice (Cơm chiên Dương Châu)
In the Vietnamese-Chinese restaurant version, replace the Chinese sausage with 4 oz (115 g) peeled raw shrimp and 3 oz (85 g) diced char siu pork. Stir-fry the shrimp first for 1–2 minutes until pink and curled, then set aside with the eggs; add 1 tsp oyster sauce along with the fish sauce, and fold the shrimp and eggs back in at the very end.
Cook's notes
- Cook the rice a day ahead and chill it uncovered so the surface dries; freshly cooked rice steams and clumps in the wok.
- Keep the heat at maximum and cook in one batch — if your pan is small, fry in two batches rather than crowding it.
- No Chinese sausage? Diced char siu, leftover roast pork, or a handful of peeled shrimp all work well.
Serve with
Sliced cucumber and tomato, a light canh (clear soup), and chili-soy sauce or a few drops of seasoning sauce on the side.
Make ahead and storage
Cook the rice up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. The fried rice is best eaten immediately but keeps 2 days chilled and reheats well in a hot pan with a splash of water.
