Crispy Fried Rice Recipe is essentially twice cooked rice with a lot of delicious flavor. It’s a lovely snack, the perfect crunchy addition to salads, and is wonderful in a stir-fry. 
Inspiration for Spicy Crispy Fried Rice
I was making a winter citrus salad the other day, and it had every element I wanted except for a crunch.
It was almost perfect.
I thought about different types of nuts and seeds and I just wasn’t feeling it.
So I did something I’d never tried before, I made Spicy Crispy Fried Rice.
It was exactly as I’d hoped it would be — slightly aerated and super crispy. I sprinkled it with some delicious spicy seasonings and then mixed it into my salad.
Then the salad it was perfect. 
What is Spicy Crispy Fried Rice?
- Crispy Fried Rice is essentially twice cooked rice.
- Rice is cooked is water, and then deep fried briefly.
- The rice is then tossed with delicious spices.
Not only is it delicious in salads, but it’s also a fantastic snack just to munch on, as you would spiced nuts. And it’s an excellent garnish on almost anything.
Here’s the Winter Citrus Salad — it’s amazing! 
Do you see the Crispy Fried Rice on top?
Recipe Tips
- I use Basmati rice in this recipe. I find that I prefer it with longer grain rice, but you can you use any rice you like.
- Use brown rice to any more of a nutty flavor.
- Be sure to fry the rice in two or more batches. If you add too much at once, it won’t get the crispy texture we’re going for.
- While grape seed oil is my first choice, there are other oils you can use. Here’s a great article on the best oils to use for frying.
I especially like adding it to recipes with an Asian vibe.
Add it to these recipes to kick them up a notch:
Enjoy the crispy fried rice however you decide to use it!
This rice is lovely to snack on, is the perfect crunchy addition to salads, and is wonderful in a stir-fry.
Please note that the prep time does not include cooking the rice, which can be done up to a few days ahead of time. (If refrigerated, be sure to being it to room temperature before making the recipe.)
Makes 2 cups / 1 tablespoon per serving
- grapeseed oil for deep frying (amounts will vary -- see instruction no. 2, and notes)
- 2 cups cooked rice (I use Basmati, but any rice is okay), be sure it's room temperature, not cold before you begin the recipe
- 1 teaspoon Togarashi
- 1 teaspoon salt
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Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels and set aside.
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In a large, deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat about 3-inches of the oil to 350°F. (Amounts will depend on the size of the pan you choose.)
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In two batches, use a large spoon to gently place the cooked rice in the oil. Once the rice begins to look crisp and golden, after about 4 minutes or so, use a slotted spoon to remove the rice and place it on the towel-lined baking sheet. Let the oil come back up to 350°F before adding the second batch of rice.
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Add the fried rice to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle it with the togarashi and salt. Toss to be sure the seasoning coats all of the rice.
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sippitysup says
Cracklin’ Rice Cakes are a childhood thing of mine. Thanks for updating it in a way I can get excited about all over again. GREG
valentina says
Yay! Enjoy, Greg. 🙂
Vicky @ Avocado Pesto says
Woah absolutely brilliant. Can’t believe I’ve never considered deep frying cooked rice for that added crunch! Have got to try this!
valentina says
Thanks so much, Vicky! Hope you like it as much as I do.
peter @feedyoursoultoo says
My wife loves fried rice. She would love the crispiness of your rice.
valentina says
Thanks, Peter. Hope you try it!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
Wow that is creative! And what the heck is Greg’s cracklin’ rice cake. I now want one of THOSE, too!
valentina says
Me too, Dorothy! 🙂
Allison says
I love fried rice, but I’ve never tried a crispy version like this. Sounds delicious and so fun!
valentina says
Fun and delicious it is. 🙂
Laura says
Wow, very creative idea! I have never had fried rice.
valentina says
It’s super fun! Hope you try it. 🙂 Thanks for visiting my site.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Crispy rice sounds amazing right now!! Thanks for sharing this I will have to try it out
valentina says
Thanks, Sam. Enjoy!
David says
What a cool idea! I really need to work on my deep frying!
valentina says
It’s a fun salad addition, David. 🙂
Mdu Rohtak says
I love it! Kind of like a cheater’s version of fried rice 🙂
valentina says
Thanks! Indeed, it is. And so delicious!
carolyn says
This recipe was difficult to work w. At 350°, when that cold rice hit that hot oil, it foamed out onto the burner and flamed up! I was making several batches and didn’t think to let the oil reheat to 350° after ea batch. The last couple of batches didn’t crunch up at all. 🥺 But the 1st batch was quite tasty! 😋 But just a little too much trouble for my “taste “. 😉°
valentina says
Hi Carolyn, Thanks so much for writing in. Sorry this didn’t go more smoothly for you, but I’m happy you liked the taste of the first batch. I really appreciate your notes, and I’m going to edit in the recipe that the rice shouldn’t be too cold when added to the oil, and that the temp must go back up before adding more batches. Both should have been included from the get go — my apologies. Thanks for checking out my recipes and trying them. 🙂 ~Valentina