Easy fried rice serving and side dish ideas. From egg drop soup to chicken teriyaki, and broccoli stir fry to homemade Chinese dumplings, discover what to serve with fried rice today.
You don’t have to order takeout to have some of your favorite dishes such as fried rice. This savory, crispy dish is very easy to make at home using whatever ingredients or leftovers you have on hand.
To complete the meal, here are some side dish ideas, including more takeout classics as well as other delicious dishes.
Egg Drop Soup
Egg drop soup is another Chinese takeout classic. The mild, slightly savory soup is the perfect serving idea if you just want a light meal of rice and soup.
Egg drop soup is also easy to make at home. Just simmer chicken broth and add flavor in the form of sesame oil, salt, and sugar. Then, stir in a cornstarch slurry and lightly beaten egg, stirring the whole time to create egg ribbons.
Chicken Teriyaki
If you want to make a more substantial meal, then chicken teriyaki is a great idea to serve with fried rice. The sweet and savory flavors of the chicken go well with the rice.
You can buy teriyaki sauce or make your own by combining soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and honey or agave. Cut the chicken into chunks, coat with starch, then cook and finish with the sauce.
Hot & Sour Soup
Hot and sour soup is another takeout menu classic. Use the mild flavor of the fried rice to balance out the spicy, pungent flavors of the broth.
Traditional hot and sour soup uses dried mushrooms, lily flowers, and chilies soaked in chicken stock to make the broth. Other ingredients include pork and tofu, but you can add whatever you want. Just make sure that you add plenty of chilies and vinegar to get the hot and sour flavors!
Chinese Dumplings
For a carb-loaded meal that is incredibly comforting, serve dumplings along with fried rice. The great thing about this takeout classic is that you can make the fillings anything that you want.
Use minced meat or chopped vegetables as the dumpling filling. Take store-bought wrappers and place a small amount of filling on them, then fold the dumplings. You can boil or pan-fry the dumplings.
Egg Rolls
Egg rolls are another classic appetizer from Chinese takeout restaurants. Like fried rice, you can customize egg rolls with whatever you want when you’re making them at home.
Make the filling by browning ground pork or use vegetables or tofu if you’re vegetarian. Add vegetables such as shredded cabbage and carrots. Put some of the filling on store-bought egg roll wrappers, roll into cylinders, then fry.
Lemon Chicken
Lemon chicken is a popular dish in British and Canadian Chinese takeout restaurants. It is hearty, crispy, and delicious, making it a perfect filling meal when you pair it with fried rice.
To make lemon chicken, start by chopping the chicken into small pieces. Some recipes ask you to batter the chicken in starch or a thin batter. Then, fry the chicken pieces and finish with a sweet and sour lemon-based sauce
Tempura
Tempura is a Japanese dish, not a Chinese one. To make tempura, you dip anything you want in a light batter, including vegetables, shrimp, or chicken, and fry it until crispy. The airy, crunchy texture of tempura goes well with the crispy fried rice.
To make tempura batter, combine flour and baking powder with sparkling water. Then, coat what you want to fry in the batter and fry until crispy.
Hoisin Asparagus
Bitter, charred asparagus is a great side dish for almost anything and balances out the rich, salty flavors of fried rice. Keep with the theme of Chinese cooking by making hoisin roasted asparagus.
What separates hoisin roasted asparagus from regular roasted asparagus is coating the asparagus in hoisin sauce, a sweet and salty traditional sauce made from soybeans and red chili peppers. Then, roast the asparagus until slightly charred.
Asian Turkey Meatballs
If you want to add a more international twist to your meal, make these Asian-inspired turkey meatballs that fuse Chinese flavors with American comfort food. Plus, the meatballs are nice and filling when paired with fried rice.
To make this dish, make meatballs out of ground turkey and seasonings. Cook in a glaze of hoisin sauce and soy sauce and finish with sesame seeds, which will make the flavor similar to your fried rice.
Chinese Broccoli Stir Fry
If you want to pair your fried rice with a traditional side dish, use a traditional vegetable such as Chinese broccoli, a popular leafy green. Stir-frying the veggies brings out their flavor and cuts through some of their bitterness.
Besides Chinese broccoli, you will need clear rice wine as well as plenty of seasonings. Fry in a very hot pan until tender.
Sesame-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Fried rice is a very rich, indulgent food. Cut through that richness with a vegetable side dish such as these sesame-roasted Brussels sprouts that taste fresh and delicious.
Besides the sprouts, you will need sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic chili sauce. Cover the vegetables with the sauces and finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds before roasting.
