Dinner becomes breakfast with this savory recipe for breakfast fried rice. Loaded with fresh veggies and crispy pork bits, each serving of this fried rice gets topped with your choice of eggs and a drizzle of spicy mayo.

Why This Recipe Works

Well, first and foremost, fried rice is the ideal meal for just about anytime of the day—breakfast, lunch or dinner! Loaded with whole grains, fiber, protein and veggies, each bite of this breakfast fried rice recipe is well-balanced and absolutely satisfying.

green peas, kale, rice, scallions, garlic, ginger, oil, soy sauce, eggs, and ground pork set out on a table

Ingredients in Breakfast Fried Rice

Ground pork or pork sausage: use whatever you have on hand or like. I like to use ground pork. Depending on how fatty the ground pork is, you may need additional oil for cooking the rest of the dish.
Kale: I prefer Tuscan kale (also called Lacinato or Dinosaur). Regular kale or Swiss chard will also work.
Frozen peas: no need to thaw the peas before adding to the pan—they’ll thaw nearly instantly.
Scallions: also called green onions. When slicing, be sure to separate the dark green parts from the white and light green parts—they’re used in two different stages of the cooking process.
Garlic: fresh garlic really makes a difference here! You’ll need two large cloves.
Ginger: fresh or dried work in this recipe but we prefer fresh whenever possible. Find it next to the garlic and shallots or in the refrigerated produce section next to the peppers.
Cooked rice: any medium- or long-grain rice will work. I love brown jasmine rice but any rice will do. The most important part is that the rice is cooked and cooled.
Tamari or soy sauce: Either will work, just make sure you’re using low-sodium so you can control the seasoning level.
Fish sauce: this is optional but it does add an incredible depth of flavor. If you have it on hand, be sure to include it!
Vinegar: rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar will work. Just a splash is used to balance out the savory flavors.
Toasted sesame oil: another ingredient that adds depth of flavor. You don’t need much to add a punch of flavor.
Mayonnaise: I prefer to use avocado oil or olive oil mayonnaise, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
Chili garlic sauce: find this in the Asian section of your grocery store or at any Asian market.
Eggs: top each serving of fried rice with one or two eggs cooked as desired.

How to Make Breakfast Fried Rice

Brown the ground pork in a skillet until starting to crisp. Set the pork aside and reserve any drippings.
Cook the kale and scallions whites in some of the drippings (or oil) until the kale is vibrant in color. Add the peas and cook briefly. Set veggies aside.
Add the garlic and ginger to the pan with a splash of drippings or oil. Cook briefly then add the rice and cook until crispy.
Stir in the cooked pork, cooked veggies, sauce and sauce ingredients. Toss everything to combine then serve with fried eggs, scrambled eggs or poached eggs.

Importance of Using Cold Rice

There’s a reason most fried rice recipes use rice that’s been cooked and thoroughly chilled (ideally overnight). Cold rice fries much better than warm or even lukewarm rice thanks to the chilled and hardened starch. Using freshly cooked rice will result in sticky, clumpy fried rice—no good.