Recipe: A sheet pan is the secret to the easiest fried rice
Three days after Thanksgiving, I’m usually sick of turkey-and-dressing sandwiches and cold pumpkin pie. I want to stay far away from mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce. I’m ready for a change in flavor but not ready to spend any effort cooking.
Enter sheet pan fried rice. This cooking method for crisping rice has been popularized by The New York Times food writers Eric Kim and Hetty Lui McKinnon and is the simplest way to get perfect fried rice every time. All you need to do is heat a sheet pan in a hot oven, add seasoned cooked rice and let it bake until crisp and browned. I like to use par-cooked rice packets from the market shelf; the rice can go straight from the package onto the sheet pan without needing to be microwaved. Leftover rice works equally well if you’ve got it in the fridge. And since you don’t need to stand by the stove stir-frying, you can use that free time to grab a glass of wine and take a break from the chaos of the holiday week.
For this recipe, I’ve used an unconventional (for fried rice) flavor combination inspired by BLT sandwiches. Instead of taking the time to fry bacon, swap in precooked bacon crumbles, and for concentrated tomato flavor, use sun-dried tomatoes in oil. Use the tomato oil, along with soy sauce, to season the rice. I add chopped romaine lettuce after cooking to give the dish a pop of color and crunch.
BLT Sheet Pan Fried Rice
- 4 (8.8-ounce) packs 90-second microwave jasmine rice (or 4 cups cold leftover white rice)
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus 2 tablespoons oil from the jar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Salt
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon crumbles, such as Hormel Black Label Real Chopped Bacon
- 1 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- Place a rimmed sheet pan on the center rack of the oven and heat the oven to 475 degrees.
- While the oven is heating, use your hands to break up the rice in the bags and transfer to a large bowl. Add the sun-dried tomato oil and soy sauce. Use your hands to mix thoroughly, breaking up any additional clumps of rice and making sure all of the rice is evenly coated with the oil and sauce. Season to taste with salt.
- When the oven is hot, carefully remove the sheet pan and add the rice. Spread in an even layer. Return to the oven and bake until the rice at the edges of the pan is browned and crisp, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the sun-dried tomatoes into bite-size pieces.
- After 15 minutes in the oven, remove the rice. Add the tomatoes and bacon and stir to combine. Spread in an even layer and return to the oven until the tomatoes are heated through and the top of the rice begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Top the rice with the lettuce and serve from the sheet pan.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 397 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), 12 grams protein, 55 grams carbohydrates, trace total sugars, 5 grams fiber, 16 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 868 milligrams sodium.Note: For nutritional calculations, the salt included is defined as 1/16 teaspoon.
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