Garlicky and buttery, this Japanese Garlic Fried Rice topped with garlic chips is a weeknight winner! It is simple yet indulgent. Pair the fried rice with a side like succulent grilled shrimp, baked chicken, teriyaki tofu, or a soup, you’d in for a wholesome meal. Only 15 minutes to prepare!
Japanese Garlic Fried Rice, or what we call Garlic Rice (ガーリックライス) in Japan, reminds me of my college days when I used to cook it over and over. It was quick and easy and super flavorful. And really, there’s nothing better than a hot plate of garlicky fried rice!
With a simple salad and a protein on the side, it was a nice home-cooked meal that kept me going on those long study nights. Now, many years later, I’m still cooking this Japanese Garlic Fried Rice for my family and they love it just as much as I do.
Table of contents
What Makes This Garlic Fried Rice Extra Special
- The addition of crunchy garlic chips results in more aroma and texture to the fried rice. It’s worth the extra step!
- We specifically use Japanese short grain rice in this recipe as it is distinctively Japanese. Japanese short grain rice has a slightly sticky texture than long grain rice such as Jasmine rice or basmati rice. You can expect some toothsome yet chewy mouthfeel.
- The beauty of this garlic fried rice lies on simplicity, which is why I don’t add other veggies such as peas, onion, carrots, etc. To make it a complete meal, serve it with a side of salad, a simple sautéed green, and your choice of protein.
How to Make Japanese Garlic Fried Rice
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Japanese short-grain rice – Frozen day-old rice is great as this will speed things up. Pop the frozen rice in the microwave until just warm before frying. If not, you will need to make some fresh rice at least an hour early. Spread your cooked rice on a baking sheet to cool for 60 minutes to remove excess moisture. You want to make sure the rice is still warm so it is easier to cook.
- Garlic – Japanese recipes don’t usually use a lot of garlic compared to other cuisines. One to two cloves of garlic is considered a “good” amount. Keep that in mind when you make this fried rice. It might not be “garlicky” enough to your taste, so feel free to use more to your liking. Just make sure it doesn’t overpower the side dish you plan to enjoy it with.
- Olive oil and butter – I use a mix of olive oil and butter for richness. Omit butter or use vegan butter if needed.
- Soy sauce – A splash of soy sauce is all you need! We are NOT using the soy sauce to season the entire dish, but to bring umami and char taste.
- Salt and pepper
- Parsley (or substitute with chopped green onion)
- Your choice of side dish to serve with the fried rice.
Overview: Cooking Steps
- Make sure all your ingredients are ready to go. Fried rice cooks fast and having everything prepped makes it a lot easier.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat and gently fry the thinly sliced garlic pieces until golden brown. Transfer to a dish lined with paper towel and keep the garlic infused oil in the pan.
- Add the minced garlic in the same pan and stir fry until golden brown and fragrant.
- Add in butter and swirl around to coat the pan, followed by the warmed steamed rice. Break the chunk of rice to separate. Once the garlic oil is coated with the rice, add the soy sauce and toss the fried rice.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust accordingly.
- Lastly, add the chopped parsley and mix all together.
- To serve, place the garlic fried rice in a rice bowl, pressing gently to make sure there is no space in the bowl, and invert the rice on a serving plate.
I paired this garlic fried rice with grilled shrimp (included in the Recipe Card below), but you can also top it with fried eggs, grilled tofu, or baked chicken.
What to Serve with Japanese Garlic Fried Rice
Garlic fried rice is really delicious on its own, but we often serve it with yoshoku, a Japanese-style western meal. That said, you can serve it with anything that goes well with fried rice. Here are some recipes that I sometimes serve garlic rice with:
- Hambagu (Japanese Hamburger Steak)
- Loco Moco
- Sous Vide Japanese-style Steak
- Japanese Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing
- Spicy Bean Sprout Salad
- Simple Salad with Sesame Dressing
Wine Pairing with Japanese Fried Garlic Rice
We previously paired FEL’s pinot noir with waygu beef, and it was really delicious so we were excited to try their 2015 FEL Chardonnay Anderson Valley. The Chardonnay didn’t disappoint and paired perfectly with the garlic fried rice and grilled shrimp.
As you smell the wine, it is refreshing, pure, with a hint of sweetness. You can already dream of how delicate the wine will taste. The first sip feels like sipping peach juice on a warm sunny day, with flavors of melons and pear fruits. The mouthfeel is light, like drinking spring water and we love how it’s not syrupy and overly sweet. Finally, it finishes with a hint of citrus with no lingering aftertaste.
If you are looking for a bottle of white to pair with seafood, or to enjoy on a warm sunny day with friends, give this bottle a try.
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want to look for substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
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Japanese Garlic Fried Rice
Video
Ingredients
- 2 rice cooker cups uncooked Japanese short-grain rice (2 rice-cooker-cups (180 ml x 2 = 360 ml) yields roughly 4 servings (4 US cups); see how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, a pot over the stove, an instant pot, or a donabe)
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt) (or more for taste)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 stalks parsley
Grilled Shrimp Skewer (Optional – see below)
- 6 pieces shrimp (medium size)
- ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp sake
- kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
To Prep
- Gather all the ingredients first.
- Cook the rice (stovetop, rice cooker, or Instant Pot). Transfer to a large bowl or baking sheet (more surface) and set aside uncovered to remove moisture. Roughly 60 minutes should be added to the total cook time. You can also reheat the frozen rice to save time as well.
- Cut half of the garlic cloves in thin rounds widthwise (so you see a hole in the center) and mince the other half.
- Remove the parsley leaves from the stems and mince them.
To Cook Garlic Fried Rice
- Add the olive oil to the large frying pan over medium-high heat (or medium heat on a professional stove). Slowly fry the thinly sliced garlic pieces until golden brown. If you add the garlic slices in hot oil, they would burn too fast and you may end up with burnt garlic slices. Transfer to a dish lined with paper towel and keep the garlic infused oil in the pan.
- Add the minced garlic in the same pan and stir fry until golden brown and fragrant.
- Add in butter and swirl around to coat the pan. Then add warm steamed rice. Cold rice would take too long to warm up and the garlic would get too dark (and may burn).
- Break the chunk of rice to separate. The Japanese short grain rice is stickier than other types of rice, so it’s normal that rice is stick to each other, but should not be in huge chunks. Once the garlic oil is coated with the rice, add the soy sauce and toss the fried rice.
- Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste the rice and make sure it is seasoned to your liking.
- Lastly add the chopped parsley and mix all together.
To Serve
- Put the garlic fried rice in a rice bowl, pressing gently to make sure there is no space in the bowl, and invert the rice on a serving plate.
To Make Grilled Shrimp Skewer (Optional)
- If you like to serve the garlic fried rice with grilled shrimp skewers, shell, and devein the shrimp. You can keep or remove the tail. Add sake and coat well with shrimp.
- Skewer 3 shrimp on each damp skewer without leaving spaces. Sprinkle kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Lay skewers flat on a greased cast iron pan (or regular frying pan). Cook the shrimp with the lid on about 2 minutes per side or just until cooked through and no longer transparent. Remove the shrimp from the grill and serve with garlic fried rice.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and in the freezer for a month.
