Oven-fried rice

**Update: I've added a second flavor variation, so scroll below for both a Korean-style and a Thai-style recipe. 

Maybe because it's the middle of a chilly Oregon winter, I've been really into using my oven for traditionally non-oven-based dishes lately. For example, did you know that if you put hash browns/home fries in your oven at 475 for 20 minutes you have a much more hands-off, evenly cooked dish?

Anyway, today's recipe capitalizes on the oven as well. When I've tried to make fried rice on my stovetop, it either ends up soggy and overcooked, or, when I actually make it properly, I have to cook it in batches with a lot of stirring, time, and effort. Then I saw this recipe on the New York Times cooking site, which involves putting it all on a sheet pan in the oven. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020522-spicy-oven-fried-rice-with-gochujang-and-fried-eggs  As they note, their recipe is very flexible. I've simplified the recipe further and made it vegetarian/pescatarian. 

I'm now convinced this oven technique is the best way to make fried rice at home. (I bet it's a great way to make any stir fry, really. I'll report back about that.) The dish is evenly cooked with more delicious browned bits than I was ever able to achieve on the stovetop. Plus, there's no stirring or babysitting! Check out the NYT recipe above and mine below. Use your fave veggies/protein/seasonings and make it your own!

At its most basic, this can be a dump-and-go recipe. The first version uses a bag of frozen and bottled teriyaki sauce.

Lazy teriyaki oven fried rice

1 T vegetable oil for greasing pan

~5 cups cooked and chilled leftover brown or white rice (If you're making your rice fresh, this is just shy 2 cups uncooked rice. I like to cook mine with one heaping t vegetable Better than Bouillon)

1lb bag frozen stir fry vegetables of choice (frozen peas and carrots are a classic)

1/4 cup bottled teriyaki sauce
3 eggs, beaten with a splash of teriyaki sauce, optional

Garnish
green onions, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 475. Oil one large sheet pan with vegetable oil. (I like to line the sheet pan with nonstick foil for easy cleanup.) In a large bowl, stir rice, vegetables, and sauce together. Pour all ingredients on sheet pan except eggs and green onions. Spread until distributed evenly. Place pan on bottom rack for 8 minutes, until bottom is a bit browned but not burned.

Remove pan from oven, then drizzle the eggs over top. They will scramble gently in the oven! Return to the oven, on the top rack this time, for 8 more minutes. TIP: you don't even need to stir it if you switch from bottom to top rack halfway through--it cooks evenly on both sides this way!

Remove from oven, garnish with green onions, and serve.

For the Korean version, I use a healthy amount of Korean gochujang, my favorite funky, spicy, fermented pepper paste and sesame oil. You can buy gochujang in Asian grocery stores or on Amazon here. With these flavors, the recipe resembles bibimbap, the Korean rice bowl dish often served in a searing hot stone bowl. 

Korean-style oven fried rice
1 T vegetable oil for greasing pan

Sauce
1 T vegetable oil
2 T soy sauce
2 T white vinegar
2 T gochujang (This makes a fairly spicy dish. Use 1 T for a milder version)
1 T sesame oil
2 t ginger-garlic paste or 1 t minced ginger and 1 t minced garlic)
1 t sugar
~5 cups cooked and chilled leftover brown or white rice (If you're making your rice fresh, this is just shy 2 cups uncooked rice. I like to cook mine with one heaping t vegetable Better than Bouillon)

Mix-ins
.5-.75 lb shrimp
2 carrots, sliced into matchsticks
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1-2 medium zucchini
1 bell pepper, any color, sliced into matchsticks
2 eggs, beaten with a splash of soy

Garnish
green onions

Directions
Preheat oven to 475. Oil one large sheet pan with 1 T vegetable oil. (I like to line the sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup.)

Mix up sauce in a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together 1/3 of sauce with shrimp and allow to marinate while preparing other ingredients. Place rice and veggies into a large bowl and stir in remaining sauce. (You might need two bowls if you don't have a really large one.) Pour all ingredients on sheet pan except shrimp, eggs, and green onions. Spread until distributed evenly. Place pan on bottom rack for 8 minutes, until bottom is a bit browned but not burned.

Remove pan from oven, nestle shrimp on top, then drizzle the eggs over top. They will scramble gently in the oven! Return to the oven, on the top rack this time, for 8 more minutes, until shrimp is cooked through. TIP: you don't even need to stir it if you switch from bottom to top rack halfway through--it cooks evenly on both sides this way!

Remove from oven, garnish with green onions, and serve.

Of course, you can make the fried rice the traditional way; just stir fry the shrimp, veggies, and rice in separate batches, to avoid overcrowding, in a hot pan, then combine at the end.

Thai-style oven fried rice

1 T vegetable oil for greasing pan

Sauce
1 T vegetable oil
2 t ginger garlic paste
2 T Thai fish sauce
2 T lime juice
1 T sriracha
2 t soy sauce
1 t  white sugar

~5 cups cooked and chilled leftover brown or white rice (If you're making your rice fresh, this is just shy 2 cups uncooked rice. I like to cook mine with one heaping t vegetable Better than Bouillon)
1 lb frozen vegetable stir fry, thawed

.5-.75 lb shrimp

2 eggs, lightly beaten with a splash of soy sauce

Garnish
sliced green onions and/or chopped cilantro

Directions
Preheat oven to 475. Oil one large sheet pan with 1 T vegetable oil. (I like to line the sheet pan with foil for easy cleanup.)

Mix up sauce in a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together 1/3 of sauce with shrimp and allow to marinate while preparing other ingredients. Place rice and veggies into a large bowl and stir in remaining sauce. (You might need two bowls if you don't have a really large one.) Pour all ingredients on sheet pan except shrimp, eggs, and green onions. Spread until distributed evenly. Place pan on bottom rack for 8 minutes, until bottom is a bit browned but not burned.

Remove pan from oven, nestle shrimp on top, then drizzle the eggs over top. They will scramble gently in the oven! Return to the oven, on the top rack this time, for 8 more minutes, until shrimp is cooked through. TIP: you don't even need to stir it if you switch from bottom to top rack halfway through--it cooks evenly on both sides this way!

Remove from oven, garnish with green onions, and serve.