Use fresh or leftover white rice and either chicken or pork for this easy, vegetable-packed Blackstone fried rice. Cooking fried rice on a Blackstone Griddle is fast and easy, and creates the perfect texture and flavor.
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Fried rice is exactly the kind of thing a Blackstone griddle was made for. I mean, sure, you can easily make fried rice in a skillet or wok on the stovetop but it's challenging to get the skillet hot enough and then maintain that heat during the cooking process. And using a very hot surface is super important when making fried rice.
In fact, there are 2 important things to keep in mind when making fried rice:
- Medium grain rice works best (my favorite is Jasmine rice). Rinse it well before cooking to wash away excess starch and spread it out on a baking sheet to dry before frying.
- Cook everything for fried rice at very high heat.
If you're cooking fried rice in a skillet or wok, it's important to fry the rice in batches, adding no more than about a cup of rice to the skillet at a time to prevent the rice from getting all clumpy.
But on a Blackstone you can cook the rice all at once. Not only is the cooking surface larger on a Blackstone griddle, the cast iron surface heats evenly and holds the heat much better than most skillets.
Gather your ingredients
Cooking fried rice on a Blackstone grill only takes about 10 minutes, tops. So, it's important to gather and prep your ingredients before you begin cooking. Let your Blackstone heat up while you get everything ready, then bring everything out on a tray and set it within arms reach of the griddle.
Here's what you'll need:
- Pork or chicken that's been brined in buttermilk and cut into small pieces. My favorite cuts are boneless pork chops, pork tenderloin, and boneless skinless chicken thighs. Cut the meat into very small pieces that are no larger than ½-inch thick.
- Cooked rice. I like to use Jasmine rice, but any medium grain rice will do. See the tips below about how to cook and dry rice before frying.
- Diced vegetables: garlic, onion, bell pepper, and scallions. As with the meat, it's important to cut the veggies into very small pieces.
- Eggs. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and use a fork or whisk to beat them together.
- Soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. The sauce for this fried rice requires just two ingredients. Add them to a small bowl before you begin cooking so you can dump them onto the fried rice quickly and all at once.
- Salt. You may or may not need additional salt depending on the sodium content of the soy sauce and your own personal tastes. Taste as you go, adding additional salt in very small amounts until you have a level of seasoning that tastes right to you.
- Frozen peas and carrots. You can, of course, use fresh peas and carrots that you've scrubbed, peeled, and diced. Or, just grab a bag of frozen peas and carrots from the supermarket freezer.
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying.
Pro tip! How to prepare rice for frying
For years I only made fried rice with leftover rice that I stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. And, while this is a fantastic way to use up leftover rice, you'll get much better results from freshly cooked rice that's spread out on a baking sheet and allowed to dry for an hour or two.
When stored in the refrigerator, the internal moisture from the grains moves outward, creating a lot of surface moisture.
But when you spread hot, freshly cooked rice out onto a plate or baking sheet, you'll notice plenty of steam as the surface moisture evaporates. It's the surface moisture that causes the rice to stick together and clump so allowing it to evaporate will prevent that problem.
How to prepare rice for fried rice:
- Pour the rice into a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear. This washes all the excess starch from the rice which is very important when you don't want the rice to clump together.
- Cook the rice in water and a bit of salt. Sure, you're going to add soy sauce later, but for the best flavor, season the rice itself not just the sauce.
- When the rice is cooked through and tender, spread it out onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Let the rice dry for at least one hour and up to 4 hours.
Additions and substitutions
- For beef fried rice: Leftover Asian Short Ribs makes the absolute BEST beef fried rice on the planet. The meat is so tender it literally melts in your mouth. Cut the meat into small pieces and use it in this recipe or follow this recipe for beef fried rice.
- For shrimp fried rice: Use shrimp that has been peeled and deveined, and the tail removed. Follow the recipe instructions to cook the shrimp in place of pork or chicken, cooking them on a hot Blackstone griddle until they are no longer pink. This will only take a minute or two!
- Tofu fried rice: Wrap extra firm tofu in a clean kitchen towel or between a few sheets of paper towels. Set something heavy on top of it (I use a cast iron dutch oven) and let it rest for 20 minutes. This will press excess liquid from it. Cut the tofu into small cubes (¼ to ½ inch) and use in place of the pork or chicken in this recipe. Cook the tofu in some oil on a hot griddle until golden brown and crispy.
- Add more veggies: Fried rice is one of the best ways to use up any random vegetables in your refrigerator! Just cut the veggies into small pieces and use them in place of the veggies in this recipe or in addition to them.
- For vegan fried rice: Use tofu instead of meat (or just use veggies) and omit the eggs.
- For gluten free fried rice: Use tamari in place of soy sauce.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Before you begin:
- Let the pork or chicken marinate in salted buttermilk for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. The salt and acid in the buttermilk work together to flavor and tenderize the meat from the inside out. The result is exceptionally tender, juicy, and flavor packed pork or chicken.
- Cook the rice and then spread it out onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Let it rest at room temperature for at least an hour and up to 4 hours.
- Preheat the Blackstone, setting it to high heat. It's important to cook fried rice on a very hot surface. I let mine heat for 20 minutes.
- While the griddle heats get all your ingredients ready, chopping the vegetables, and cutting the meat into small pieces.
- Place all the ingredient in bowls and set them near the Blackstone so you can grab them as you go.
Drizzle the surface of the preheated Blackstone griddle with some oil and add the diced chicken or pork. Cook until a golden brown crust is forming on the outside of the meat.
Remove the meat from the surface of the griddle, placing it in a clean bowl.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the center of the Blackstone and add the cooked rice. Fry the rice, stirring and tossing, until it's pale brown and toasted and has a lightly chewy texture.
Move the rice over to the side of the Blackstone. Add some more oil to the center of the griddle and the diced vegetables. Cook, stirring gently, until lightly softened and fragrant, about 1 minute.
Toss with rice to combine
Add soy sauce and sesame oil and toss to coat.
Push the rice to the side of the griddle and add another tablespoon or so of oil to the center. Add the eggs into the oil and use a spatula to scramble the egg, breaking it up into small bits.
Toss the egg with the rice and veggies.
Add the frozen peas and carrots and the pork or chicken; continue to toss and stir until the vegetables are thawed and the grains of rice are separate.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scoop onto a serving platter and serve immediately.
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📖 Recipe
Blackstone Fried Rice with Pork
Use fresh or leftover white rice and either chicken or pork for this easy, vegetable-packed Blackstone fried rice. Cooking fried rice on a Blackstone Griddle is fast and easy, and creates the perfect texture and flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt (for the buttermilk brine), plus more for seasoning
- 1 pound boneless pork chops or pork tenderloin, OR 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups (350 grams) cooked white rice; I used jasmine rice (*See note below)
- Vegetable or canola oil
- 1 small to medium size yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed and diced
- 5 or 6 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
- 3 - 4 medium cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 large eggs
- White or black freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 6 ounces frozen peas and carrots
Instructions
- Pour the buttermilk into a large zip-top bag or other container with a lid and stir in 3 tablespoons of salt. Add the pork or chicken thighs; the meat should be completely submerged. Place in the refrigerator and let the meat soak in the brine for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat a Blackstone griddle on high heat. Allow the griddle to heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
- While the Blackstone heats, prep the ingredients: Add the rice to a bowl; separate the grains with your fingers if they've clumped together. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, scallions, and garlic to a bowl. Add the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil to a separate small bowl. Crack the eggs into a separate small bowl, sprinkle in a pinch or two of salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Remove the meat from the buttermilk brine and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Cut into very small pieces, about ½ inch in size, and place in a bowl or on a plate. Add the frozen peas and carrots to another bowl. Place all the ingredients next to the hot Blackstone griddle.
- Pour about 2 tablespoons of oil into the center of the Blackstone and add the chopped meat, spreading it out quickly into a single layer. Let it cook, undisturbed for 1 - 2 minutes then use a spatula to flip the pieces over and continue to cook, stirring, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 2 minutes longer. Remove the meat to a clean bowl.
- Pour another tablespoon of oil into the center of the Blackstone and add the rice. Cook, stirring and tossing, until the rice is pale brown and has a lightly chewy texture, about 3-5 minutes.
- Move the rice over to the side of the Blackstone. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil to the center of the griddle and add the chopped onion, bell pepper, scallions, and garlic. Cook, stirring gently, until lightly softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Toss with rice to combine. Pour the soy sauce and sesame oil over the fried rice and toss to coat.
- Push the rice and veggies to the side of the griddle and add another tablespoon or so of oil to the center. Pour the eggs into the oil and cook, stirring constantly, until set - this will only take 10 to 20 seconds. Mix the egg and the rice together.
- Add the frozen peas and carrots and the meat to the fried rice and continue to toss and stir until the vegetables are thawed and every grain of rice is separate, about 2 minutes. Scoop the fried rice onto a clean serving plate and serve immediately.
Notes
- For the best results, use medium-grain rice; I prefer jasmine rice. Rice should either be cooked fresh, spread on a tray, and allowed to dry or transferred to a loosely covered container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- To prepare the rice: Add ¾ cup of rice to a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear. This washes away excess starch which can cause the rice to clump. Add the rinsed rice to a saucepan along with 1 ¼ cup of water and about ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil then cover the pan, turn the heat to low and let the rice cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the rice rest in the pan, covered, for another 10 minutes. Spread the rice out on a parchment covered baking sheet and leave it to dry for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
- If using leftover rice that was cooked earlier in the week, use your fingers to break up the rice so the grains separate before cooking.
Nutritional information calculated with 1 pound pork tenderloin.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
¼ of the recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 460Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 176mgSodium: 2159mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 37g
Donna M Kiser says
Loved the ease of this dish but definitely need more taste. Next time & when I warm it up, will add more sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger.
Rebecca Blackwell says
I'm so glad to hear that this recipe worked out well for you and that you're playing around with how to modify it to your tastes and preferences. I also tend to like a lot of soy sauce and sesame oil. My husband doesn't like ginger, so I always leave it out of his and add the extra to mine! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me!