Japanese Fried Rice (Yakimeshi)

Name: Japanese Fried Rice (Yakimeshi)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1-2 tbsp oil; 4-5 slices cooked ham (diced); 4-5 stalks green onions (diced); 3 cups cooked rice (Japanese short-grain rice); ¼ tsp salt; ¼ tsp pepper; 1 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium); 1½ tbsp Kewpie mayo; 2 large eggs; 1 cup frozen peas

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Ready in less than 20 minutes, this Japanese Fried Rice, also known as Yakimeshi, is so easy to make. It only requires a few simple ingredients and makes for the perfect weeknight dinner.

If your fridge is looking a little bare at the end of the week, then this Japanese fried rice is perfect for you. Also called yakimeshi, this fried rice uses kitchen staples and turns it into a flavourful hearty meal.

Close up of a plate of Japanese fried rice with a black and silver spoon tucked into the rice.

Why You’ll Love This Fried Rice Recipe

It comes together really quickly! The part that takes the longest is probably making sure the rice is well combined.
It uses a lot of pantry staples. I love making fried rice as a lot of times, it’s an easy way to empty out the fridge by using leftovers.
It’s a complete meal! There’s a little bit of everything in the rice so you don’t need to make any sides.

Ingredients You’ll Need

oil — a neutral flavoured oil such as canola oil is great for yakimeshi.
ham — I usually use black forest ham but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. Don’t have ham? Try bacon, shredded chicken, or ground pork instead.
green onions — the more the merrier, in my humble-green-onion-loving-opinion.
leftover cooked rice — I always use jasmine rice for fried rice but for Japanese fried rice, you’ll need short-grain Japanese rice. Chilled leftover rice is ideal as cold rice is more firm and decreases the chances of your fried rice turning out mushy. Short grain Japanese rice gives the fried rice a slightly sticky and chewy texture.
salt and pepper
soy sauce — use low sodium soy sauce.
Kewpie mayo — it adds some tangy sweetness to the fried rice.
eggs — I use two eggs.
peas — no need to thaw frozen peas. Just add them straight into the pan.

How to Make Japanese Fried Rice

Salt, pepper, soy sauce, and mayo added to the pan.

Add oil to a wok or large pan over high heat. Then add the diced ham and green onions. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add the cooked rice along with the salt, pepper, soy sauce, and mayonnaise. Toss until fully combined.

Make a well in the middle of the pan and add the eggs to the middle.
Scramble them well in the middle until cooked through before tossing it with the rest of the rice mixture.

Add the peas to the fried rice and mix to combine.
Top with more green onions if desired.

Recipe Tips and Notes

If you have a rice cooker, you can change the setting to make slightly “harder” rice when you cook it the night before. It’ll help the rice grains hold their shape better when you use it for yakimeshi. (Here’s a review of the rice cooker I have)
Feel free to swap the peas for frozen carrots, corn, onions, etc. Use what you have on hand!
Keep the temperature high as it helps keep the fried rice from being mushy or soggy.

A plate of Japanese fried rice with a spoon inside.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked fried rice in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Freezer: allow the fried rice to cool before transferring them into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer.

Overhead view of a plate of Japanese fried rice with green onions on top.

Why do I need cold rice for fried rice?

I always use cold leftover rice that I’ve left in the fridge overnight as it has had the chance to firm up. Using cold rice makes it easier to separate when frying and decreases the chances of your fried rice turning out mushy. I’ve tried this with freshly cooked rice before, and it gets sticky and mushy quickly.

I always make my rice the night before. If you don’t have leftover rice, you can cook the rice and then spread it out on a sheet pan so it can cool quickly in the fridge for an hour or so.

What’s the difference between hibachi and yakimeshi?

Hibachi fried rice and yakimeshi are pretty similar, but they use different types of rice. Yakimeshi uses short-grain Japanese rice, whereas hibachi fried rice usually uses medium-grain rice.

How is Japanese fried rice different from Chinese fried rice?

Just like yakimeshi vs hibachi, the difference is the rice. Chinese fried rice is usually made with long-grain rice such as jasmine rice whereas Japanese fried rice is made with short-grain rice.