Rice is a quintessential budget-friendly ingredient, and my slogan has always been “put an egg on it!” So when I saw this recipe for Scrambled Eggs with Rice from the new cookbook The Simple Art of Rice: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table by JJ Johnson and Danica Novgorodoff, I knew I had to make it. Not to mention, this recipe features the ingredient I currently can’t get enough of, gochujang! If you love fried rice, you’re going to love this recipe for scrambled eggs with rice. It’s just as easy, hearty, and delicious, plus it’s totally customizable. I’m definitely going to add this one to my budget-recipe rotation!
Chef JJ mentions in his book that the recipe is inspired by breakfast dishes found in both Japanese and Korean cultures. This incredibly simple yet satisfying dish is similar to fried rice, but the ratio between the rice and egg are a bit more even and the rice is stirred into the egg before it’s fully cooked, which gives the dish a slightly creamy texture. Best of all, it’s super fast and easy, so you really can make it on a typical morning (provided you have some cooked rice stashed in the refrigerator). It’s the perfect recipe for using up the leftovers in your fridge!
Ingredients for Scrambled Eggs with Rice
Are you ready to see how easy this is? You’ll only need these simple ingredients to make scrambled eggs with rice:
- Eggs: Eggs provide fat and protein to this dish, making it extra filling and satisfying. We used large eggs for this recipe. If you have smaller eggs, make sure to add a few more, or if you have extra large eggs, you can probably go with four.
- Oil: Use your favorite cooking oil to lightly scramble the eggs.
- Gochujang: This savory, sweet, and spicy Korean chile paste is having a moment in the U.S. right now, so you can probably find some at your local grocery store, although you’ll have a better selection at better prices if you shop at an Asian grocery store. If you can’t find gochujang, you can substitute chile oil or sriracha. The flavor will be different, but still delicious.
- Rice: The original recipe, in The Simple Art of Rice: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table, uses short-grain rice, which I’m sure would be even more spectacular, but we only had long grain on hand and it still made an amazing meal. You can use pretty much any type of rice for this flexible recipe. Whatever rice you’re using, make sure it’s pre-cooked and slightly warm.
- Soy Sauce: A little soy sauce adds umami and depth to the flavor and enough salt for all of the flavors to pop.
- Sesame Oil: toasted sesame oil adds a wonderfully nutty flavor to the dish, making it extra comforting and cozy.
- Green Onions: Garnishing with sliced green onions adds a nice fresh pop of flavor to contrast the cozy meal.
What Else Can I Add?
Simple recipes like this are awesome because there is so much room for customization. Here are a few ideas for other add-ins that will take your scrambled eggs with rice to the next level:
- Meat: Try sautéing some sliced ham, spam, shrimp, or smoked sausage in the skillet before cooking the eggs (remove from the skillet and stir back in at the end).
- Vegetables: Just like with fried rice, you can add just about any vegetable to this dish. Onions, spinach, mushrooms, diced bell peppers, or even grape tomatoes would be awesome.
- Toppings: I could go wild with fun toppings for this egg and rice dish. Cheddar cheese would be great, or how about some sliced avocado, kimchi, or furikake?
How to Store Leftovers
Thankfully, this recipe only takes minutes to whip up because it’s definitely best when freshly prepared. If you can’t eat it all in one sitting, store the rest in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. Reheat using the microwave, sprinkling just a bit of water over top first (to help rehydrate the rice).
Scrambled Eggs with Rice
Servings 4Ingredients
- 6 large eggs ($0.63)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 2 tsp gochujang (or to taste) ($0.16)
- 4 cups cooked rice, warm ($0.43)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.18)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil ($0.30)
- 4 green onions, sliced ($0.50)
Instructions
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat well with a fork.
- Warm the vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the eggs and scramble them lightly, leaving them slightly runny. Toward the end of cooking, add the gochujang and stir until well incorporated.
- Stir in the warmed rice, using a wooden spoon to break up any clumps. Cook for several minutes, until the rice is heated through, then stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil.
- Serve hot, in individual bowls, topped with the sliced green onions.
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Equipment
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How to Make Scrambled Eggs with Rice – Step by Step Photos
Crack six large eggs into a bowl and whisk with a fork.
Add 2 Tbsp cooking oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-low. Once hot, add the eggs and lightly scramble. When they’re mostly set, add 2 tsp gochujang and stir to combine.
Add four cups of warm pre-cooked rice and stir to combine.
Season the eggs and rice with 3 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil. Fold to incorporate. Give the mixture a taste and add more gochujang if desired (I like it spicy, so I added more).
Garnish with sliced green onions and serve!
Made a 1-person version of this tonight—very good and will be added to my regular rotation. I sauteed red peppers and red onions before adding the eggs, then at the end topped with lightly crushed toasted cashews and toasted sesame seeds along with the green onions for some crunch and extra flavor. Sprinkled on a bit of ghost pepper, and just enjoyed every last bit. Looking forward to trying more of your stuff, and thanks!
My Family and I love this! Highly recommended.
I’m eager to try this dish but wanted to make sure: Does pre-cooked rice mean the day before or can it be freshly cooked?
What works best for me is cooked the day before, chilled, and then warmed just a bit before adding to the eggs. You can cook it fresh, but make sure it’s cooled down quite a bit before adding because if you add rice that is still really hot it is likely to get kind of gummy with all the stirring. :)
For such a simple dish, it is so delicious! I used brown rice because I need the nutrients and lower glycemic index, so it is great with white or brown.
Where did you get that beautiful white rimmed serving plate shown in the pictures above?
I don’t remember for sure, but I think those are from CB2.com!
Thanks, Beth!