The Most Popular Fried Rice in Thailand
Yes, this is arguably the most popular type of fried rice in Thailand - so much so that there are restaurants in Thailand specializing only in this one dish. It's certainly my favourite fried rice, especially as a kid growing up in Thailand. Simple, unfussy, delicious, no vegetables to contend with; what else could a child ask for?
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Choosing the Right Crab
Use good quality crab. Do not use cheap canned crab meat that resembles an uninspiring briney mush. Get nice chunks of crab meat from a good seafood counter because this is such a simple dish that the flavour of the crab, or lack thereof, will show. Even though fried rice may seem like a humble, inexpensive dish, this is not the time to cheap out on the star of the show.
In Thailand we use blue crab, which has such sweet and succulent meat. So if you can get lump blue crab meat, you're winning. Here in the Canadian West Coast I can only get Dungeness crab, which isn't as sweet, but it works fine as long as it's fresh.
Tips for Non-Mushy Rice
MYTH: You need cold day old rice from the fridge in order to make good, non-mushy fried rice. Completely wrong. In all my years working in restaurants I have never seen them use anything but hot rice straight from the rice cooker. What's their secret?
Well cooked rice in an uncrowded pan. That's it. Many people cook their rice too wet to begin with, then combine that with trying to cook all 5 portions for your family in one pan, and you can easily end up with risotto.
If I'm cooking fresh rice for fried rice, I add a little less water than I normally do. For Thai jasmine rice, my rice to water ratio is usually 1:1¼, so for fried rice I do 1:1. If you have hot rice cooked with the regular amount of water, you can quickly spread it out onto a plate and let it air dry a bit while you do other prep.
Cook in batches. If you do not have a high BTU (i.e. very hot) stove, and you do not have a large wok, try to do no more than 2-3 servings in one batch. If your pan is crowded, too much steam will get trapped and that's another mushy fried rice waiting to happen.
The Secret to More Flavourful Fried Rice
When most people make fried rice, they toss in everything until it's well mixed, and call it done. But this is a big missed flavour opportunity! To get a more complex flavour, you have to let the rice TOAST. This means letting it sit in the pan without stirring for a bit (10 seconds or so depending on how hot the stove is) until the rice browns slightly, developing a deeper flavour. Think a sandwich made with untoasted vs toasted bread. That's the difference.
You don't need to toast ALL grains of rice. I usually let the rice toast 2-3 times, tossing in between each time, and it's good to go. You should also hear the rice start to pop if you do it right.
More Fried Rice Recipes
If you're a fried rice lover like me, here are a few more to try:
Nasi Goreng. For a fully loaded fried rice that looks impressive, try this Indonesian fried rice or nasi goreng. With many toppings and a fried egg on top, this is a complete meal in one dish!
3-Chili Thai Basil Fried Rice. If you love spicy, this one is for you. Loaded with chilies, but still full of flavour and scented with Thai basil.
Pineapple Fried Rice. You'll feel like you're on a vacation with this dish. Serve it simply on a plate, or follow my tutorial for how to easily make a pineapple bowl for a little flare!
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Crab Fried Rice ข้าวผัดปู
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 8 mins
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Description
Crab fried rice is arguably the most popular kind of fried rice in Thailand. It's easy, quick, and SO satisfying. You can also use any other kinds of protein instead of crab (just cook it first!), as it's a great way to use up any leftover meats you have.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 375g (2 ½ cups) cooked rice (see note)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce, preferably Thai
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 130g crab meat
- 2 green onions and/or a few sprigs of cilantro
- Cucumber slices for serving
- Lime wedges for serving
Prik Nam Pla (optional condiment)
- 1 Thai chili, thinly sliced
- 1 clove minced garlic (optional)
- 1 Tbsp (approx.) fish sauce
- 1 tsp (approx.) lime juice
*Measurements for these do not have to be exact. You just need enough fish sauce to cover the chilies and garlic, and you can make it with more or less lime juice to taste.
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Instructions
Make Prik Nam Pla:
- Place sliced chilies and garlic in a small dipping sauce bowl and add enough fish sauce to completely submerge the chilies and garlic. You can add more fish sauce to make the sauce less spicy.
- Add lime juice and let sit until ready to use. This will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.
For the Fried Rice:
- Heat oil and garlic in a wok over medium heat and stir until the smallest pieces of garlic start to turn golden.
- Add eggs, scramble slightly, then let them set about halfway before stirring to break up the pieces.
- Turn heat up to high then add rice, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and pepper and toss to distribute the sauce evenly. Once mixed, add most of the crabmeat (save a bit for garnish), and continue tossing for about 2 minutes, occasionally letting the rice sit without stirring so that it can toast and develop flavour. Be gentle when tossing so you don’t break up the crab pieces too much.
- Once the rice is dry and some of the grains are toasted, turn off the heat and toss in most of the green onions and/or cilantro (save some for garnish).
- Plate and top with the remainder of the crab meat and green onions/cilantro.
- Serve with cucumber slices, a lime wedge, and prik nam pla. Enjoy!
Notes
If measuring rice by measuring cups, pack it in gently just so there are no big holes but don't push it in tightly.
You do not need to have old, cold rice to make good fried rice! You can cook it straight from the rice cooker but your rice has to be dry. So if cooking fresh rice, wash the rice well and add a little less water than you normally use. For Thai jasmine rice, I use a 1:1 rice to water ratio for fried rice, but this may vary depending on your particular rice. See this video on how to cook perfect jasmine rice on the stove top.
Jason says
You can never go wrong with this recipe! Tastes a lot better than Thai restaurants in the U.S. (lighter and refreshing) and it tastes exactly like the best crab fried rice places that you can find in Thailand. It’s my go to recipe whenever I need to use up a lot of leftover rice. Thank you, Pai! 😊
Marie says
I loved this recipe!
Asha Canady says
Absolutely delicious. Made as is and got rave reviews.Toasting the rice was essential.
Lee says
Hello! Do you think this recipe would work well with Lobster? I do see why not but thought I would ask just incase you would add or omit any ingredients. Thank you for ALL your amazing recipes!
Pailin Chongchitnant says
I don't see why not either 🙂
Jessica says
YUM! We made this tonight (increased the portion by 1/2), and it was delicious! The lime and prik nam pla are a must. We’ll add more cilantro and green onion next time (just because we like lots of green onion and cilantro), but the recipe is perfect and so easy. Thanks for another delicious meal, Pailin!
Cat says
Very tasty! I used extra crab and did follow some suggestions and added extra heat with chile-garlic oil. The directions about cooking the rice worked well, as I cooked my rice fresh, same as the recipe. Def a keeper.
Dana says
Easy and delicious! Used crab I caught in the bay. Whole family loved it!
Sara says
Any recommendations on how to make it a little spicy?
Adam The HTK Minion says
Add chilies or chili flakes? Most restaurants in Thailand have those available on the side if "needed". Cheers!
Erwin Boogaerts says
Great recipe. More and more we love fried rice.
Sarita says
Hi Pailin,
My family and I really enjoyed this recipe. I like it a little spicier so I added hot sauce before eating. There were no leftovers. It was all gone. Thank you!
Mic says
Hi Pailin, I made this recipe last night for dinner and it was very delicious, thank you for sharing it, I used fresh crab I found here in Scotland and it was brilliant! It was so easy to make and quick, ideal after a long day of work. cheers
Regina says
My kids love crab fried rice. I made plain fried rice yesterday and today I made this. I didn’t have fresh crab meat so I made it with crab meat in the bottle. I added extra meat. It turned out great and Kids loved it. I just couldn’t believe how easy it is to make this! I never imagines that.
Thank you.
Regina says
I started to make he crab fried rice and realized that I don’t have the crab I thought I had. So I made the plain fried rice without the crab. My kids loved it. They said it taste like the crab fried rice without the crab. Our favorite restaurant that we used to get our crab fried rice closed and my kids were missing this so much. I have to make it with crab next time.
Joyce says
Excellent recipe and simple to make. Would like to see more. Thanks.
Pitcha Sewako says
Hello, My name's Palmy and I am a Thai native speaker who wants to start a food blog just like you. I am passionate about food and I'd love to share my recipes ( Thai food) through a blog but i don't know how i can start plus, I am not confident at all. The reason being is my English is not strong enough to build a relationship with audiences by using good phrases or even jokes. Secondly, I am afraid that no one reads my blog. If you have any suggestions to start a food blog please let me know!
Btw, your blog is very impressive and advisable !!!
I hope you see my comment.
jamesfedrick says
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Veenas says
Nice Blog !! A Very Yummy Wonderful Recipe !!! WOW Nice Photos to See. I'll Definitely Try it. Thank You for Sharing that Lovely Food.
Stephen Moore says
In the Gullah cuisine culture of southeastern US they also have a crab rice. But it is sooo bland compared to this recipe.
David Leister says
It was great but my kids complained about the fish sauce odor! 555
ruby says
What is the best brand of fishsauce to buy? I got some a few years ago, but the taste seemed off.
Adam Hunter says
Hi Ruby! Adam here and Pailin has an entire post on fish sauces here https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/fish-sauce-101/ (re quality, how to keep them, etc.). Beyond that though that she tends to use Squid Brand, but for special occasion Red Boat is one of the best we can get here in Vancouver (and is a LOT more expensive :)) Cheers! Adam
Beau says
I tried this recipe to give fried rice another chance, and I'm glad I did. I was surprised by how good fried rice can taste.
Bre says
Love this recipe!!! Thank you!!❤️
Adam says
Was soooooooo good!!
Thomas Reid says
This recipe was soooooo good and easy to make!! You are right that the Thai soy adds so much flavor. Yum!!
horseface says
Tried it. It was so easy and tasty!
Pailin Chongchitnant says
So glad to hear!
art says
awesome!
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Thank you so much!
Kendall M says
Would love to make this rice, where can I get a wok like yours?
Soyee says
hi pai, I love your videos and recipes! I have never cooked with crab before. for this recipe, can we use packaged/frozen crab meat?