Spam Fried Rice
Spam Fried Rice brings together the savory, salty goodness of fried Spam with the flavors you love in fried rice! Perfect to make with leftover rice!
AN EASY 30-MINUTE DINNER OR SIDE DISH
I think these meaty fried rice recipes can really be a whole meal. At least, that is how I usually enjoy it. Spam is a super affordable protein made from a combination of ham hock and pork shoulder. I first enjoyed this when visiting Hawaii and I became hooked! If you’ve never visited Hawaii, you may not know how super popular Spam is there and in how many creative ways it is used! This is a great go-to recipe for busy weeknights, when you want something tasty but don’t have a ton of time to spare. Plus, it’s versatile enough to customize with whatever ingredients you have on hand!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
If you need to trade out the spam, this can be swapped with diced ham, bacon, or tofu for a different protein option. For the ham version, check out my recipe for Ham Fried Rice. Also, Spam comes in a variety of flavors these days so feel free to experiment.
Just leave it out! A little dry sherry or white wine with a pinch of sugar makes a good mirin substitute. But honestly, you do not need the Mirin for this to still taste great.
This recipe is great when you need to “clean out” your fridge of any veggies. It’s quite flexible and you can add or swap in your favorite vegetables. Bell peppers, mushrooms, corn, or snap peas are a couple of my favorite additions. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time slightly to ensure all the vegetables are cooked to your liking.
Of course, like I said earlier, this dish is super flexible! You can skip the Mirin, rice vinegar and sesame oil. The soy sauce alone is enough for this recipe if you don’t have the other ingredients. You can add more salt if you need to when you taste it. The other ingredients take this up a level though if you do want to use them.
While I think this is great as a whole meal in itself, you can try serving with some air fried egg rolls or spring rolls. You can whip up a quick Teriyaki Chicken or Sesame Chicken as well.
To store leftover Fried Spam and Rice, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a skillet or microwave, adding a splash of water or soy sauce to refresh the flavors and moisture.
When reheating, add a splash of water or soy sauce to prevent it from drying out, and warm it in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- Spam – as stated above, this recipe can be made with any protein. For a ham version, see my recipe for Ham Fried Rice. Also, Spam makes low sodium options for those that need it.
- garlic– I prefer fresh garlic in here since it brings a stronger garlic flavor but you can use the jarred kind if that is what you have on hand.
- green onions – with the whites and greens divided for different uses. Shallots or regular onions can stand in for green onions.
- finely chopped green cabbage– an optional ingredient. You can substitute with purple cabbage, napa cabbage, or bok choy for a slightly different texture or you can pick up a bag of already sliced cabbage.
- eggs – you need to beat the eggs first before adding to the pan. This ensures they are scrambled properly.
- cooked rice – Using day old rice works best. Freshly cooked rice can be used if you let it cool slightly to avoid clumping.
- frozen peas and carrots– fresh peas and carrots, or a different frozen veggie mix, are great alternatives. If using fresh veggies, cook them with the cabbage to ensure they cook through instead of adding them in with the rice.
- soy sauce- I suggest sticking to a low sodium soy sauce since the spam can be salty, but especially if you’re sensitive to sodium, you’ll want to use the low sodium version. If you need an entirely different swap, Tamari or coconut aminos can be used instead of soy sauce.
- mirin – I use this Mirin (paid link) which is a Japanese cooking wine. It’s an optional ingredient but worth it if you have some on hand.
- rice vinegar– Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar are good alternatives if you need one. I prefer to use this rice vinegar (paid link) that has a much less tangy style and uses a less acidic vinegar.
- sesame oil– Olive oil or a neutral cooking oil can replace sesame oil if needed. I really like this sesame oil (paid link) with fried rice dishes, the flavor is superb and it helps the rice get the perfect texture but it can be a strong flavor for some people so you can always start off by using a very little bit and add to your taste preferences.
HOW TO MAKE SPAM FRIED RICE:
In a large skillet or wok, cook the diced Spam over medium heat until crispy and browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, sauté the chopped garlic, the white parts of the green onions, and the green cabbage until softened and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and pour the beaten eggs into the empty side. Soft scramble the eggs until just set. Add the day-old rice, frozen peas and carrots, and the cooked Spam to the pan. Stir everything together until well mixed.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Pour this mixture over the rice and stir to combine.
Continue to cook the fried rice, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Garnish with the green onion tops before serving.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Spam Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 12 ounce can Spam, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (about 2-3 garlic cloves)
- 2 green onions, sliced with whites and greens divided
- 1 cup green cabbage, finely chopped (optional)
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 4 cups cooked rice (day old works best)
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce (see notes below)
- 1 Tablespoon Mirin Japanese cooking wine (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet or wok, cook t12 ounce can Spam, diced into 1-inch cubes over medium heat until crispy and browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, white parts of the green onion and 1 cup green cabbage, finely chopped until softened and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
- Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and pour 3 eggs, beaten into the empty side. Soft scramble the eggs until just set.
- Add 4 cups cooked rice, 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, and the cooked Spam to the pan. Stir everything together until well mixed.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon Mirin Japanese cooking wine, 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar AND 1 Tablespoon sesame oil. Pour this mixture over the rice and stir to combine.
- Continue to cook the fried rice, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Garnish with the green onion tops before serving.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- I suggest low sodium soy sauce because the spam also has salt in it. You can always add additional salt to get the taste to your liking. You can add salt in but you can’t take it away so always best to start with less.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I love spam. I love rice, whatever can you ask for. This dish is the definition of comfort
Had this in Hawaii and loved it so we decided to try to make it at home and turned out amazing.
It was a great recipe. It came out wonderfully. I didn’t use the cabbage but I did use the vinegar and sesame oil with the other ingredients. I also saved some time and used my Ninja to chop up the meat instead of cutting it by hand. I would definitely make this item again.
Please check step #2.
Thanks Hope!