What to Make With Eggs and Rice: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners
Eggs and rice are the dinner that happens when the fridge looks empty and the rice cooker already did its job. Cold rice is a feature here, not a leftover you have to apologize for. One card is fried rice, one is a jammy egg on a plain bowl, and one is an egg drop soup with rice in it. All three are under 20 minutes. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Quick picks: 3 dinners with eggs and rice in 30 minutes or less
Fastest option: a 12-minute dinner
12 min
Jammy egg rice bowl
Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Warm rice, a soft-boiled egg, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Almost no cooking.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Steps
- Lower the eggs into boiling water and cook 7 minutes for a jammy yolk.
- Cool them under cold water so you can peel them.
- Warm the rice if it is cold, or leave it cold if that is how your people eat it.
- Halve the eggs over the rice. Add soy sauce and sesame oil.
- Salt only if the soy sauce didn't get to the middle of the bowl.
Keeps: Boil the egg when you eat. The rice can be cold or warm.
One-pan or sheet-pan option
15 min
Egg fried rice
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Cold rice fries, then eggs set in threads with soy sauce. Peas if you have them.
Ingredients
- 3 cups cold cooked rice
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 green onion
Steps
- Heat a skillet hot and add oil. Add the cold rice and press it so it crackles.
- Stir in the peas and soy sauce.
- Push the rice aside, pour in the beaten eggs, and let them set for a few seconds.
- Toss the eggs through the rice. They should look like yellow threads, not a wet scramble.
- Add the green onion. Taste. Stop before it gets salty.
Keeps: Fridge for 2 days. Fry it again. Don't steam it under a cover.
The other dinner
18 min
Egg drop rice soup
Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
A salted broth, a handful of rice, and an egg stirred in at the end so it feathers.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rice
- 2 eggs
- 5 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Steps
- Simmer the rice in the water with the salt until the rice is tender, about 12 minutes.
- Beat the eggs in a cup.
- Stir the pot, then pour the eggs in a thin stream so they feather instead of clumping.
- Add the soy sauce. Don't boil it hard after the egg goes in.
- Taste. It should taste like rice and salt, not like nothing.
Keeps: Fridge for 2 days. The egg won't look as pretty tomorrow, and it still tastes fine.
Make it with leftovers
This page is a leftovers page in disguise. Cold rice is better than hot fresh rice for frying. A hard-cooked egg can be sliced over the plain bowl. Don't fry rice that just finished cooking. Spread it on a plate to cool if you are in a hurry, or make the soup instead.
Pantry staples you'll need
- Oil
- Salt
- Soy sauce
- Green onion
- Sesame oil
No rice: leftover quinoa fries in the same skillet, though it won't get as glossy. No eggs: the rice bowl is incomplete. See chicken and rice if you have a protein that isn't an egg.
Picky-eater and healthy tweaks
The plain bowl with a jammy egg is the least mixed-up plate. Sauce on the side. Fried rice is the one most kids already call dinner, especially if you leave the onion out.
An egg and a scoop of rice is a complete enough plate with a vegetable on the side or peas in the fried rice. You don't need a sugary sauce.
Have something else in the fridge?
Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
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Questions
What can I make with eggs and rice in 20 minutes?
Jammy egg rice bowl takes 12 minutes, start to plate. Warm rice, a soft-boiled egg, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Almost no cooking.
What's the easiest dinner with eggs and rice?
Jammy egg rice bowl is the low-fuss one: one pot, 12 minutes. Warm rice, a soft-boiled egg, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Almost no cooking.
Can I make this with leftover or cooked eggs?
This page is a leftovers page in disguise. Cold rice is better than hot fresh rice for frying. A hard-cooked egg can be sliced over the plain bowl. Don't fry rice that just finished cooking. Spread it on a plate to cool if you are in a hurry, or make the soup instead.
What else can I add to eggs and rice for a full meal?
The cards already use cold cooked rice, eggs, soy sauce. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.
Is eggs and rice a healthy dinner?
An egg and a scoop of rice is a complete enough plate with a vegetable on the side or peas in the fried rice. You don't need a sugary sauce.
How do I make eggs and rice kid-friendly?
The plain bowl with a jammy egg is the least mixed-up plate. Sauce on the side. Fried rice is the one most kids already call dinner, especially if you leave the onion out.
Can I make eggs and rice in one pan or a sheet pan?
Egg fried rice uses one skillet and takes 15 minutes. Cold rice fries, then eggs set in threads with soy sauce. Peas if you have them.
What if I don't have rice?
No rice: leftover quinoa fries in the same skillet, though it won't get as glossy. No eggs: the rice bowl is incomplete. See chicken and rice if you have a protein that isn't an egg.