I could not be more excited about the genius of this recipe. I love fried rice more than most things, but this Peanut and Bacon Fried Rice is a real keeper. I had to feature it on my cooking show, Sounds Weird Tastes Good, because it just sounds so weird, but it’s delicious! Sam and I have been making fried rice as a late night snack, dinner, breakfast with an egg on top (of course). And putting bacon in anything makes it next level good.
Fried rice really is the perfect late night snack. To sit in front of the TV late at night with a beer and fried rice is my dream come true. I’ve made a habit of using fried rice as a way to use up any leftover unused veggies in my fridge, and I like to throw some new things in from time to time. Kale is perfect for this recipe, but why not try any other greens you have laying around.
There are a couple of things you need to know before you make fried rice. Number one is, you must use sesame oil to get the taste of fried rice. It’s the thing that really gives it its flavor, so don’t substitute there! You can find sesame oil at any major grocery store in the “ethnic foods” or “Asian foods” section. The other thing is, you must use day old rice. It won’t fry properly and it will give off too much moisture if you use fresh rice.
That being said, let’s get started on this recipe. First you’ll need to add your sesame oil to a hot pan over high heat. Add your kale first, stirring until the kale is wilted and begins to brown. Then transfer the kale to a large bowl, add salt, and add the juice of half a lemon. Give it a stir and set it aside.
Next, add your bacon to the same pan over high heat. Let the bacon brown. Then add another tablespoon of sesame oil and add the whites of the green onions and the minced ginger. Give it a stir and let that cook for two minutes. To that, add another tablespoon of sesame oil, then add in your rice. Pat the rice down into an even layer, letting the bottom brown for a minute or two before stirring it up. Repeat this again and again until the rice begins to brown.
Add your soy sauce and chili paste. Then give it a good mixing before adding in your peanuts. Let the peanuts toast in the rice, stirring. Then once the rice is nice and browned, add the kale back in to the pan. Taste it for seasoning to see if it needs a few pinches of salt. Create a hole for the egg by pushing the rice to the sides, then add a little oil. Crack the egg into the hole and scramble with your wooden spoon. Once the egg is cooked, stir it in and remove the rice from heat. Then top it with green onion tops and serve immediately. See the full recipe below.
- 3-4 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 cups chopped kale
- half of a lemon
- 5 slices of bacon, diced
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- 3 green onions, whites and green separated and diced
- 2 cups day old, cooked white rice
- 1 cup peanuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- kosher salt
- 2 tsp chili garlic paste
- 1 large egg
- In a large nonstick skillet over high heat, add 1 tbsp sesame oil. Add the kale, stirring until wilted. Add a couple pinches of salt and stir. Pour the kale into a bowl and squeeze lemon over it. Stir once more and set aside.
- Add the diced bacon to the same pan over high heat, stirring and cooking until browned. Pour in another tablespoon of the sesame oil. Add the ginger and the whites of the green onions and stir, letting the onions soften, for about 1-2 minutes. Add an additional tablespoon of sesame oil and then add the rice.
- Pat the rice out into an even layer, letting it cook for a minute or two before stirring and repeating. Keep stirring and patting it down, letting the rice brown. Once the rice begins to brown, add the soy sauce and chili sauce. Stir to coat. Then add the peanuts, letting them toast in the rice.
- Once the rice is nice and browned and slightly crisp, create a hole in the center of the rice, add a little oil, and crack an egg into the hole. Stir the egg to scramble with your spoon. Let it sit and cook a little before scrambling again. Once the egg is cooked, stir it in and remove from heat. Sprinkle with the reserved green onion and serve immediately.
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