Scallop Fried Rice is a quick and easy recipe reminiscent of your favorite Chinese restaurant. With succulent, juicy seared scallops, a medley of colourful veggies, salty bacon, egg, crisp rice and a slick sauce it will fast become the favorite the whole family loves to make at home. Fried rice with scallops needs minimal effort yet delivers maximum deliciousness!
Recipes like the Fettuccine Alfredo With Scallops, Scallop Risotto, Stuffed Scallops and the Seafood Risotto celebrate these tender moist morsels.
The Shrimp And Chicken Fried Rice, Ham Fried Rice, Basmati Fried Rice, Prawn Risotto and the Steak Risotto are other rice based dishes that are perfect for dinner.
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🤍 Recipe Highlights
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the scallop fried rice recipe in the points below:
- Straightforward and quick: you may think cooking your favorite Chinese food at home is tricky or time consuming, however it really isn't! This fried rice can be a weeknight meal using simple ingredients when you are running low on time and energy yet don't want to order in.
- One pan: other than cooking the rice which can be done the day before, we only need one pan for the entire recipe! This saves time, energy and clean up 😉😁👌.
- Fast cook time: from start to finish you will get this recipe done in bang on around 20 mins. No working away for hours on your feet after long or busy days.
- Versatile and adaptable: you can use the same veggies as me or switch it up and use your favorite combination. My substitutions and variations offer some alternative suggestions that you might like to explore.
- Taste and Texture: enjoy the experience of the combined succulent scallops, chewy rice, soft egg, crisp vegetables and slick savory sauce 😍👍.
- Chinese take away: this recipe is like your favorite takeout recipe but made from the comfort of your home with grocery store ingredients! There is no need to order in or wait for delivery.
- Alternative protein: across a week it is great to have variety and put some Beef, Pork, Chicken, Lamb, Prawns or Tofu on the table. Adding scallops gives us a great way to incorporate another protein to use creating a diverse arrange of flavor and textures to keep things interesting.
🥗 Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the recipe calls for:
- Peanut oil: we use the peanut oil to lightly sear the scallops on the stove top.
- Salt and pepper: we use kosher salt (cooking salt) and a little bit of black pepper for seasoning in the recipe.
- Garlic: you can use 2 fresh garlic cloves finely chopped, chunky chopped jarred garlic or minced garlic, whichever suits you best.
- Sesame oil: a lovely light and aromatic oil used for flavor in the sauce.
- Soy sauce: this is regular soy sauce.
- Oyster sauce: thick, rich and commonly used in Asian recipes.
- Worcestershire sauce: not common or regularly found in fried rice recipes. However, this sauce is known to give recipes a little oomph. It does the trick with oomph for this recipe too 😉👌.
- Chinese cooking wine: also known as Shaoxing wine. You will find it in the Asian foods section of the supermarket. It has a sweet flavor from the addition of caramel and is pale brown in colour.
- Green onions: we use these to garnish the top of the dish for serving.
- Onion: 1 large onion cut in half, peeled and diced will do the trick.
- Frozen vegetables: I like to use a combination of frozen peas, corn and carrot for the veggie mixture. They add colourful pops of brightness to the recipe. They are added frozen and cooked with a quick stir-fry.
- Bacon: store bought diced bacon is easy and requires no chopping.
- Eggs: we want to use free range eggs. We whisk them then scramble them in the hot pan.
- Scallops: these delightful seafood are juicy and soft when cooked. You will be able to get fresh scallops from the deli section where the other seafood is or from your local fish monger. Fresh bay scallops or larger sea scallops can both be used.
- Rice: the best rice to use to make fried rice is white rice that was cooked the day before. This gives it a chance to dry out and crisp up a little. The texture of the rice the next day is much better than soft, fresh cooked rice. I use a microwave rice cooker and it only takes 12 minutes to cook!
Tasty Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making the recipe. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.
🍳 Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by gathering the sauce ingredients.
- Gather the sauce ingredients (Photo 1)
- Whisk the sauce together (Photo 2)
- Add oil, scallops, salt and pepper to pan (Photo 3)
- Whisk the eggs (Photo 4)
👩🍳 How to Make Scallop Fried Rice
To make the scallop fried rice we start by gathering the sauce ingredients. Then add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, Worcestershire sauce and sesame oil to a glass. Once you have, use a mini whisk to stir till the sauce is consistently combined. This can then be set aside until needed.
Next place a sauté pan (or large wok) on the stove top, turn the heat to high, add the peanut oil, scallops, salt and pepper. Cook the scallops for 4 - 5 minutes using tongs to flip them as they cook. You want each side to have a nice brown sear on it.
Once the scallops are cooked, use a silicon turner to transfer them out of the pan and place them into a paper towel lined bowl.
Next crack the eggs into a small bowl and give them a whisk till they are consistently mixed. Then pour the beaten eggs into the pan as you see me having done in the photo below and scramble them as they cook. Once the eggs are cooked, you can remove them from the pan and place them onto a plate.
- Cook the eggs (Photo 5)
- Add the garlic, onion and bacon to the pan (Photo 6)
- Then add the mixed vegetables (Photo 7)
- Add the cooked rice (Photo 8)
🍚 Scallop Fried Rice
Next without rinsing or cleaning the pan add the garlic, diced onions and bacon and stir fry these for about 1 minute.
Once the bacon and onion has softened add the mixed vegetables (in their frozen form) and continue to stir as these thaw and cook. Once the vegetables have cooked (1-2 minutes) add the cooked rice to the pan like you see me having done in the photos above.
Next pour the sauce over the rice as you see in the photos below.
- Pour over the sauce (Photo 9)
- Add the fried egg (Photo 10)
- Then add the cooked scallops (Photo 11)
- Heat through and garnish the dish (Photo 12)
After adding the sauce, take a couple of minutes to gently fold this through the rice so that it is consistently mixed in.
Once you have, add the scrambled eggs back to the pan, followed by the cooked scallops.
Gently stir to mix everything in and allow the scallops and egg to heat through. Once they have give the dish a garnish with some sliced green onions and call everyone to the table because 'dinner is ready!' 😉👌.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
This is a hearty filling and satisfying complete meal all in one kind of dish that you are unlikely to need or want anything else to go with it.
However, that being said a good appetizer to start the dish is the Air Fryer Spring Rolls. They fit the theme will and let you get your Chinese on.
Otherwise, simply portion the rice into bowls, grab some forks, spoons, chopsticks if you please and enjoy the homemade aspect to this sensational Chinese dish.
A chilled glass of rose or crisp pinot gris will work well with the dish. Pinot noir for those who enjoy a red.
Seafood lovers this one is for you!
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
Store leftovers of the scallop fried rice in a sealed, airtight container. It will last 2-3 days and needs to be reheated before being consumed.
How to Freeze
Allow the rice to fully cool. Then portion into airtight containers and place in the freezer. The frozen portions of the dish can be kept for 3 months.
How to Reheat
Allow frozen portions of the rice to fully thaw. Then reheat in the microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through.
😉 Substitutions and Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:
- You can use or switch in different vegetables for the recipe if you wish too. Try sliced green beans or bell pepper for some other options.
- For a darker coloured looking fried rice you can use dark soy sauce in place of the regular soy sauce (not both as we don't want to make the dish too salty 😉👌).
- When it comes to the rice either Jasmine rice or Basmati rice are the best options. We need 4 cups for the recipe which you will get when you cook 2 cups of dried rice.
- For extra protein you can add some crab meat to the dish or juicy shrimp will work also.
- Chinese sausage (thinly sliced) or ham can be switched in for the bacon if you wish to make this change. Or if you have leftover ham (Bourbon Glazed Ham) that you are looking to find a use for.
- If you want to garnish with chopped coriander (cilantro) in place of the spring onions you can.
- Drizzle some XO sauce or chili oil over the top when serving or add a small amount of siracha sauce to make it a spicy fried rice.
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- Day old rice is the best kind to use for the recipe. Whilst it might seem from the outset like it will be a '2 day recipe' it doesn't have to be time consuming. I always cook my rice in the microwave for 12 minutes, let it cool then pop it in the fridge till the next day. It is a super fast process and will deliver the best results.
- When you are cooking the scallops if there is excess liquid in the pan (from the scallops) use a piece of paper towel and pair of tongs to absorb this. That way the scallops will sear and not simply cook.
- If once you have added the rice it is clumped together put a lid on the sauté pan and let some condensation from the inside of the lid drip into the pan. This will help the rice grains separate.
- Love fried rice recipes? Then you might also like the Tuna Fried Rice, Brown Rice Fried Rice, Lamb Fried Rice, Pork Belly Fried Rice or the Pork Mince Fried Rice 😄👍.
- Or if you love cooking with fresh seafood you might like to also try the Prawn Fritters, Satay Prawns, Mexican Prawns, Sweet Chilli Prawns, Prawn Pesto Pasta, Prawn Skewers or the Prawn Pizza 😉👌.
🤓 Frequently Asked Questions
Should you rinse scallops before frying?
It is a good idea to gently rinse scallops and pat them dry before cooking. This ensures less excess moisture in the pan and helps the scallops to sear more easily.
What is the secret to perfect scallops?
The secret to perfect scallops is to sear both sides until the scallop is cooked through and each side has light golden brown sear marks on them.
How many scallops per person?
This will depend on the size of the scallops. For large scallops aim for 3-4 per person. For small scallops aim for 8 to 10 per person.
😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes
Here are some more dinner suggestions to make getting the main meal of the table sorted with ease:
- Baked Ziti With Meatballs
- Cajun Prawns
- Chorizo Pasta Bake
- Thai Basil Minced Pork
- Garlic Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Tiger Prawns
- Black Olive Pizza
- Chorizo and Prawn Linguine
- Spinach and Feta Pizza
- Scallop Linguine
It is time to get our scallops on my friend. You can also find all of my homemade take out or dinner recipes in the one spot.
Adrianne
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📖 Recipe
Scallop Fried Rice
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce Note 1
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce Note 2
- 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine Note 3
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Note 4
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil Note 5
Scallop Fried Rice
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil Note 6
- 500 grams/ 1 pound scallops Note 7
- ¼ teaspoon salt Note 8
- ½ teaspoon black pepper also Note 8
- 4 eggs free range, whisked, Note 9
- 1 tablespoon garlic Note 10
- ½ large onion peeled and diced, Note 11
- 1 cup bacon diced, Note 12
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables Note 13
- 4 cups day old rice this is the cooked amount, Note 14
Garnish (optional):
- 1 cup green onions green bits only, tips trimmed, finely sliced, Note 15
Instructions
- Sauce: add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, Worcestershire sauce and sesame oil to a small glass and use a mini whisk to combine then set aside.
- Scallops: place a large sauté pan on the stove top, turn the heat to high, add the peanut oil, scallops, salt and pepper. Cook the scallops using a pair of tongs or silicon turner to flip them halfway through cooking. They will take 4-5 minutes to cook. Once done, transfer them out of the pan and into a paper towel lined bowl.
- Eggs: crack each egg into a small bowl and use a fork to gently whisk. Then pour the whisked eggs into the hot pan and scramble them as they cook, using the silicon turner to break them into small pieces as you go. Once the eggs are cooked, transfer them out of the pan onto a plate.
- Garlic, onion and bacon: without rinsing or cleaning the pan add the garlic, onion and diced bacon, stirring and letting cook for 1 minutes.
- Frozen vegetables: next add the frozen peas, carrot and corn to the pan and let them thaw and cook in the pan (1-2 minutes).
- Rice and sauce: once the vegetables have softened add the cooked rice to the pan and pour the sauce over the top. Take a couple of minutes to gently fold the rice into the bacon and vegetable mix.
- Eggs and scallops: once the rice is consistently mixed in add the cooked scrambled egg and cooked scallops back to the pan. Stir to fold these into the rice and allow them to heat through.
- To serve: once the dish is heated through, sprinkle some sliced green onions across the top of the scallop fried rice, provide bowls, forks and spoons for serving.
Notes
- Note 1 - Oyster sauce: thick, rich and commonly used in Asian recipes.
- Note 2 - Soy sauce: this is regular soy sauce. You can use dark soy sauce which will make the dish have a darker appearance colour wise. In which case I would do a straight switch from soy to dark soy ie using 1 tablespoon of dark soy. Not both as we don't want to make the dish too salty.
- Note 3 - Chinese cooking wine: also known as Shaoxing wine. You will find it in the Asian foods section of the supermarket. It has a sweet flavor from the addition of caramel and is pale brown in colour.
- Note 4 - Worcestershire sauce: not common or regularly found in fried rice recipes. However, this sauce is known to give recipes a little oomph. It does the trick with oomph for this recipe too.
- Note 5 - Sesame oil: a lovely light and aromatic oil used for flavor in the sauce.
- Note 6 - Peanut oil: we use the peanut oil to lightly sear the scallops on the stove top.
- Note 7 - Scallops: these delightful seafood are juicy and soft when cooked. You will be able to get them from the deli section where the other seafood is or from your local fish monger. You can lightly rinse these before adding to the pan, in which case you need to pay them dry as to not add excess moisture to the pan as this will prevent them searing.
- Note 8 - Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper for seasoning in the recipe.
- Note 9 - Garlic: you can use 2 fresh garlic cloves finely chopped, chunky chopped jarred garlic or minced garlic, whichever suits you best.
- Note 10 - Onion: 1 large onion cut in half, peeled and diced will do the trick.
- Note 11 - Bacon: store bought diced bacon is easy and requires no chopping.
- Note 12 - Frozen vegetables: I like to use a combination of frozen peas, corn and carrot. They add colourful pops of brightness to the recipe.
- Note 13 - Eggs: we want to use free range eggs. We whisk them then scramble them in the hot pan.
- Note 14 - Rice: the best rice to use to make fried rice is rice that was cooked the day before. This gives it a chance to dry out and crisp up a little. I use 2 cups of basmati rice cooked in 3 cups of water in a microwave rice cooker for 12 minutes. I then remove this, let it cool slightly, then pop it in the fridge to use the next day.
- Note 15 - Green onions: we use these to garnish the top of the dish for serving. You can also use chopped cilantro (coriander) as an alternative.
Belinda says
Yum! This sounds delicious. I love the idea of eating seafood more often. Adding to our list.
Adrianne says
Thanks for your feedback Belinda 😁.
Amelia Arnold says
Amazing!! Easy to make and delicious.
Adrianne says
Thanks Amelia 😄.