Tuna Fried Rice is a quick and easy recipe! Perfect as a meal in one or suitable to serve as a side to many mains, you will love the versatility of this dish. Fried rice with tuna is packed with a ton of vegetables, bacon, crispy rice, fluffy eggs and a slick sauce. This tuna egg fried rice will save you ordering in and gives you a simple Chinese style recipe to make from the comfort of home!
Recipes like the Shrimp And Chicken Fried Rice, Ham Fried Rice, Lamb Fried Rice and the Brown Rice Fried Rice are all versions of classic Chinese fried rice.
The Tuna Fritters, Tuna Pesto Pasta, Tuna Pasta Bake and Tuna Spaghetti are all recipes using canned tuna.
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🤍 Recipe Highlights
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the fried rice with tuna recipe in the points below:
- Simple ingredients: you will be able to get everything you need to make this easy tuna recipe from the local grocery store. They are year round available ingredients which will be easy to get your hands on. The bonus as well as that many are favorite pantry staples that you are likely to already have in the cupboard!
- Easy and quick to cook: you have got to love a recipe that after 20 minutes of your time it is cooked and ready to eat! This easy fried rice recipe comes together quickly and is the perfect easy meal for busy weeknights.
- Taste and texture: from the juicy vegetables to the chewy rice, crispy bacon and fluffy eggs. There is a lot going on in this dish! It is one to get the taste buds going and the mouthwatering.
- Versatile: you can served this fried rice with tuna as a complete meal, pair it with spring rolls to make it a Chinese food feast or reduce the portions and have them on the sides of meaty mains. This is a very versatile recipe that lends itself to a wide variety of serving options.
- Popular: everyone loves Chinese food! From the young to the young at heart it is popular amongst all ages. Full of flavor and excellent to make at home for a quick weeknight dinner, it is going to be a recipe that they ask you to make again and again!
🥗 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 a little peanut oil when sautéing the garlic and onion. It is widely used in Asian recipes and favored over using olive oil.
- Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper for seasoning in the recipe.
- Garlic: you can use 2-3 fresh garlic cloves, finely diced, chunky chopped garlic like you see in the photo above or jarred minced garlic. Choose whichever type is the most convenient for you.
- Sesame oil: this delightfully aromatic oil is a pleasure to use in the kitchen! One smell from the bottle gives you the unmistakeable 'fried rice smell' and it is not to be missed in the recipe.
- Soy sauce: this is regular soy sauce.
- Oyster sauce: thick and rich, oyster sauce is also widely used in Asian recipes. It has a thick texture and salty taste.
- Chinese cooking wine: also known as Shaoxing wine, this will be in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.
- Worcestershire sauce: my secret sauce that I love adding to all recipes that I can squeeze it into! Not traditional in a fried rice recipe by any means, but you will come to see why I use it when you try it in the recipe.
- Green onions: we want to trim the roots and tops of the green onions and then finely slice these with kitchen scissors. They are an ideal garnish to sprinkle over the finished dish for serving.
- Onion: we want to peel and dice half of a large brown onion.
- Egg: free range eggs are always the best type to use! We simply whisk them and them scramble them in the pan to cook them.
- Bacon: store bought diced bacon is the easiest choice. It requires no chopping and can simply be added to the pan.
- Frozen vegetables: I like to use a trio of frozen peas, corn and carrot. You can get these from the freezer section of the supermarket. They require no prep work, can be added to the pan frozen and add pops of delightful colour to the rice.
- Tuna: we want to use tinned tuna that is in spring water. This way we are not adding additional oil into the recipe (tuna packed in oil will do this).
- Day old rice: we want to use day-old rice that we have cooked and cooled the day previously. This gives us the best texture. I use 2 cups of dried basmati rice and cook that in 3 cups of tap water in a microwave rice cooker for 12 minutes (high heat). Fluff with a fork, let cool then refrigerate till the next day.
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 tuna fried rice recipe. We start by making the sauce and cooking the eggs.
- Gather the sauce ingredients (Photo 1)
- Whisk them together (Photo 2)
- Whisk the eggs (Photo 3)
- Scramble to cook (Photo 4)
👩🍳 How to Make Tuna Fried Rice
To make the tuna fried rice, we start by gathering the ingredients to make the sauce. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, Worcestershire sauce and sesame oil to a small glass and use a mini whisk to combine, then set aside.
Next working one at a time, crack each egg into a small bowl and use a fork to whisk. When ready place a large sauté pan on the stove top, turn the heat to high and pour in the beaten eggs. Scramble to cook the eggs, using a silicon turner to break them up as you go. When the eggs are cooked, remove them from the pan and place them onto a plate.
- Add the peanut oil, garlic, salt and pepper to the pan (Photo 5)
- Then add the bacon and onion and cook (Photo 6)
- Next add the frozen vegetables (Photo 7)
- Then add the cooked rice (Photo 8)
When ready without rinsing or cleaning the pan we used to cook the eggs, add the peanut oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Follow these with the diced bacon and chopped onion. Stir fry these for 1 - 2 minutes to allow the onion to soft and the bacon to crisp a little.
Next add the frozen peas, corn and carrot to the pan and cook these for 1-2 minutes.
Once the vegetables have softened add the cooked rice to the pan as you see me having done in the photos above.
- Pour the sauce over the rice (Photo 9)
- Add the cooked egg (Photo 10)
- Add the flaked tuna (Photo 11)
- Toss and heat through (Photo 12)
Next pour the sauce over the rice and take a couple of minutes to work this into the rice, breaking up any clumps of rice as you go.
Once the sauce and rice is consistently mixed, add the scrambled eggs and flaked tuna to the pan as you see in the photos above.
Gently stir to fold these in and allow the dish to heat through.
When ready, garnish the dish with some chopped green onions and grab some bowls and forks/spoons. Then give a shout that 'dinner is ready!' and have everyone come and dive in 😉👌.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
When it comes to serving your rice, you might like to air fry some Spring Rolls, pair them with a dipping sauce like sweet chilli sauce, divide the rice into bowls and then you are all set!
Or you can reduce the portion size of the servings and serve the rice as a side dish to a wide variety of mains.
For seafood pairings, try it with the Stuffed Scallops, Prawn And Chorizo Skewers, Prawn Skewers or the Prawn Fritters.
The combination of a tuna fried rice with beef, pork and chicken might not sound appealing, yet when you have an array of dishes all spread out and want a little of this that and everything else on the plate, it will work.
In which case try the Chicken Ribs, Sweet and Sour Ribs, Beef Ribs or the Crumbed Lamb Cutlets.
For other options try the Greek Leg Of Lamb, Pork Leg Roast, Roast Pork Shoulder or the Herb Crusted Rack Of Lamb.
For a wine pairing try a chilled glass of rose, a crisp cold pinot grigio or a smooth red like a pinot noir or merlot.
If you are having this for lunch, however, you will likely find a small serving size, heated is adequate and satisfyingly delicious at the same time, no extras neded! 😉👌
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
Let the fried rice fully cool. Then transfer leftover fried rice into a sealed, airtight container. They can be kept for 3-4 days and need to be reheated before being consumed
How to Freeze
Once the tuna fried rice has cooled, portion into air tight containers. Then place into the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat
Allow frozen portions of the fried rice with tuna to fully thaw. Then reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
Or add leftover tuna rice to bowls and cover with cling wrap. Then reheat on high in the microwave in 1 minute increments until heated 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:
- For additional veggies add some chopped red bell pepper or green beans along with the frozen vegetables. Or as well as using the spring onions for garnish, slice some and pan fry to jam pack the rice with vegetables!
- For a more spicy version of the rice add 1 tablespoon of sriracha sauce when mixing the fried rice sauce into the rice.
- Or you can add a tablespoon of kimchi and mix it through for a Korean style tuna fried rice.
- Add a fried egg on top of the dish for additional protein and to make it a 'complete meal'.
- If you want to use brown rice in place of the white rice, you can. Check out this post - Brown Rice Fried Rice for specifics.
- The 2 best types of rice to use are either basmati rice or Jasmine rice.
- You can use dark soy sauce in place of the regular soy sauce if you wish too. In which case, simply switch one for the other, ie use 1 tablespoon of dark soy not both as using both would make the rice too salty!
💡 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:
- The reason why the rice is best cooked the day before is because we get the best texture from it. This rice is dry, chilled and firm. It is not sweaty of mushy. Fresh rice cooked and used straight away doesn't offer the firm texture we want for the rice.
- If you want to cook the eggs in the pan with the rice you can. Do this after adding and cooking the frozen vegetables before adding the rice. I do this technique sometimes, but also cook them separately and add them back to the pan as I feel that you get more fluffy pieces of egg that way. Choose the cooking method that you prefer.
- Love fried rice? Then you might also like the Pork Mince Fried Rice, Chorizo Fried Rice or the Pork Belly Fried Rice.
- Or if you love easy recipes to pair with rice, try the Cajun Prawns, Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs, Thai Minced Pork, Sweet Chilli Prawns or the Satay Prawns 😉.
🤓 Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use canned tuna in fried rice?
Yes, you can use canned tuna in fried rice.
Can you cook canned tuna?
Canned tuna is already cooked. So you have the option of removing it from the can and eating as is or adding it to a wide variety of dishes and gently stirring in, allowing it to heat through.
Do you rinse canned tuna before cooking?
It is not necessary to rinse canned tuna before cooking. It is however, best to thoroughly drain the liquid from the tin be it spring water, water or oil as to avoid adding excess oil to the recipe.
😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes
Here are some more recipes to keep your dinners inspired and never 'same, same' or boring!
- Scallop Linguine
- Slow Cooker Chicken Barley Soup
- Pork Leg Roast
- Greek Leg Of Lamb
- Roast Pork Shoulder
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops With Apples
- Ham Fettuccine Alfredo
- Beef Short Rib Ragu
- Satay Lamb
- Slow Cooker Sausage And Peppers
It is time to get our tuna fried rice on my friend! You can also find all of my quick and easy recipes or dinner recipes in the one spot.
Adrianne
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📖 Recipe
Tuna Fried Rice
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce Note 1
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce Note 2
- 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine Note 3
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Note 4
- 3 teaspoons sesame oil Note 5
Fried Rice
- 4 eggs free range, Note 6
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil Note 7
- ½ large brown onion skin peeled and diced, Note 8
- 1 tablespoon garlic 2-3 fresh cloves, chunky chopped or jarred minced garlic, Note 9
- 1 cup bacon diced, Note 10
- ½ teaspoon salt Note 11
- ½ teaspoon black pepper also Note 12
- 2 cups frozen vegetables Note 13
- 4 cups cooked day old rice Note 14
- 425 grams/ 1 pound tuna in spring water, or water, drained and flaked with a fork, Note 15
Garnish
- green onions roots and tips trimmed, finely sliced, Note 16
Instructions
- Sauce: add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, Worcestershire sauce and sesame oil to a small glass jar and whisk to combine then set aside.
- Eggs: working one at a time crack the eggs into a small bowl and use a fork to whisk. Then place a large sauté pan onto the stove top, turn the heat to high and add the beaten eggs. Scramble to cook using a silicon turner to break them into small pieces as you go. Once the eggs are cooked, lift them up and out of the pan and place them onto a plate.
- Bacon and onion: without rinsing or cleaning the pan used to cook the eggs add the peanut oil, garlic, bacon, chopped onion, salt and pepper. Stir fry these for 1 minute till the onion has softened and the bacon crisped a little.
- Frozen vegetables: next add the frozen peas, corn and carrot to the pan and allow these to thaw and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Rice and sauce: next add the cooked rice to the pan and pour over the sauce. Now take a couple of minutes to work the sauce into the rice, breaking up any clumps of rice as you go.
- Egg and tuna: once the sauce has been consistently mixed into the rice add the cooked eggs back to the pan, followed by the tuna. Gently stir to fold these in and then allow them to heat through.
- To serve: garnish the dish with the chopped spring onions and grab some bowls and forks for serving.
Notes
- Note 1 - Soy sauce: this is regular soy sauce.
- Note 2 - Oyster sauce: thick and rich, oyster sauce is also widely used in Asian recipes. It has a thick texture and salty taste.
- Note 3 - Chinese cooking wine: also known as Shaoxing wine, this will be in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.
- Note 4 - Worcestershire sauce: my secret sauce that I love adding to all recipes that I can squeeze it into! Not traditional in a fried rice recipe by any means, but you will come to see why I use it when you try it in the recipe.
- Note 5 - Sesame oil: this delightfully aromatic oil is a pleasure to use in the kitchen! One smell from the bottle gives you the unmistakeable 'fried rice smell' and it is not to be missed in the recipe.
- Note 6 - Eggs: free range eggs are always the best type to use! We simply whisk them and them scramble them in the pan to cook them.
- Note 7 - Peanut oil: we use a little peanut oil when sautéing the garlic and onion. It is widely used in Asian recipes and favored over using olive oil.
- Note 8 - Bacon: store bought diced bacon is the easiest choice. It requires no chopping and can simply be added to the pan. Or you can use approx 4 rashers, cut the rind off and roughly chop. Streaky bacon is too thin in my opinion for fried rice however, so I don't recommend it.
- Note 9 - Onion: we want to peel and dice half of a large brown onion.
- Note 10 - Garlic: you can use 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, finely diced, chunky chopped garlic like you see in the photo above or jarred minced garlic. Choose whichever type is the most convenient for you.
- Note 11 - Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper for seasoning in the recipe.
- Note 12 - Frozen vegetables: I like to use a trio of frozen peas, corn and carrot. You can get these from the freezer section of the supermarket. They require no prep work, can be added to the pan frozen and add pops of delightful colour to the rice.
- Note 13 - Day old rice: we want to use rice that we have cooked and cooled the day before. This gives us the best texture. I use 2 cups of dried basmati rice and cook that in 3 cups of tap water in a microwave rice cooker for 12 minutes. Fluff with a fork. let cool then refrigerate till the next day.
- Note 14 - Tuna: we want to use tinned tuna that is in spring water or water. This way we are not adding additional oil into the recipe (tuna packed in oil will do this).
- Note 15 - Green onions: we want to trim the roots and tops of the green onions and then finely slice these with kitchen scissors. They are an ideal garnish to sprinkle over the finished dish for serving.
Belinda says
Sounds so delicious to me. We always have canned tunned at home so it makes for an easy option. Yum!
Simone C says
We made this tuna recipe as soon as we saw it and loved it! Its a great dinner and there was lots involved in the awesome flavours.
Adrianne says
Aww thanks Simone! 😄.
Jenna G says
So good! This tastes much healthier than take out and seemed less oily too.
Adrianne says
Great to hear Jenna thanks 😄.