At every party, every special occasion, and even many weddings, this family-secret fried rice made its appearance. Growing up, Vietnamese fried rice was always a staple. My mom always had some stored in the fridge or, surprisingly, the freezer.
For me, this dish is truly special.
Fried Rice Around The World

Thai fried rice possesses a sweet touch from pineapple and a spicy undertone from curry powder. Indonesian fried rice takes on a deeper brown hue, courtesy of Kecap Manis, a thick, sweet soy sauce. While many recognize Chinese fried rice from takeout experiences as sometimes heavy and greasy, when prepared well, it’s delightfully light and packed with flavor. In contrast, Vietnamese fried rice, to my taste, is lighter, less salty, and not as oily.
My mother’s fried rice is unparalleled. Everyone who’s tasted it can’t stop singing its praises and invariably asks for the recipe. With characteristic modesty, she’d always reply, “It’s really simple, you don’t need a recipe from me.” Truth be told, she never had a written recipe; she cooked by taste.
Now, I’m going to unveil how she crafted that beloved secret fried rice.
Mom’s Secret
Ready for the secret ingredient??? IT’S THE GARLIC SHELL!!!!! The crust papery shell of the garlic cloves holds a lot of garlic flavor, so don’t waste it!!!
Note about garlic shells: Only use the garlic shell just outside of the garlic clove itself.
My Secret
Are you ready? I add crispy fried shallots. They add a wonderful texture and a hint of sweetness to the dish.
Let’s put these ingredients together and get cooking!
Mom's Vietnamese Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage and Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups jasmine rice, day old
- 1 ½ cups mixed frozen vegetables peas, carrots, corn, green bean mix
- 1 ½ cups Chinese sausage this is about 3 sticks
- 10 whole shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced and shells reserved
- ½ small yellow onion finely minced
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 stalks green onion sliced
Sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2-3 tbsp Golden Mountain seasoning sauce or soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and set aside.
Eggs
- In a non-stick pan, heat on medium heat
- Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- Add beaten egg and distribute evenly to form a thin layer. You want a thin crepe-like thickenss. Do NOT stir or mix.
- Cook the eggs for 2-3 minutes and then gently flip and cook the other side for another 2 minutes.
- Remove the eggs from the pan and set aside to let cool
Chinese Sausage & Mixed Vegetables
- In a medium sauce pan bring enough water to cover the Chinese sausage up to a boil
- Add Chinese sausage and boil for about 10 minutes
- Remove and let cool and then cut into thin slices (not paper thin)
- Add mixed vegetables to the same pot and boil for 2 minutes.
- Strain and set aside.
Fried Rice
- In a wok or non-stick pan on medium heat, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
- Add in shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook until pink on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
- Add in remaining vegetable oil, 2 tbsp, minced garlic AND the reserved garlic shells. Saute until fragrant.
- Add in diced onions, Chinese sausage, and rice into the wok.
- Using a wok spatula or wooden spoon, break a part the rice so that almost ever rice grain is separate.
- Add in mixed vegetables and shrimp and continue to mix and toss for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove garlic shells.
- Mix in soy sauce mixture and mix and toss for another 2-3 minutes.
- To finish, add 1 tbsp of butter and mix evenly.
- To garnish, roll up the egg from earlier and thinly slice and top the fried rice with thinly sliced eggs and green scallions.
Easy recipe and very tasty. My friends love it, too.
Thanks Becky! I’m glad you liked it! Keep following for more recipes and thanks for your support! 🙂