Miso fried rice with shrimp and egg is fast, easy, comforting, and delicious! Bouncy, tender shrimp, soft bits of scrambled egg, and tender rice all mixed together in a miso-based sauce. It's a meal all in itself, but also goes great with miso soup, leafy greens or a side of potstickers! It's so good, you'll be eating your bowl clean!

Ingredients

Day old cooked rice
Eggs
Peeled deveined shrimp
Chopped green onions

Miso paste
Mirin
Japanese soy sauce
Dashi granules
White pepper

Instructions

Pro Tip: Make sure all the ingredients and sauce are prepared before you start cooking! The fried rice comes together very quickly and is literally ready in a few minutes!

Close-up of a knife scoring the outside curve of a raw shrimp being held by a hand.

If using frozen shrimp, be sure to defrost it completely. If they are not already deveined, score the outside curve of each shrimp and remove and discard the dark vein.

A hand holding a raw shrimp that has been scored by a knife.

Some shrimp have already been pin-deveined, like the ones I am using. Score the shrimp on the outside curve anyway to get the "butterfly" effect on the shrimp when they cook.

A round metal bowl containing a thick brown sauce.

In a small bowl, add the miso paste, mirin, oil, soy sauce, dashi granules, and white pepper and mix well. Set aside.

Ten pink cooked shrimp in a dark grey skillet.

Heat a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add two tablespoons of neutral flavored oil. Add the shrimp and fry until pink and cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a dish and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of neutral flavored oil to the pan. Add the scrambled egg and cook it to a soft set and not completely cooked through.

Cooked white rice and chunks of scrambled egg in a grey sklilet.

Add the rice and mix with the egg.

Dollops of brown sauce on cooked white rice and scrambled eggs in a grey skillet.

Add the sauce mixture and stirfry with the rice and egg to coat.

Cooked rice, scrambled eggs, cooked shrimp and chopped green onions in a grey skillet.

Add the cooked shrimp, chopped green onion and mix well. Cook for another minute or two to heat through.

Variations

A pair of wooden chopsticks resting on a round blue and white bowl containing cooked rice, scrambled eggs, cooked shrimp and chopped green onions.

The miso fried rice is so good as it is, but here are some toppings and garnishes to add on extra layers of flavor and texture:

Extra chopped green onions - Adds some "freshness" to the rice.
Toasted sesame seeds - Adds a bit of nuttiness.
Furikake seasoning - My favorite topping for this dish, it adds an extra boost of umami!
Fried shallots - Buy a jar of fried shallots and sprinkle some over your rice for a bit of crunch and added texture.
Kewpie mayonnaise - Drizzle on some of this Japanese mayonnaise for some tang .
Shichimi Togarashi - Sprinkle this chili seasoning for some spice.

A pair of wooden chopsticks resting on a round blue bowl containing miso fried rice with shrimp and egg.

Commonly Asked Questions

What can I substitute for the shrimp?

Great substitutes for the shrimp would be Chinese barbecue pork (cha siu), cooked cut up chicken or flaked salmon, or cut-up shiitake mushrooms. I would recommend sticking with items that cook as quickly as shrimp or are already cooked to keep with this recipe being quick to prepare. You can also omit the shrimp completely and keep it as a miso fried rice with egg.

What type of rice do you use?

Fried rice is typically made using long-grain rice. Regular long-grain or jasmine rice are good options. Basmati rice or short-grain rice will not work as well for this recipe.