Crispy Next Day Sushi Leftover Fried Rice

What do you do when you have a ton of leftover sushi? Well, if you’re like most people, you might think about saving it for later or eating it the next day, and honestly, that’s kind of a mistake. Sushi doesn’t hold up well, it should be eaten right after it’s made. But here’s the thing, if you do end up with leftovers, don’t throw them out. Pop them in the fridge and cook them the next day like you would any fresh ingredient. In this case, that means tossing them in a pan with a little soy sauce and whatever vegetables you have hanging around. The result? A surprisingly delicious and satisfying stir-fried fried rice.

This is, of course, a leftovers recipe, and that’s the whole beauty of it. Fried rice is one of the greatest leftover friendly dishes out there, and once you start making it, you’ll realize just how flexible the idea is. Got some roasted chicken from Sunday dinner? Throw it in. Leftover pork chops? Slice them up. A sad half-wilted pepper sitting at the back of the fridge? Perfect. Almost any leftover, any protein, any vegetable can be turned into a killer fried rice, so think of this recipe as a reminder to always keep that in mind when you’re staring at a fridge full of odds and ends.

So i see this recipe as more of a base and a guide than a strict set of rules, and that’s intentional. The amounts here come from one of our sushi nights where there were a lot of leftovers, so the quantity is generous. But if you have less, just round it out with a little extra cooked rice or a few more vegetables to stretch it further for everyone at the table. The key is to have everything ready before you turn on the heat, because this cooks fast and you don’t want to be scrambling for ingredients mid-cook. Get it all prepped, and then just go 🙂 Let’s check the recipe!

Crispy Next Day Sushi Leftover Fried Rice

Servings: 4
Time: 35mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Got sushi leftovers and no idea what to do with them? Great news! Hehehehe how about making a delicious sushi fried rice? ;D If the sushi was great the fried rice will be even better!

Ingredients

Sushi – Assorted (Onigiri and Rolls)
Vegetables – Assorted (Carrot, Green Bell Pepper, Red Bell Pepper, Cucumber, etc.)
Onion – 2
Garlic – 2 Cloves
Soy Sauce – A Few Drips
Salt – A Pinch
Peanut Oil – 2 Tablespoons
Rice Vinegar – A Few Drips
Chives – A Pinch (Chopped)

Directions

Prepare everything before starting to cook, in this case the sushi, the already chopped vegetables, and the sliced onion and garlic to add later.
Start by pouring the oil into the bottom of a wok (or large frying pan) and letting it heat up, add the onion and garlic and quickly fry, stirring constantly.

Now add the vegetables and continue stirring until they are well browned. If necessary, add a little more oil, especially if it starts to stick, continue stirring.
Finally add the sushi and continue stirring a little more until you have a more homogeneous mixture.
Season with a little soy sauce (3 tablespoons), rice vinegar (1 tablespoon), always tasting to adjust to your liking. When it’s to your liking, remove from the heat.
Sprinkle with a little chopped chives or scallion and it’s ready to serve, enjoy!

Notes & Tips: This dish works best in a wok because of the high, even heat, but a wide non-stick pan does the job just fine. The most important thing in this style of cooking is speed, so resist the urge to slow down and just keep everything moving.

Soy sauce can get salty fast, especially since sushi rice is already seasoned, so add it gradually and taste as you go rather than pouring it all in at once.

If your sushi pieces are large, it helps to break them apart a little before adding them to the pan so they mix in more evenly with the vegetables. They’ll break down naturally as you stir, but giving them a head start doesn’t hurt. Also if your sushi is not rice heavy then adding some more already cooked rice is a good idea.

Feel free to crack an egg or two into the mix just before adding the sushi. Let it set slightly cook and then stir it through, it adds a lovely richness and is very traditional in fried rice recipes.

If you don’t have peanut oil, a neutral oil like vegetable or sunflower oil works fine. Sesame oil is another great option, but use it sparingly since the flavor is very strong and its used mostly as a finishing oil anyways.

Remember, this is a base recipe, not a strict formula. The whole point is to use what you have. If you’ve got other types of sushi, or leftover shredded chicken, a bit of pork, some corn, edamame, or even just a random half-onion, it all belongs here. Think of fried rice as the dish that turns “nothing in the fridge” into something worth eating 🙂

This recipe for Crispy Next Day Sushi Leftover Fried Rice was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Sushi Frito na Frigideira foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.