Crab Fried Rice is a classic and much beloved Thai dish, characterized by its delicate flavors. The crab is really the star of the show here, so a light touch is used when it comes to soy sauce, fish sauce, and the shaoxing wine. The cilantro, scallion, and lime combo adds the perfect fresh flavor.
The first time I had this rice was at a Japanese restaurant in Philadelphia. My professor was paying for lunch for a group of students, which means, hey–SPRINGING for the $15 crab fried rice. At first I wasn’t really impressed by it. It was definitely good, but only later when I ate the leftovers with chili oil did I truly appreciate the flavors.
So, as we do with many dishes on this here blog, we definitely recommend liberal amounts of chili oil on the side. You need just enough so it’s spicy and zingy, but the crab remains, well…crabby. And well at the forefront.
Onwards to this crab fried rice!
Crab Fried Rice Recipe Instructions
First, prep all of your ingredients, including your aromatics—ginger, garlic, cilantro, and scallions. Prep the beaten eggs as well and set them aside. Only when you have all the ingredients prepared and ready to go should you start cooking.
Heat the cooking oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the ginger first, stirring for 30 seconds. Then add the garlic.
When the garlic is just cooked (before it starts to turn golden), add the cooked white rice to the wok, and turn up the heat to high. Stir fry the rice for 3 minutes or so until it’s thoroughly combined with the ginger/garlic mixture and/or warmed through if you’re using leftover rice.
Now for the flavorings: add the white pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine to the rice. If it’s not quite salty enough for you or if you know you won’t be eating it with added hot sauce, now is the time to add salt to taste. Stir-fry to combine. Using your wok spatula, spread the rice out into an even layer along the surface of the wok. Pour the beaten egg evenly over the rice.
Stir the rice until all of the egg is cooked and incorporated. The egg coats the rice and makes for a most excellent savory experience. Much better than broken up bits/huge chunks of scrambled egg throughout.
Before adding the crab, use your wok spatula to once more spread the rice evenly in the wok. Add the crab to the rice and stir fry thoroughly.
When the crab is warmed through, add the scallion and cilantro and stir-fry briefly until the herbs are just wilted.
Serve your Thai Crab fried rice and finish with a squeeze of lime and your favorite chili oil!
If you’re not crazy about crab fried rice but in still need of a carb fix, then check out our growing collection of rice and noodles recipes.